NYT 100 best books, book influencers, and the death of negative reviews

Join my book club here: https://links.fable.co/according-to-alina

there are 3 things on my mind in this video:
The New York Times published its list of the 100 best books of the 21st century last month.
Everyone is trying to be a book influencer.
No one is writing negative reviews anymore because they don't want to get cancelled.
Bonus 4th thing on my mind: they all might be contributing to the fact that everyone on the internet seems to be reading the same books - and to have pretty much the same opinions about them.
So let's talk about it.

Also (and way more exciting), I'm starting my very own book club!!! If you want a place to chat about books with other people and get book recommendations (or share your own book recommendations) - join me on Fable to read a new book each month.
For our first read I chose Generation X by Douglas Coupland, which follows a few twenty-somethings who "have been handed a society priced beyond their means" - I was leafing through it the other day and the term "boomer envy" leaped out at me from the page. I figured what better way to start a book club.
If you have any weird book recommendations, any niche books or whimsical stuff you've always wondered about but never got to reading, please let me know and I'll add them to the list!

timestamps
00:00 - news from the online book world that stood out to me
03:20 - I'm starting a book club yay
05:50 - what is the New York Times 100 best books of the 21st century list and why is there ~discourse~ about it?
10:24 - book influencers and undeserved hype
12:50 - criticism≠insults: thoughtful critique is actually good for art. being "a hater" is not.

articles and videos mentioned:

The New York Times book list: https://www.nytimes.com/intera....ctive/2024/books/bes
Mina Le video about negative reviews, being a hater etc etc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBEh4yn7I0E

thank you for watching and see you in the book club xxxxx