As a former bookseller I must say the sentiment of disenchantment is very real, especially when you feel like you should be reading some things rather than others for the job (which I very much did and got anxious about what I was reading). And there’s of course the discount which is a blessing but makes other bookstores become less of an oasis and more of a place to look out for titles to them order from the bookstore you work at 😅 which is a very privileged “complaint”
I was only a bookseller for a short time, but I totally hear you! All of these things take away some of the magic, which was definitely disappointing. Feeling like you “should” read something is such a specific pressure!
Thanks so much for sharing! While I've never worked so closely with books, I was fed a lot of the bookstagram and booktok recommendations that led me down a path of needing to make sure what I was buying was what others deemed "good". This of course lead me down a path of learning more about what I don't like rather than what I do hahaha. But I do hope to learn how to actually browse again, I recently went shopping for books and I only checked content warnings for books I was considering rather than their ratings!
Thank you for reading! I also found a lot of books I didn’t like in the midst of what was considered “good” online 😂 I love that you were able to browse without only being dictated by ratings!
Great post! I was in a reading slump for about seven months in the middle of 2024, with seemingly every book I picked up turning out to be a disappointment. When I looked back at my Storygraph data, I realized that during that slump I was only reading buzzy books that I'd heard about online or through book-ish podcasts. I'm trying harder in 2025 to drown out some of that noise and pick books that speak to me, rather than assuming it is worth my time to read something just because it's getting lots of good reviews.
Thank you so much for reading! Reading slumps are the worst, and I’ve been burned by overhyped and buzzy books too. I love that mentality of focusing on books that you think you’ll enjoy for the content, not just online hype!
Yes to all of this!!!! I was at a bookstore recently and sadly…all I saw were books I’d already read (a lot of them!!), books I have preconceived notions about per bookstagram, or books that I’d never heard of and didn’t feel like giving them the time of day. I need to start paying more attention to the bookseller recommendations
Thank you so much for reading! I’m so happy it resonated with you but also sad that Bookstagram has given us so many preconceived notions and opinions now. Bookseller recommendations have really been on point for me lately—I’ve been pleasantly surprised by some books that I’ve never seen on Bookstagram!
I LOVE that you were able to follow your instincts with your book choice in Maine. There's something magical about picking up a book you've heard nothing about and allowing yourself to be immersed in it. It's one of the reasons I make occasional trips to the library where I don't have a list of books to look for. I just wait to see what finds me!
Thank you for reading! I agree, it feels more special when I fall in love with a book I hadn’t heard of before. I also love the idea of just browsing at the library—more often than not, I’m just rushing through to pick up my holds!
I can relate to this SO much! Bookstagram sucked me in and now I can only seem to read OR produce content. Can’t get the hang of doing both 😂 but I’m still trying to find that balance.
I had similar experiences and issues with bookstagram and I’m working to distance myself from the app and not pay much attention to what everyone else is reading. Great piece!
As a former bookseller I must say the sentiment of disenchantment is very real, especially when you feel like you should be reading some things rather than others for the job (which I very much did and got anxious about what I was reading). And there’s of course the discount which is a blessing but makes other bookstores become less of an oasis and more of a place to look out for titles to them order from the bookstore you work at 😅 which is a very privileged “complaint”
I was only a bookseller for a short time, but I totally hear you! All of these things take away some of the magic, which was definitely disappointing. Feeling like you “should” read something is such a specific pressure!
Thanks so much for sharing! While I've never worked so closely with books, I was fed a lot of the bookstagram and booktok recommendations that led me down a path of needing to make sure what I was buying was what others deemed "good". This of course lead me down a path of learning more about what I don't like rather than what I do hahaha. But I do hope to learn how to actually browse again, I recently went shopping for books and I only checked content warnings for books I was considering rather than their ratings!
Thank you for reading! I also found a lot of books I didn’t like in the midst of what was considered “good” online 😂 I love that you were able to browse without only being dictated by ratings!
Great post! I was in a reading slump for about seven months in the middle of 2024, with seemingly every book I picked up turning out to be a disappointment. When I looked back at my Storygraph data, I realized that during that slump I was only reading buzzy books that I'd heard about online or through book-ish podcasts. I'm trying harder in 2025 to drown out some of that noise and pick books that speak to me, rather than assuming it is worth my time to read something just because it's getting lots of good reviews.
Thank you so much for reading! Reading slumps are the worst, and I’ve been burned by overhyped and buzzy books too. I love that mentality of focusing on books that you think you’ll enjoy for the content, not just online hype!
girl i could not love this more! IT RESONATES SO MUCH
I wasn’t sure if it would so I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for reading 🤗
Yes to all of this!!!! I was at a bookstore recently and sadly…all I saw were books I’d already read (a lot of them!!), books I have preconceived notions about per bookstagram, or books that I’d never heard of and didn’t feel like giving them the time of day. I need to start paying more attention to the bookseller recommendations
Thank you so much for reading! I’m so happy it resonated with you but also sad that Bookstagram has given us so many preconceived notions and opinions now. Bookseller recommendations have really been on point for me lately—I’ve been pleasantly surprised by some books that I’ve never seen on Bookstagram!
I LOVE that you were able to follow your instincts with your book choice in Maine. There's something magical about picking up a book you've heard nothing about and allowing yourself to be immersed in it. It's one of the reasons I make occasional trips to the library where I don't have a list of books to look for. I just wait to see what finds me!
Thank you for reading! I agree, it feels more special when I fall in love with a book I hadn’t heard of before. I also love the idea of just browsing at the library—more often than not, I’m just rushing through to pick up my holds!
I can relate to this SO much! Bookstagram sucked me in and now I can only seem to read OR produce content. Can’t get the hang of doing both 😂 but I’m still trying to find that balance.
I had similar experiences and issues with bookstagram and I’m working to distance myself from the app and not pay much attention to what everyone else is reading. Great piece!