Lately I have found myself craving very chill book related content, as I have been stuck in a very long reading slump but I also want to keep up with the latest releases. So I tend to turn to YouTube book reviews.
If you are a part of the book community online, you probably have fallen down the rabbit hole that is BookTube. From cozy reading vlogs to book hauls and wrap-ups, there is something for everyone, even if, like me, you were a bit scared for the sheer amount of City of Bones or Sarah J. Mass there when you first discovered BookTube, don’t worry. The community has grown and diversified, with genres and topics for any taste. In this post, I wanted to highlight some review BookTubers, so that if you are looking to explore more in-depth reviews, want some book recommendations, or just a good laugh, you have some excellent places to start.
These are my favorite channels for YouTube book reviews and related bookish content. And, if you’re not already, check out Book Riot’s YouTube channel, too!
BookTube Channels for YouTube Book Reviews
The Poptimist
By far, one of my favorite reviewers on the platform, The Poptimist is almost exclusively a review channel. By all metrics, he is an unconventional BookTuber in that regard, but his super in-depth and top-notch GIF game reviews make every book he talks about super interesting. Whenever he uploads, I know that my TBR is about to grow.
Reading With Cindy
Do you want to laugh your socks off? Look no further than Reading With Cindy. I can safely say one of the funniest people on YouTube. With self-aware and critical humor, her channel is refreshing, with its hyper-analytical rant reviews.
Jean Bookish Thoughts
Jean was one of the first creators I started following when I joined BookTube, and I am still in awe whenever she posts. I would define her content as a mix of fantasy and intellectual; she is getting her PhD in ancient history, and always has excellent recommendations for most genres. Still, I would say her specialty is fantasy and political books. She has also started doing videos that are several short reviews in one go, which are nice if you just want a quick opinion.
Bowties & Books
With lots of energy and a super cool TBR card game, Bowties and Books is the perfect channel if you are looking for mini-reviews/recommendations, to expand your TBR with lots of great LGBTQ and diverse books.
Chanelle Time
Another very funny creator, Chanelle is awesome. Her book reviews combined with makeup tutorials make you feel like you are just having out with one of your funniest friends and talking about books, what more could you ask for?
Ariel Bissett
Ariel Bissett is one of the most expansive creators on BookTube, with a channel that has evolved from your traditional YouTube book reviews and hauls to a documentary miniseries on bookstores and music and book combo reviews. Her videos are well thought out and researched and it definitely shows her range and creativity.
Savidge Reads
Simon’s videos always feel very cozy to me, his wrap up reviews are very interesting, and I feel like he truly thinks about his reading in a more analytical way. So, if you just want to learn about some more books and watch a soothing video, check out his channel.
Paperback Dreams
You want to have ups and downs, honest and funny commentary? Look no further. Paperback Dreams is a great channel if you want your reviews to go through the motions; many times she even vlogs her reading process together with the reviews, so you can see her opinions throughout the entire books as she goes.
Starlah Reads
Starlah Reads does the more traditional formate of reviews, generally in her Best/Worst books of the year videos. But what I like the most is her series “Author Anew” in which she reads a new book from an author she has not liked in the past. These are part vlog, part review.
Jessica Nicole Dickerson
Jessica has a super fun and light energy channel and her reviews combined with wrap-ups always put me in a chill mood. She definitely spends a good amount of time and detail in each book, without spoiling or overlooking content.
Jurassic Reads
With a wide range of genres, Angel does great reviews about both new releases and backlist titles. So if you want to explore anything from romance to sci-fi and horror, she is always a good and reliable source for YouTube book reviews.
Perpetual Pages
One of the most dynamic reviewers on BookTube, Adri has something for everyone. However, I particularly appreciate their reviews, as I feel they are super in-depth without being too long, and the topics they choose to approach when analyzing their reading really resonate with me.
Brown Girl Reading
A more straightforward reviewer, I love turning to her channel whenever I am unsure about a book. Her reviews are deeply honest and very interesting; she is not afraid to speak her mind even on super hyped books.
A Book Olive
Olive reads and reviews almost exclusively adult fiction and nonfiction, which makes her a rare reviewer on BookTube. She does dedicated reviews as also the more traditional wrap-up reviews. If you are looking for a pandemic-related book, she has recently uploaded a very good summary of Spillover by David Quammen.
What Kamil Reads
Kamil’s channel is almost exclusively review based, and with reason. His reviews have historical backgrounds, language analysis, and a very in-depth explanation of why he did or did not like a book.