Booktubers of Color You Should Be Watching
I need to stop doomscrolling through the elections and stressing myself out SO I'm making a post with a list of a few of my favorite bookish YouTubers you should check out!
With the resurgence of Black Lives Matter in the media, YouTube admitted that its algorithm for recommending videos is inundated with whiteness--there was even a controversy earlier on in the year where viewers were recommended a very popular booktuber who later proudly outed herself as a white supremacist soooo...ya. I'm hoping to change that for y'all and give some love to booktubers more deserving of your support.
Please do not just subscribe and never watch. It messes up their algorithm and is really disheartening for booktubers to see. Plus, it's rude as fuck.
This list is in no way a definitive list; there are A LOT more booktubers I follow, but these are a few of my favorites--like gateway booktubers that I think would be great to get you started. Fair warning though, you most likely will feel pressure to buy books after going through these. If not, I commend you on your strong will because I don't have it 😂 I will be listing in order from least to most subscribers. Here we go!
1) Thor Wants Another Letter (YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, Goodreads)
Pronouns: She/Her
What kind of bookish content: Vlogs, discussions, reviews, and bullet journaling
Genre they mostly read: Everything from fantasy to thrillers
Videos I recommend: reading plans for IndigAThon, I asked my elders for recommendations and they delivered | Social Distance Powwow
2) Tea Time with T (YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, Goodreads)
Pronouns: She/Her
What kind of bookish content: Tags, lists, discussions, and reviews
Genre they mostly read: Everything from fantasy to nonfiction
Videos I recommend: BLACK HISTORY MONTH + NIGERIAN INDEPENDENCE DAY READING LIST: #0.5 BLACKITY BLACK, THE BLACK BOOKTUBER TAG [CC]
3) got a thing for things (YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, Goodreads)
Pronouns: She/Her
What kind of bookish content: Reviews, hauls, discussions, lists, and tags
Genre they mostly read: Everything
Videos I recommend: August Wrapup (36 Books) 2020, Lazy Book Haul (53 Books)
4) Jess Owens (YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, Goodreads)
Pronouns: She/Her
What kind of bookish content: Bookish gossip (from booktubers to authors and publishers), reviews, and wrapups
Genre they mostly read: Fantasy
Videos I recommend: Book CommuniTEA: Voting Edition, Goodreads Awards, Shaded Awards, The Election 2020 [CC], Book CommuniTEA Tuesday: More mess in publishing, James Patterson still sucks, Save The Strand? [CC]
5) its monte price (YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, Goodreads)
Pronouns: He/Him
What kind of bookish content: Live reading sprints and discussions, book hauls, lists, tags, spoiler and non-spoiler reviews
Genre they mostly read: Anything from contemporaries, to space operas, to young adult.
Videos I recommend: the booktube karens are wildin (my black booktube experience), why anna k is the best book i've read this year, in defense of such a fun age, final haul of 2k20
6) Word Wonders (YouTube, Instagram, Goodreads)
Pronouns: She/Her
What kind of bookish content: Reviews, hauls, vlogs, lists, and tags
Genre they mostly read: Fantasy, Historical Romance
Videos I recommend: November 2020 TBR | Lots of Fantasy, 2021 ARCs and introducing the TBR jar [CC], My 2020 Bookshelf Tour [CC]
7) Bookish Realm (YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, Goodreads)
Pronouns: She/Her
What kind of bookish content: Librarian info, live reading sprints/discussions, hauls, reviews, discussions, lists, and tags
Genre they mostly read: Everything
Videos I recommend: Reading 1 Star Reviews of My 2020 Favorites, 10 Most Intimidating Books On My TBR [CC], Nostalgia Isn't Enough // The Twilight Saga Review [CC]
8) Mika Auguste (YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, Goodreads)
Pronouns: She/Her
What kind of bookish content: Vlogs, reviews, hauls, discussions, lists, and tags
Genre they mostly read: Young+New Adult, Fantasy, and Contemporary
Videos I recommend: COZY FALL BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS, BOOKSHELF TOUR 2020 EDITION, I DON'T OWN BOOKS, BOOKS OWN ME | massive 80+ book haul & beacon book unboxing
9) myonna reads (YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, Goodreads)
Pronouns: She/Her
What kind of bookish content: Vlogging, hauls, live reading sprints/discussions, reviews, lists, and tags
Genre they mostly read: Everything, but she enjoys mostly dark versions
Videos I recommend: thriller book recommendations, spilling the mf'in tea about black books, books i want to read before 2020 ends
10) Bowties & Books (YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, Goodreads)
Pronouns: They/Them
What kind of bookish content: Vlogging, hauls, lists, tags, and reviews
Genre they mostly read: Everything from fantasy, to horror, to contemporaries, to nonfiction
Videos I recommend: White People Don't Define What's Scary | Racist Side of Commercial Thrillers [cc], ...A Romance I Actually Like? 2 star hyped book | August & Sept Wrap-Up [cc], Being Black on Booktube, Protests, & Fake Allies [CC]
11) chanelle time (YouTube, Instagram)
Pronouns: She/Her
What kind of bookish content: Comedic/satirical takes on books, reviews, discussions, vlogs, lists, and tags
Genre they mostly read: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance, Contemporaries
Videos I recommend: MY UNPOPULAR OPINIONS (y'all might be hurt...but maybe you’ll agree), the WORST BOOKS I HAVE READ SO FAR in 2020....*i suffered so you don't have to*, BOOK TWITTER MADE ME SCARED TO READ THESE BOOKS
12) this story ain't over (YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, Goodreads)
Pronouns: She/Her
What kind of bookish content: Vlogs, reviews, lists, and tags
Genre they mostly read: Fantasy, New+Young Adult, and Contemporary
Videos I recommend: my TOP TEN favourite YA fantasy books/series, BOOKS I NEED TO READ BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR, spooky fall book recs | dark academia books, scary books, monster paranormal books
13) ellias (YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, Goodreads)
Pronouns: He/Him
What kind of bookish content: Vlogs, lists, hauls, tags, discussions, and live shows
Genre they mostly read: Everything from contemporaries to fantasy
Videos I recommend: MAY ASIAN TBR | #asianreadathon uwu, first book haul of the year
14) Books with Chloe (YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, Goodreads)
Pronouns: She/Her
What kind of bookish content: Discussions, hauls, reviews, vlogging, lists, and tags
Genre they mostly read: Fantasy, Contemporary, Thrillers, Graphic Novels & Manga
Videos I recommend: HUGE SPOOKY BOOK UNBOXINGS | Thrillers, OwlCrate, & FairyLoot, YOU NEED TO READ THESE BOOKS | Asian Book Recommendations, HOW I ANNOTATE MY BOOKS | My Full Annotating Process
15) Naya Reads and Smiles (YouTube, Twitter, Instagram)
Pronouns: She/Her
What kind of bookish content: Vlogging, reviews, hauls, lists, and tags
Genre they mostly read: Young Adult Fantasy
Videos I recommend: Black Lives - Booktube - No longer working with BookOutlet - Colorism, Q&A with My Sisters!! || Life, Books, Fun Questions, OCTOBER WRAP-UP || The BEST Books and Stories I Read
16) read with cindy (YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, Goodreads)
Pronouns: She/Her
What kind of bookish content: Comedic/satirical takes on books with crude humor, tags, lists, vlogs, discussions, and reviews
Genre they mostly read: Fantasy, Young Adult, Nonfiction, Self-Help
Videos I recommend: Why Netflix should NOT adapt Avatar and adapt A Court of Thorns and Roses instead (a video essay), Performative activism, disaster vacations, and the BEST memoir I've ever read | Sept Wrapup Part 1, I hated everything that happened in "Serpent & Dove" except for one scene
Anyway, that's my list! I encourage you to seek out small booktubers and diversify the voices you choose to support and amplify. What books are you reading? Who are some booktubers you love? Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy! Take care of yourselves ☺️