It’s happened. I’ve reached 100 subscribers on my BookTube channel. 👍🏼📖
Not to sound super extra—but from starting my channel—I’ve learned a lot about the BookTube community, about myself as a reader, and about the power and magic of books. ✨
Here are my 5 main thoughts from these past three, bookish months.
1. The BookTube community is the kindest community ever.
Like I mentioned in my first video BookTube Newbie Tag, I wanted to start a BookTube channel because I wanted a new, *digital* space to talk about books with fellow readers who also like to talk about books. 🖤
I knew the BookTube community was supportive.
But it wasn’t until I started posting my videos and engaging in the community that I realized how incredibly supportive it is.
To give an example, cynthiaspaperbackheart on BookTube mentioned me in one of her recent videos, gave me a shoutout on Twitter, and I genuinely lost my cool.
She is one of the many, many fellow BookTubers that has supported and welcomed me in to the community.
I’m proud of myself for trying something new—and scary (since sometimes it feels like I’m opening myself up for unwanted criticism)—but the response makes it a little less nerve-racking.
2. I read a lot of middle grade and young adult books. Like a lot, a lot.
I guess I never realized how many MG and YA books I read.
As a previous English major, I mostly read the classics and modern adult fiction. Not anymore, though.
Because of BookTube, I’ve started using Goodreads to track my books, which has totally revealed my preference for reading MG and YA.
3. YA books are more than just pleasure reads. Many are lifelines.
Once I realized how many YA (and MG) books I read, I wondered why that is. And not only read, but why I also write YA books.
My answer? Because they’re lifelines.
I write books that I wish I had read as a teen. I read books that I wish I had read as a teen. Their message is helping me grow and heal and learn as an adult.
I’ll never get too old to read YA.
4. I read to escape.
You would think I would have known this about myself by now. Nope.
Starting my channel has held me accountable to my reading goals and prompted me to read more consistently. Because of this, I’m more in-tune with my reading habits and preferences.
One being that I read to get out of my head. I read to escape.
I talk about this a bit in my Mental Illness in Young Adult Books and Mental Health Book Tag posts, but I binge read my way through the Percy Jackson series when I recently was struggling with my mental health.
This middle grade fantasy series was everything I needed. Its sassy protagonist, its humor, its greek mythology—it all made for an easy, fun, adventurous read that helped me escape (even when the characters were stuck in the endless Labyrinth).
BookTube and the Percy Jackson series taught me—not only about myself as a reader—but that reading, especially MG fantasy, is a resource for me and my mental health.
5. Books connect us and inspire us to be and do good.
The BookTube community wouldn’t exist without books (obviously), and books—I believe—make this community one of kind, empathetic, and supportive people.
Books help us better understand each other. Relate to each other. Empathize with each other.
For example, reading YA books that feature mental illness helped me feel understood and to understand others better.
I’m proud, happy, fortunate, excited (basically all the good things) to now be a member of this community. I’m inspired by other people’s support and kindness on BookTube to be a positive force online with my channel. 🖤
Maybe I’m getting ahead of myself.
Anyway, with 100 subscribers, my channel is something that has just began, will continue to be, and will become an even more significant passion in my life.
I can’t wait to see where I’ll be in three more months!
What do you love about BookTube? Are you a member of the community or want to be? Let me know in the comments! If you have a BookTube channel, I would love to check it out! 👍🏼
Morgan Vega 