In the background of the voice notes that Charlee Brooks has sent me, I can hear quiet birdlike chatter, the rolling of wheels on tracks and the metallic sound of loudspeaker announcements. He’s on a train, coasting through small towns in Europe on his way to Amsterdam. He apologises for the noise.
Though he’s currently focusing on Youtube and longer form content, I first came across Charlee on TikTok. The (ever mysterious) algorithm knew that I wanted quality book recommendations and reviews, and it certainly delivered.
Hailing from the Victorian coastal town of Torquay, approximately 1.5 hours from Melbourne, Charlee’s content understandably has that soft, sleepy quality you might associate with an off-season beach holiday. Authentic, simple and pared-back, his quiet straight-to-camera style is a welcome antidote to the overstimulating chaos that BookTok can often become. Ever sensitive and thoughtful, his content about queer books and authors captured my attention immediately.
Continue reading here.
julia kittelty 