BookTok, a popular subset of TikTok, has been gaining some traction recently. It’s introduced thousands of people to the reading community, many people being thrown in completely off guard. If you find yourself confused by this new community, don’t fret – I have all the tips and tricks to fit in with the most bookish of them all.
First, where can you even get all these great books? There are many places to shop for books, new and used, so I’ll run through the options. For new books, there are plenty of physical and online bookstores such as Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, and more indie stores than you could count. If you want used books, thrift stores have some of the best finds out there, or you can borrow from a local library. There’s also e-reading, which has become increasingly popular. Amazon sells an E-reader called the Kindle, and Barnes & Noble sells a similar one called the Nook. Both let you download books onto them and allow you to read anywhere, with a device small enough to fit into your purse.
Next, what do all these acronyms mean? Even though we like to read 500+ page books, we are so lazy regarding the terms we use. Here are some common and helpful acronyms readers like to use: TBR (to be read), DNF (did not finish), ARC (advance reader copy), HEA (happily ever after), and FMC (female main character) or MMC (male main character). These acronyms either help review a book or explain how much we do (or don’t) want to read it.
Finally, how do you track your reads? I use Goodreads, an app that tracks your TBR, current reads, and read books and lets you form communities surrounding specific topics. I’ve gotten lots of good recommendations from Goodreads, as it gives you recs based on what you’ve rated highly. It’s so much fun to participate in the reading challenge and try to stick to a reading commitment for the year.
Remember that reading is supposed to be enjoyable, so don’t force it! If you DNF a book, don’t feel bad. Maybe it’ll just lead you to the best HEA.