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Critics of BookTok often claim that every book featured is the same as all the others or that the books lack depth and cannot be considered real literature. They point to Colleen Hoover’s novels and note the similarities among them, arguing that her depictions of romance are shallow, unoriginal and unrealistic. However, these critics judge too quickly. Colleen Hoover’s novels are not representative of BookTok as a whole — and even if they were, I don’t see a problem with that.

Rather than promoting the same books over and over, BookTok provides recommendations from a variety of genres, and it has popularized a number of novels that have ended up on my list of favorites. For example, I discovered some romance novels I’ve enjoyed, including “Red, White and Royal Blue” by Casey McQuiston and “The Unhoneymooners” by Christina Lauren. I’ve also found psychological thrillers like “We Were Liars” by E. Lockhart and sports fiction novels such as “Carrie Soto Is Back” by Taylor Jenkins Reid. All of these books are highly entertaining, and I’m not sure they would have become so popular without BookTok. Of course, you’re not going to like everything you see on BookTok — I have to say I don’t share the hype about Emily Henry’s rom-coms or Sarah J. Maas’ fantasy novels. Nevertheless, with the wide variety of recommendations, I believe there is something for everyone to enjoy.

I’ll admit that the books on BookTok are not the most intellectual or thought-provoking. They tend to be easy reads, and the highlight of the books is usually the plot more so than the writing style. As an English major, I’ve read many more elevated works of literature, so I know that these books don’t hold up to the same standards. However, I don’t think that this is a bad thing. Literature does not always need to have some deeper meaning — it can simply be fun to read. The accessibility of these stories means that they can be read by readers of all levels. BookTok thus creates a space where readers can come together and form a community. I have experienced this myself, as I’ve bonded with my sisters, friends and classmates over our likes and dislikes of BookTok recommendations.

For all of these reasons, I am unapologetically pro-BookTok.