TikTok is changing the way books are recommended and sold
Imho the stark difference between the number of views and likes that these videos generate and the actual sales of the books and (often) their literary quality shows that these book influencers promote merely the idea of reading.The average TikTok user knows that being on this platform is a gross waste of one's time, but it's oh so addictive, so giving a like to a video promoting a much more healthy and valuable activity like reading a book works as a kind of self-assurance that "I'll start reading again someday, I promise".