Uploaded April 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
Booktubers mentioned and their videos:
Alison @alisontalksbooks
Her video: youtube.com/watch?v=ZjvBnlV-Cy4
Hannah @HannahsBooks
Her video: youtu.be/Vltvrz9SPFU?si=YN8AZge1W_VR9vRP
Mike @RiffRaffReads
His video: youtu.be/4Du6ZT0sUhA?si=QZCGGlOfXV8uBc2c
Steve @saintdonoghue
His video: youtu.be/O8VI7HCujzA?si=x-oNuFC1EGCKblat
Ryan's original video: youtu.be/VA6kJoUEqPY?si=Yp95iG2qbjBK5sPt
ABC New article "Insomniacs Suffer Depression, Heart Woes After Years of Little Sleep": abcnews.com/Health/insomnia-put-health-risk/story?id=15398461#.UAf5CjFSSfM
NY Times article "Ryan Holiday Sells Stoicism as a Life Hack, Without Apology": nytimes.com/2016/12/06/fashion/ryan-holiday-stoicism-american-apparel.html
NY Times article on the male loneliness epidemic. "It’s Not Just a Feeling: Data Shows Boys and Young Men Are Falling Behind": nytimes.com/2025/05/13/upshot/boys-falling-behind-data.html
In this video, I’m diving into the recent BookTube conversation around Ryan Holiday and his “rules” for reading.
Because yes, apparently reading now comes with a rulebook. Something I did not mention in the video is that there are several versions of these rules. Sometimes Ryan says there are 8 rules or even up to 32 rules just depending on where you look. Here are the rules from Alison's video:
1) Don't just read more books, read the right books.
2) Speed reading is a scam. You have to spend a lot of time reading.
3) You should always carry a book. Phone, keys, and a book.
4) If you're not reading with a pen, you're not really reading.
5) Mark your books. Fold pages. Beat them up.
6) Forget the news, the best way to understand what's happening in the world is by reading books...usually old book.
7) Don't just read books, re-read books.
8) Don't be a book snob; read bestsellers.
9) Never read without taking extracts.
10) If a book suck, stop reading it.
11) The rule for quitting a book is a hundred pages minus your age.
12) Good writers (and good books) are not hard to read.
13) Ask people you admire for book recommendations.
14) Cool titles usually make for crappy books.
15) Look for wisdom, don't just memorize facts.
16) Ask yourself: What do I plan to do with this information?
17) In every book you read, try to find your next one in its footnotes.
18) When you find an author you love, read ALL of their books.
19) If you see a book you want, buy it. Don't worry about the price.
20) Don't judge a book by it's cover...but also you kinda should.
21) Build an anti-library--a stack of unread books that humbles you.
22) Read books and writers you disagree with.
23) Don't be satisfied just getting the 'gist' of things
24) Prefaces and forewords are there for a reason. Don't skip them.
25) If a book is really good, recommend it and pass it along.
26) Find great stuff and suck everything you can out of it.
I go through what these rules actually are, why they’re getting so much pushback, and whether this is genuinely helpful reading advice or just another case of over-prescribing something that is usually deeply personal and weirdly ungovernable.
We talk about:
• What the rules are actually saying
• Why BookTube is reacting so strongly
• Where I think the criticism is fair
• And where I think we might be overcomplicating books (again)
Ultimately, this isn’t just about one list. It’s about a bigger question: do we actually need structure and rules for reading, or are we slowly turning something joyful into something performative?
Let me know where you land on it. I suspect this one will divide people.
⟡ If you’re new here, I make videos about books, reading culture, and whatever else happens when you stare at enough shelves long enough
⟡ Subscribe if you like thoughtful bookish chaos
0:00 Intro
1:12 How I encountered the list (Hannah in comparison to Ryan)
3:21 Rules 1-3 (briefly)
4:14 Who is Ryan Holiday
9:07 The Daily Stoic
15:01 The rules (a deeper dive)
22:26 The Algorithm of Certainty
24:16 Ragebait?
27:03 Final Thoughts
word salad:
#BookTube #ReadingCulture #RyanHoliday #books
controversy, debate, backlash, discourse, reaction, criticism, hot take, discussion, response
Makeup used:
Hannah Louise Poston X Salt New York saltnewyork.com/?srsltid=AfmBOoph11sTSWTtHEC29jmbZOj9FJRr_zNY9j-lwPrR4n_qhlAS5BR3
Amuse me in my inbox - rachelle.e.swearingen (at) gmail.com
Befriend me on Goodreads -goodreads.com/user/show/139310469-shelly-swearingen
Drop by on Instagram - Shellyish
Booktubers mentioned and their videos:
Alison @alisontalksbooks
Her video: youtube.com/watch?v=ZjvBnlV-Cy4
Hannah @HannahsBooks
Her video: youtu.be/Vltvrz9SPFU?si=YN8AZge1W_VR9vRP
Mike @RiffRaffReads
His video: youtu.be/4Du6ZT0sUhA?si=QZCGGlOfXV8uBc2c
Steve @saintdonoghue
His video: youtu.be/O8VI7HCujzA?si=x-oNuFC1EGCKblat
Ryan's original video: youtu.be/VA6kJoUEqPY?si=Yp95iG2qbjBK5sPt
ABC New article "Insomniacs Suffer Depression, Heart Woes After Years of Little Sleep": abcnews.com/Health/insomnia-put-health-risk/story?id=15398461#.UAf5CjFSSfM
NY Times article "Ryan Holiday Sells Stoicism as a Life Hack, Without Apology": nytimes.com/2016/12/06/fashion/ryan-holiday-stoicism-american-apparel.html
NY Times article on the male loneliness epidemic. "It’s Not Just a Feeling: Data Shows Boys and Young Men Are Falling Behind": nytimes.com/2025/05/13/upshot/boys-falling-behind-data.html
In this video, I’m diving into the recent BookTube conversation around Ryan Holiday and his “rules” for reading.
Because yes, apparently reading now comes with a rulebook. Something I did not mention in the video is that there are several versions of these rules. Sometimes Ryan says there are 8 rules or even up to 32 rules just depending on where you look. Here are the rules from Alison's video:
1) Don't just read more books, read the right books.
2) Speed reading is a scam. You have to spend a lot of time reading.
3) You should always carry a book. Phone, keys, and a book.
4) If you're not reading with a pen, you're not really reading.
5) Mark your books. Fold pages. Beat them up.
6) Forget the news, the best way to understand what's happening in the world is by reading books...usually old book.
7) Don't just read books, re-read books.
8) Don't be a book snob; read bestsellers.
9) Never read without taking extracts.
10) If a book suck, stop reading it.
11) The rule for quitting a book is a hundred pages minus your age.
12) Good writers (and good books) are not hard to read.
13) Ask people you admire for book recommendations.
14) Cool titles usually make for crappy books.
15) Look for wisdom, don't just memorize facts.
16) Ask yourself: What do I plan to do with this information?
17) In every book you read, try to find your next one in its footnotes.
18) When you find an author you love, read ALL of their books.
19) If you see a book you want, buy it. Don't worry about the price.
20) Don't judge a book by it's cover...but also you kinda should.
21) Build an anti-library--a stack of unread books that humbles you.
22) Read books and writers you disagree with.
23) Don't be satisfied just getting the 'gist' of things
24) Prefaces and forewords are there for a reason. Don't skip them.
25) If a book is really good, recommend it and pass it along.
26) Find great stuff and suck everything you can out of it.
I go through what these rules actually are, why they’re getting so much pushback, and whether this is genuinely helpful reading advice or just another case of over-prescribing something that is usually deeply personal and weirdly ungovernable.
We talk about:
• What the rules are actually saying
• Why BookTube is reacting so strongly
• Where I think the criticism is fair
• And where I think we might be overcomplicating books (again)
Ultimately, this isn’t just about one list. It’s about a bigger question: do we actually need structure and rules for reading, or are we slowly turning something joyful into something performative?
Let me know where you land on it. I suspect this one will divide people.
⟡ If you’re new here, I make videos about books, reading culture, and whatever else happens when you stare at enough shelves long enough
⟡ Subscribe if you like thoughtful bookish chaos
0:00 Intro
1:12 How I encountered the list (Hannah in comparison to Ryan)
3:21 Rules 1-3 (briefly)
4:14 Who is Ryan Holiday
9:07 The Daily Stoic
15:01 The rules (a deeper dive)
22:26 The Algorithm of Certainty
24:16 Ragebait?
27:03 Final Thoughts
word salad:
#BookTube #ReadingCulture #RyanHoliday #books
controversy, debate, backlash, discourse, reaction, criticism, hot take, discussion, response
Makeup used:
Hannah Louise Poston X Salt New York saltnewyork.com/?srsltid=AfmBOoph11sTSWTtHEC29jmbZOj9FJRr_zNY9j-lwPrR4n_qhlAS5BR3
Amuse me in my inbox - rachelle.e.swearingen (at) gmail.com
Befriend me on Goodreads -goodreads.com/user/show/139310469-shelly-swearingen
Drop by on Instagram - Shellyish
