#BookTok content on TikTok has captured the imagination of younger generations across the world who have a fondness for reading, with the hashtag having been viewed over 66 billion times on the platform. The social media giant has capitalised on this growing interest with the launch of the TikTok Book Club, where each month a new book is announced and community members are encouraged to read along and share their experiences.

As one of the most active communities on TikTok, this form of supercharged book discovery is appealing to the 45% of Gen Z that are aware of BookTok and the 75% that say they would pick up a book if they'd seen it recommended online. For the 40% of Gen Z that prefer to read physical books over ebooks, their favourite categories are fantasy (95%), young adult fiction (49%), romance (49%), horror (36%), science fiction (28%), short stories (25%) and graphic novels (19%).

In 2021 the UK publishing industry's total income reached a new high of £6.7 billion, thanks in part to the community-led fandom of TikTok that's impacting global book sales. Bookshops are also benefiting from the virality of new forms of book discovery, and are creating dedicated BookTok stands in-store and online. As vibrant online communities encourage young people to read, easy and accessible tailored book recommendations influenced by like-minded Gen Zers are winning favour with this cohort over traditional bestseller lists.