5 Booktubers to Watch
THE VIDEO-SHARING platform YouTube has developed entirely new ways to form communities and proliferate ideas, and among those on the rise is the phenomenon of booktubers. Booktubers carve out a virtual space not unlike a book club, where people come together around the stories they’re passionate about or to discover new ones. Listed below are five of these booktubers who offer chances to engage with literature in videos ranging from interviews to video essays.
The Storyscape
Recommended Video: “To Keep the Sun Alive [An Inter(e)view]”
Dominique Taylor’s channel is filled with well-structured and detailed book reviews that thoroughly examine the books in question. Thoughtful and witty, she does a fantastic job of diligently explaining the merits of each book, and she isn’t afraid to discuss the failings of a book. However, I found myself particularly drawn to her “inter(e)views.” Taylor is able to tease out some great conversations from authors, with her own thoughts on their books interspersed throughout these longer videos.
climbthestacks
Recommended Video: “Novels in Translation”
One of the more well-known booktubers, Ashley Riordan of climbthestacks has an impressive amount of reviews and analyses of literary fiction. She excels at making classic works of literature accessible for readers, going so far as to create a few videos that serve as introductions to an author’s body of work. In addition to reviews, she spends time discussing the broader culture of books, reading, and reviewing.
Rincey Reads
Recommended Video: “There There by Tommy Orange | Book Review”
In addition to being a contributing editor at Book Riot, Rincey Abraham is a popular booktuber. In her monthly wrap-ups, she takes viewers through the myriad of books she read over the month, covering a wide range of subjects and genres. Her channel provides the opportunity for readers to get impressions of numerous new titles, and every now and then viewers will also find a cooking video nestled in the discussions.
ThePoptimist
Recommended Video: “Can Someone Explain Washington Black to Me?”
Eloquent, funny, and passionate, David Yoon is a booktuber whose reviews are illuminating and delve into the backgrounds of the books and authors they deal with. His reviews are rather exhaustive and often include some further commentary on culture or personal stories from his own life that relate back to the book. He’s also clearly passionate about the community of booktubers, with several videos dedicated to binding different channels.
Jen Campbell
Recommended Video: “Disability & Disfigurement | Book Recommendations”
One of the biggest draws to Jen Campbell’s prolific channel is the variety of content. A quick glance over her playlist page reveals dozens of video recommendations, in-depth analyses of poetry and fiction, detailed histories of fairy tales, and, of course, book hauls. An award-winning writer herself, she also has videos discussing the publishing industry from an insider’s perspective and insightful videos about representation in media.
