as a guy who is probably twice the age of the average booktokker, and as a book lover who enjoys seeing literary culture flourish in modern mediums. When I was young I read and consumed books and novels like a starving man, reading rapaciously. When you're young you want to consume and understand and experience life and books and stories and knowledge and feel emotions and the expansive imagination of literature. When you get older, you feel satiated, by that level of reading. And you realise reading slowly, and less prolifically, opens up these novels in ways that rapid reading doesnt. you meditate upon the works more, they resonate. But I say reading intensively to ground you in your personal canon that you create is NATURAL and GOOD and HEALTHY. you read in different gears at different times of life. Enjoy yourself, and swim in the sea of literary art
When you are young is the time to collect and acquire books, then later as your home fills up it is time to curate, re-read, or move to library or e-books. It is all reading. I am likewise delighted to see young people reading again, wanting to talk about books, acquire books, think about books, and most of all read books. If you are parents or thinking of having children please let your children roam libraries freely and let them read (within reason of course) adult books beyond their age level. My parents had used copies of most of the classics of English and world literature lying around the house when I was growing up and I had free access to them long before I could fully understand them. I lacked the emotional maturity. But I enjoyed them immensely. I read anything and everything if it was poetry or fiction. Being a child I had no fear of a long or difficult book. The parts I couldn't understand had a mystery and an allure that was part of the adventure and this adventure has continued my whole life. One of the best inventions of the modern age is headphones and ear buds. As a child of the 70s when TV, radio and stereo noise was unbiqitous finding a quiet place to read could be an adventure in itself.
At 57 I have become a more prolific reader than in my past. So although you do make a good point, there are those of us who are the opposite. I feel like there are so many books that I want to read and too little time. 🫤
I actually put myself on a book ban this year for my birthday. My husband loves the idea, lol. I challenged myself for a whole year to just read what I have, and that way on my birthday I could go on spree from all the money I saved up from the year from not buying books. So far, I've actually been reading more than I did before. It is a great challenge.
I'm on a semi ban. I'm only allowed to buy sequels in a series I'm actively reading. Was very surprised to see how many first books of a series I have. So i made it a point to buy no more books. And to finish the series I already have
Took me a long time to realise that influencer and I are not the same and we do not have the same amount in our bank accounts. And that their closets and libraries will never be mine. I'm slowly becomming okay with that. 😅😅
@@imagine_big9398 I get most of my books free online now. If I had to buy all the books I read in a year I would be broke, probably even second hand 😂😂 I do find wonderful second hand DVD's! Those are a great deal right now too.
I might be seeing this a bit too optimistic, but this might motivate people to donate books they don't want anymore to their local libraries or fill up these open libraries that are everywhere across any town, so people who don't have the financial opportunities to read many books get to enjoy more of them.
When you think about it, printed books are the only medium you can still consume without being interrupted by someone trying to sell you something. Or being interrupted by someone who's trying to sell you a subscription that will keep the interruptions away. But only as long as you pay and as long as the sales pitch isn't part of the media itself. Of course we don't know what normal consumption is.
An alternative view of the book collection might be Umberto Eco's idea of an "antilibrary" (I'm not sure he used this term himself, but someone who wrote about him did). He saw all his unread books (and he had thousands) as more valuable than the ones he had read, because they reminded him of what he had not yet learned, the things he did not know about. I'm on the older side of things, and have had many years to build a collection: many I've read, many others I haven't (yet), but they're all good friends and my home wouldn't feel the same about them. And now that my kids are older, they're starting to pick them off the shelves and leaf through them, which makes me happy.
As a kid I really wanted this huge library of books I had read and loved to share with others and be cosy in. And I got quite a number of books, my grandma gifted me some more because she knew that I liked vintage books and so on. I still want that library, so underconsumption core won’t be on my bookshelves, but i got way more selective over the books I actually get because of wanting to consume less. And I don’t wanna dust a book I won’t read again for the rest of my life. Another aspect is that the whole merch culture feels really weird to me, special editions everything has to be cute (while the quality is going down) and so on.
Belle was my favorite Disney Princess because we both liked to read. I DREAM of a library like the one in Beauty and the Beast. I don't like hardcover books, so I won't be getting special editions. They're pretty, but not $30 pretty. Between thrift stores, Half-Priced books, garage sales, etc. I will never buy a full priced book again
Do you borrow books from the library, so you don't have to be stuck with a book you dislike? That's what I'm doing, my future library is going to be selective, only 5 stars and 4.5 stars books.
@@San-li9ml that and borrowing from friends and family or I go to public bookshelves where you can take and put in books for free. Currently I’m into classics but take the time to find nice copies, with fabric covers and/or nice designs. Buddenbrooks, three musketeers and so on. Some time ago I found a old linen bound copy of don Quixote at a public bookshelf
A few years ago I was helping my family clear out my grandparents’ huge library when my grandma was moving into a nursing home. They were both English professors so they had a HUGE library of read books but there were several cases of “display” classics that came from my grandma’s high society dad and grandparents and almost all of them had uncut pages 😂 These people were for sure buying whole libraries of books just to look smart 100+ years ago
regarding ashley tisdale, I feel like it's unfair because nowhere in her branding does she claim to love reading or being a culturally inclined person. she kinda just said outright that it was for decor and so her house wouldn't seem sparse. It'd be different if it was Dua Lipa for example, who frequently broadcasts herself reading and has a book club, ykwim
I live in a "third world" country and the underconsumption just looks like regular consumption for me. Every two years there's a huge book fair here and I save money for two years so I can go and buy books (this year I bought home 9 books and thought it was a crazy amount, even though I just have 4 or 5 unread books sitting on my desk). I just think people who buy books and don't read are strange, why are you filling up your space with stories you don't know and/or don't like just to feel part of something? Go to your library or buy books that you're going to at least read. Invest in an e-reader. Read the books you already have.
About two years ago I separated my book from my husband's books and packed all of his up, and culled what were mine. After 13 crates and boxes of his and I don't know how many of mine, I determined that books are THINGS. And sometimes very junky things. Now I feel that books can indeed be a waste of money, and I don't need to keep a thing just because it happens to be a book.
I find book unhauls better than hauls because we all get swept up in the excitement of new stuff, like Christmas presents that never get touched again. Unhauls are more interesting because you have experienced it, have thoughts, and can be totally wrong about what you though it was going to be. It's also really satisfying when people declutter things. I could never be an influencer because I don't like pictures/video of myself and I don't want to turn a hobby into a job with deadlines. I read and sew when I'm in the mood. I don't need fancy special editions. It's nice when series match, but I will never buy a full priced book again because of second hand stores
I’m in my late 40s and have been an avid reader, ever since I can remember… I don’t display books, although I have a small collection. Most books I get second hand and pass them on again … sometimes people ask me now if I have a book they can read. Honestly that is real “book wealth “. Go the street library ❤
I recently put some books out in my neighbourhood street library and when I walked past it again the following day all the books were gone. Best feeling ever!
Y'know, if someone has a huge collection of books I don't really care. The thing that bothers me is the way people bulk order books from Amazon, which sells books at a loss just because they can afford to and they want to push brick-and-mortar bookshops out of business, and is also just a fucked up company we shouldn't be giving our money to so casually. If you don't want to pay full price for a book, just borrow it from the library... I cannot think of one good reason to rely on amazon for one's access to books
I'm lucky to live in a city that has a great many of second hand/independent bookstores. So you can always find books for cheap, even new releases. Just wait a handful of months, and somebody will bring the book in, and you can get it for 50% off. There's so many websites that sell used books or reduced price new books that you don't have to rely on Amazon.
A couple of years ago, I would've agreed with you wholeheartedly. I'm privileged enough to live close to a library and bookstores. However, I recently learnt that there are a lot of communities where Amazon is the only way to buy books and even essentials especially post covid. There are also disabled persons and for them Amazon is a god send. Even personally, my Amazon shopping has increased recently due to the stores not having much stock and if they do, I still need to order it to ship and pay twice the amount compared to Amazon. I don't know what the solution is now that Amazon is the monopoly. But I think it's unfair to completely blame the people.
I feel super guilty for just buying second-hand and using the library. I sometimes save up and support specific people I’d like to see writing more. If everyone did what I do people couldn’t make a living. But also books are so expensive, especially when new - how are we supposed to pay for all of them 😔? I don’t know what is right. I always thought that folks earn more from Amazon shoppers than from people like me.
Authors get paid every time their book is checked out from a library, or a bigger onetime sum when the library buys royalties for e-books. I hope this helps you to borrow with a guilt free concience 😊 you are helping the planet, your community and your favourite authors without having to shell out any of your hard earned money - what could be better!
It's all about aesthetics now, not just to be. I think that's sad. My shelves are full of unread books: because after I read one (mostly once a month or when a book keeps replaying in my mind.) I give or even sell that book - there are just too many I want to read and less time to do so (I'd like to enjoy my time to read). At first I loved the idea of BookTok - till it changed to an aesthetic and the same ten authors in every tiktok - that's not enjoyment, it's consumerism. I'd like to think now about it like: "Okay, these teens read these 10 authors, but afterward maybe they find some other titels they enjoy!" So, I'd like to be optimistic.
@@amandak.4246 Hi! Because it takes a time before I read that one book. Some books are already 10 years on my shelf and I read them now... (and it's interesting how my interests shift.😆)
Super bias cos I’m quite involved with my local library but just wanna advocate for borrowing books more. Like I actually don’t own that many books but and I find borrowing them helps me read more. I’ve never felt a need to own lots of books. It’s kind of like seeing a beautiful outfit but acknowledging that u don’t need to own all those items of clothes.
@@accordingtoalina I recently read the secret history in like 6 days (for me this is very fast) cos I saw 3 ppl had reserved it 😭 the pressure is real but helpful
I recently reborrowed a book for the third time in a row because it is taking me so long to read (life is busy right now). It is exactly as embarrassing as I thought it would be. Did the librarian care? No, no one has it reserved, so I can take as long as I want. Did I apologise profusely anyway? You bet I did!
I saw an episode of Hoarders where a lady collected books and they were breaking her house and falling down around her. I got rid of 90% of my books. 😅😅😅
I watched a compilation episode of book hoarders and wow. There was a couple who could barely walk anywhere, including the stairs. I think the husband was on the spectrum because of his mannerisms and he had a high IQ and was interested in literally everything. STEM, philosophy, nature, medicine, you name it he had books on it. It a lot of scolding by his wife because he had health issues so the books could be a problem if first responders needed to get him out.
I have a large collection of books. I've realized I will always have a large collection but it's mainly made up of second hand books and my absolute favorites that I have had for years. I think the real trick is to be mindful of why you're purchasing. I favor physical books while reading so I either go to the library or find a better way of reading it be that borrowing from a friend or finding an online version and just tolerating digital.
I'm glad Ashley Tisdale was honest. If you only use them for decor that is fine, if you read them that is also fine. But don't pretend you read them if you want them as decor.
As some have mentioned, yes donate books that you don’t want to read (but thought you would) or didn’t like reading to your library or goodwill. But, while it’s good not to overconsume, I look at each book purchase, even if it’s a book I ultimately don’t like, as supporting an author that needs it. This is what I think separates buying books from say makeup or shoes. You’re supporting an author, when so many authors are struggling.
i think the revolution is connected to the economy but I have noticed booktok isn't doing its magic like it was. You still have creators posting seasonal reads like beach romance in the summer, mystery/thriller and fantasy in the in fall or cold seasons etc. but other than that the causal isn't involved like they was.
I used to have extreme ocd and have genuine breakdowns when my books got damaged. I guess booksleeves have the one benefit of helping crazy people like me lol. Anyways i started taking my books to the pool/ beach so theyre a bit sandy now anyways
yes, someone commented that too, and I have to admit that as someone lucky enough not to deal with OCD it had not occurred to me before! even though I presented the whole thing as a joke in the video, I realise that different people have different needs - happy to hear you're not that bothered about them getting dirty though!
In France we have a tradition of cheap pocket books, it costs around 7-9€. It makes reading very accessible. Buying the first edition (big book) is more expensive around 18-20€. I see more and more "americanised" edition that cost 29€ ?!?!!?! With pretty drawing, sure, but the edition itself screams bad quality. The pages stick out of the cover, the ink bleed... And i have few American editions in my own bookshelf and theie colors are fading faster than books i have had for 2 decades. It. Sucks.
I feel ya, French neighbour. I have a duology, Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom as that special edition in English, pretty sure American English. The spine and Cover feels and looks so fragile, I am afraid to actually read these books. Ah, I should have just gotten the standard edition from Britain. Was cheaper, too.
I store all my unread books in my side table (not my shelf) so whenever I want to buy a new book I think of my large unread book pile. I also have a rule now that if I really want to buy a book it can’t be at a library!
I just wish it was easier to support authors. I usually feel bad if i dont go out and buy the full priced book. They get nothing from books sold at used book stores or outlets. They do at least get some money from libraries based on how many times the book is checked out.
I love reading. I love stories. I read for myself. Nowadays never in public ( have 2 kids under 3). I try not to buy more than 30 books a year. Are those too much? Nowadays, I want only favorites on my shelves, so I use the public library and what I loved I buy it at the end of the year so my children can have a copy in the future.
People buying books to appear interesting and intellectual is waaaay older than most people think. I don’t mind people that collect books just because they like them, even if they don’t read them all, but doing it just to fit, or to follow a trend without having (unrealistic) plans of reading the 500+ books someday is just... wasteful and kinda stupid. Also I've always wondered what the majority of people who unhaul books send them. I’ve seen some people who donate it to local libraries or the little libraries project but most of the time i get the sense that most unhauled books end up in the landfills, which is sad and fucking devastating.
Zero-waste, minimalist living was a thing long before Tik Tok even existed. Also, overconsumption is consuming more than one needs... underconsumption, therefore, is consuming *less* than one needs. Unless a person is in dire poverty, they're not actually "underconsuming" so to call it that is stupid. And to add "core" to every single trend is also stupid. I'm old (mid-thirties, 😆) so I have no patience for stupidity.
Me and my partner both enjoy collecting books, but the majority of them are used ones from charity shops and such places. not sure if they have them in other countries like the US, i believe they are like thrift stores but they raise funds for charity organisations through selling donated items. You can get a book for about a £1 and there are hidden gems to be found.
@@accordingtoalina My book overconsumption guilty pleasure is buying beautiful old books from such shops, and admittedly being unlikely to actually read them cover to cover. To be fair I've never paid a significant sum for one and I am slowly making my way through the shorter ones in that section of my bookshelves
My great-aunt has a complete leather bound hardback collection of all the Dostojevski books and has never read a single one. I am allowed to think this is stupid but anyone who claims this hasn't always been a thing is being silly.
i find it tiresome that so many youtubers feel the need to criticize underconsumption instead of just relaxing and appreciating it. book underconsumption is easy in many parts of the us bc of our great libraries. i read hundreds of books every year from my library systems, and they buy almost any book i ask for. when people stop feeling the need to buy the books they read, publishers will likely be upset, but we will all be better off.
I'm really torn because I agree with you but I also have empathy for this type of person. Therapy also requires time and money and some people take ages to even recognise that they might the kind of person that would benefit from it. That being said, yes, little treats are not exactly addressing the root issue
Exactly!! The people that post “underconsumption core” vids are always in these giant beautiful homes?? They just own some stuff that has been used for more than a year
This was really interesting! I'm not really on booktok, more so authortok, but I'm lucky enough to have a very large collection of books that I've built up basically over my whole life. Gifts, freebies from friends in publishing and really not that many I've bought for myself, especially brand new. When you're a total bookworm as a kid everyone gets you them haha. I only have one currently that I haven't read, the others I keep because of sentimental value and I find a lot of joy in rereading. I mostly read new books from the public library, and buy them if I absolutely love them.
I am a KU member and have two library apps to get books that aren't on KU. Because I'm not rich. The books these days are beautiful objects, but I've long been past buying books that I can check out of the library.
I've been going to the library because I find it easier to focus on difficult uni coursework there instead of at home. This is fine. It's great, even! But now I have a giant pile of library books sitting next to my couch because I keep spying interesting books on my way in or out of the library, and their due dates are looming just as badly as the uni work's due dates! 😂 (It's a wonderful problem to have, honestly)
