The Bookseller - Comment - Beyond the BookTok loop

Now, though I'm still loyal to bricks and mortar, I buy many of my books online. This means I usually need to have a better idea of what I'm searching for, as I don't find that the "top charts" or "suggested" lists ever really hit the spot. This is, I think, why so many young people turn to tailored recommendations on sites such as TikTok and Goodreads that adapt to their data-the algorithm gets to know them like a good friend. It's a parasocial relationship, in which users follow their favourite "bookfluencers", because they trust that their recommendations will be nuanced enough.

However, I find myself pulling away from the TikTok hype, because if that book is made for the masses, how do I know that I'm going to enjoy it? I don't equate online influencers with the right level of trust. Instead, I rely on my own revolutionary method: I ask my peers in real life what they're reading, because young people love sharing their discoveries.