Over the summer, students spend their free time on the beach, on a boat or even just at home. The extra relaxing time has allowed them to enjoy hobbies they may have to give up during the school year, including reading.
Many are becoming immersed in BookTok, a TikTok "section" based on sharing recommendations that best suit readers' tastes, including fantasy, romance, old favorites and new releases.
Old Favorites
Sometimes relaxing means falling back into the comfort of something old, and many are rereading "The Hunger Games" series by Suzanne Collins, the popular YAdystopian series made into blockbuster movies. Recent addition "A Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes" received its own movie adaptation earlier in the year, redirecting people's attention back to the series.
It's not just this new addition that has brought some attention, but also the announcement of another upcoming book and movie about Haymitch, a mentor in the games. Eager to be prepared for an expected spring 2025 release, people have now begun to reread.
Traditional BSN junior Michael Crane has found comfort in his yearly reread of his favorite series, "Ready Player One" by Ernest Cline, another example of a popular book to movie adaptation.
"My love for the book comes from the strong imagery you get from the first-person perspective," Crane said. "I highly recommend the book to others."
Adaptations
The trend of book to movie or TV show adaptation are becoming increasingly popular, and many students find it important to engage with both versions.
Books like "Normal People" by Sally Rooney and "Daisy Jones and the Six" by Taylor Jenkins Reid are recent examples.
After getting to the "Normal People" book late, human biology junior Ava Buchanan is trying to stay caught up.
"I watched the show (Normal People) and then read the book because the show was so popular." Buchanan said."I really am going to try to get into reading this summer and just finish it."
Sarah J. Mass's "A Court of Thorns and Roses" series and others like "A Good Girl's Guide to Murder" all have projects ongoing or rumored to be in production.
"It Ends With Us" by Colleen Hoover has a highly anticipated release scheduled for later this summer, but fans of the book have expressed concerns over the casting decisions.
"In the movie is Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni," Buchanan said. "They're good actors but how's it gonna go? I did not expect Blake Lively to be the main character at all."
BookTok
Emily Henry and Colleen Hoover are two authors overtaking content on BookTok.
Social work junior Morgan Farmer has noticed that both authors are most frequently recommended to her. All the content she has seen influenced her to buy Henry's "Beach Read,"as well as "Better than the Movies" by Lynn Painter.
Buchanan is in the middle of a series she discovered from BookTok:"The Empyrean." Currently on the second book in the series, Buchanan said it's like "'Divergent' but with dragons,"and it's perfect for fantasy lovers.
Books like "Iron Flame" are also very popular on Goodreads, an app increasing in popularity that allows readers to shelve books and rate ones they have completed. It also provides recommendations.
"Sometimes I scroll through categories on Goodreads and add books to my 'Want to Read' shelf," Farmer said. "I also follow influencers and I like to see how they rate popular books."
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