Book budgeting has become the most prominent conversation on the reading app, Fable.
Users have grown tired of rushing through books to keep up with the latest must-reads, a practice that has only blown a hole in their wallet.
“Readers are pushing back on haul culture and turning towards libraries, second hand bookstores and subscriptions as deliberate alternatives,” Fable noted in their midyear findings report.
One Reddit user who is an ex-BookToker said keeping on top of trends led to her owning more than 2,000 books: “I became caught up in new releases, decorative editions and advanced copies.”
A slow reading movement
Conversations around shifting away from the pressures of BookTok are not a new phenomenon on the app.
A slow reading trend gained traction earlier this year, with users prioritising setting smaller, sustainable goals.
Readers began to fully immerse themself in each story, with Fable branding it a “counter to the social media reading culture prioritising volume.”
Romanticising a library card
With a shift in reader habits, trends such as Come to the library with me have started to weave their way more into the BookTok community.
@guapabou: “Reject BookTok culture, go to the library and get a weird little novel you’ve never heard of in your life and read it all in 2 days like God intended.”
@chapterswithsoph: “A gentle reminder that libraries do exist and you should use them.”
Showing readers an alternative to blowing their money on books they may not even be interested in, influencers are encouraging people to make use of the free books available at the library.
But with more and more shutting their doors each year, will readers lose their chance to visit the library?
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Use it or lose it
According to recent findings by the University of Sheffield, England’s public library collections are in danger of being “hollowed out.”
The major study warns that library collections and budgets are shrinking and, without government interference, will have a catastrophic effect on those who rely on libraries.
Professor Briony Birdi, lead researcher, said: “Public libraries are one of the few genuinely universal services we have left, which are free to use, open to all, and deeply embedded in the communities they serve.”
An underappreciated staple in local communities, the UK is losing a staggering 40 libraries each year, according to the BBC.
Deprived areas are also four times more likely to lose a publicly funded library.
“In a time when connection, community and accessible support have never been more important, libraries continue to deliver quietly on all fronts,” Better Libraries said.
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Reading should not be expensive
A common misconception about reading is that it is not a budget-friendly hobby.
Whilst buying books is a costly activity, the act of reading does not have to be.
Libraries and second-hand bookstores are cheaper alternatives that foster community and are eco-friendly.
Readers can save these integral institutions by stepping through their doors instead of always tapping a bank card.
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Ian Trinidad 
Adam Peaker