20 #BookTok Books That Are Actually Worth the Hype
This is the ULTIMATE guide to cut through all the bad recs and get to the good stuff
As someone who has been reading books like it’s an Olympic sport since I learned my ABCs, navigating the world of #BookTok has been… interesting. However, after a couple of years of sifting through endless videos of recommendations with books that are over-tabbed, underlined, all look like the variations of the same cover and themed to the music of Taylor Swift’s Love Story, I feel like I’ve finally found the #BookTok books for me. To save you some time though, I have curated this definitive list of (actually good) book recommendations that I found on our favourite clock app.
DISCLAIMER: Before getting into the list, many of these books listed deal with some distressing themes and I would implore everyone to please look at the content warnings before reading them <3
The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
Starting off strong for the kids who loved Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson series - I present this masterpiece. Through incredibly lyrical prose, the story of Patroclus and Achilles is told in a way that has never been done before. It’s a story that you are equally moved and heartbroken by, regardless of if you are familiar with the tale that was originally told in the Iliad. When I tell you I was sobbing for 10 minutes after I finished this book, I’m not exaggerating.
Beautiful, whimsical, heart-shattering and bold, this tale will make you feel complete, and yet always wanting more.
My rating: 5/5 stars
A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara
One thing about me is a love a sad book, and this one definitely understood the assignment (I’m still recovering). Yanagihara showcases the beauty of love and friendship throughout your life through the eyes of Jude, and his closest companions Willem, JB and Malcolm as they navigate their careers, relationships and trauma. Jude’s story is a testament to pain, grief, struggle - but most of all perseverance. This novel is one that absolutely blew up online and somehow lived up to the hype.
Please note that this novel discusses extremely distressing topics and I implore everyone to read the content warnings before reading it, as well as taking mental health breaks away from the novel whilst reading it.
My rating: 4.25/5 stars
Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
“It’s just about love, art, video games and time” says author Gabrielle Zevin, in an interview on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, but it is so so much more than that. This book plummets you into the depths of the video game world that is so vivid and alive and enjoyable regardless of whether you are a fan of video games, and yet its central focus is that of the ever-changing friendship between our two main characters Sam and Sadie. When their careers, relationships, health struggles, tragedy (and most of all their video game Ichigo) get in the way of happiness, we see how their friendship, love and respect for one another supersedes all.
Heartwarming, fun, moving and bold this story that spans 30 years is one that I’ll have in my heart for a lifetime.
My rating: 4/5 stars
Quite literally anything by our lord and saviour R.F. Kuang
You may have heard Colleen Hoover’s or Emily Henry’s names being mentioned in every second video on TikTok, but allow me to introduce the REAL queen of modern literature, Miss Rebecca F. Kuang. I may be cheating in my own ranking here, as now technically this list has turned into 24 #BookTok Books That Are Actually Worth the Hype, but to only list one of these books would truly be a crime against literature. This woman has no bounds! From her enthralling fantasy trilogy The Poppy War, to Babel and criticising academic elitism through a magical world, and finally Yellowface - a tale of betrayal, race, writing and what right authors have to tell certain stories. Every page R.F. Kuang touches turns to gold and every one of the words she chooses is laced with honey and intellect. Filled with beautiful prose and provocative topics, trying to put down any one of her novels turns into a feat in of itself.
My Ratings:
The Poppy War Trilogy: 4.5/5 stars
Babel: 4/5 stars
Yellowface: 3.75/5 stars
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
This book is BY FAR the greatest thing that #BookTok has ever recommended to me. To be very candid, I was incredibly hesitant to pick up this book, and even going into it I did not think that I would enjoy it. Perhaps this is very prejudicial (it is), but this book was frequently recommended alongside the plethora of cartoon-covered young adult romance novels that are plastered all over the app - which just isn’t my thing. However, my intense FOMO took over and I decided to give it a shot.
My God am I glad I did!
This is a gem of a book. In it, we follow the main character Monique, a young budding journalist looking for her break, as she is invited to record, for the first time, the tale of Hollywood legend, Evelyn Hugo. Told through the eyes of Evelyn herself, we slowly uncover the enigma of a woman who seemed so untouchable and glamorous. Through her rise to fame, her career, her love, and her grief, Monique constructs her legacy.
This novel is absolutely soul-crushing and equally magical - a true work of art.
My rating: 5/5 stars
The Secret History by Donna Tartt
One absolutely brilliant thing about #BookTok is not only does it promote the work of up-and-coming authors or new releases, but it also gives the same energy to modern classics such as Donna Tartt’s, The Secret History. This novel propelled the “dark academia” trend on TikTok and saw giant success from a whole new audience some 30 years after its initial release - and for good reason. This cult classic is the OG literary criticism of academic elitism, and what all that pressure can do to a person.
It’s intelligent, disturbing, thrilling and pretentious (eat the rich).
My rating: 5/5 stars
Bunny by Mona Awad
This is probably going to be my most vague description of a book because I truly feel like you have to go into this blind. So, I’m just going to give you the key points:
Mean Girls-esque group of Literature students at Warren University who call themselves the Bunnies (get it?)
Everything is pink and pretty
Obsession with bunnies
A murderous cult
A spiral into insanity
In my top 10 books I read last year.
My rating: 5/5 stars
On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong
I LOVE WHEN POETS WRITE NOVELS. I mean, look at the title. Ocean Vuong is a master of the written word, lacing each line with lyrical and carefully constructed prose. In a poignant exploration of love, loss, and identity, Vuong takes you on a journey through letters from a son to his illiterate mother, that both moves and breaks you. Truly a debut that solidifies him as an illuminating voice of this generation of writers.
My rating: 3.75/5 stars
Before the Coffee Gets Cold series by Toshikazu Kawaguchi
In a quiet café set in the heart of Tokyo, people from all walks of life flock to indulge in a conversation with a long-lost loved one over a hot cup of coffee. This quiet fantasy utilises the power of magical realism to create meaningful character studies, bringing you one of the most comforting reads imaginable. It is so difficult to have the topic of grief be central to a book without it becoming depressing and tedious, however Kawaguchi brings closure to each and every character, leaving you feeling light and comforted.
My rating - 4.75/5 stars
I Want to Die But I Want to Eat Tteokbokki by Baek Sehee
This remarkable memoir by Korean author Baek Sehee encapsulates exactly what it feels like to be a young person struggling with mental illness, battling with feelings of lifelessness and exhaustion all whilst keeping up a façade to her friends and coworkers. Through conversations with her psychiatrist over twelve weeks, Sehee unravels her thoughts, past and her self-abusive behaviour.
A story of struggle, self-discovery and care, I Want to Die but I Want to Eat Tteokbokki brings comfort to any who have struggled with mental illness.
My rating: 3.75/5 stars
My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh
Say it with me! “I support women’s rights, and also women’s wrongs!”
My Year of Rest and Relaxation is unhinged, darkly funny and compassionate in its exploration of whether you can truly be happy when you have everything. Set in early 2000s New York, our main character is a rich, pretty, thin, Colombia graduate who has a great job at an art gallery and a boyfriend who works on Wall Street. Despite all this, however, she is deeply unhappy. Saturated with drug-fuelled vivid imagery, we explore the concepts of happiness (or unhappiness), and the necessity of alienation.
My rating: 4/5 stars
Any book set in the Grishaverse
Okay, so definitely not just a top 20 list anymore…
Technicalities aside, another thing that I find so amazing about #BookTok is that books that were trending for me on YouTube (otherwise known as BookTube) when I was a teenager some 5-10 years ago, are now resurfacing on TikTok and are equally as loved by a younger audience. The Shadow and Bone trilogy and its viral spin-off duology Six of Crows are no exception to this, and have found overwhelming amounts of love from users of the app in recent years - for good reason. In this action-packed magic-fuelled world we are introduced to a civilisation ravaged by war, where magic has been weaponised, and to the most beloved found-family.
Truly one of my favourites of all-time.
My ratings:
Shadow and Bone trilogy: 4/5 stars
Six of Crows duology: 5/5 stars
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
This one is for the people who loved Interstellar. Brought to you by the genius, Andy Weir, author of the critically acclaimed, The Martian, comes and epic tale of a race against time to save humanity, with our saviour unable to remember his mission. Waking up from a years-long slumber in a spaceship, our hero, Ryland is on a race against time, and a race against memory. This intergalactic adventure is perfect for anyone looking for a fast-paced novel filled with excitement.
My rating: 4.5/5 stars
I’m Glad My Mum Died by Jennette McCurdy
Probably one of the biggest books of last year, I’m Glad My Mom Died illustrates the life of Jennette McCurdy and her tumultuous relationship with her mother as she navigates child-stardom, eating disorders, love and grief in this raw memoir. This book is one that I believe brought so many of us Gen-Zers so much comfort purely because we grew up watching Jennette. Her superb comedic timing and frank kindness brought so much joy to us as children watching shows like iCarly, and with this memoir she not only tells her story with grace and resilience, but helps us as young adults navigate the complexities of family relationships, expectations and change.
Would also HIGHLY recommend listening to the audiobook version on audible as Jennette narrates it herself.
My rating: 5/5 stars
Big Swiss by Jen Beagin
This book is absolutely absurd and I loved every second of it.
Big Swiss follows the story of a transcriber for a sex therapist, who, through transcribing sessions between a patient and the therapist, falls in love with the patient. Crazy, I know. What’s even more wicked is the transcriber (Greta) and the patient (affectionately referred to as “Big Swiss”) have a meet-cute at a dog park where Greta recognises her, proceeds to use a fake name and then embarks on a crazy love affair.
Believe it or not, the story only gets wilder from there.
My rating: 3.75/5 stars
Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner
This novel is the lovechild of The Bear and Everything, Everywhere, All at Once in memoir form. Zauner dives into this journey of grief, identity and endurance in this plain-spoken, yet lyrically funny and heartbreaking tale of her life growing up Asian-American.
A deeply important book that is one to read and re-read over and over again.
My rating: 4.25/5 stars
Seven Days in June by Tia Williams
NOW THIS IS HOW YOU WRITE A ROMANCE NOVEL (take notes Colleen).
Again, I feel like you need to go in blind to fully appreciate this story, so I’ll proceed with the key points:
Second-chance romance
A book about books
Secret messages
A modern, tender story about Black love in Brooklyn
Please just take my word for it and read it (you’ll thank me later)
My rating: 4.75/5 stars
This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone
This is How You Lose the Time War is a book that I have seen be debated for a while now with people arguing that it isn’t that great because it is too complicated, too weird and it makes them feel dumb (their words, not mine). I would argue, however, that that’s the point and once you embrace that, you will have the absolute time of your life. The novel follows two time-travelling rival agents over time and space as they fight for their warring factions. Their actions could impact both the past and the future - and their unlikely love for each other could ruin everything.
My rating: 4.5/5 stars
Normal People by Sally Rooney
It is safe to say that Normal People by Sally Rooney is the pinacle of #BookTok, with 718.3K posts under the #normalpeople tag alone. This novel follows the story of two characters, Connell and Marianne, through highschool, university and into young adulthood as they navigate their relationship with each other, their social identities, and their own individual struggles. This beautiful character study is Rooney’s magnum opus, perfectly traverses the complexities of human relationships and the importance of love and respect in all forms.
My rating: 3.25/5 stars
Everything I Know About Love by Dolly Alderton
Another memoir and the final book on this list is none other than Dolly Alderton’s tell-all, Everything I Know About Love, which details all of the antics, crazy love affairs, parties, crappy apartments, drunk antics and friendships that fuelled her 20s. It’s a love letter to youth and messing up as a rite of passage. As a woman in my twenties myself, I appreciate the candid way that Alderton discusses the VERY DIFFERENT lives that people lead in these defining years. Some of your friends are getting married with kids, others are embarking on successful careers, some are studying their masters or PhD’s and some are just surviving on noodles, partying with friends and living out of a shabby apartment with their three equally as disfunctional flatmates.
An adventurous, hilarious and unapologetic memoir that I will no doubt revisit again soon.
My rating: 4.5/5 stars
To wrap everything up, here is a list of BookTokkers who I absolutely love!
@bigbooklady AKA Loren
For those who love literary fiction and broadening their reading.
@darrelyeo
A lover of classics, quiet fantasy and literary fiction, I swear by his recs.
@newlynova AKA Lexi
Absolutely unhinged, hilarious and the epitome of a Gen Z book reviewer. From deep analysis of literature, to reading terrible romance books just for the fun of it, she is easily my favourite BookTokker out there.
@schulerbooks
You can never go wrong when recieving book recommendation from those who sell them, and the staff at schuler books are no exception with their vast knowledge and incredible variety, you are bound to find something you’ll enjoy.
@bookbinch AKA Nic
For the lovers of horror novels and the cultivators of queer literature.
@tayrosen AKA Taylor
For book reviews that are as well constructed and lyrical as the novels he recommends
@bridgetish
For those who love a variety of genres who want to try out something new.
@jackedwards
A list of notable BookTokkers would not be complete without the internet’s librarian. For those who love literary, classic and translated fiction, run (don’t walk) to Jack Edward’s page.
@williampdozier
As soemone who adores classics, William’s page is one that I frequent when I want to find something new and exciting to read in the genre.
@bewareofpity AKA Malissa
Another one of my absolute FAVOURITES. Malissa is an amazing content creator who perfectly mixes her deadpan delivery, witty humour and intellect to bring you the most amazing book recommendations. I think I would quite honestly read anything this woman recommends without question.
@vinopapi23
If you enjoy fantasy reads Vino is your go-to. He only recommends straight bangers and will never disappoint.
@darrenxm22
Another creator who loves a good fantasy novel, but is also perfect for anyone who wants to see reviews of viral TikTok books from a trusted, well-read source.