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If you love to read — anything from saucy romance to page-turning thrillers — and you’re a TikTok user, you’ve likely heard of #BookTok.
The hashtag has garnered a following of 119.2 billion views (which is nearly 100 billion more than Starbucks makes a year in sales, according to MarketWatch) — and it’s consistently gaining traction.
Each day — each second of the day — creators are uploading their favorite reads to the platform and, over time, certain titles simply rise to social-caused applause.
“I think #BookTok is so popular because it allows readers and even non-readers who want to get into reading come together and share books and book opinions, connect with others who like the same books and start conversations in the book community,” Sara Carrolli, 22-year-old YouTube content creator with 176K subscribers who uploads reading and lifestyle content — including reading vlogs, book recommendations and “days in her life” — told the New York Post. “It’s such a quick and easy way to connect and share recommendations for others to find new authors and books they may want to give a try!”
Ahead, Carrolli gave us the details on the 30 best #BookTok titles in various genres that are worth your time. So, grab your e-reader (if you so choose) and hop into these viral reads.
Genre: Contemporary Romance
“Macy’s mom passes away when she’s little so her father buys them a weekend house right next to Elliot Petropulous’s family where her and Elliot spend all their time together and connect on such a deep level,” Carrolli said. “Fast forward 11 years later and they see each other again but they haven’t spoken since, and you soon find out what happened on that day all those years ago. This one has all the feels and a beautifully written love story.”
More, Carrolli said this is her favorite #BookTok read ever.
Genre: Contemporary Romance
“January moves into her late father’s lake house to try to write a novel she owes to her publisher,” Carrolli said. “Next door is Gus who is also an author, and they strike up a deal to switch genres for the summer to help their writers block.”
According to Carrolli, the setting, banter, and storyline is wonderful, especially for your next trip to the sand and the shore.
“The Woman in Me” by Britney Spears
The fact that Britney Spears’ memoir, “The Woman in Me” has over 355.9 million views on TikTok does not surprise us. We watched her grow from our screens, the stage, and red carpets — but who is she really?
Spears documents everything; from her rise to fame to her battles with substance abuse, turbulent relationships, a secret abortion, postpartum depression and the battle to break her conservatorship. Written with remarkable candor, humor and bravery, “The Woman in Me” is a story of faith and resilience at its core. By the end of it, you will be left questioning much of what you think about living a life of fame and fortune.
Genre: Romantic Thriller
“Lowen is a struggling writer who accepts an offer from Jeremy, who is looking for someone to finish out his wife’s (Verity) unfinished books,” Carrolli said. “She moves into their house to go through Verity’s previous work and things take so many turns!”
Not to mention, this book is one to read in one sitting, she added, and just gets crazier and crazier as you read.
“A Little Life” by Hanya Yanahihara
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
If you’re ready to open the flood gates, pick up “A Little Life” by Hanya Yanagihara. This book has made the rounds on #BookTok with hundreds of readers posting videos of themselves breaking down in tears after reading it. “The sick part is, I am only on page 54,” stuttered TikToker Kevy in his reaction video.
Four classmates from Massachusetts move to New York to pursue their careers, each following their own creatives passions as an artist, actor, architect and a litigator. Jude is the one who keeps them together, but over the decades more is revealed about his character — specifically the unthinkable traumas of his childhood.
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
“Kaz Brekker accepts a deal for a lot of money to perform a heist in one of the most dangerous places,” Carrolli said. “He gets together a crew who all have specific talents to contribute for the heist.”
According to Carrolli, this was one of her first fantasies and still stands to be one of her favorite books. “The plot is so entertaining, and the group of characters are all so different but their personalities together is phenomenal.”
Genre: Young Adult Dystopian Romance
“Juliette is held in captivity because her touch is lethal,” Carrolli said. “You go on her journey figuring out her past and future with this power she has.”
This is a bigger series but, according to Carrolli, is written incredibly well. “There’s so many amazing characters and the storyline is so gripping, with romance also included!” she added.
Genre: Young Adult Romance
Colleen Hoover has a cult following on TikTok so if you still haven’t read her hit novel, stop everything you’re doing and it order it now.
Lily has worked hard to open her dream flower shop in Boston. Then, she is swept into a passionate romance after she meets a handsome neurosurgeon named Ryle. Everything in her life seems to have fallen into place, until she begins thinking about an old love, Atlas Corrigan. When he suddenly reappears in her life, she starts to question everything she thought was right for her.
Genre: Literary Fiction
“[This is about] the coming of age of Daisy Jones in LA in the 1970s when she joins the band, The Six,” Carrolli said. “It’s told in interview style when the band members are older and answering questions about their journey to becoming one of the biggest bands in the world.”
According to Carrolli, the way it’s written is so interesting. “The author made it feel as if this band was real and the history actually occurred,” she said.
Genre: Memoir
Jennette McCurdy is known best for her role as Sam, a sarcastic, tomboy in Nickelodeon’s hit show “iCarly.” But the confident and sometimes cocky tween that she played on camera was far from the true Jennette, a young girl riddled with anxiety, body images problems and a shockingly unhealthy relationship with her mother.
“Was not expecting to get so consumed by the reality Jennette McCurdy went through. Her voice throughout the book evolves as she does, it is full of raw, vulnerable material that is wrapped in humor and self-preservation. I never really watched iCarly, but for a show that she was known for, where she seemed so happy and full of life, it could not be further from her truth,” wrote TikToker Mabel in her review.
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
Tucked away in a tight alley in Tokyo, there is a hundred-year-old cafe that serves coffee. But, this is no ordinary coffeeshop. A cup of their brew will transport you through time.
When four visitors come to experience the magical potion for themselves, they learn there’s a caveat: the the trip only lasts as long as the coffee stays warm. The clock is ticking, applying pressure for important moments, like getting to have one last conversation with a loved one. This international bestseller will tug at your heartstrings and leave you wondering what you would change if you could go back in time.
Genre: Young Adult Romance
“Meredith’s family spends summers on Martha’s Vineyard, but they haven’t gone since recently losing her big sister,” Carrolli explained. “Her cousin’s getting married so they go for a week and they all play one huge game of assassin (water guns involved) and she meets Wit who becomes the love interest!”
According to Carrolli, this is such an easy, fun summer romance, but do keep in mind it touches on grief and the loss of a loved one.
Genre: Young Adult Romance
Curious about the science of love? So was third-year Ph.D. candidate Olive Smith. Smith didn’t buy into the idea of lasting romance, until she kissed her professor on a whim.
If you’re curious about how their love experiment plays out, you’ll just have to read the book yourself. TikTokers have enjoyed it so much that some have recreated some of moments from the book (including a comedic impression of Olive running around the lab).
Genre: Contemporary Romance
“Piper is banished by her stepfather to a small town to ‘come back to reality’ since she is spending way too much money and always partying in LA,” Carrolli said. “She meets small town fisherman, Brendan, and they become enemies who slowly change each other for the better.”
This is an entertaining summer read with lots of fun banter and side characters, per Carrolli.
Genre: Fantasy Romance
“Feyre shoots a wolf that turns out to be a Fae, so she is taken to the Fae world as punishment,” Carrolli explained. “She is now with Tamlin where a love/hate relationship ensues.”
According to Carrolli, this story only gets better and better as you continue the series with “lots of found family moments, crazy plot-lines and romance in such a cool world!” she added.
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
“The Guest” is another quick read that has gained traction on TikTok. When a young girl is ousted from her Hamptons stay with an older man, she decides to use her charm and beauty to hop from home to home, living off the generosity of others — and at times taking advantage of it.
“This is a great beach read about a young woman who’s just trying to survive while making really wild and sort of crazy decisions that you can’t look away from,” TikToker Juliet said in her review video.
Genre: Young Adult Mystery
“Pip is working on a time capsule project for school that involved re-opening a case of her former student that was murdered and the culprit was that student’s boyfriend,” Carrolli said. “She is now on the hunt to retract the steps everyone took and opens up a whole new world of clues and people that are suspicious.”
If you love traveling along with characters in a mystery setting, you’ll love all of the detective work and plot twists characteristic of this viral read.
Genre: History/Drama
TikTok is perplexed with this book (now a major screenplay), which has left many readers with more questions than answers.
Almost 100 years ago, the Osage Nation in Oklahoma discovered oil on their land and many members became some of the richest people in the world. Then, one by one, they began dying off. Some were poisoned, others shot, and many passed from mysterious circumstances. The book goes in depth to explore the Osage Reign of Terror by looking at how and why one family (that of Mollie Burkhart) became the prime target in this string of murders that was one of the first focuses of the FBI.
Genre: Young Adult Romance/Fiction
“Autumn and Finny are next door neighbors who have known each other since still in the womb, and whose moms are best friends,” Carrolli said. “As they grow up, they grow apart and a tragedy occurs with Finny.”
According to Carrolli, this story is “so heartbreaking but tells a tale of missed chances and wasted time.”
Genre: Rom-com Thriller
“Oh my God, oh my God, do I like fictional serial killers?” TikToker Larry asked at the end of their review. “This is new!”
Craving a slow-burning friends-to-lovers romance with a side of serial killer? Well, that’s just what you will get from “Butcher & BlackBird.” Sloane and Rowan meet and realize they have something in common: a passion for killing other serial killers. The two dark souls develop an unlikely bond and enjoy some competition during their killing sprees, but they can’t help but fight the sensual tension between them.
Genre: Contemporary Romance
“Runaway bride Naomi gets a call from her evil twin sister for help, but when she gets to the small town of Knockemout, Virginia, her sister has vanished and left Naomi’s niece (who she’s never met) and angry townspeople in her wake,” Carrolli explained. “Knox gives Naomi a place to stay but he is incredibly grumpy due to the fact that he hates her twin sister.”
Per Carrolli, Lucy Score knows how to write banter so incredibly well and notes that you’ll be giggling, smitten and then on the edge of your seat in anticipation.
Genre: Contemporary Romance
“This story follows Sam and Percy throughout their 12 years of friendship up until present time, where they haven’t seen each other since,” Carrolli explained. “This is told between past and present timelines where Percy comes back to town and sees Sam again, now having to rework their broken relationship.”
The not-knowing of why they stopped talking had Carrolli “on the edge of [her] seat,” given how much chemistry and fun they had growing up.
Genre: Young Adult Romance
“Belly spends summers in Cousins Beach with her family friends, who are two brothers,” Carrolli said. “It follows her coming of age and wanting to find love, but she finds herself in a love triangle between both brothers.”
According to Carrolli, this is such a nostalgic-feeling story and an incredible series to binge over the summer.
Genre: Young Adult Mystery
“Avery Grambs has very little money to her name and is summoned from school to fly to Tobas Hawthorne’s estate,” Carrolli said .”She has never met this man but is now in a room full of his family and has been left his entire will. She is now on a hunt with lots of riddles and clues to figure out why she was chosen, all with the help of his four grandsons.”
This is a rich journey to go on as a reader, jam-packed with tons of fun riddles and clues to figure out with the characters, per Carrolli.
Genre: Contemporary Romance
“Anastasia is working to get into Team USA figure skating, and when one of two ice skating rinks gets ruined and her skating partner gets injured, she is now forced to share rinks with Nate and his hockey team,” Carrolli explained. “Nate is benched from hockey so he steps up to help Anastasia with her practice, forcing them to spend a lot of time together.”
According to Carrolli, this story is so entertaining with lots of personalities and fun side characters. “The chemistry between these two is incredible and their communication is top-tier,” she added.
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
“Millie who has a criminal past finally gets hired as a maid for a rich family, but when she starts, she notices the once nice wife starts acting crazy,” Carrolli said. “Freida’s writing will have you speed-reading her stories!”
Not to mention, she couldn’t put this one down and, as you keep on reading, it just keeps getting crazier.
Genre: Literary Fiction
“The biggest women’s tennis player, Carrie, comes out of retirement to hold her place at the top with her father as her coach,” Carrolli explained. “This is told in the years of her learning tennis and following the timeline to how she became the greatest, up to the 1994 U.S. Open.”
This story is so much more than just a story of a woman playing tennis and her comeback, according to Carrolli, “but about women in sports, forgiveness and incredibly strong women.”
Genre: Thriller/Mystery
“Husband and wife take a small getaway to fix their marriage in a secluded chapel during a snow storm,” Carrolli said. “The husband has facial blindness, and both have secrets!”
According to Carrolli, Alice’s writing is binge-worthy and this story will have you on the edge of your seat “up until the last page.”
Genre: Fantasy
“‘Fourth Wing’ series, if made right, could be the Harry Potter of this generation. It needs to become a movies series, not a show,” TikToker Jineane Hallaj commented on a recent review of the brilliant novel.
In a fantasy country called Navarre, young adults must enter one of four quadrants to serve their country and protect its borders. Twenty-year-old Violet was planning to enter the Scribe Quadrant and live out a calm and peaceful life recording history. That all changes when the she is ordered to join the elusive candidates striving to become the elite of Navarre: dragon riders.
Genre: Contemporary Romance
“Rowan wants to renovate Dreamland (their family theme park) all while fulfilling his late grandfather’s wish to get his personal inheritance,” Carrolli explained. “Zahra gets hired on his team to help out and they share lots of moments and lots of arguments.”
This is an amazing enemies-to-lovers (with a grumpy MMC) and an incredible setting (think of Disney World), per Carrolli.
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