​Unhustled Archives​

Hello Reader,

TikTok is probably going dark in the next several hours, but BookTok’s light is harder to extinguish.

As I write on this Saturday morning, the platform that revolutionized how millions discover and discuss books expects to be offline in the U.S. in just a few hours.

I haven't spent much time on TikTok. Every now and then I check up on kerri_okie and her mom—they're absolutely delightful. 😎

Plus, I have a BFF who sends me screen recordings of posts I really need to see. 😁

Still, the TikTok ban got me thinking about something bigger: how we find our way back to reading what we truly love.

The Numbers Don't Lie (But They Don't Tell the Whole Story)

With over 200 billion views, BookTok has launched careers (remember Rebecca Yarros’s Fourth Wing?), turned classics into bestsellers (White Nights, anyone?), and made reading feel fresh, fun, and—dare I say it—cool.

But the real magic of BookTok isn’t the numbers. It’s the way it brought readers together to embrace what they genuinely love. BookTok proved there’s a corner of the internet for every reader, from swoon-worthy romances to Dostoevsky debates.

Finding Your "Throat-Grab" Moments

I stumbled across a YouTube video by Robert Waldun exploring attunement—a visceral feeling when a book grabs you by the throat and won't let go.

You know the feeling—when you're flying through pages almost against your will, when the rest of the world fades away, and you couldn't care less about what anyone else thinks of your reading choice.

That's what we're losing sight of when we even subconsciously build our reading habits around what a hustle culture influencer or productivity guru says are "must reads."

In our rush to read the "right" books, we're losing that pure, unexplainable connection that makes reading magical. So we learn to dread reading.

And when we do sit down with what someone else says is a transformational book, and we don't get it? We start to doubt our own judgment.

Why This Matters Now

Whether BookTok survives or not (with the money involved, someone will figure something out), its spirit reminds us of something crucial—reading doesn't need validation from algorithms or literary critics.

Sometimes, the "best" book is simply the one that makes you forget to check your phone.

What I'm Learning to Trust

By owning my current obsession with Robert Crais' Elvis Cole/Joe Pike mystery thriller series (I finished 2 more titles this week!), I'm learning to trust my judgment in other areas. And it feels good!

So in trusting your reading instincts, you're learning to trust yourself in life's bigger moments, too.

Who Are Your Book People?

Are you part of any online bookish communities?

Whether it's BookTok, Bookstagram, BookTube, or a group chat with friends, I'd love to hear where you find your reading inspiration.

Hit reply and let me know!

Read something today that delights you, Reader.

— Tracy

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