What Is The Role Of A BookTuber? (aka BookTuber Role Original Tag) @AllisonAnnotated

Allison Annotated An original tag investigating what role BookTubers play in the literary world. Inspired by the shuttering of Book World, the Washington Post’s book review, and the controversy around the media campaign promoting Lost Lambs by Madeline Cash.

After I filmed this, I ran across a couple videos on this same topic that are worth checking out. One on the channel Bookborn called “The Book Review Is Dead (A Response)” responding to an article from the New Yorker called "The Death of Book World" youtu.be/1AaPZrdvSdI?si=5J3xIU9dNsHM0JP and one on the channel Lifeonbooks called “An open letter to academics” responding to an article in the New York Times called "Where Have All The Book Reviewers Gone" youtu.be/4c1xPfURalg?si=KgDe2ofqbH4BR4A5

I'd like to tag:
@KatandTooManyBooks
@booksimnotreading
@sueysbookbanter
@BookChatWithPat8668

Questions:
1. How do you view your role as a booktuber? [Examples might be as a critic, a curator, an influencer, an entertainer, an educator, etc.]

2. Do you have any educational background in literature or literary criticism, either formal or self-directed? And [if you are comfortable sharing] do you have any other education or professional experience that you bring to bear on your reviews?

3. Do you typically do any research on either the book or the author before you review a book?

4. Do you focus your reviews more on the objective qualities of a book or more on your subjective opinions about it?

5. Have you ever received a free book or advanced reader copy from the author, and if so, did it have any impact on your ability to honestly review the book? (Or on how you felt about it?)

6. Do you review every book you read? Are there any reasons that you might read a book but choose not to review it?

7. How do you feel about the fact that many people now primarily consume book reviews by hobbyists on BookTube rather than professional critics? (What is lost; what is gained?)

#booktok #booktube #literarycriticism #bookreview

00:00 Intro
02:02 Question One
04:42 Question Two
06:25 Question Three
07:10 Question Four
08:49 Question Five
10:10 Question Six
11:48 Question Seven

updated 4 months ago

What Is The Role Of A BookTuber? (aka BookTuber Role Original Tag)

Allison Annotated 2026-05-21 | An original tag investigating what role BookTubers play in the literary world. Inspired by the shuttering of Book World, the Washington Post’s book review, and the controversy around the media campaign promoting Lost Lambs by Madeline Cash.

After I filmed this, I ran across a couple videos on this same topic that are worth checking out. One on the channel Bookborn called “The Book Review Is Dead (A Response)” responding to an article from the New Yorker called "The Death of Book World" youtu.be/1AaPZrdvSdI?si=5J3xIU9dNsHM0JP and one on the channel Lifeonbooks called “An open letter to academics” responding to an article in the New York Times called "Where Have All The Book Reviewers Gone" youtu.be/4c1xPfURalg?si=KgDe2ofqbH4BR4A5

I'd like to tag:
@KatandTooManyBooks
@booksimnotreading
@sueysbookbanter
@BookChatWithPat8668

Questions:
1. How do you view your role as a booktuber? [Examples might be as a critic, a curator, an influencer, an entertainer, an educator, etc.]

2. Do you have any educational background in literature or literary criticism, either formal or self-directed? And [if you are comfortable sharing] do you have any other education or professional experience that you bring to bear on your reviews?

3. Do you typically do any research on either the book or the author before you review a book?

4. Do you focus your reviews more on the objective qualities of a book or more on your subjective opinions about it?

5. Have you ever received a free book or advanced reader copy from the author, and if so, did it have any impact on your ability to honestly review the book? (Or on how you felt about it?)

6. Do you review every book you read? Are there any reasons that you might read a book but choose not to review it?

7. How do you feel about the fact that many people now primarily consume book reviews by hobbyists on BookTube rather than professional critics? (What is lost; what is gained?)

#booktok #booktube #literarycriticism #bookreview

00:00 Intro
02:02 Question One
04:42 Question Two
06:25 Question Three
07:10 Question Four
08:49 Question Five
10:10 Question Six
11:48 Question Seven

Narrative Fragmentation - Summer Wrap-Up

Allison Annotated 2026-09-18 | Reviewing the books I read this summer, including work by Chimamande Ngoze Adiche, Clarice Lespector, Mieko Kawakami, and Robin Hobb.

00:00 Summer Travels!
01:53 Purple Hibiscus
05:50 If Cats Disappeared from the World
08:30 Blackouts
14:10 Daydream and Drunkenness of a Young Lady
16:05 Sisters in Yellow
20:45 Ship of Magic
22:22 Causation and Free Will
24:18 Physical Causation
25:36 Hunting Causes and Using Them
27:44 Outro

What Makes an Ambiguous Ending Work?

Allison Annotated 2026-07-02 | Chatting about books with ambiguous endings. Why are some ambiguous endings so effective and others feel so unsatisfying? Discussing three books with very effective endings: Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood, Normal People by Sally Rooney, and The Idiot by Elif Batuman, and two books with ineffective endings: Intermezzo by Sally Rooney and Detransition Baby by Torrey Peters.

#booktok #books #reading #pulitzerprize #bestseller #bookish

Robin Hobb Doesn’t Write “Morally Grey” Characters (And Other Farseer Musings)

Allison Annotated 2026-06-18 | A deep dive analysis into the Farseer Trilogy by Robin Hobb: Assassin's Apprentice, Royal Assassin, and Assassin's Quest. This video essay discusses why the internet is wrong about Hobb's characters being morally grey, all the queer themes in these books, and why I read this trilogy all wrong. Grab a coffee and let's chat!

Check out @Lillies.Libraryy for great Realm of the Elderlings videos beyond Farseer.

Here’s the article: hrc.org/press-releases/icymi-new-data-shows-that-nearly-30-of-gen-z-adults-identify-as-lgbtq

#booktok #booktube #bookreview #literature #scififantasy

00:00 Intro
00:45 Morally Grey Characters
05:06 Queer Themes
13:00 Trauma and Vulnerability
17:37 Minor Character Arcs
24:00 Outro

Artificial Intelligence and the Death of the Author

Allison Annotated 2026-06-04 | A video essay exploring books written by Artificial Intelligence (specifically Large Language Models/ Generative AI). It relies on Roland Barthes' theory of Death of the Author and Marcel Duchamp's Readymades to investigate what is "art" and where does meaning come from?

#booktok #booktube #literarypursuits #books

Sources:
noemamag.com/ai-signals-the-death-of-the-author
nationalgeographic.com/adventure/article/150104-homer-iliad-odyssey-greece-book-talk-travel-world
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rigoberta_Mench%C3%BA#:~:text=el%20Tiempo%20(2012)-,Testimony%20controversy,needs%20of%20the%20guerrilla%20movement
youtube.com/watch?v=QnuXOgnCoVc
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Death_of_the_Author
nymag.com/intelligencer/article/ai-artificial-intelligence-chatbots-emily-m-bender.html

Summer 2026 TBR: Bittersweet & Hopeful Fiction 🌦️🌻

Allison Annotated 2026-05-07 | Chatting about my May and June 2026 TBR, including high fantasy, literary fiction, and two books in translation from Japanese. I’ll be reading new releases by Ocean Vuong and Mieko Kawakami, as well as going back to Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s first novel.

Shout out to Cameron from @SlaggyBookClub her best of 2025 video recommending The Emperor of Gladness: youtu.be/pqzYhtwpzYw?si=8gW43pB5XpTaz8pv

00: Intro
00:32 If Cats Disappeared From The World
02:07 Blackouts
03:50 Cry, Voidbringer
05:47 Lemon Sisters
08:22 Purple Hibiscus
09:55 The Emperor Of Gladness
12:25 Outro

#booktok #booktube #bookrecommendations #tbr #literature

Booktok Tropes In Classic Literature (Enemies-To-Lovers, Love Triangles, And So Many Himbos)

Allison Annotated 2026-04-23 | Analyzing some of my favorite tropes in works of classic literature. I'll be discussing Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare, Pride And Prejudice by Jane Austen, and Miss Pettigrew Lives For A Day by Winifred Watson. The tropes discussed include: grumpy and sunshine, enemies to lovers, love at first sight, the love triangle, the big makeover, and the himbo.

#booktube #bookrecommendations #bookreview

00:00 Intro
01:37 Much Ado Summary
03:36 Much Ado Trope Analysis
05:55 P&P Summary
08:51 P&P Trope Analysis
13:59 Miss Pettigrew Summary
15:42 Miss Pettigrew Trope Analysis
19:19 Spicy Peppers
Outro

Thumbnails referenced:
youtube.com/watch?v=9IIpNxPh_3k by The Book Leo
youtube.com/watch?v=7ft8avaeMCQ by Book Chats with Shelley
youtube.com/watch?v=qRCmj2s9AbU by Writing with Jenna Moreci
youtube.com/watch?v=8g9-SOlsilM by Bookborn

The Girl With A Thousand Faces In-Depth Review [Spoiler Free]

Allison Annotated 2026-04-09 | An in-depth (spoiler-free) review of an upcoming Gothic fantasy novel by Sunyi Dean, author of The Book Eaters, a Goodreads Fantasy Choice nominee and Sunday Times bestseller. This book is a new release available in May 2026 from Tor Books.

00:00 Intro
01:20 Plot & Setting
09:38 Characters & Narrative POV
16:49 Themes
12:02 Overall Rating

#booktube #booktok #bookrecommendations #bookreview #newrelease #gothicfantasy

Reading Classic Romance In The Springtime (Feb & March wrap-up)

Allison Annotated 2026-03-27 | Grab a cozy little coffee and let’s chat! This video is my reading wrap up for January, February, and March. Somehow I mostly read classic romance novels by Jane Austen, Edith Wharton, and Winifred Watson, as well as a novel by James Joyce. Giving you my reviews and ratings. Thinking about what makes a compelling romantic match and why some pairings fall flat.

#booktube #booktok #bookrecommendations #bookreview #classicliterature #studytube

00:00 Miss Pettigrew Lives For A Day
04:11 A Portrait Of The Artist As A Young Man
09:50 Pride And Prejudice
14:44 Persuasion
20:08 Mansfield Park
24:49 The Custom Of The Country

Are audiobooks reading? What your stance says about you…

Allison Annotated 2026-03-19 | This BookTube video essay about whether audiobooks “count” as reading discusses how different people prioritize competing values such as inclusivity and the love of a challenge; function and aesthetics; creativity and civic utility. Our opinions tell us more about what we value in a "good life" than they tell us about either audiobooks or reading. So grab a cozy cup or tea or coffee and let’s chat about Audible, Libro.fm, kindle, and more formats!

#booktube #booktok #literature #bookish

00:00 Intro
01:20 The Achiever
03:21 The Functionalist
05:36 The Aesthete
07:45 The Fantasist
09:13 The Citizen
11:28 The Ally
12:43 The Precisionist
15:05 Outro

Channels Mentioned:
@Lady.of.the.Library
@vlogbrothers
@_jared
@bibliosophie

Sources:
youtube.com/watch?v=it69PbOXjYM&t=216s
youtube.com/watch?v=wjqMNM2ihF8
youtube.com/watch?v=80SCl6n0TEo
youtube.com/watch?v=muuWRKYi09s
youtube.com/watch?v=A3wJcF0t0bQ&pp=ygUUYWVzdGhldGljIG9mIHJlYWRpbmc%3D
youtube.com/watch?v=0cMf06O61yk
hannahmaywordsand.com/books-etc/what-to-buy-in-the-fitzcarraldo-editions-sale
youtube.com/watch?v=0KuYNgHEytI
sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160738323001809
t-mlaw.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/report.pdf

What matters about reading?

Allison Annotated 2026-03-14 | A tag created by @bibliosophie that I saw on @BookChatWithPat8668's channel.

Also please forgive me if the audio is wonky—I got a microphone to celebrate my one-year BookTube-iversary and am still figuring it out!

Prompts:
1. What do you want to get out of reading, and what stays with you after?
2. What is reading with intention?
3. What interests you about somebody else’s relationship to a book?
4. How do you talk about books with others? what do you usually want them to know about a book? 5. Do you review books (publicly or privately)?
6. Do you use a rating system? why? why not?
7. Do you ask yourself if you’ve liked a book? and how much does liking a book matter?
8. What do you seek out from others who read publicly? reviews, summaries, analysis, a curriculum?
9. Who do you go to for those things?

I'd like to tag:
@booksimnotreading
@KatandTooManyBooks
@AmandaShouldBeReading
@Lillies.Libraryy
@sueysbookbanter

(But please don't feel any pressure to do this tag if you don't want to!)

Chatting for an hour about 25+ new books! (Spring 2026)

Allison Annotated 2026-03-05 | Aren’t sure what to read next? Tired of reading the same 10 books as everybody else? In this video I’m reacting to March new book releases and giving you my first impressions and hot takes. Get comfortable (maybe find some laundry to fold or start cooking dinner) because this video is an hour long lol.

#booktok #booktube #bookrecommendations

00:00 Intro
00:55 Now I Surrender
03:08 Son Of Nobody
05:22 Under Water
06:57 The Keeper
08:41 Wolf Worm
11:34 Almost Life
14:24 Lake Effect
17:09 Nonesuch
20:16 Upward Bound
22:09 Whidbey
25:05 The Night We Met
25:48 Daughter Of Egypt
28:27 Sisters In Yellow
31:01 A Far-Flung Life
32:59 The Complex
34:55 A Girl Like Her
37:24 Strange Buildings
38:34 The Beheading Game
39:58 Lady Tremaine
42:15 Paradiso 17
44:43 Down Time
47:44 Days Of Love And Rage
49:45 The Disappointment
51:46 Once And Again
53:37 Wretch
55:41 Star Shipped

more incredible novels about longing

Allison Annotated 2026-02-28 | Oddly specific book recommendations: books about romantic longing. To make you feel less alone while you wait for that text back 🫠

Wuthering Heights by Charlotte Bronte
The Safekeep by Yael Vanderwouden
Call My By Your Name by Andre Aciman
Normal People by Sally Rooney
The Idiot by Elif Batuman

#booktube #booktok

Not convinced? 🤔 Check out my deep dive 👆📚

Allison Annotated 2026-02-25 | #booktok #booktube #literature #videoessay

What should we do about bigotry in beloved classic books?

Allison Annotated 2026-02-21 | Can historical context save the classics from themselves? Should we edit out bigotry and offensive language? How can we read problematic classics without becoming part of the problem?

This deep-dive video considers questions around how to read and recommend classic books that contain prejudiced and offensive language. It uses the lens of reviewing Miss Pettigrew Lives For A Day by Winifred Watson to show specific applications of the theories discussed.

I also recommend some of my favorite “unproblematic” classic novels.

00:00 Historical context isn’t enough
05:39 Four key questions
13:28 In defense of reading classics
17:07 When publishers *should* edit out bigotry
21:50 Why you should read retellings and reviews
24:57 Interlude: book recommendations
26:26 To read or not to read?
32:27 Reviewing Miss Pettigrew

Channels mentioned:
@W@WillowTalksBooks youtube.com/watch?v=Ge15H_Vjd-Y&pp=ygUvd2lsbG93IHRhbGtzIGJvb2tzIGFsdGVybmF0aXZlcyB0byBoYXJyeSBwb3R0ZXI%3D
@Bro@BrownBooktuberttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7dC4pazRTt4

Sources:
youtu.be/rbcFTYwcVk8?si=RMfDTnymc7oKFuc_
transpalm.com/blog/translating-idioms
us.sagepub.com/sites/default/files/upm-binaries/45697_Chapter_3.pdf
youtube.com/watch?v=8PxgJBy70SA
bigthink.com/the-learning-curve/why-you-should-read-old-books
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roald_Dahl_revision_controversy
virginialawreview.org/articles/editing-classic-books-a-threat-to-the-public-domain

#booktube #literaryanalysis #booktok #classicliterature #classicbooks #bookreview #bookrecommendations #books

Book mail! #booktube

Allison Annotated 2026-02-06 | The King Must Die by Keli Ashing-Giwa

#booktube #tbr #bookrecommendations #bookmail #booktok #fantasybooks #romantasy #scifi

All The Books I Read This Winter (2025)

Allison Annotated 2026-02-05 | Reviewing all the books I read this winter, including new fantasy and best sellers.

#booktube #books #bookreview #bookrecommendations #literarypursuits

0:00 Intro
00:32 Katabasis by R.F. Kuang 8/10
07:48 The Thursday Murder Club and The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman 8.5/10
14:24 The Cautious Traveller's Guide To The Wasteland by Sarah Brooks 7/10
19:08 The King Must Die by Kemi Ashing-Giwa 7.5/10
30:00 Outro

All The Bridgerton Vibes

Allison Annotated 2026-01-14 | Come book shopping with me on my holiday in Bath, UK (the city where Bridgerton is filmed).

#booktok #travel #bridgerton #literarypursuits

UK Holiday Book Shopping & First TBR Of 2026!

Allison Annotated 2026-01-09 | All the books I plan to read in January and February, plus the books I bought in the UK over the holidays! Aspiring to start the new year off with some classics!

Cameron’s channel: @SlaggyBookClub

00:00 Intro
01:09 Miss Pettigrew Lives For A Day
03:25 A Portrait Of The Artist As A Young Man
06:24 Emperor of Gladness
09:14 If Cats Disappeared From The World
10:59 The Custom Of The Country
12:22 Outro

#bookrecommendations #booktok #books #literature #literarypursuits #literaryfiction

The ✨Best✨Books Of 2025

Allison Annotated 2025-12-26 | Discussing every 9 and 10 star book I read this year! I have so many new favorites.

00:00 Intro
00:30 Lost Cat by Mary Gaitskill
05:06 Second Place by Rachel Cusk
11:29 The Idiot by Elif Batuman
15:26 Tom Lake by Ann Patchett
20:49 The Dutch House by Ann Patchett
26:21 The Safekeep by Yael Van Der Wouden
30:52 Before The Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi
35:04 Outro

#booktok #books #bookrecommendations #bookreview #literarypursuits #literaryfiction #historicalfiction #romance #pulitzerprize #bookerprize #winter

On Social Justice Metaphors In Recent Fantasy Books

Allison Annotated 2025-12-12 | Reviewing the sci-fi and fantasy books I read in September and October. Reflecting on challenges for fantasy novels commenting on social justice issues.

00:00 Intro
00:32 Bury Our Bones In The Midnight Soil by V.E. Schwab 6.5/10
07:56 Blood Over Brighthaven by M.L. Wang 8/10
15:00 The Devils by Joe Abercrombie 8.5/10
20:29 The Will Of The Many by James Islington 8/10
26:30 Outro

#books #bookrecommendations #bookreview #bookish #scifi #fantasybooks #romantasy #grimdark

Winter Solstice TBR

Allison Annotated 2025-12-04 | Books to read while the winter winds howl at your door.

The Cautious Traveller's Guide to the Wastelands by Sarah Brooks
Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell
Katabasis by R.F. Kuang
A Collection of Poems by Robert Frost
A Deadly Education by Naomi Novick

#bookreview #bookrecommendations #cozy #winter #autumn #fantasybooks #cottagecore #witchcraft #mysterynovel #literature

Dark Magic Books To Read This Winter 🔮❄️🕯️

Allison Annotated 2025-11-21 | All the books I plan to read in November and December 2025!

00:00 Intro
00:58 Katabasis by R.F. Kuang
04:30 Catalina by Karla Cornejo Villavicencio
06:58 The Cautious Traveller’s Guide To The Wastelands by Sarah Brooks
08:19 Fair Play by Louise Hegerty
09:21 Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia Of Faeries by Heather Fawcett
10:51 Outro

#darkacademia #cottagecore #cozy #literature #booktok #bookrecommendations #tbr

In-Depth Review Of Hamnet By Maggie OFarrell

Allison Annotated 2025-11-07 | Reviewing Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell, winner of the Women's Prize for Fiction and the National Book Critics Circle Award, ahead of the upcoming movie starring Paul Mescal and Jessie Buckley.

#books #literarypursuits #cottagecore #witchcore #bookrecommendations #bookreview #shakespeare

Whats Cheering Me Up In These Dark Times

Allison Annotated 2025-10-24 | Telling you about a few things that are cheering me up in this dark (literally and figuratively) time. 🕯️🍂

The idea for this series is borrowed from ⁠@HannahLouisePoston

Rabbitology can be found here: rabbitologymusic.com and here: @RabbitologyMusic

Quick Cryptic: theguardian.com/crosswords/series/quick-cryptic

Little Free Library map: littlefreelibrary.org/map

Info on gratitude journaling: uclahealth.org/news/article/health-benefits-gratitude

00:00 Intro
00:33 One
02:02 Two
03:02 Three
05:00 Four
05:43 Five
06:49 Six
08:17 Seven
09:46 Eight
10:26 Outro

#booktok #literature #fantasybooks #darkacademia #cottagecore #cozy #crossword #littlefreelibrary #hamnet #analog

A Suspense, Sapphic Romance, Holocaust Novel? (Pure Chaos In The Best Way)

Allison Annotated 2025-10-10 | Reviewing The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden. Shortlisted for the 2025 Women's Prize for Fiction, and described by the author as Rebecca by Daphne DuMaurier meets Maurice by EM Forster.

#literature #literarypursuits #booktok #bookrecommendations #bookreview

Are We Buying Too Many Books?

Allison Annotated 2025-09-26 | Weighing in on the BookTube overconsumption conversation and doing the Ten Untouched Books Tag that ⁠@booksimnotreading tagged me in.

Here is Kelly's video: youtube.com/watch?v=vn4fuG0ffXA
And the original creator of the tag: youtube.com/watch?v=Z5zF-e3bNG4&t=310s

Videos referenced:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=M_vC_iSVtJI&pp=ygUjaGFubmFoIGxvdWlzZSBwb3N0b24gZmluYW5jaWFsIGRpZXQ%3D
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=1juBfuO95_I&pp=ygUjaGFubmFoIGxvdWlzZSBwb3N0b24gZmluYW5jaWFsIGRpZXTSBwkJxwkBhyohjO8%3D
youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=_qWHJ29-s4U
youtube.com/watch?v=qqO9Y7frV3Q&t=305s
youtube.com/watch?v=0ckcYAbdGl8&t=919s
youtube.com/watch?v=CYyDTrg4Qrg
youtube.com/watch?v=rTx-i5d6SXA
youtube.com/watch?v=DwOpkhxexcA
youtube.com/watch?v=EXk0zTUPbAw
youtube.com/watch?v=3m5_omugjB4

Other sources:
medium.com/impactology1/what-is-overconsumption-628449e62139
theatlantic.com/business/archive/2015/04/how-capitalism-created-cool/390429

00:00 Intro
00:14 Overconsumption on BookTube
08:56 No-buy year
10:09 Untouched books
10:40 Dopamine hits
14:32 Fantasy self
19:27 Magpie vibes
20:43 Outro

#literature #books #overconsumption #consumerism #bookhaul #tbr #nobuy #lowbuy

Late Summer Reading Wrap-Up 🌼🌤️

Allison Annotated 2025-09-12 | Reviewing the books that I read in July and August, including two Pulitzer Prize winners and the newest from Ann Patchett (author of the Dutch House) and Amy Tan (author of the Joy Luck Club).

00:00 Intro
00:17 The Book Eaters by Sunyi Dean 7/10
07:32 The Idiot by Elif Batuman 9/10
15:45 When Among Crows by Veronica Roth 5/10
18:19 James by Percival Everett 7/10
27:00 Tom Lake by Ann Patchett 9/10
32:44 The Backyard Bird Chronicles by Amy Tan 8/10
35:00 Outro

#books #darkacademia #cottagecore #fantasybooks #historicalfiction #literaryfiction #booktok

🔮🎃 full TBR video ^

Allison Annotated 2025-09-05 | Full length TBR for spooky season
Bury Our Bones In The Midnight Soil by V.E. Schwab
Blood Over Brighthaven by M.L. Wang
The Devils by Joe Abercrombie
Will Of The Many by James Islington

#literature #booktok #reading #halloween #spookyseason #cozy #scifi #fantasy

Sci-fi & Fantasy TBR For Spooky Season 🎃🧙🏼‍♀️

Allison Annotated 2025-08-29 | Previewing the books I'm reading in September and October... getting ready for a sci/fi fantasy themed fall! A bunch of new releases from some of the best sci-fi and fantasy authors.

00:00 Intro
00:22 Bury Our Bones In The Midnight Soil by V.E. Schwab
02:25 The Devils by Joe Abercrombie
04:27 Blood Over Bright Haven by M.L. Wang
05:27 The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Nighttime by Mark Haddon
07:11 The Will Of The Many by James Islington
08:28 Outro

#booktok #booktube #books #tbr #bookrecommendations #fantasybooks #scifi #literature #literaryfiction #vampire #autumn #bookhaul #newrelease #halloween #cozy #epicfantasybooks #summerween

YouTube thinks LGBTQ books are “appealing to a smaller audience”…?

Allison Annotated 2025-08-20 | Reflecting on my first nine months on BookTube. Giving you the analytics on my first "hit” video, wondering whether YouTube is limiting the reach of LGBTQ content, and muddling my way through shorts. I’m not sure I have any advice about how to start a YouTube channel but hopefully some of this information is helpful!

00:00 Intro
00:42 Analytics for my first "hit" video
03:34 LGBTQ videos "appealing to a smaller audience"?
06:26 Shorts are a mystery...
08:10 Outro

#booktube #youtuber #youtubejourney #smallyoutuber #analytics

Actually Good Celebrity Book Recommendations

Allison Annotated 2025-08-15 | Reacting to book recommendations by Natalie Portman, Rosamund Pike, and Pretty Yende in videos from the Dior Book Tote Club video series.

Books mentioned include: On Photography by Susan Sontag, My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante, Hope in the Dark by Rebecca Solnit, On the Road by Jack Kerouac, Slouching Towards Bethlehem by Joan Didion, A Little Life by Hanya Yanagahara, Winnie the Pooh by A.A. Milne, and Call the Midwife by Jennifer Worth.

00:00 Intro
00:45 Natalie Portman
06:52 Rosamund Pike
13:47 Pretty Yende
15:40 Outro

#literature #booktube #books #booktok #bookstore #cozy #london #romance #fiction #literature #historicalfiction #culture #celebrity #bookrecommendations #library

women in translation

Allison Annotated 2025-08-11 | Four books I love in honor of women in translation month.

Whereabouts by Jhumpa Lahiri
Fragments of Sappho translated by Anne Carson
The Woman Destroyed by Simone De Beauvior
An Easy Death by Simone De Beauvior

#books #literature #reading #shortstories #poetry #bookrecommendations

Everything I Read In 2025 So Far 🗓️😨 the good, the bad, and the intriguing

Allison Annotated 2025-08-01 | Checking in on my reading progress halfway through 2025.

Follow me on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/wonderlandbooks.bsky.social

00:00 Intro
00:23 Best book you’ve read so far this year
02:06 Best sequel
02:14 New release you want to read
02:52 Most anticipated release
03:25 Biggest disappointment
04:15 Biggest surprise
05:27 Favourite new author
06:00 Newest fictional crush
07:16 Book that made you cry
09:11 Book that made you happy
09:26 Most beautiful book you've bought
10:02 Books do you need to read by the end of the year
10:45 Reading plans for the second half of the year
11:25 Outro

Books mentioned:
The Dutch House by Ann Patchett
Tom Lake by Ann Patchett
The Devils by Joe Abercrombie
Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by VE Schwab
Blood Over Brighthaven by M.L. Wang
Alecto the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir
Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi
Second Place by Rachel Cusk
Outline by Rachel Cusk
Intermezzo by Sally Rooney
Lost Cat by Mary Gaitskill
Selected Poems by William Carlos Williams
The Backyard Bird Chronicles by Amy Tan

Summer Reading Wrap-Up 🌻🍉

Allison Annotated 2025-07-20 | Mini reading wrap-up!

Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel
The Last Warewolf by Glen Duncan
Detransition Baby by Torrey Peters
We Solve Murders by Richard Osman

#booktok #booktube #reading #fantasy #literature #historicalfiction #murdermystery #tudors

May & June Wrap-Up 🌻🍉 not mad, just disappointed

Allison Annotated 2025-07-18 | Reviewing the books I read in May and June, including the newest from Richard Osman (author of the Thursday Murder Club) and Torrey Peters, as well as Hilary Mantel's award-winning historical fiction novel, Wolf Hall. With bonus footage from hiking the Camino de Santiago in Galicia! 🇪🇸

Follow me on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/wonderlandbooks.bsky.social

00:00 Intro
01:01 Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel 8/10
01:43 The Unlikely Adventures of the Shergill Sisters by Balli Kaur Jaswal 6.5/10
04:53 The Last Werewolf by Glen Duncan 3/10
08:48 Red White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston DNF
12:40 Stag Dance 7.5/10 and Detransition Baby 8/10 by Torrey Peters
24:40 We Solve Murders by Richard Osman 7/10
28:01 a mercy by Toni Morrison 7.5/10
29:42 Outro

#reading #booktok #literature #bookrecommendations #bookreview #lgbtq #historicalfiction #mystery #tudors #cozy

Late Summer TBR

Allison Annotated 2025-07-04 | Books I’m reading in July and August!

The Book Eaters by Sunyi Dean
The Idiot by Elif Batuman
Tom Lake by Ann Patchett
The Backyard Bird Chronicles by Amy Tan
James by Percival Everett

#booktok #books #darkacademia #fantasy #literature #fiction #nature #recommended #pulitzerprize #bestseller

Book Haul & Summer TBR 🌻☀️

Allison Annotated 2025-07-03 | The books I plan to read in July and August, including a cozy/vibey book haul from a local book store.

Follow me on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/wonderlandbooks.bsky.social

00:00 Intro
00:18 Bookstore Visit!
01:15 The Book Eaters by Sunyi Dean
02:25 The Idiot by Elif Batuman
03:40 Tom Lake by Ann Patchett
05:11 James by Percival Everett
06:45 The Backyard Bird Chronicals by Amy Tan
08:31 Outro

#bookrecommendations #booktok #booktube #reading #literature #fantasy #darkacademia #harvard #england #pulitzerprize #birding #cottagecore

I’m obsessed

Allison Annotated 2025-07-02 | Books I couldn’t believe I found in Little Free Libraries!?

Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell
Collected Poems of William Carlos Williams
The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime by Mark Haddon
Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

#literature #booktok #bookrecommendations #poetry #pulitzerprize #bookerprize #fiction #bookhaul #bestseller

In-Depth Review of Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel

Allison Annotated 2025-06-20 | A reading vlog about the historical fiction novel Wolf Hall (Winner of the 2009 Booker Prize and 3rd on the NTY best books of the 21st century list).

Follow me on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/wonderlandbooks.bsky.social

00:00 Intro
00:17 Pgs 1-70
05:39 Pgs 71-141
14:49 Pgs 142-250
18:12 Pgs 251-489
26:25 Pgs 490-604

#booktok #books #booktube #history #historicalfiction #reading #vlog #youtuber #bookreviews #bookrecommendations #historicalfictionbookrecommendations

🩸☠️✨

Allison Annotated 2025-06-11 | Bunny by Mona Awad
When We Lost Our Heads by Heather O’Neill
We Have Always Lived In The Castle by Shirley Jackson
My Year Of Rest And Relaxation by Otessa Moshfegh
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

#literature #booktok #books #reading #cozy #aesthetic #quietluxury #oldmoney #ivyleague #aristocracy #preppy #horror #summerween #spookyseason

What Im Reading For Pride! 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️🫶

Allison Annotated 2025-06-06 | Updating you on the two books I'm planning to bring with me on vacation to Europe in honor of LGBTQ pride month. A modern classic of queer romance that has been adapted into a popular movie and a new release by the author of Detransition Baby.

BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/wonderlandbooks.bsky.social

StoryGraph: @allisonnotinwonderland

00:00 Intro
00:46 Red White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
01:28 Stag Dance by Torrey Peters
03:52 Outro

#bookrecs #bookrecommendations #booktube #booktok #literature #gender #feminism #pride #lgbt #summer #june #newrelease #queer #romance #cozy

Is Reading Becoming Less Intellectual?

Allison Annotated 2025-05-23 | Weighing in on anti-intellectualism and book snobbery. Prompted by the snob-o-meter tag and by @TheBookLeo ⁠'s video: soon books won't be intellectual anymore...

Follow me on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/wonderlandbooks.bsky.social

00:00 Intro
02:18 Gender
08:25 Consumerism and class
19:57 Education and democracy
24:30 So what?
28:43 Outro

Sources:
aei.org/carpe-diem/do-you-hear-that-it-might-be-the-growing-sounds-of-pocketbooks-snapping-shut-and-the-chickens-coming-home
ourworldindata.org/less-democratic
bestcolleges.com/news/analysis/2020/07/17/history-privilege-higher-education
publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/publisher-news/article/75976-can-instagram-make-poems-sell-again.html
theparisreview.org/blog/2022/12/07/misreading-ulysses
arts.gov/stories/blog/2025/men-women-split-reading-real-and-persists-amid-historical-rate-declines
youtu.be/HkQ4aGr1mBg?si=paKNKL4q0b1ouPb4

#booktube #booktok #consumerism #overconsumption #quietluxury #oldmoney #democracy #influencer#youtuber #fiction #criticalthinking

Stories about storytelling

Allison Annotated 2025-05-16 | Some of my favorite novels that include discussions of narrative theory.

The Golden Notebook by Doris Lessing
Second Place by Rachel Cusk
Pale View of the Hills by Kazuo Ishiguro
The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood
The Dutch House by Ann Patchett

May TBR🌷🌳☀️

Allison Annotated 2025-05-12 | The books I want to read in May and June.

The Unlikely Adventures of the Shergill Sisters by Balli Kaur Jaswal
a mercy by Toni Morrison
The Book Eaters by Sunyi Dean
The Idiot by Elif Batuman
The Last Warewolf by Glen Duncan

#booktube #booktok #reading #literature #harvard #darkacademia #fantasy #fae #history

May & June TBR 🌻🍉 so many books about British people

Allison Annotated 2025-05-09 | Summer TBR! Previewing the books I plan to read in May and June! Including books from the New York Times Best Books of the 21st Century, Man Booker Prize, Pulitzer Prize, and best sellers lists.

Follow me on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/wonderlandbooks.bsky.social

00:00 Intro
00:14 Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel
01:22 The Unlikely Adventures of the Shergill Sisters by Balli Kaur Jaswal
03:18 The Last Werewolf by Glen Duncan
04:12 a mercy by Toni Morrison
07:27 The Book Eaters by Sunyi Dean
08:48 The Idiot by Elif Batuman
10:11 Outro

#literature #bookerprize #fantasy #reading #werewolves #history #harvard #darkacademia #cottagecore #tudor #booktube #booktok #newyorktimes #pulitzerprize #bookerprize #bestseller

What was your favorite April read?

Allison Annotated 2025-05-06 | Reviewing my April reads.

The Dutch House by Ann Patchett
Bossypants by Tina Fey
Lost Cat by Mary Gaitskill
The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern

#reading #booktube #fantasy #literature #bookreviews #bookrecommendations #oldmoney #library #romantasy

Full review of The Dutch House 👆🏻

Allison Annotated 2025-05-01 | Recommending some of my favorite books about sibling relationships.

The God of Small Things by Arundati Roy
The Dutch House by Ann Patchett
The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood
Beloved by Toni Morrison
Intermezzo by Sally Rooney

#booktube #pulitzerprize #oldmoney

Spring Wrap-Up 🌸🌧️ mixed feelings about everything…

Allison Annotated 2025-04-27 | Reviewing all the books I read in March and April, including a new release, a women’s prize for fiction longlist pick, and a Pulitzer Prize finalist.

Follow me on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/wonderlandbooks.bsky.social

Little Free Library World Map: littlefreelibrary.org/map

00:00 Intro
00:14 Bossypants by Tina Fey: 6.5/10
02:47 The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern: 8/10
08:41 Gifted and Talented by Olivie Blake: 7/10
13:20 The Dutch House by Ann Patchett: 10/10
16:32 Lost Cat by Mary Gaitskill: 9/10
20:07 The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley: 7/10
25:14 The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods: DNF
26:01 Bloom by Delilah S. Dawson: DNF
28:29 An Unkindness of Magicians by Kat Howard: 6.5/10
30:16 Outro

#booktube #booktok #literature #reading #bookreviews #bookrecommendations #oldmoney #memoir #comedy #newrelease #pulitzerprize #timetravel #scifi #fantasy #italy #bookrecs

Good books that could have been great…

Allison Annotated 2025-04-21 | #booktube #bookreviews

Bunny by Mona Awad
The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley
Babel by R.F. Kuang
Trespasses by Louise Kennedy