Breana Newton, a legal coordinator in Princeton, N.J., who regularly posts about books on TikTok, responded to Ms. Blalock’s video, showing off her own “bookshelf wealth” in a brief home tour. In an interview, Ms. Newton expressed concern that trends like bookshelf wealth encourage overconsumption and mentioned that this year she is trying not to buy any new books.
Another critic of the trend, Keila Tirado-Leist, a lifestyle content creator in Madison, Wis., likened bookshelf wealth to “quiet luxury” and “stealth wealth,” acknowledging the desire to create a homey atmosphere but cautioning against chasing trends by slowly acquiring pieces over time instead of buying a bunch of things all at once.
A separate TikTok user offered a blunt response to Ms. Blalock’s video, stating, “Bookshelf wealth does not mean you have books. It means you have built-ins.”