Reading Without Pressure: Book Influencer Jules Swain on Social Media, Burnout & Loving Books Again
From BookTok and Instagram to DNFing guilt-free, Jules Swain shares how stepping back helped her rediscover the joy of reading
Quick Book Reviews with Philippa Hall · Philippa Hall
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Show Notes
In this reflective and refreshingly honest episode of Quick Book Reviews, Philippa is joined by well-known book influencer and paramedic Jules Swain for a conversation that goes far beyond algorithms, star ratings, and reading targets.
What begins as a discussion about social media platforms — from X and Instagram to BookTok — quickly becomes a deeper exploration of burnout, pressure, and reclaiming reading as a joy rather than a performance.
Together, Philippa and Jules talk about:
- Stepping back from social media and why it can be healthy
- The pressure to post, review, and read “enough” books
- Why it’s okay to DNF a book — and stop feeling guilty
- Star ratings, negative reviews, and whether every book needs an opinion
- BookTok hype, genre oversaturation, and discovering fantasy unexpectedly
- Physical books vs e-readers vs audiobooks
- Building real-life book communities and local book clubs
- Reading as escapism after emotionally demanding work
Jules also shares her most-loved books, her perfect reading day, thoughts on Goodreads vs StoryGraph, and settles the all-important biscuit debate (custard creams, for the record).
A calming, thoughtful episode for anyone who has ever felt overwhelmed by bookish noise — and a reminder that reading is allowed to be slow, personal, and joyful.
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