Prose in prada
- sarahmakani2
- Jun 5
- 4 min read
Hot girls read. Or at least pretend to.
The world has returned to books. But not in a way that honours literature - rather in a cynical, aesthetic and of course instagrammable kind of way.
Books are ‘in’ again - but are we reading or just being seen reading?
Between celebrities endorsing “reading is sexy”, Kendall Jenner reading literary classics like “Tonight I’m someone else” or Harry styles reading feminist literature - reading has never looked better.
It's rather hard to determine - Is reading cool now? Or another fleeting performative trend?
Can our culture only appreciate literature, if a celebrity is seen flaunting it?
One could argue that “sexy reading” is a mere consequence of the performative world we inhabit. Where the human experience doesn’t really matter unless it's posed, captioned and curated.
“It’s no longer enough to read: one must be seen reading, photographed reading, even styled reading” said Audrey Thilloy.
But this sort of performative intellectualism isn’t exactly new - it has deep historical roots. In the 16th century reading was “sexy” in a similar way. People posed for portraits mid-page-turn, not because they loved literature, but because they wanted to be immortalised as thoughtful, refined, and culturally elite. Old, beautiful libraries were designed less for a love of the written word, and more for a blatant display of class and cultural wealth. A well stocked library, laden with the classics screamt “I’m smart and intellectual” - even if that wasn’t really the case.
So no, performative intellectualism isn’t new, and it isn’t a symptom of Tiktok or Instagram. It's convention - repackaged to suit the aesthetics of the algorithm.
The truth is, books have always carried the weight of ‘more than just words’. They are vessels, or rather portals. Portals to knowledge and independent thinking, yes, but also portals to access. Access to elite institutions, education and upbringing. To be in the company of books was to be in the company of power.
That brings us to the question: Is reading pretentious? Is reading elitist?
Well, Virginia woolf certainly seemed to think so. In her essay, the common reader, she pointed to the “average reader”, describing them as hasty, superficial and inaccurate. Reading, she implied, was about more than just picking up a book - it was about reading it well. She argued that to ‘read well’ cannot be taught, it is inborn. And while reading might be more accessible, there are certain immutable markers of class that will never make one good enough to be considered a “good reader”. (This is ofcourse my interpretation of what she meant).
This elitism gives shape to the idea of “serious literature” - the classics, the Virginia Woolfs and Edgar Allan Poes, the kind of literature that mimics modern day Shakespeare. It also creates tension with the world of BookTok.
For those of you much like me - who live under a rock and seem perplexed at what “Booktok” is - no, it isn’t another app. It is a subsection of Tik tok and Instagram that engages in discourse over books. Book Tok is a sort of cultural phenomenon. One where trashy romances and hot erotic novels take center stage accompanied with a healthy amount of bad writing and of course Colleen Hoover. You could say it makes reading trendy, or rather ‘sexy’.
So now I am going to pose a question that once perplexed me, in the hopes that it will now perplex you.
What do we make of Book tok and the digestibility of literature?
Is it the downfall of literary merit - or the renaissance reimagined?
Well if you thought you could just curl up with a good book and call it a night. Think again. Thanks to BookTok - reading now comes with its own aesthetic. Finished with Marc Jacobs glasses and Valentino outfits. “Hot girls read” differently to you and me. (Do not be confused by my reference, I promise to explain later).
Book Tok is loud, trope-obsessed, emotionally over-the-top—and it’s working. And truthfully? I’m not mad about it.
Because maybe the commercialisation of books for youth isn’t the death of literature. Maybe it’s a genius rebranding. If the choice is between a teenager doom-scrolling reels or crying over a spicy romance, the latter feels like a win. Trashy books are still books. Reading for the vibe is still reading.
And personally, I longed for a time where “reading is sexy, cool and trendy”. I’m all for serious literature and the classics but sometimes reading rubbish is required. And there should be a space for both to exist.
And still, another cultural phenomenon raises yet another paradox. If Book tok appeals to a wide audience, only interested in fast, fun novels - are we just chasing our next dopamine hit? Are we reducing literature to its most digestible, watered down, algorithmically friendly form?
Or are we witnessing something more hopeful - that literature, even in the most watered down form, still has the power to pull people in? To make an impact no reel could ever make?
After all, books no longer exist only on nightstands and libraries - they exist on runways.
What is it about books that goes so well with fashion?
Marc Jacobs posts his infamous “reading hours” on Instagram, surrounded by vintage hardbacks and candle lit lighting. Chanel hosts podcasts on feminist literature. Valentino designs collections with quotes from A Little Life.
Maybe books are just having a cultural moment. Or maybe beneath all the performative expressions - we still crave a spark of what books give us - connection, peace and reflection.
In the end, even performance starts somewhere. Even posing requires a page to hold, and maybe even turn.
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