Dysfunctional Planner

I don’t miss social media but I do feel I have a social media muscle memory of showing things, reading tidbits and scrolling when I have a few free moments. I catch myself taking a photo then deleting it.

But the upside has been an improvement in focus and mindset.

Now I leave the room and leave my phone.

I loved booktok but I found myself constantly buying books that I may never get round to reading, which is appalling. It’s a toxic trait to buy for the sake of buying and I couldn’t stop.

It’s my fault but I am also easily influenced.

The biggest upside of no booktok has been the fact that when I pick up a book and I have no expectations, no one has reviewed it, tells me it has twists ( that I generally guess because I have a wild imagination ( the Silent Patient was the biggest let down ever)) .

When I pick up a book, I get to read the blurb ( and yes book editors, we still want a blurb) not different authors one line reviews. If I don’t like a book, it’s not because of someone’s opinion, I haven’t been swayed to look at it differently. If I don’t like it, it’s fine, if I enjoy a book that’s been trashed ( Iron Flame- absolutely loved it and I can’t wait for the third book). I also feel that lots of people love to hate a firm favourite. And they can, I am not a big fan of Colleen Hoover but I have only read Verity ( again I guessed the twist) please don’t tell me something has a twist. I won’t read another of her books unless I am on a beach and need a fast read.

Booktokers can review books without spoiling plots and twists but they were few and far between. I also don’t miss the drama, the pointed fingers, and people telling me that an author is racist because they don’t include enough ethnicity’s in a book written 15/20 years ago. So I can’t read a book. Other peoples expectations are enraging. I saw a comment that said they are deleting any account that likes Sarah J Mass…. You do you, but that was me you were talking about. New to booktok and new to her books. Which I enjoy.

My biggest bug bear on booktok was the fact that book lovers would use a filter that would flip the screen, so the book was a reflection rather than readable. As someone with mild dyslexia trying to read a book backwards is too tricky. And totally unnecessary. I am not a fan of filters, AI and just general fakeness.

Also the toxic flogging: read this book, this one is on sale, look at this sprayed edge. Over consumerism isn’t really what reading is about. It’s about enjoyment, learning but most of all escape. Booktokers are great at spreading new books, small authors, I watched a girl who read a book a month from a different country. Some are really inspiring. I don’t need a hundred pretty books ( yes I do but not all at once) I got suckered in and my bank balance is angry at me!! I do tend to read 4 books at once, audio, one on my phone and 2 physical books so I am never caught out. But I don’t need to buy the newest releases unless it’s an author I know and love.

I have to be in the mood for reading. The right mindset. Some books don’t work on audio for me and others, like a good Australian thriller is great on audio, fantasy not so much.

I do still watch you tube but it isn’t infiltrated with Instagram images and advertisements. I am spending my evenings reading and my afternoons in the garden.

I still have my illumicrate book only subscription and really enjoy that, I have no idea what I am getting so it is definitely a lovely surprise, but I have only read two out of the 12 books I bought last year, so maybe with less booktok I can enjoy the beautiful books I collect.

Are you on booktok?