Amelia Lord, 28, discovered a passion for reading later in life, a journey sparked by the popular BookTok community on TikTok and a personal challenge to overcome her dyslexia. Previously, Lord had actively avoided reading, a hesitation amplified by her dyslexia diagnosis at a younger age.
"I'm a dyslexic girl and I've always thought, can I do it?" Lord recalled. "Then I read it and I was hooked straight away."
Her introduction to reading began with Colleen Hoover's "It Ends With Us," a novel that resonated with her and served as her first New Year's resolution to read a single book. This initial success quickly led to a broader interest, and she soon found herself purchasing numerous romance novels.
Lord's experience is part of a larger trend where romance novels are experiencing a significant surge in popularity, even leading to the establishment of dedicated bookstores. The visual and community-driven nature of platforms like TikTok has proven instrumental in connecting new readers with literature, particularly within the romance genre.
After relocating and becoming a mother, Lord found that reading provided a consistent hobby that connected her to her pre-parenthood life. This led her to establish the "Booked Up Book Club" at her workplace, creating a local community around shared literary interests. The club found a home in a play café in the Whitchurch suburb of Cardiff, where Lord now resides.
This resurgence in reading, particularly among younger demographics, highlights the evolving ways individuals discover and engage with books. The accessibility and community aspects fostered by social media platforms are playing a key role in making literature a more inclusive and engaging pursuit for a diverse range of readers.