Somehow I've become caught up in the community that is Booktube. BookTube? I don't know. I guess "caught up" is a misnomer because I don't participate myself and I rarely even comment, but I enjoy watching people talk about books—more than I would have guessed, especially considering that everyone's favorite books are YA and Harry Potter.
In no particular order:
1. Memento Mori
Why I like the channel: Adam focuses almost exclusively on serious, meaty books. I'm all for YA cheese once in a while but I have zero interest in discussing it (unless it's terrible, then I love being a snarky bitch) and also I hate all your faves. What I do care about is 1) finding out about new, less splashy and bestseller-y literary fiction and 2) hearing people's thinky thoughts on serious fiction.
Recent video I liked: His review of Kafka on the Shore. "White people love Murakami," hahah. He ain't lyin'. I feel him; I think I want to like Murakami more than I actually like him and I feel like everyone "gets" him except me.
Twitter: MementoMoriAdam
GoodReads: AdamDurand
2. Manda the Glittery Nerd
Why I like the channel: First of all, I always like seeing people who look like me on YouTube. There are lots of reasons I would never start any kind of YouTube channel, but putting myself out there is at the top of the list. So many YouTubers are thin and cute and that's not me. (I'm cute, arguably, but definitely not thin.) While Manda does have more of a YA focus than I would like, she's still a really fun, expressive, and energetic person to watch and makes me think that maybe I could have a channel, too?
Recent video I liked: Her recent reads: books 9 - 13. The screen grab for this one is adorable, but I also appreciate her being honest about Zenith. What happens when a couple of BookTubers put out a book? BookTube loves it, or maybe more accurate BookTube feels obligated to say nice things about it. Anyone who has qualms about something popular is aces in my book.
Twitter: TheGlitteryNerd
GoodReads: Manda the Glittery Nerd
3. The Secret Stacks
Why I like the channel: I think it's important to have people in your life who are different from you. Of course "have in your life" is a bit of an overstatement when it comes to a random BookTuber I don't actually know, but you know what I mean. Being an athletic track and field kid who attended a Quaker boarding school, RJ has a different experience than someone like me (unathletic nerd who basically came out of the womb reading), and that means I get to hear about books I wouldn't otherwise know about. Also, it's good to see the Philly metro repped on ye olde BookTube. SEPA 'till I die, etc.
Recent video I liked: 50 Facts About Me (With Embarrassing Pictures). I like seeing people's awkward early years photos, what can I say?
Twitter: TheSecretStacks
GoodReads: RJ
4. Squibbles Reads
Why I like the channel: Squibbles Reads is probably the most productive BookTube channel I follow, so I always fall behind quickly, but she tackles thinky-thinky issues about books in addition to just reviews. Reviews have their place, and it makes me happy to see people be happy about books (or to watch people really rip into a book they hated), but reviews don't tell me a whole lot about you as a person and that's the most interesting book of all!!!
Recent video I liked: Why I DNF'ed Booktubeathon. I dig people being honest about their real lives and their struggles.
Twitter: SquibblesReads
GoodReads: SquibblesReads
5. Books Are My Social Life
Why I like the channel: Saajid is bubbly and charming. Of course I'm interested in all of the Booktubers I mentioned here, but when I get the little alert that Books Are My Social Life has a new video I probably prioritize that more than the other channels, because his videos (including the snarky commentary he includes in comments or the edits) cheer me up.
Recent video I liked: FIRST SENTENCE CHALLENGE! feat. Sabirah. Saajid and Sabirah are both adorable together. I basically want to adopt them. The challenge is also an interesting one: how many books can you recognize by their first sentence?
Twitter: Books_Social
GoodReads: n/a
Do you Booktube? Anyone you want to recommend?
The only BookTuber I regularly watch is The Poptimist: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC81-3TLRCZnJDg-x8mG-xZA/featured
ReplyDeleteI'm not against finding more, but I've been lazy to look for more that I like. If you just search "booktube" or w/e the first few PAGES are going to be people that strictly read YA. Obviously I read YA here and there but for the most part I'm really out of touch with the genre, so if I put one of those videos I don't usually know what they're gushing on about (or just don't care). Excited to check out your list when I get home tonight!
God the "beyond YA" struggle is so real. ;_; And even most of the BookTubers I've listed here talk about YA a lot most of the time, but I like them well enough that I don't really care that they're talking about YA? I should get more serious about my Classics Club sticker over there. Oops~~~
DeleteI just stumbled across your blog reading your Nimona review (still can't decide if i want to read it), i'm honoured that you would include me in this list. Of course you could do booktube :o).
ReplyDeleteOther than the few that you mentioned above that i watch, some of my favourite booktubers are The Perks of Books and Aprilius Maximus. Both of them but especially The Perks of Books have very different reading styles to myself but i love that they introduce me to whole different book world.
Nimona is adorable! Also, I cried, and I have a heart of stone. But I think, since it's a graphic novel, what it comes down to is whether or not you like Noelle Stevenson's art style. Comics are a visual medium and if the art turns you off then it's not really nearly as much fun.
Delete>>>> Of course you could do booktube :o).
:D The other thing is that I don't have a good place to film in our shoebox apartment. No one needs or wants to see our dirty kitchen behind me XP. If I'm going to have to run the gauntlet of editing video footage of myself and having to listen to my obnoxious voice, I don't want to have to also stare at our cooking mess while I edit. What I should really be doing with my time...
>>>>>> Other than the few that you mentioned above that i watch, some of my favourite booktubers are The Perks of Books and Aprilius Maximus.
Thank you! I'm going to check them out right now!!