Why Books Aren't Good Anymore

#books #discussion #booktok

This year I've struggled more than ever before to find books that I actually like. So that made me question why that is, hence the existence of this video.

~CHAPTERS~
0:00 are books good anymore?
0:18 getting more critical
1:40 booktok & publishing trends
5:21 tastes change
9:38 solutions?

TAGS: why books aren't good anymore, is tiktok ruining literature, why you don't like books anymore, booktok, the tropification of booktok, publishing industry, publishing trends 2024, discussion video, modern literature, popular booktok books, tiktok books, reading vlog, why you keep buying books you don’t read, book industry, publishing, book review, i don't like books anymore, why you stopped reading, popular books i don't like, how to stop buying books, book buying, bookstore, book unboxing, bookstore vlog, why there are no great writers anymore, according to alina, the book leo, tiktok books that are actually worth reading, why there are no great writers anymore

SUBSCRIBERS AT TIME OF UPLOAD: 1357

[awpageofabook]

If you enjoy these discussion videos, definitely let me know whether there's any topics you want to see me cover.

EDIT: The description now has chapters, so if you want to skip to certain sections, they are as follows --
0:00 are books good anymore?
0:18 getting more critical
1:40 booktok & publishing trends
5:21 tastes change
9:38 solutions?

[soapyteethmcgee]

Very petty complaint but so many "enemies to lovers" are not ACTUAL "enemies to lovers, " it's more along the lines of "hot person I mildly dislike for a bit but am purely only physically attracted to bickers with me before we rush into a relationship founded on little more than lust and surface-level acquaintance"

[Su-mxix]

There actually should be 0 typos in books because the copy’s read by *multiple* people before it’s sent to print. There used to be no errors in books. Now everything is sloppily done.

[Duchess_Van_Hoof]

Not only is it a good idea to explore new genres, explore new cultures as well.

I have read Swedish, Icelandic, English, Welsh, French, Soviet, Greek, Roman, Italian, American, Sumerian, Babylonian, Chinese, Japanese books and probably more.

There are fascinating shifts in perspective throughout cultures and centuries.

Victorian novels often have passive and melancholic characters suffering from their own affluence.

Contemporary French novels have driven characters facing societal injustices.

Russian books of the same era focus on the cruel circumstances people live in, and how they can ruin people's morals and lives.

American sci fi by male authors are frequently power fantasies, which can be contrasted with Strugatsky's Roadside Picnic having the protagonist cry out that society never taught him how to be a good man.

[Skylos]

If you feel a bit burnt out and/or dissatisfied with the current books that are coming out, I implore you to go back and read more of the classics! My interest in reading kinda died out because I felt everything felt dull and the same, until I decided to read Treasure Island and the Sherlock Holmes novels. They are classics for a reason, and in a weird ironic way felt incredibly refreshing when comparing to a lot of today's books that come out.
I do think it is a mix of those older books not sticking to a certain formula for the sake of sales like I feel like a lot of modern stuff do, and them being less rushed, but mainly that we only remember the good stuff after a lot of years have passed. So if you look for one of the old classics you can be pretty sure that the quality is pretty high, otherwise it would not be remembered, while if you look at books that have come out the past few years it can be very hard to sift through the ones that are truly great from those that are just mediocre but the same genre

[masonkiser]

Fantastic video. Well put! I especially like the last point about tastes changing. It seems like some people are banging their head against a wall with a genre that they just simply have grown out of/don't like anymore.

I like reading short story anthologies to find writers that I resonate with, then reading more of their longer fiction. This way you can discover new writers without having to commit to a full book. The "Greatest American" series every year is a great place to start.

[Shelf_Improvement]

I've been pondering this too. I think I am overly critical about books because I know how amazing books can be. Also I don't seem to know my taste very well but I have discovered that I almost always dislike debut novels (no matter the genre) and lit fic, and I almost always love memoirs

[summerchild_]

I don't have issues finding books I enjoy but idk if my advice will be useful, basically I stopped reading books by modern English native authors. I read mostly books originally written in other languages, those printing industries have not been contaminated by tiktokification as much yet. Being bilingual surely helps but I'm sure you can find any of those books in English as well.

[maggyfrog]

just widen your net and read classics from different countries. of course it's not a surprise that most gems have stood the test of time, so if something is considered a classic in its home country, it's definitely worth reading. the only thing not guaranteed is if it's your taste or not.

edit:
you can always switch it up and read manga, comics and graphic novels. a lot of cool reads are overlooked simply because these media aren't as "respected" as traditional literature.

[joelharris]

You're onto something ✅! I find myself gravitating toward the classics (currently reading Don Quixote published in 1605!), though I don't exclusively read those types of books since I also like nonfiction and poetry. Just take up a book written in the 1930s, 1950s for a start and compare it to contemporary writing. There is a big discrepancy. I don't mean to come across as a snub, I'm simply calling a spade a spade🙂 You're not alone in having the perspective you've shared.

[myopicdreams]

As an author who comes out with 4-6 novellas or novels a year. Thank you very very much for pointing out how we are on an eternal countdown to finish our books or we become irrelevant.

[emj]

When I started to read more again in adulthood, I really wanted to get into booktok and find more things I'd enjoy, but I was so frustrated as almost every book recommended by booktok seemed to range from mediocre to awful. The one that annoyed me most was Fourth Wing. It should have been great for me, fantasy, features my own disability, a character overcoming their struggles? Nope, have some extreme toxic perseverance and damaging misinformation with a health condition that only causes issues when dramatically appropriate (trips over and dislocates, can have very rough /relations/ without issue). I mostly end up sticking to older books now, which is sad, because I'd like to support newer authors.

[tiramisunsun]

The most frustrating thing is that a lot of YA books have very promising summary and looks amazing, but when you actually read it, it ends up falling short. The ones I've tried to read lately were poorly written, with an underdeveloped worldbuilding, shallow characters and boring romance, and the disappointment is horrible.
Not all YA books are like that, but I often feel like I'm reading a first draft of something that could be really good if only it was properly edited, with more depth and maturity... But if I criticise the books, people tell me I should just enjoy what I get and "turn off my brain", which is honestly concerning.

[Jacob.Seth.Pulcifer.]

I think my reasons for books not being good, for most people anymore. Is because Reading books is viewed as a niche Hobby, I mean you could say it always was. But not to this extreme extant, where it is now in 2024. And people do most of their reading online now, but mostly if there's something to read about. Like a YouTube video title, or comment like mine. And also, when it comes to the education Geeks. Podcasts, are the new book. At least that's what a lot of them say. podcasts are more of a listening thing, than a reading thing. But that's just, my opinion.

[Kornbhangra-hctf]

I think your content is very interesting. You might read and therefore recommend books published in the past... not necessarily classics, but perhaps books written a couple of decades before social media got to be.

[happymaskedguy]

Here’s a free tip:

Stop reading social media promoted garbage.

I know right, crazy.

[thebushbabyking]

This vid was amazing, video essays as well as book reviews are definitely ur style. I only learn abt books and booktok from you

[analouzies]

i just need a well-written, multi-themed novel with characters having plots beyond their romantic storylines and please, just for ONCE, no sex. If it’s fantasy, I don’t want lazy and often times, plagiarised worldbuilding, that only serves as background for more romance. I don’t want tropes more than plots. I don’t want to read something that reads like a wattpad story circa 2014.

[thescarlethunter]

For me it's definitely a combination of being more critical and a lot of low quality books being released.

There also seem to be some genres that are just particularly poorly written. For me 2 of those are romantasy and litrpg. Romantasy definitely isn't my thing, but I picked up a few before I knew it was the new thing. The world building in those books tends to be rather poor and the actions of the characters often don't make sense. It's all just an excuse to write some smut. Which is fine, but at least put some effort in the rest of the story.

Litrpgs I thought would be fun since I like fantasy and play a bunch of games, but they are also often poorly written, and I often find them hard to enjoy. There are some interesting worlds, but often they aren't fully thought through which results in plotholes. The interactions between characters are also often poorly written, especially between a male pov and female characters.

This obviously doesn't apply to all books in these genres. I've read good books in both, but they have been extremely common across the books I've read.

A thing that can make a book go from 4-5 stars to instantly dropping it is things not making sense. Often this is a character doing something stupid that only happens to move the story in a particular direction. Poorly written combat where a monster just stands by doing nothing as the hero does some impractical move to damage them or where they easily cut off the massive, armoured legs in a single swing of their normal weapon is just an instant dislike from me.

[happymaskedguy]

Finished Iris Murdoch’s ‘The Sea, The Sea’, now reading Karen Blixen’s ‘Out of Africa’. After that I think I’m reading Heart of Darkness.

My general rule is to only read things over 40 years old. If it’s still in print, chances are it’s worth reading. And anything older than 40 years old that’s out of print will generally be 100% higher quality than anything recommended on TikTok, because back then people could write. And read.