Long before book clubs, from my early childhood, I spent my life immersed in books. My favorite places were not amusement parks or playgrounds, but libraries and bookstores where I could let my imagination run wild. In case it wasn’t already obvious, I’m an only child. I have participated in a number of book clubs over the years and always look forward to sharing my love of literature with others. Nothing has changed since I became an adult: I just returned from a weekend in Toronto and the highlights of the trip were visiting the public library and buying a copy of the highly anticipated new novel by Sally Rooney, Interlude. I proudly identify as a bibliophile; books are my favorite proof of love.
Obviously, I’m not the only one. Despite moves to cut funding for public libraries and ban books from schools across the United States, reading remains a pastime enjoyed by many Americans. Could books be the cure for « brain rot » ? At the start of the year, well-stocked book shelves emerged as the must-have trend of 2024, sparking online debate over whether it’s possible to look like you’ve read a lot, depending on the quality of the selection works. No coffee table or shelf is safe: everyone judges you by the covers of your books! What we read has become a kind of performance. But one could imagine worse in terms of status symbols. Mandy Harris William recently posted a visual on Instagram which read: “Seeing someone reading About Love by Bell Hooks used to mean you could consider a romantic relationship with that person… Now it could mean you’re about to get manipulated. Lol »
If the popularity of the hashtag #BookTok has allowed certain best-selling authors to achieve dazzling success, with its 41.7 million tagged posts, this new approach to book recommendations has completely shaken up the world of publishing. It’s no longer enough to get good grades on Goodreads: if you’re not an active member of a book club, are you still relevant? By leveraging your connections well, you can even turn book curation into a professional career in the hospitality or sales industry. Book bars have also become essential cultural venues, offering urban bookworms a nightlife more suited to their sensibilities. What’s better than getting drunk on books and alcohol? This is what I call paradise.
Hollywood’s most popular accessory
If Emma Roberts wasn’t already recognized by the public as an actress, she would probably be mistaken for a book influencer with her work for Belletrist. Celebrity book clubs aren’t new (Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon, Dakota Johnson, Natalie Portman and Dua Lipa are all members), but what they read to relax has become a paparazzi phenomenon. Kendall Jenner has been a notable topic of interest since she was spotted poolside with author Darcie Wilder’s memoir, Literally Show Me a Healthy Person, in 2019. After the photos first circulated online, the book immediately went out of stock on Amazon.
In a world where celebrities are put on a pedestal to be both praised and criticized, books have become their weapon of choice for gaining intellectual points. “It’s strange to think that celebrities can read the same books as us or even our own books”writes Wilder in an article for The Outline. “And even if they don’t read them, we’re thrilled to see Britney Spears holding her Danielle Steels, Ben Affleck frowning at Harry Potter, and Bella and Gigi Hadid reading Stephen King and Camus respectively. »
