Action Pulp!

February 8, 2026

By Adam Messer

“At its best, reading is a magical experience that can broaden your worldview and deepen your understanding of others.” – Tifany Ness.

Tifany Ness is an avid reader and book reviewer who shares her reviews through her video series Book Bite.

Please introduce yourself.

Hi! My name is Tifany Ness. I’ve been an avid reader for as long as I can remember. Growing up in Pennsylvania, I spent countless hours at my small local library, which became an endless source of entertainment and escape. Through programs like Reading Is Fundamental (RIF) and later the Scholastic Book Fair, books were always within reach, and that love of reading never faded.

Today, I live just outside of New York City in New Jersey and proudly hold library cards for both my local library and the New York Public Library. In late 2021, after discovering BookTok, I created an account on TikTok and began sharing what I was reading and offering occasional reviews.

In 2025, I became more consistent with my content, and in 2026 I launched my Book Bite reviews – short, one-minute videos that offer a quick summary of a book, my thoughts, and the star rating I gave it. Book Bite has become my way of connecting with fellow readers and sharing the stories I love.

What genres do you read and why?

I read across a variety of genres, but the ones I gravitate toward most lately are historical fiction and literary fiction. Historical fiction allows me access to times and places that don’t mirror my own lived experience. I love learning, and this genre offers the perfect balance of education and entertainment.

Literary fiction draws me in for its focus on life itself – digging deeply into character, emotion, and the messiness of being human. Characters don’t always change for the better, and endings aren’t guaranteed to be happy or neatly wrapped up, which makes the stories feel honest and resonant.

What is your earliest memory of reading?

One of my earliest reading memories is sitting cross-legged on the floor of my tiny local library flipping through dinosaur books. For a while, dinosaurs were an obsession, and I had to learn all I could about them. (Fun fact: the library was a former FEMA trailer from the 1970s.)

When did you know you wanted to do book reviews? How did it happen?

I’ve always loved talking about books with friends, but most of the people in my life aren’t big readers. When I joined TikTok a few years ago, I started dipping my toes into book reviews as a way to share that enthusiasm. Writing full reviews, though, was a struggle. Writing isn’t my forte, and the process often felt daunting.

In 2026, I shifted to a shorter video format and created Book Bite. These quick, roughly one-minute reviews include a brief summary, my thoughts, and a star rating. The format feels natural to me, takes the pressure out of reviewing, and allows me to share the books I love with other readers in a way that’s fun and accessible.

What’s one of your favorite scenes from a book?

One of my favorite passages comes from Theo of Golden by Allen Levi. In it, Theo gives his friend a bottle of port for his birthday and takes time to explain the wine’s history – where it was made, the significance of the vintage, and why he chose that particular bottle. As he weaves those details together with the personal meaning behind the gift, I found myself tearing up.

Nothing monumental happens in terms of plot progression (no spoilers, I promise), but the richness of the description and the care in the language make the moment incredibly moving. It’s a quiet scene that captures intention and love in a way that stayed with me.

What makes a good character? A bad one?

A good character, for me, is one I understand and believe. I don’t have to agree with their choices or see myself reflected in them, but I want to know who they are, what they’ve experienced, and why they act the way they do. When I have that context, their decisions feel authentic. These characters don’t need to be perfect, because people aren’t perfect.

A bad character, by contrast, exists only as a trait – the grumpy one, the morally gray one, the “difficult” one – without any depth beyond that label. I want to be shown why a character is the way they are, not just told. There’s almost always a story behind a person’s behavior, and when that story is missing, the character feels flat and unconvincing.

What moves the story for you?

A story really moves for me when clear stakes and emotion work together. Knowing what’s at risk keeps me engaged, especially when the plot progresses in lockstep with those stakes. When emotional weight is layered into that momentum, it pulls me in completely.

What is your favorite book and why?

My favorite book is the first one I finished this year, Theo of Golden by Allen Levi. Theo, the main character, is something of an enigma. He’s equal parts polite, courteous, and deeply invested in bringing joy to others, yet carrying a mysterious past that’s revealed only in fragments. As the story unfolds, we’re given glimpses of who he is and where he’s from, while many questions linger just beneath the surface.

At its heart, this is a story about generosity, kindness, and the power of human connection. It carries a beautiful lesson, and I felt it deeply while reading. Nearly two months after finishing Theo of Golden, its warmth and quiet emotional impact still linger with me.

What do you hope people will take away from your Book Bite video reviews?

I hope people take away honest, authentic recommendations from my Book Bite reviews. I only share books I genuinely enjoyed and would recommend, so viewers can get a sense of the type of books I like and determine if it suits their reading tastes. I also aim to put books on readers’ radar that they might not otherwise encounter – especially backlist titles and those penned by indie authors. Ultimately, I want to introduce people to some of my favorite authors who may not have a big presence on the app, but whose work deserves to be discovered.

What makes you DNF (did not finish) a book?

I’ll be honest – I’m terrible at DNFing books. I’ve gotten more comfortable with setting a book aside if it’s not matching my mood at the moment (I’m a big mood reader), but a true DNF is rare for me. I’ve even rage-read a book for a book club despite not enjoying it at all. For better or worse, I usually stick it out.

What advice do you have for new reviewers?

My advice to new reviewers is not to stress about how polished your review sounds. Be honest and authentic about your experience. What readers really want to know is how the book made you feel: what pulled you in, what was at stake for you as a reader, and why it worked (or didn’t). That emotional response is often what entices someone else to pick up the book.

Do you have anything else you would like to add?

Reading is an experience you can truly guide for yourself. You can choose what you need in the moment, whether that’s learning, escape, or connection, and explore stories across myriad genres. I’ve always felt that reading is a powerful way to “exercise your empathy muscle”, allowing us to “travel” to other places and see the world through perspectives and cultures far different from our own. At its best, reading is a magical experience that can broaden your worldview and deepen your understanding of others.

Website: https://www.tiktok.com/@thetbrtrek?_r=1&_t=ZP-93hW19W5ddO

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