Could one of the solutions to too much screen time actually be… social media?

In this episode of the Goodfellerz Fellas Series, Clarke and Shaun talk about the rise of BookTok, Bookstagram and online reading communities — where social media is being used to encourage people to put down their phones and pick up a book.

After recently talking about the 90s, childhood before smartphones and how much time we now spend staring at screens, this felt like an interesting flip side to the argument.

We get into kids and reading, screen time, mental wellbeing, nighttime routines, audiobooks and why finding the right book can completely change your relationship with reading.

We also talk about some of our own favourites, including:

📚 Matthew Reilly's Jack West Jr. series
🎯 The Jason Bourne books
💍 The Lord of the Rings
⚔️ John Gwynne
🎧 Audiobooks and the difference a great narrator can make
🧠 Non-fiction, biographies and books that can actually teach you something

Plus, a shout-out to our editor Sole and JBH Books and Games for showing just how relaxing and engaging book content can be.

Maybe social media doesn't always have to compete with reading.

Maybe it can lead people towards it.

Now we want your recommendations:

What's your favourite fiction book AND your favourite non-fiction book?

Tell us what it is and, more importantly, why you think we should read it.

Follow Goodfellerz for the main podcast and more episodes from the Fellas Series.

Good mates. Good conversations. Goodfellerz.