Booktube Faves, Volume 1: BooksandLala

Hello, biblios!

I watch a whole lot of Booktube videos — it's probably the thing I do the most, after actually reading. It's a fun way to learn about new books, get opinions on books both good and bad, explore issues raised in books you've read or in the bookish or publishing community, and so much more.

There are some really terrific folks making bookish content on YouTube, and I wanted to start a series shouting out my favorite ones to watch, because you should be watching them, too!

And my very first installment absolutely must feature the woman who is probably my number one fave: Lala of BooksandLala!

BooksandLala via YouTube

(Lala is short for Kayla, BTW, but I think Lala fits her quite well!)

Lala is super sweet and funny as hell, and also has the most adorable family ever — as evidenced by videos like her recent "Husband decides what I read," where her husband Robbie chose her January TBR books for her, and her Owlcrate Jr unboxing videos with her ridiculously cute son, Liam.

(Just saying, you know a kid must be really adorable if I, a happily child-free feminist spinster, says they are.)

Lala's videos are so nice to watch on a technical level, but also because she makes a real effort to put out consistent and interesting content. Plus, though she does, like most of the better-known Booktubers, read a lot of YA, she also reads plenty of adult fiction so you get much more variety from her channel than you might from some others.

And did I mention she's funny? Because SHE IS. And the best way to experience that is to watch her famous "Closet unhaul" series.

I'm barely even exaggerating by calling it famous — people on YT love the shit out of those videos, where she watches her book haul from 2 years prior, takes note of which books she's already read, which she's previously unhauled, and which books remain in her big book-storage closet ... and those last ones get put on her next month's TBR.

She did one a month for I believe 11 months, and they are all so much more fun to watch than you might think from reading that summary. Her facial expressions when she sees the stack of books or listens to her past self talk about her reading plans are just priceless.

She does fantastic monthly wrap-ups with all the stats your nerdy little bookish heart could want, and also has a terrific series called Bookmark'd, where she talks about cover reveals and adaptation news, with a whole lot more information than most of us could ever have the patience to dig up on our own.

So with Lala, you get a ton of info, a ton of books, and a ton of fun from a woman who I'd totally want to be my best friend in a YA novel. If you're not already subscribed to her channel, well what are you waiting for?

Who is your favorite Booktuber? Do tell!