Barnes and Noble is launching a summer reading program… on TikTok.
#BookTok—surely you’ve heard of it. It’s the place where youths cry and make Madeleine Miller’s The Song of Achilles fly off the shelves. It’s the thing prompting publishers to wonder if they need to download TikTok…one more thing on the plate of underpaid social media managers everywhere!
Okay, it’s actually also a pretty cool space for the next generation to talk earnestly about the books that really mean something to them. (I’m just being glib because I am not cool enough to be BookTok famous.)
This summer, Barnes & Noble is teaming up with TikTok to create *drumroll please* the #BookTokChallenge. They’re partnering with content creators to kick off the project, and they’ve also shared an accompanying reading list, in which books are broken down into categories like Opposites Attract, Enemies to Lovers, and (my personal favorite) Fake Dating. A vibe for your hot girl summer.
I mean, it’s not the kind of program that can get you, say, a personal pan pizza, but anything that promotes summer reading and literary community is something to be celebrated.
Also, I feel this partnership is the perfect time to remind you of the Mariko Aoki phenomenon, or a bunch of viral TikTok videos about having to go to the bathroom as soon as you walk into Barnes & Noble. You’re welcome, everyone.
[h/t Publishers Weekly]
