PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — One of the biggest social media trends in the United States has Rhode Islanders flocking to their local bookstores.

“BookTok” has taken social media platforms by storm, with popular influencers taking to TikTok and Instagram to review their favorite books and encouraging viewers to do the same.

Sarah Sutherland, the general manager of Symposium Books in Providence, said she first started to notice a shift during the pandemic.

“When most of our connections were on social media, I think people started reading more then,” Sutherland said.

According to a report by Circana , the U.S. book industry’s annual print volume reached 767 million in 2023, which was down 3% compared to 2022.

The report shows that drop was mainly driven by a decrease in children’s book sales.

On the other hand, adult fiction sales grew by 1.5 million units over the prior year, led by fantasy, romance, and coming-of-age books.

“Right now romance is definitely having a moment on social media,” Sutherland said. “A lot of people come in looking for romance novels. Same, I would say, with mysteries and thrillers.”

BookTok has also helped boost the “romantasy” genre, a mix of fantasy and romance made popular by authors like Sarah J. Maas.

For her part, Sutherland said social media-influenced reading trends are helping the bookstore financially.

“People … are getting inspired by what to read and are just going out and buying more books,” she said.

Symposium Books itself harnesses social media to promote new arrivals, as well as a new spin on a traditional book club called the Silent Book Club.

“Not everybody has to be interested in the same genre,” Sutherland explained. “Everyone is just reading together.”

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