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Are you an avid reader? Do you long for a community of like-minded literature lovers, but you’re too busy or too particular to join a book club? Don’t worry, there’s still a place for you: BookTube.
YouTube has proved to be fertile ground for fostering connections between book lovers. It started with literary sensations, from Harry Potter to The Fault in Our Stars, that rocketed to popularity alongside internet culture. But in the wake of these viral titles, YouTube’s online compendium of book reviews and recommendations quickly grew, with the site creating an environment where anyone could find explainers, discussions and debates about whatever authors and genres piqued their interest. It became a world unto itself — thus the name.
BookTube isn’t defined by a genre. Whether you’re into literary fiction, history, mystery, fantasy or romance, you’ll find thousands of videos and hundreds of channels delving into releases new and old. But this YouTube community does have its own language, like sharing TBRs (to-be-read lists) and classifying certain snoozefests as DNFs (did not finish). And creators might participate in different challenges like “readathons,” where they attempt to read as many books as they can in a set amount of time.
The influence of BookTube has recently been overshadowed by newer social media platforms and their requisitely renamed phenomena: Instagram with its Bookstagrammers and, more importantly, TikTok’s BookTok. Book sales have skyrocketed due to the virality some of these works are experiencing online — and in a particularly powerful, long-lasting way. Nonetheless, BookTube remains a cornerstone of the internet’s literary culture, due to its vast and expanding archive of videos, and its relative longevity (at least compared to TikTok). It’s a world that runs deep, and with so many creators making so many videos, it can be daunting if you don’t know where to start watching.
Let us help you: We’ve assembled a list of the best BookTubers by genre, including the best video to start with and additional channel recommendations from some of the creators.
For Getting Out of a Reading Slump
Best Channel: Jack Edwards
If you can’t seem to find a book that can tear you away from your many screens, let Jack Edwards inspire you. His videos instantly stand out from the millions of other book reviews, for a few reasons. He has a knack for packaging them in clever ways, like rating books he read while earning his literature degree from Durham University based on how close they brought him to dropping out of his program, and listing books he’d “sell his soul” to read again for the first time. Whether it’s his high-spirited energy or his ability to make you understand his personal adoration or distaste for a specific book, he just knows how to make reading feel exciting.
Start Here: “Modern Books That Will Be ‘Classics’ in the Future (and Why You Should Read Them)”
The 10 Books You Should Be Reading This October
An Anthony Bourdain trip into NYC’s history, bygone utopias and an insider’s look at John Lennon and Yoko OnoContemporary Fiction and Pop Culture Breakdowns
Best Channel: Withcindy
Cindy Pham is an incredible resource for everything relating to popular fiction, book news and pop culture breakdowns. The first thing you’ll notice is that she’s incredibly funny — and when I say that, I mean in an actual laugh-out-loud way (watch the first minute of this video after finishing the third book in the popular romance and fantasy series A Court of Thorns and Roses and you’ll see what I mean). But she’s also an immensely observant reader; she easily picks up on little quirks and tropes that authors consistently insert and rely on throughout all their books, and she shares her opinions with a confidence that she carries effortlessly on camera.
Beyond simply reviewing books, Pham creates videos tied to current events and cultural moments, ranging from “Books to Read Before Brat Summer Ends” to discussions about Palestinian writers she’s currently reading. Sharing insightful opinions on books you’ve read is one thing. Connecting what you’ve read and your opinions to hot topics and world issues is an entirely different (and difficult) thing.
Start Here: “I Read My Airplane Seatmate’s Trash Romance Book and It Was a Mistake”
Withcindy’s Favorite Channel: “My favorite BookTube channel to watch is Ellias because his taste in books is different from mine, so I’m guaranteed variety. He always has artistically designed thumbnails as a designer, and he typically reads thriller novels or sad yet poetically written LGBT+ literary fiction. We’ve been lucky to collaborate together on bookish videos and reactions to book-to-screen adaptations, and those are always fun to edit and rewatch!”
Classic and Modern Literature
Best Channel: Better Than Food
“Personal opinions about books that I consider Better Than Food.” Is there a better BookTube tagline than that? In the videos themselves, host Cliff Sargent is so well-read and thoughtful that listening to him speak in his reviews sort of feels like you accidentally clicked on a poetry audiobook. His voice is calming, but it’s the incisive ideas that he drops throughout his summaries that’ll get you hooked — there’s always something to take away from his videos, not just about literature, but about life. In particular, his discussions of classics — including international selections — are full of insights that tie into larger conclusions about the world and our place in it. Listening to Sargent will give you a greater appreciation for great writing.
Start Here: “My Five Favorite Books I Read in 2023”
Better Than Food’s Favorite Channel: “With an astounding love of literature, Leaf by Leaf goes to depths I’ve never reached in his reviews. The man created a 3.5-hour review on Gravity’s Rainbow. Enough said.”
Horror
Best Channel: Mike’s Book Reviews
To be clear, Mike’s channel is also great if you love sci-fi and fantasy, but he stands out for one particular genre: horror. Mike is a thoughtful reviewer and approachable regardless of your level of experience with the genre. It’s also worth mentioning that he responds to a large percentage of comments left on his videos. It’s obvious that he loves interacting with his subscribers individually, and that’s not something you often see creators doing. He cares about sharing his opinions, but he also wants to know how his subscribers feel, bringing an enriching sense of community to his channel.
Start Here: “My Top 10 Horror Books of All Time”
Fantasy
Best Channel: Daniel Greene
Daniel Greene covers a huge range of fantasy and sci-fi titles — and he truly caters to all sorts of readers. Maybe you enjoy niche Tolkien or Brandon Sanderson humor, or maybe you want to read Stephen King but don’t know where to start. Wherever you lie on the spectrum, Greene makes creative and knowledgeable videos that vary in levels of previous experience required. He also shares big fantasy and publishing-related news, from movie deals and sequel announcements to covering hot topics within the industry, like AI.
Start Here (if you’re new to the genre): “How to Start Reading Fantasy!”
Start Here (if you’re already a fantasy fan): “WORST Modern Fantasy Trends!”
Daniel Greene’s Favorite Channel: “Gavin Reads It All for the incredible on-point vibes, funny insights and commentary, as well as prolific output. The Book Leo because few people have been able to provide such eloquent yet radically different perspectives on some of my favorite books. I may disagree with TBL often, but I always understand where she is coming from.”
Science Fiction
Best Channel: Bookpilled
It quickly became evident to me that not only does Matt love sci-fi, but he truly knows the genre. He knows popular sci-fi, modern sci-fi, vintage sci-fi, sci-fi books that you’ve probably never heard of — and he reflects on his reads with no frills. Matt jumps right into his videos without asking you to like and subscribe or do anything before watching. There’s no unnecessary buildup; he gives his followers exactly what he promises in the title of his video and never misleads, which is actually pretty rare. It’s clear in his comments that people love this about Matt. Plus, his honest thoughts and provoking questions about key aspects of sci-fi literature, like world building, make his videos and the books he reviews more compelling.
Start Here: “The 15 Best Sci-Fi Books I’ve Ever Read [Updated Again]”
Mystery and Thrillers
Best Channel: BooksandLala
While Kayla dabbles in a little bit of everything, her mystery, thriller and horror content is unmatched. She even has a monthly book club based on these genres, called the Literally Dead Book Club, which immediately earns her my trust on recommendations. Kayla’s videos narrow in on hyper-specific topics within these genres, and I’ve found it to be a fun way to discover books I had no idea existed. Whether it’s haunted houses, sharks or fun mysteries, she has videos that cover a variety of topics for anyone with a niche interest. Unlike most BookTubers, she takes viewers with her on the journey as she’s reading the books she recommends — not just providing before and after thoughts. This makes for a particularly fun experience as you’re filled in on any lulls or attention-grabbing moments as she’s experiencing them. And if you’re looking to redesign your bookshelves any time soon, look no further — she’s got you there too.
Start Here: “30 Upcoming Book Releases to Read”
Romance
Best Channel: Chandler Ainsley
Though Chandler Ainsley covers a wide range of fiction, she narrows in on romance books with pure passion and keen knowledge. Her videos are incredibly welcoming; even if you’ve never read a romance in your life, you’ll be drawn into her discussions. Many genres, but especially romance, are littered with “tropes,” or commonly written themes throughout books (like enemies who become lovers). Ainsley covers them all, touching on each of the popular and not-so-common tropes that often stir up strong opinions. If you like romances with sports, she’s got a video on the best of them. If you like small-town romances, she’s got those, too. If you like age-gap romances, love triangles or “spicy” books…I think you know where I’m going with this. You can also tune into the “dbbc,” the Dumb Bitch Book Club, where she and her husband read a book and discuss it together.
Start Here: “1 Sentence Reviews for 100 Popular Romances”
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