Reading for Joy or Reading for Trends?: Authenticity in the Age of BookTok

Send us Fan MailThis week, Kristen is joined again by Alexis for a conversation that starts with BookTok and turns into something much bigger.From Twilight and The Hunger Games to Fourth Wing, romance trends, and “fast fashion publishing,” they unpack how social media is changing the way books are marketed, consumed, hyped, and criticized. Are popular books actually good books? Has BookTok changed publishing for better or worse? And are readers still choosing books for themselves, or for the algorithm?The conversation also dives into cancel culture, AI, authenticity online, critical thinking, and the growing pressure to perform on social media.This episode is not about judging what people read. It is about asking bigger questions about influence, trends, and how online spaces shape what we consume and believe.If you’ve ever been influenced to buy a book because everyone else loved it, this one’s for you. ✨ Connect with Kristen: Instagram | Email