Joe: Can you help me find a book for my grandson for Christmas, please?
Barbara: Of course! Do you have any idea of what he is into?
Joe: He said a friend sent him recommendations, someone who was ‘making’ him read books. It was a little strange. Tok something?
Barbara: Ah, yes, it’s a hashtag, #BookTok. The social media network TikTok makes recommendations. The kids say, “TikTok made me read it.”
Joe: That’s all gobbledygook to me! He gave me a list, but I can’t find it. Which is the most popular one?
Barbara: All the must-reads for his age group are on that display table over there. And there are some in the Young Adult section on the shelves on the right.
Joe: Hmm, ‘Young Adult’… None of them are inappropriate, I hope?
Barbara: Well, some genres can be quite scary, like the post-apocalyptic novels. There are some that deal with sensitive subjects, too.
Joe: Can you choose a nice, wholesome book for me, please. Nothing controversial.
Barbara: I think you’ll like this one, then. It’s science fiction, a best-seller.
Joe: Yes, OK, I’ll take that one. Can you gift-wrap it, please?
NOW LET’S REVIEW THE VOCABULARY!
- To be into something means that you like it.
- You can substitute an unknown word with ‘something’.
- A hashtag is a phrase preceded by a hash sign (#) used to tag and cross-reference online content.
- ‘Gobbledygook’ is a colloquial phrase for ‘nonsense’. A similar words is ‘gibberish’.
- A book that is very good and highly recommended is a ‘must-read’.
- ‘Young Adult’ (YA) is a category of fiction aimed at twelve- to eighteen-year-olds.
- A ‘genre’ is a category of literature, art or music, for example, fantasy, thriller, historic or magical realism.
- A ‘novel’ is a book-length work of fiction. Short novels are called ‘novellas’.
- If something is good for your physical, mental or moral health, it is referred to as ‘wholesome’.
- ‘To gift-wrap’ is to wrap the product in attractive paper so it can be given as a gift. Besides paper, it can also refer to a gift bag or gift box.
