Samantha Yazzie didn’t set out to become a BookTok creator. A Los Angeles–based social media manager working in entertainment, she found her way—like billions of others—to BookTok, the loose network of readers who use TikTok to swap recommendations, debate tropes (recurring book themes), and show off their most recent hauls. Yazzie started posting casually in 2024, sharing what she was reading. But after one book-haul video drew an enthusiastic response, she began to see TikTok not just as a place to scroll but as a space in which to connect.
Today, Yazzie’s account (@acourtof-samandscar) has grown to more than 7,000 followers, with an active and welcoming comment section largely shaped by her on-screen warmth. Yazzie, who is 30, spoke with Alta Journal about how she found her footing on BookTok, the tropes her followers love, and why reading feels better when it’s shared. This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.
This article appears in Issue 35 of Alta Journal.
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You’ve said that a turning point for your account came when you posted a book-haul video showing off your latest finds. What shifted for you?
I started to think this could be something. TikTok felt like the perfect outlet for me during a time when I was going through a lot personally and needed a way to express myself creatively. I had been posting on and off before that, but that response made me think more intentionally about how I wanted to show up.
What kinds of books do you post about most?
I like to post a lot of romance, romantasy [a blend of romance and fantasy—see “A Different Kind of Love Story”]. Those have been my core as I got into reading, but now I’m venturing into thrillers, mysteries, historical fiction. I’ve been wanting to get into memoirs. I feel like people come to my page for the different genres that I tap into, especially as a mood reader.
Which book led to your most engaging video so far?
Lights Out, by Navessa Allen. That was a fun, dark romance read.
What tropes get the strongest reaction from your followers right now?
I feel like enemies-to-lovers. That’s been one of my favorite ones to cover, but I’ve also been loving friends-to-lovers.
For someone just getting into enemies-to-lovers, what’s one book you’d recommend?
Bride, by Ali Hazelwood. That’s been one of my favorite ones that I read last fall.
Do you see your followers using your videos as an informal book club?
Yeah, especially when I do my chapter check-ins or my more chatty videos. Those are always my favorite because it feels like I’m talking directly to someone, even though it’s just the camera in my room. I feel like we’re able to have longer conversations or longer comments about the books that we’re reading.
How does BookTok help create that sense of community?
If you see your favorite BookToker or another fellow reader talk about a book you’re excited about, and you’re able to go to that comment section and see other people who are also excited about it, and next thing you know, you have a whole thread and a bunch of new followers. It helps you feel less alone.
How does reading with a community differ from reading on your own?
We’re able to discuss thoughts after each chapter, get excited over certain characters, or cry together at certain plot points. When you’re reading with someone, you feel like you’re in this fictional world together. You feel much more connected. I’ve met so many new friends that I’ve started to hang out with in person from BookTok.
What 2026 release are you most looking forward to?
Game On, by Navessa Allen, comes out on March 31. Lights Out, the first book in her Into Darkness trilogy, was my intro into dark romantic comedies, and now I need more, especially with a vegan MMC [male main character] who gives golden retriever energy.
You’ve talked about the importance of supporting creators who, like you, are Native American and Filipino. What authors would you recommend?
Danica Nava—I finished reading The Truth According to Ember. Another fantasy would be Black Sun, by Rebecca Roanhorse. And one I’m really excited to get into more this year is Olivie Blake. I want to read Girl Dinner. It’s so exciting for me to see my culture represented and recognize certain dishes or phrases within the plot of a book that I remember hearing in my childhood or a folklore that my parents would tell me.•
Elizabeth Casillas is an assistant editor at Alta Journal. A graduate of California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, she has previously written for the Poly Post and Enspire Magazine.
