How many books a month are too many books? The debate about reading as another form of extreme consumerism

The mixture of the need to create constant content and the search for new forms of validation has generated a new controversy in the Tik Tok literary sector. Creators cross accusations with others about the legitimacy of reading without stopping, where is the real enjoyment and if reading more or less determines the real quality as a reader. They have not reached any conclusion, but the question is on the table: how much do you have to read to read good?

Readers shock. The booktoker Beautifulone of the most often of the Spanish booktokersfera, with almost 350,000 followers She was accused by another booktoker, Palomo Gamyito erroneously normalize reading dozens of books per month. According to this other Booktoker, this infernal rhythm of readings hides a much more critical reality: we must maintain that rhythm of readings to follow the crazy rhythm of launch of the great publishers, accusing many of the main creators of content about books of being spokesmen at the service of the industry.

What this clash hides. Gamyi is, in fact, a booktoker who instead of talking about the Latest novelties of Romantasy and literature Young adultcomments more serious novels, such as ‘The Shadow of the Wind’ or ‘The Conjure of the fools’. In addition, it combines comments from books with videos about your own love for writing. His defense of reading little but “better” also hides an ethical positioning and a claim of gourmet readings above literary fast food.

Where everything is kneaded. All this happens in the BookTook digital subculture, an increasingly numerous group of users that recommends and promotes books: from recovery of classics to comments from novelties, going through tricks to read more and/or better. Many observers believe that this current our way of reading has changed and is transforming The customs of generation Z. He Hashtag that Group these users It already adds 200,000 million visualizations, enough to consider a cultural force that conditions the large publishers, who see how gender sales like Romantasy rise when recommending them Booktokers.

What have the booktokers have done. Convert the accusations of Palomo Gamyi into a viral issue, of course: it has been put on the table how many books it is reasonable to read a month, all overlooked with tips and humor. It is an issue that was already commenting Since 2024so it is not new, but the video of Palomo Gamyi has brought up what this activity has to follow the editorial rhythm together. That is, a matter of creation of novel content to grow in social networks.

Too many books? From this conflict two primary themes come out. The first is whether in Spain they are published Too many books: In 2024 were 89,347according to the Ministry of Culture: an increase of 2.6% compared to the previous year already levels similar to the pre-pondemic years. It is a very high figure and puts us at the head of Europebut it generates problems: a fierce competition for the care of the reader and a very short life for the news. A problem that, perhaps, compulsive readers such as beautifulbooks are helping to prolong.

A validation. The other problem of the Booktoker community that hides this conflict is the search for personal validation through quantity, something similar to Likes psychology: A reaffirmation is sought through that acceptance of strangers. The mountains of read books are also a way of generating admiration and envy by a community with which tastes are shared, no matter how much reading is not very repossed and, as Gamyi complaint, does not generate a real reflection on the work, but a mere to pass pages.

The discussion has not caused the blood to the river, and most of the booktokers participating in it seem to agree that each one must read what he can (and want). Which does not prevent a long and sinister shadow on such a simple and, beneficial hobby, benefit, such as reading for pleasure.

They are also readers. The BookTokers They are not a promotional creation of the industry, but a spontaneous movement born in social networks (they have their equivalents in others, such as Booktubers), and they are a sign that in post-pandemic reality, there is a generalized fever by reading. Microeditorials arise consecrated to the publication of authors and projects outside the great industry, reading clubs They have ceased to be an extravagance For library mice, and books are relief from the saturation of screens we live, even in our leisure times. Conflicts like this are the least, because in the end they refer to the important thing: we like to read.

Header | Patrick Tomasso in Unspash

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