Between BookTube, Bookstagram, book podcasts and book newsletters, the online world of literary fandom is ever-expanding. Avid readers as well as authors, critics, journalists and celebrities are pushing the norms of literary criticism, finding new, less formal ways to talk about the latest books.
To help navigate the sea of content, here is our guide to some of the best sources of reading recommendations, author chats, writing advice and literary hot takes. And, if you haven’t already, do sign up to our own new-look books newsletter, Bookmarks.
If you want authors unfiltered
Sweater Weather, a Substack newsletter by American author Brandon Taylor, collects his thoughts on an eclectic range of topics related to craft and literature, from annotation-friendly gel pens to campus novels to marriage plots. Meanwhile, American writer George Saunders, who won the Booker prize in 2017, runs Story Club, where he shares writing tips.
If you like your book recommendations served with a side of comedy
If you’ve been wanting to join a book club but don’t like “wine, or nibbles, or being around other people,” try Sara & Cariad’s Weirdos Book Club, hosted by comedians Sara Pascoe and Cariad Lloyd. Their tastes are among the broadest on this list, spanning romance, thriller, science fiction, poetry, literary fiction and memoir. Guests are usually comedians – Tim Key, Andi Osho and Nish Kumar have featured – bringing a welcome lightness to discussions of serious literary themes.
If you want the critic’s take
New Yorker critic Merve Emre puts fellow critics in the hot seat on her new podcast, The Critic and Her Publics. Her guests perform criticism in real time on an object they’re unfamiliar with, letting listeners into the mind of a critic at work. In the first episode, Andrea Long Chu is tasked with analysing Zoe Leonard’s 1992 poem I Want a President, which opens “I want a dyke for president. I want a person with Aids for president and I want a fag for vice-president and I want someone with no health insurance”. They discuss the poem’s manifesto-like style, political content, and its virality on social media.
If you want to eavesdrop on intimate author chats
The Books and Boba podcast invites Asian and Asian American authors on to discuss their careers and novels. In a recent episode, Tan Twan Eng talks through his journey from being an intellectual property lawyer in Kuala Lumpur to publishing three books, all of which have been longlisted for the Booker prize (his second novel, The Garden of Evening Mists, made the shortlist, too). Another interview-style podcast, Reading the Room, has featured the likes of Sheila Heti, Mona Awad, Ottessa Moshfegh and Tom Crewe. The host, Jaylen Lopez, focuses closely on the themes and style of the guests’ work, posing precise, illuminating questions that authors readily engage with.
If you’re looking for the bookfluencers who have stood the test of time
Content creator Jack Edwards bridges the gap between the traditional UK literary scene and younger, online readers: last year, he hosted the Booker prize livestream; in May, he’s interviewing Elizabeth Day at Hay festival. On YouTube, his pun-packed videos include a long-running series reviewing books that celebrities – Pedro Pascal, Kendall Jenner, Zendaya, Harry Styles – have recommended. YouTuber Leena Norms also injects fun into literary chat, with videos such as “tortured poet writes poems based on Taylor Swift’s track list” tied in with the singer’s poetry-themed album. Her content often has an anti-capitalist and climate-focused angle.
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If you want to know what the cool girls are reading
Last year, pop singer Dua Lipa launched a book club; her monthly picks have since included Crying In H Mart by Michelle Zauner, Trust by Hernan Diaz and A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini. Selected authors are interviewed by Lipa and curate reading lists and playlists of tracks they listen to while writing. Model Kaia Gerber’s book club started as a weekly Instagram Live in 2020 but has recently been revamped into the more formal Library Science. Her recommended reads include Sex and Rage by Eve Babitz, In Memoriam by Alice Winn and Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar.
If you want short but sweet reviews
Katie James shares thoughtful reflections on literary fiction and essays on YouTube and Instagram; two of her favourite reads last year were Sula by Toni Morrison and Close to the Knives by David Wojnarowicz. For poetry, visit Ebony Kenae’s YouTube channel to find recommendations for beginner-friendly poems and tips on writing poetry. And if you’re a literary prize nerd, don’t miss Eric Karl Anderson’s bite-size reviews of nominated books, his predictions for shortlists and winners, and his endearing reactions.
If you want wisdom from the archive
Franz Kafka isn’t known for being cheery, but there’s an X account dedicated to showing the “sunny side” of the writer through daily quotes. The Virginia Woolf and Anaïs Nin bots are decidedly less jolly. And going more niche: Sylvia Plath’s Food Diary is committed to posting everything the poet ate, recorded in her journals, letters and work.
If you want writing advice from the pros
The Always Take Notes podcast offers writing tips straight from the horse’s mouth. The hosts go into the nitty-gritty of writing books – from planning, to publishing, to payment (they always ask about a guest’s financial circumstances) – with authors including Ian McEwan, Orlando Figes and Monica Ali. Another podcast, Longform, has a similar remit but a greater focus on American authors; recent guests include Sloane Crosley, Hua Hsu and Hanif Abdurraqib.
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