We’re two months into 2025, and BookTok has already faced some ridiculous controversies—people claiming that sharing how many books you read is problematic, the constant fight about counting audiobooks as books you’ve read, etc. These same conversations resurface every few months, with debates happening across all niches of BookTok.
With the start of the new year comes discussions of what trends will be most prevalent this year. I was recently asked what I thought would dominate BookTok this year, and upon some reflection, it will depend on which side of the TikTok subculture you’re on.
You may have heard of the different “sides” of TikTok, and I would argue that the same exists with BookTok. For this article, I will separate it into two categories: “surface-level” BookTok and “underground” BookTok.
“Surface-level” BookTok refers to the content that is the most popular and pushed by the algorithm. I named it “surface-level” simply because most people will encounter it when searching #BookTok or any broad hashtags related to books and reading.
“Underground” BookTok refers to the side of the subculture that will often require users to curate their for you page to their preferences if “surface-level” BookTok doesn’t align with their tastes (see my article “Breaking Out of the BookTok Echo Chamber”).
To be clear, one is not meant to be portrayed as being better than the other; I am just differentiating between the BookTok that everyone experiences when they first join the space and the BookTok that requires more curating based on your tastes. In this article, the “underground” BookTok is the niche of BookTok that I am a part of.
Popular book content on the app often features genres such as romance, fantasy, thriller/mystery, and perhaps the most popular, “romantasy.” While these genres are prevalent on both “surface-level” and “underground” BookTok, the types of stories highlighted, the authors promoted, and the discussions surrounding them are vastly different. I believe that these differences—particularly the diversity of creators and authors, as well as the presence of analytical reviews—will be the key factors determining which trends dominate BookTok in 2025.
The lack of diversity in “surface-level” BookTok—in terms of recommended authors (primarily white), repetitive book recommendations, similar character traits, and predictable storylines—is why I believe the trends we see today will persist. There may be minor shifts, perhaps more archer FMCs instead of the usual dagger-wielding heroines, but the overall patterns will likely remain the same. These trends don’t make the books, authors, or creators on this side of BookTok inherently bad, nor does enjoying them make anyone less of a reader. However, the overwhelming repetition and lack of variety suggest a growing preference for comfort over challenge and simplicity over depth—a pattern that reflects the broader rise of anti-intellectualism in America.
Anti-intellectualism is the opposition “to an intellectual view” (Merriam Webster), “the dismissal of science, the arts, and humanities and their replacement by entertainment, self-righteousness, ignorance, and deliberate gullibility” (Wikipedia). The anti-intellectualism debate touched every side of BookTok a couple of months ago, with creators voicing their concerns about the lack of critical book reviews and the harm of reducing books to tropes. While not every book content creator needs to analyze or review books critically, the near-absence of critical discussions in mainstream BookTok spaces raises questions about how we engage with books. If the dominant book content consists of videos with little to no speaking, relying only on brief text and audio, what does this say about society’s ability to think beyond entertainment and amusement? Do these videos indicate a decreasing willingness to engage critically with the content we consume and reflect on its broader themes?
These questions underscore the biggest difference between “underground” and “surface-level” BookTok—the level of engagement in deeper conversations and analysis. Instead of sticking to the same books with similar stories and characters, creators on this side of the app are diverse and, therefore, recommend stories that speak to their varied experiences. Moreover, books with more depth and controversial topics are recommended and discussed. Not only is “underground” BookTok engaging in book analysis, but creators are also making connections between fictional stories and our social environment. Creators actively fight anti-intellectualism by fostering conversations and creating parallels between fictional fantasy worlds and our real-world political climate.
These conversations feel especially important now, as the beginning of 2025 has been marked by significant changes under the Trump administration. Several “underground” BookTok creators have discussed these changes’ implications and used their book-focused platforms to recommend books that speak to what we are currently witnessing. Amongst these is Octavia E. Butler’s Parable of the Sower, written in the 1990s but set in the 2020s, depicting a world devastated by climate change and social inequalities. I believe and hope that similar books will define the 2025 “underground BookTok era. Now more than ever, content creators from diverse marginalized backgrounds and allies will try to prevent the prevalence of anti-intellectualism to battle ignorance and prejudice.
The divide between “surface-level” and “underground” content reflects broader conversations about intellectual engagement and diversity in literature. I argue that “surface-level” BookTok will continue promoting the same popular trends with minor variations, reflecting the rise of anti-intellectualism. At the same time, the analytical and socially conscious discussions within “underground” BookTok will remain essential in challenging anti-intellectualism and amplifying underrepresented voices. In times of political and social uncertainty, books have always served as a means of reflection, resistance, and understanding—and 2025 will be no different. Whether through dystopian cautionary tales or historical parallels, literature will continue to shape and respond to the world around us. While these are my thoughts on 2025 BookTok trends, only time will tell whether users choose to escape into familiarity or confront the realities shaping our world.