About

Reading Books Of Old, also known as I've Been Reading Books Of Old, refers to a TikTok trend and meme wherein users on the platform showcase themselves reading books, usually with heavily edited or AI-generated covers of absurd things, while a sped-up version of the song "Something Just Like This" by The Chainsmokers & Coldplay plays and the lyrics appear on screen. The trend, which juxtaposes the earnestness of the song with ironic, humorous or provocative book covers, is an offshoot of the larger Performative Reading phenomenon.

Origin

The song used in the I've Been Reading Books Of Old meme is a sped-up version of the song "Something Just Like This" by The Chainsmokers and Coldplay, which was released on February 22nd, 2017.^[7]

On February 12th, 2026, TikTok^[1] user @tristynohtristyn posted a video composed of several pictures in which he is reading Women in Literature: Reading through the Lens of Gender while "Something Just Like This" by The Chainsmokers & Coldplay plays in the background, with animated captions highlighting the lyrics, which read:

I've been reading books of old, the legends and the myths
Achilles and his gold, Hercules and his gifts
Spider-Man's control and Batman with his fists
And clearly, I don't see myself upon that list

The video went viral, amassing over 13.1 million views and 2 million likes in less than two months. The format was quickly adopted by others, with very little variation from the original. The topics and themes used for the trend, particularly performative male feminism and misandry, were also largely consistent.

Spread

The now-solidified meme template spread quickly on the platform in early 2026 as more TikTokers created Reading Books Of Old memes.

On March 9th, 2026, TikTok^[2] user @iisaacbrooo posted a similar video, this time holding a book with a cover edited to read "How to End Women's Period Cramps." The video received about 5.2 million views and 698,000 likes in one month.

On March 11th, 2026, TikTok^[3] user @rylands10 posted a video pretending to read a book titled "How To Find The G Spot," which received over 2.3 million views and 314,900 likes in less than one month.

On March 12th, 2026, the TikTok^[4] couple account @avaxaden posted a similar video, with the boyfriend reading a book with a seemingly AI-generated cover reading "Why is my GF always right?" The video went viral, receiving over 15.7 million views and 2.2 million likes in less than one month.

As the trend continued to spread throughout the platform, variations to the subject matter began to surface. On March 12th, 2026, TikTok ^[5] user @danspen15 posted a video reading a fake book titled "67 Ways To Scissor," which received over 2.4 million views and 482,700 likes in less than one month.

On March 14th, 2026, TikTok^[6] user @zaina_b760 participated in the trend, posting a video reading a book titled "How To Make Money Without Working." The post spread quickly, receiving over 18.1 million views and 2.8 million likes in about three weeks.

Various Examples

Search Interest

External References