Brynna Stilwell

If you don’t have TikTok, you’re probably not familiar with TikTok culture. It’s known by most users that TikTok has different corners based on a specific user’s interests. If you watch a lot of cat videos, the algorithm will detect that and show you more cat videos, and suddenly you’re on “CatTok”. The corner of “bookish” users is known as BookTok, and it’s the reason I got back into reading. It’s the reason a lot of people got back into reading.

If you go to Barnes and Noble, most locations will have a table with a sign that says BookTok.

It is always filled with books that creators on BookTok have raved about. For example, Song of Achilles was published in 2011, but experienced a huge boost in sales after going viral on TikTok in 2021. It is now a staple on every BookTok table at Barnes and Noble.

I used to work at a store near a Barnes and Noble location, so I went to their café a lot for coffee and food. Barnes and Noble sells Starbucks coffee, but all the food they offer is their own, so don’t go to Barnes and Nobles expecting to be able to get a cake pop or pay with your Starbucks app. One of the foods that Barnes and Noble sells is mac and cheese. It’s a white cheddar, and you can get it in a cup or bowl, similar to Panera. From a self proclaimed mac and cheese expert, it’s amazing.

One time, I went to Barnes and Noble on my lunch break to get the mac and cheese, and they were sold out. I ended up getting something else, but I tweeted about how sad I was that they were out because I had been really looking forward to it. Someone I had met in college responded, shocked that Barnes and Noble sells mac and cheese of all things. It made me realize that some people haven’t been to Barnes and Noble in years. If you’re not a reader or taking an English class with a reading list, why would you? That interaction is what inspired this whole post.

So yeah, Barnes and Noble sells mac and cheese. And chicken nuggets. And vegan brownies that are extra good if you microwave them for a few seconds.

Was this Barnes and Noble’s attempt to save themselves from going under? No one reads anymore, and you can get books for cheap on Amazon, so why even keep bookstores open at all?

I wholeheartedly believe that BookTok brought Barnes and Noble back from the dead. There has been a significant increase in the number of people that consider themselves readers, and it makes me so happy. Barnes and Noble is a very comforting place for me, so to see that it’s been revived is amazing.

There have also been rumors that Barnes and Noble will introduce a wine bar in stores. I’m not much of a drinker, but there’s just something about wine and books that makes sense.

If you can afford it, I will always recommend buying books from local bookstores first, then Barnes and Noble, then Amazon. Yes, Amazon usually has the best prices, but their goal is to be the top book supplier. If Amazon takes over the bookselling industry with such low prices, local bookstores and Barnes and Noble can’t compete, and the comfort of physical bookstores, with the smell of coffee and new books, will die out. I’m grateful to TikTok for saving Barnes and Noble in the first place, and now it’s our responsibility as consumers to save them with our business.

I also highly recommend Goodwill bookstores and other pre-owned bookstores for the best deals. Half the books on my bookshelf were purchased from Goodwill or my local library, which has its own little bookstore. I’ll admit that I’ve purchased books from Amazon, and I think there are times when it’s justifiable, especially if you need to buy books for school. But if you can afford it, try to support your local bookstore.