Conspicuous Consumption #1: Booktube
A new feature in which I tell you about my book-related media consumption in a conspicuous manner.
I can’t imagine a scarier scenario than being forced to sit down and watch, listen to, or read every single thing I subscribe to: every video on my YouTube feed, every new podcast on PocketCasts, every blog post on WordPress.
Okay, scary is a but much. Excruciating? Exhausting? Can’t-even-ing?
My feeds are way out of control. While there’s plenty of incentive to “curate” media that forces you to consume everything – think scrolling through Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook- it’s all too easy to stay subscribed to stuff you don’t care about when you can just stop clicking. Eventually, though, it gets to be too much and steps must be taken.
Let’s stay positive. While I curate my feeds (i.e. unsubscribe like whoa) here’s what’s made the cut, starting with Booktube.
The must watches
Steve Donoghue: Daily videos, reads everything, fastest Booktube-drama outrage-to-redemption cycle I’ve ever witnessed (#fakereadergirls, what?) and most of all, he has so much fun with this. He’s always on the verge of a laugh. Happy one thousand subscribers!
The Poptimist: High production values, hilarious, great taste, and (extremely important to me) a soothing manner and voice. His videos are the only ones I watch twice in a row, because they are that entertaining; and so packed with goodness, I miss things the first time around.
WhatKamilReads: Great taste (in books and style) and seems so warm and humble. His book recommendations are genuine and heartfelt. His video always make me smile.
exlibris: Makes classics seem just as vital and relevant as the new releases everyone else is reading.
Virginia Woof: As the kids say, I am “here for” everything she does: book hauls, book unhauls, condom hauls… yep. CanLit and LGBTQ focused and her makeup is always “on point.” (you watch too much Booktube and you just start talking like this, sorry.)
Jason Purcell: Guess who’s back? Take everything I said above and combine it in one Booktuber and you’ve got Jason.
Honourable mentions
- Amanda Centre: Delightfully off kilter. Become one of her fellow cyborgs, you won’t regret it.
- Emma Tobias: The only #fakereadergirls response I deigned to watch and it was a gooder.
- Brixton: A brand new channel, endorsed by Jason Purcell.
- Books Beauty Ameriie: It’s just one thing that’s got me subbing… if you get that reference, you should get why I died when I realized who this Booktuber is.
If you’re reading this, you’re probably a blogger, so tell me, is Booktube a big part of your book-related media consumption? Who are your must watches?
Reading in Bed 
You’re always on the cutting edge with the youth.
Just wait til I get to bookish Snapchat!
Ack! Stop tempting me with these!
What could be better than watching Book TV (which is kind of what this is, right?), but I just don’t have time because of all the other stuff you mentioned at the top of your post. So, I actually don’t watch any right now. None at all. Not yet… 🙂
I’ve been putting more time into Booktube than reading blogs, probably. Weird how it’s shifting that way. As I find more channels that are to my taste it’s easier.
I can see it being easier/more relaxing to just sit and listen.
I have never watched Booktube! Mostly because I don’t like people talking into webcams at me. It feels like Skyping someone you don’t know, which is maybe the only thing worse than Skyping someone you do know.
Haha yeah it can be awkward that way. Like, “who are you talking to?” Recording them is awkward as fuck!
Not surprised – and you must get that thing where you hear yourself on playback and are like “I sound like THAT?”
Give me an extra 24 hours per day, and I’ll watch them all!
I know… I tend to watch in between things at work… that helps 🙂
I just clicked over from Virginia Woof’s and Jason’s tweets and was quite blissfully scrolling through, enjoying your compilation of tragically unappreciated booktubers when I was struck with shock at the appearance of my own name appearing name on the bottom!! Hello!!! I’m not sure we’ve been properly acquainted! :))
Hi Brixton! I take Jason’s endorsements very seriously.
I read dozens of book blogs, but I’ve never ventured onto booktube. I don’t really like the idea of someone talking at me. It seems weird that it’s not a conversation. I guess written reviews and podcasts are like that too in a way, but it’s something about being able to see the person’s face, but them not being able to see you when you comment. I feel odd watching instructional videos on YouTube too. There’s something kind of uncanny in thinking about people sitting in their houses, recording monologues and sending them out. Writing’s almost always solitary, so that doesn’t seem so strange, but with video, it’s like they’re talking to someone who may or may not be there. Haha, I don’t know. I just feel uncomfortable and oddly voyeuristic watching.