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Comment by OliveMate | Hacker News Reader

I'm put off by the focus of the article. As already mentioned it feels like it's peddling a book club and merch first and making strenuous connections to try and justify it.

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I don't really like putting on my cynical hat, but despite the final paragraph I still feel a good chunk of the preference for physical books and libraries comes down to being performative. I'm not doubting if the books are being read, but if you're putting yourself forward on TikTok having read a book, having a physical copy lets you flout it – something you can't do well with an e-reader.

Do I expect certain celebs to go out with certain books to tacitly promote them, even if it's just because they think they the book is good? Sure. Does it give their fanbase something to bond over? Yeah, and that can be nice.

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Reading is social! And having physical books and libraries allows you to share with your friends what you are reading in a concrete, physical, albeit arguably performative way. And it also allows you to share the book itself with others.

Sharing a good book with a friend who I know will appreciate it, is one of the loveliest things. I love my ebook too, but my e-library does not lend itself to organically sharing books after I've finished them. In this loneliness epidemic, book sharing is perhaps one of many social activities we should strive to not leave behind. Even just seeing a stranger on the bus reading a book that you have read and loved can be a special catalyst for connection and community in the physical world.

Granted, none of that applies to showing off books on tiktok for the clout/likes. Like many things on tiktok, I also feel a little cynical about that.

As someone who's more of a social recluse in my day to day life, I'd never have considered what you've just said. Thank you for the eye-opener.

I still share what I've read with friends and coworkers and it's lovely to have that spark when you've both read the same thing... But as someone who used to read physical books at work I wasn't comfortable with broadcasting what I was reading – my e-reader feels much more discreet.

It's swings and roundabouts with what you're comfortable with socially. Maybe I'm too closed off for my own good!

> I still feel a good chunk of the preference for physical books and libraries comes down to being performative. I'm not doubting if the books are being read, but if you're putting yourself forward on TikTok having read a book

This is a massive problem in some circles I am in, particularly relating to early Christian history and theology. You'll find a lot of people who take photos of their books and use a certain kind of language typical to the area of study but they cannot actually summarize what they've read. They reduce books and learning to a mere aesthetic that lets them signal certain group affiliations, its an exercise in vain self-aggrandization.

It makes it harder, especially as a beginner in some areas, to find a good community where you can actually learn since for every 1 knowledgeable person who can help you understand and learn the material there are 5 others who know how to /sound/ like they know what they are talking about but are actually repeating buzzwords they gained from skimming entry-level secondary sources.

Doesn't help that "joining a community" these days basically means finding a subreddit that can tell you which things you need to buy in order to become part of that community. Once you've bought them, you post a picture on the subreddit with some sort of self-deprecating title and move on to figuring out what you need to buy next.

An odd area to show off in. What next, hair shirt fashion shows?

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