You always post such thought-provoking pieces! Although I agree with the idea that people like the idea of reading more than they actually read, I'm not sure the inability to read a full book - at least in the case of the college students cited in that Atlantic article - is because of this. Just thinking back to my own high school days, I really did struggle with quite a number of books that were assigned in my lit classes. I graduated HS almost twenty years ago. We were always assigned the "classics" and I didn't feel like we properly taught how to read them. So when we had to finish a book I could barely understand in a few weeks, I did need to consult SparkNotes. I did the reading, I just didn't know what I was reading. The problem there, in my case, was my sub-par education (and I was in honors classes, too!)
Really good point, Rafia. Sometimes the assigned readings really do make a difference to how engaged we are as readers. I think what I was trying to suggest is that the aesthetic of reading, regardless of what we are reading, is fooling us into believing that people are readers when, in fact, they really aren't. And that illusion is being commoditized isn't though it's not reflective of the literacy rates. At least that's some of what I was trying to communicate.
I feel this very deeply. Even though I also like reading and writing I have started to cringe at the commodification of the perception of being a reader instead of actually reading deeply. It’s like when I first moved to the big city and shamefully thought if I dressed and acted like early 1960s bob Dylan I’d magically become a great artist. Truth be told I’ve made much better art as a boring looking middle aged dad than I ever did as someone embracing the aesthetic of being an artist.
That Dillon reference is a great comparison, Jesse. You can't just look the part, you actually have to do the work to get the benefit. And I'm afraid many "readers" are not actually doing the work.
A good deep dive Kern, it is the reality of our Internet Age.
Whilst there are pros there are Cons too.One of the Cons is you get true price transparency for the price of goods.
However with prolific no-holds barred opinion ( random noisy posts ?) it has becomes difficult to discern true facts. It has essentially become an overcrowded digital AD marketplace that 'platforms' seek rent regardless of the content published. And worst of all, people can have their 15 minutes of fame with a viral paragraph post that has dubious value - some say dumb; different entertainment to get attention for advertisers.
No wonder they call it the short attention economy. To read a novel is too much for some. It needs dedicated focus ; reflection and analysis - a skill forgotten or not valued - everything has to be bite-sized. And they call this social media ? Where everyone seems wants to make a quick buck; like a get rich scheme.
Witness the popularity with Royal Road, Watt pad etc with serialized weekly short chapter posts of a story. There are some 860,000 users that mostly want stories of only a short digestible chapter a week. They are ranked in terms of trends by an algorithm that platform seeks to extract profit. I do not think I could read a paid chapter a week - cheaper to buy the Novel.
Will this generation of people every be able to read a 300 page; 70,000 word novel ? Not likely. Is the future we want ? to regain our control.
One of the cons.
The internet age, where everything is of convenience has destroyed a lot of mom and pop book stores and other small businesses. The call it digital market transparency for your business, work, to seek the holy grail of making easy profits by supposed experts.
Thank you for your piece. I love books! As a poet and writer, I am surrounded by books on a daily basis. I have a library in my den and living room. My kids have bookshelves full of stories. Reading was a priority for me growing up. We were poor and my mom stressed the importance of getting an education. I hold six degrees and I'm hoping to get a doctorate next. Reading can take us places that transcends physical limitations. I became a writer because of my love of reading. Stories shape our existence.
Reading and having books as an aesthetic is the reason, I deactivated my bookstagram pre-pandemic. I do not want to write an essay in your comments, so imma keep it brief! I too believe that celebrity book clubs can contribute to the promotion of books and literacy to some extent. But is this simply the result of celebrity worship culture and parasocial relationships? Wouldn't it make more sense on a local level to create that same level of hype in book clubs? Community reading and studying have the potential to profoundly transform our communities. I went to school for history; celebrities don’t move my needle personally; I know I can be critical. I speak about it because I am committed to my community through a grassroots public history approach. I have said enough!
You have said A LOT! Your point about transferring that energy to community through reading and studying (via book clubs to your example) is so brilliant and would have a much more widespread and sustainable impact. Thanks for sharing, Nubia.
But you call your stack Writers Are Superstars, and deliberately reference films, etc. as a way to show this, at least as your heading would have it. In a way, aren't you pitching this commodification as well? Being a "superstar" has specific connotations and not all or even most of them are connected to doing the job well apart from that recognition.
My substack is about giving writers confidence. And I reference film and music because those are the creative disciplines that get public recognition even though writers are the real Superstars. It's not a literal statement, but appreciate the question. It's good to make sure people understand what I'm trying to do here.
I really really adore the exposure that booktok and booktube has done for books. Also, after I saw you mention RF Kuang’s Babel, it started popping up everywhere on my booktok 🤣. Now I have to read it. People are singing high praises for it
Oh I definitely think parents and the home plays a role, but if you read a couple of the comments on this post, it's not always enough. But yes, keep encouraging our young readers. They eventually get the message.
Thank you for writing about this. I definitely love the aesthetics of reading, I have stacks of books as decor, but I am also an actual reader, and have been wondering about these things too. I also read that article and was shocked too.
You aren't wrong to wonder if lots of the creators are just skimming. There were discussions about just this recently on Threads. Apparently there are people that skim or skip the descriptive paragraphs, and only read dialogue. Also many say they don't read prologue, because they don't think they matter. While I agree that BookTube/Bookstahram/BookTok have done a lot for reading, on the flip side I think it also does quite a bit of harm.
It's such a double edged sword, right? Like how is anyone skipping descriptive paragraphs or any word an author includes in their books and still counting that as reading the full book? They're literally missing out on a large portion of the experience. It's like we're in a rush to get nowhere.
Well written piece. I spend most of my time on BookTube and bookstagram, and the thing that made me uncomfortable in the beginning was how a lot of content focused on book hauls, collecting special editions, etc. I found myself feeling self conscious for not having the space or the funds to have books in my home despite the fact that it wasn't the reason why I joined the community in the first place. Just goes to show how insidious the FOMO effect can be, I guess.
Some Booktubers seemed to have changed their minds on this content over the years, so I don't see much of that content anymore.
The aesthetication of reading, on the other hand, is still there. More so on bookstagram because I think it's easier for someone to give off the vibe that they're passionate about books with little effort. When the George Floyd protests were happening, a lot of the larger bookstagrammers were being called out for for their performative activism by posting pictures of books on antiracism and decolonization on their shelves but not actually reading them.
I was actually just thinking about this as I study bookstagram and booktok for novel research- the beautifully curated photos of books strewn about a cozy blanket or in grid form, the covers of the books so delicious all together. It’s a total aesthetic. And I wonder how many books are actually read by these creators. I’ve seen some reviews and comments that suggest the reading comprehension is, at least, not very good. And it makes sense that it wouldn’t be because these algorithms punish creators for not feeding it continually so they have to read an insane number of books to keep the gig going.
And two) for those of us with attention problems- audiobooks would have been revolutionary for me in college to get through entire books that were not particularly interesting and I was in college over 20 years ago, so I don’t think this is a new problem). I did get through some great classics in high school somehow.
I have those concerns also. Reading should always be an experience, meaning it should be something we commit to fully. Anything less than that is dangerous, in my opinion, because it turns reading into something else and reading is reading.
And YES to using audiobooks if that's going to help, but listening to books and reading books are two different things.
Another excellent, and thought provoking essay Kern. I must admit that I was completely unaware of BookTok until you mentioned it here. I do know about Dua Lipa’s book club. But here is what I see with my 14 and 15 year old daughters: While they grow up in a home surrounded by bookshelves (my personal obsession, not for aesthetics, I have actually read those books!) and they used to read so much when they were younger (before the phone!) I hardly see them read now. It absolutely breaks my heart and I don’t know how to compete with the allure of those mindless short videos on Instagram/ TikTok. I’m genuinely concerned. It is tough to hold their attention. And I do feel that we are all getting stupider when even a short story becomes a challenge. I don’t know what the solution is… :(
I wish I had answers, Imola. The allure is so strong. Keep those bookshelves stocked and drop some hints once in a while, but that's all we can do as parents.
I know exactly how you feel, as it's the same with my teenage son who was an avid reader when younger. I'm just going to hold on to the hope that he will eventually come back to it.
You always post such thought-provoking pieces! Although I agree with the idea that people like the idea of reading more than they actually read, I'm not sure the inability to read a full book - at least in the case of the college students cited in that Atlantic article - is because of this. Just thinking back to my own high school days, I really did struggle with quite a number of books that were assigned in my lit classes. I graduated HS almost twenty years ago. We were always assigned the "classics" and I didn't feel like we properly taught how to read them. So when we had to finish a book I could barely understand in a few weeks, I did need to consult SparkNotes. I did the reading, I just didn't know what I was reading. The problem there, in my case, was my sub-par education (and I was in honors classes, too!)
Really good point, Rafia. Sometimes the assigned readings really do make a difference to how engaged we are as readers. I think what I was trying to suggest is that the aesthetic of reading, regardless of what we are reading, is fooling us into believing that people are readers when, in fact, they really aren't. And that illusion is being commoditized isn't though it's not reflective of the literacy rates. At least that's some of what I was trying to communicate.
I feel this very deeply. Even though I also like reading and writing I have started to cringe at the commodification of the perception of being a reader instead of actually reading deeply. It’s like when I first moved to the big city and shamefully thought if I dressed and acted like early 1960s bob Dylan I’d magically become a great artist. Truth be told I’ve made much better art as a boring looking middle aged dad than I ever did as someone embracing the aesthetic of being an artist.
That Dillon reference is a great comparison, Jesse. You can't just look the part, you actually have to do the work to get the benefit. And I'm afraid many "readers" are not actually doing the work.
A good deep dive Kern, it is the reality of our Internet Age.
Whilst there are pros there are Cons too.One of the Cons is you get true price transparency for the price of goods.
However with prolific no-holds barred opinion ( random noisy posts ?) it has becomes difficult to discern true facts. It has essentially become an overcrowded digital AD marketplace that 'platforms' seek rent regardless of the content published. And worst of all, people can have their 15 minutes of fame with a viral paragraph post that has dubious value - some say dumb; different entertainment to get attention for advertisers.
No wonder they call it the short attention economy. To read a novel is too much for some. It needs dedicated focus ; reflection and analysis - a skill forgotten or not valued - everything has to be bite-sized. And they call this social media ? Where everyone seems wants to make a quick buck; like a get rich scheme.
Witness the popularity with Royal Road, Watt pad etc with serialized weekly short chapter posts of a story. There are some 860,000 users that mostly want stories of only a short digestible chapter a week. They are ranked in terms of trends by an algorithm that platform seeks to extract profit. I do not think I could read a paid chapter a week - cheaper to buy the Novel.
Will this generation of people every be able to read a 300 page; 70,000 word novel ? Not likely. Is the future we want ? to regain our control.
One of the cons.
The internet age, where everything is of convenience has destroyed a lot of mom and pop book stores and other small businesses. The call it digital market transparency for your business, work, to seek the holy grail of making easy profits by supposed experts.
Thank you for your piece. I love books! As a poet and writer, I am surrounded by books on a daily basis. I have a library in my den and living room. My kids have bookshelves full of stories. Reading was a priority for me growing up. We were poor and my mom stressed the importance of getting an education. I hold six degrees and I'm hoping to get a doctorate next. Reading can take us places that transcends physical limitations. I became a writer because of my love of reading. Stories shape our existence.
Your mother set the tone right! So glad to hear this kind of commitment to reading
Reading and having books as an aesthetic is the reason, I deactivated my bookstagram pre-pandemic. I do not want to write an essay in your comments, so imma keep it brief! I too believe that celebrity book clubs can contribute to the promotion of books and literacy to some extent. But is this simply the result of celebrity worship culture and parasocial relationships? Wouldn't it make more sense on a local level to create that same level of hype in book clubs? Community reading and studying have the potential to profoundly transform our communities. I went to school for history; celebrities don’t move my needle personally; I know I can be critical. I speak about it because I am committed to my community through a grassroots public history approach. I have said enough!
You have said A LOT! Your point about transferring that energy to community through reading and studying (via book clubs to your example) is so brilliant and would have a much more widespread and sustainable impact. Thanks for sharing, Nubia.
I’m late to the party, and trying to catch up. So well said. I just wanted to thank you for writing this.
Never too late! Thanks for reading :)
But you call your stack Writers Are Superstars, and deliberately reference films, etc. as a way to show this, at least as your heading would have it. In a way, aren't you pitching this commodification as well? Being a "superstar" has specific connotations and not all or even most of them are connected to doing the job well apart from that recognition.
My substack is about giving writers confidence. And I reference film and music because those are the creative disciplines that get public recognition even though writers are the real Superstars. It's not a literal statement, but appreciate the question. It's good to make sure people understand what I'm trying to do here.
I really really adore the exposure that booktok and booktube has done for books. Also, after I saw you mention RF Kuang’s Babel, it started popping up everywhere on my booktok 🤣. Now I have to read it. People are singing high praises for it
It's a brilliant book in so many ways. You'll enjoy it.
Thanks for this beautifully written piece. As a Brit, I was so shocked to read about celebrities getting books in a day before a photo shoot.
As a neurodivergent woman, I have always loved books. My 8-year-old says that I am either sleeping or reading.
Is it perhaps down to the parents? Reading is such a huge thing in our home..
Oh I definitely think parents and the home plays a role, but if you read a couple of the comments on this post, it's not always enough. But yes, keep encouraging our young readers. They eventually get the message.
Thank you for writing about this. I definitely love the aesthetics of reading, I have stacks of books as decor, but I am also an actual reader, and have been wondering about these things too. I also read that article and was shocked too.
You aren't wrong to wonder if lots of the creators are just skimming. There were discussions about just this recently on Threads. Apparently there are people that skim or skip the descriptive paragraphs, and only read dialogue. Also many say they don't read prologue, because they don't think they matter. While I agree that BookTube/Bookstahram/BookTok have done a lot for reading, on the flip side I think it also does quite a bit of harm.
It's such a double edged sword, right? Like how is anyone skipping descriptive paragraphs or any word an author includes in their books and still counting that as reading the full book? They're literally missing out on a large portion of the experience. It's like we're in a rush to get nowhere.
Well written piece. I spend most of my time on BookTube and bookstagram, and the thing that made me uncomfortable in the beginning was how a lot of content focused on book hauls, collecting special editions, etc. I found myself feeling self conscious for not having the space or the funds to have books in my home despite the fact that it wasn't the reason why I joined the community in the first place. Just goes to show how insidious the FOMO effect can be, I guess.
Some Booktubers seemed to have changed their minds on this content over the years, so I don't see much of that content anymore.
The aesthetication of reading, on the other hand, is still there. More so on bookstagram because I think it's easier for someone to give off the vibe that they're passionate about books with little effort. When the George Floyd protests were happening, a lot of the larger bookstagrammers were being called out for for their performative activism by posting pictures of books on antiracism and decolonization on their shelves but not actually reading them.
I wouldn't be surprised if that's still going on.
The "with little effort" part that is what's scary. Clearly, performative anything can be harmful.
I was actually just thinking about this as I study bookstagram and booktok for novel research- the beautifully curated photos of books strewn about a cozy blanket or in grid form, the covers of the books so delicious all together. It’s a total aesthetic. And I wonder how many books are actually read by these creators. I’ve seen some reviews and comments that suggest the reading comprehension is, at least, not very good. And it makes sense that it wouldn’t be because these algorithms punish creators for not feeding it continually so they have to read an insane number of books to keep the gig going.
And two) for those of us with attention problems- audiobooks would have been revolutionary for me in college to get through entire books that were not particularly interesting and I was in college over 20 years ago, so I don’t think this is a new problem). I did get through some great classics in high school somehow.
I have those concerns also. Reading should always be an experience, meaning it should be something we commit to fully. Anything less than that is dangerous, in my opinion, because it turns reading into something else and reading is reading.
And YES to using audiobooks if that's going to help, but listening to books and reading books are two different things.
Another excellent, and thought provoking essay Kern. I must admit that I was completely unaware of BookTok until you mentioned it here. I do know about Dua Lipa’s book club. But here is what I see with my 14 and 15 year old daughters: While they grow up in a home surrounded by bookshelves (my personal obsession, not for aesthetics, I have actually read those books!) and they used to read so much when they were younger (before the phone!) I hardly see them read now. It absolutely breaks my heart and I don’t know how to compete with the allure of those mindless short videos on Instagram/ TikTok. I’m genuinely concerned. It is tough to hold their attention. And I do feel that we are all getting stupider when even a short story becomes a challenge. I don’t know what the solution is… :(
I wish I had answers, Imola. The allure is so strong. Keep those bookshelves stocked and drop some hints once in a while, but that's all we can do as parents.
Yes, that is exactly what I’m doing. And being an example of someone who just loves to read
I know exactly how you feel, as it's the same with my teenage son who was an avid reader when younger. I'm just going to hold on to the hope that he will eventually come back to it.
Crossing all of our fingers 🤞🏾
I’m holding the same hope! I can’t imagine life without books
Kern, how do writers dream up a title for their manuscripts? Some suggest look at the best seller list to get an idea for what works ?
https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/books/toronto-star-bestsellers-for-oct-30-2024/article_1c48cd40-96ec-11ef-a916-8fab51f813f9.html?source=newsletter&utm_content=a01&utm_source=ts_nl&utm_medium=email&utm_email=AB04D80198E8CD03DE384CB97B30764C&utm_campaign=bk_4727