I've actually started to actively resist letting BookTok trends dictate my TBR pile, which feels like a weirdly rebellious stance in my own reading life. The pressure is so real—seeing the same five titles hyped for weeks on end makes you feel like you're missing out on a cultural moment if you don't jump on board. My 'to-read' list used to be a quiet, personal thing, full of backlist gems and random library finds. Now it feels performative, like I'm curating it for an invisible panel of judges who only approve of romantasy with sprayed edges.
That said, I'm not immune. I finally caved and read 'Fourth Wing' because the sheer volume of fan edits wore me down. And you know what? I had a blast with it! But that experience taught me to use the trends as a loose filter, not a gospel. If something keeps popping up and it aligns with my mood—say, I'm in a dark academia phase—I'll slot it in. Otherwise, I scroll past. My TBR is a living document, and I'm trying to let my own curiosity be the primary editor, not the algorithm.
It's less about planning and more about constantly rebalancing between community excitement and my own, quieter interests.