Let’s talk BookTok books. There are so many recommendations on BookTok that it can be overwhelming, so I’ve narrowed it down to my top favorites so you know exactly where to start with your TBR pile.
What is BookTok? BookTok is a sub-community on TikTok that has all the content book lovers want: reviews, recommendations, theories, book debates, full reenactments of your favorite book scenes – you name it.
And while BookTok is a lot of fun, it can take time to sort out the gems from the duds. After all, not everyone can have as fabulous a taste in books as you.
Today, I’m here to share the absolute best BookTok books so you don’t have to go digging.
The 25 Best BookTok Books (by Genre)
Here are my favorite BookTok books for you to enjoy. Whether you are looking for spicy BookTok recommendations or the best new HorrorTok books, I’ve got some great options for you to add to your BookTok book list:
Young Adult BookTook Books
If you’re looking for some YA BookTok books, here are some of my recent favs:
1. Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao
This book blew my mind. If you’re looking for BookTok books that feel like Mulan mixed with Gundam mixed with Starship Troopers, you’ve found the holy grail.
Iron Widow has some great polyamorous representation, but don’t go into this expecting a spicy BookTok book. The romance is a side plot. THIS IS WAR we are talking about.
This book is the poster child for feminism. It screams girl power to the rooftops. And that cliffhanger twist of an ending will have YOU screaming.
If you like sci-fi at all, pick this one up.
@aymansbooks Iron Widow by @Xiran Jay Zhao #ironwidow #yafantasy #ad ♬ Violin – Grooving Gecko
2. Legendborn by Tracy Deonn
Do you like fantasy? If so, stop what you’re doing and pick up this book. Legendborn is a unique take on the King Arthur legends with a kickass POC main character and the love triangle we’re all looking for.
Legendborn has excellent worldbuilding and some of the most beautiful quotes on grief I have ever read. It also has some twists in store that will make you GASP. Really, the book has no business being this good. This author is one to watch.
@ezeekat This is your sign to read (or re-read) Legendborn! #booktok #legendborn #books #bookworm #bookrecommendations #bookreviews #bookish #yafantasy #fantasybooks #5starbooks ♬ Lo-fi hip hop – NAO-K
3. Caraval by Stephanie Garber
Caraval is a hoot and a half, and the one word I would use to describe this series is MAGICAL. Caraval is about a high-stakes game with magic prizes – and a high chance of going mad.
Nothing is as it seems, and as the scavenger hunt gets harder and the clues become more obscure, reality starts to unravel.
If you like a little magic and to stay on the edge of your seat, you will want to follow Scarlett through this harrowing adventure.
@georgialovestoread my full, *spoiler-free* thoughts & review on the Caraval trilogy (Caraval, Legendary, Finale) by Stephanie Garber. I loved this series & rated it 4⭐️ overall #booktok #bookreview #bookrecommendations #bookreviews #bookreviewer #booktoker #bookgirlies #caraval #caravalstephaniegarber #caravalbook #caravallegendaryfinale #caravaltrilogy #caravalreview #caravalseries #yafantasy #yafantasybooks #yafantasybookrecs #stephaniegarber #stephaniegarberbooks #magicalbook #fantasybooks #fantasybookseries #fantasybookrecs #fantasybooktok #yafantasytok ♬ original sound – Georgia Wilder ౨ৎ
4. Powerless by Lauren Roberts
Okay, I’m jumping on the bandwagon. Rarely does a book take us from enemies to lovers to enemies so well. I NEED the second book NOW so I can find out what happens next. It’s physically painful.
Powerless is like The Hunger Games meets Red Queen. It’s set in a world where people without magic powers are banished or killed to protect the magic-bearing Elites. When powerless main character Paeydn unsuspectingly saves an Elite prince, she finds herself thrown into the Purging Trials.
The problem? The trials are meant to showcase the powers she doesn’t have.
Powerless is a lot of fun, but don’t expect great literature. Lauren Roberts really needed a better editor on this one. As long as you can get past that, you’ll have a fabulous time.
@portable_magic take this video as a sign 😩 #booktok #reader #bookish #powerless ♬ original sound – portable_magic
5. A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson
A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder earned a glowing 5 star review from me, and thus, a spot in the list of the top BookTok books. This book is a roller coaster with some really great twists, and it definitely keeps you on your toes.
Pippa Fitz-Amobi decides to document a murder case from her small town as her senior year project. The problem? She discovers some previously uncovered evidence, and the killer is watching.
This ride gets wild quickly!
@cybaer_ "Things always come in threes" Inspo from @Aurora ♡ #aggtm #show #andiebell #edit #pipfitzamobi #pip #ravi #littlekilton #emmamyers #agad #ggbb #agoodgirlsguidetomurderseries #agoodgirlguidetomurderbook ♬ original sound – Aurora 🍉
Fiction BookTok Books
Thriller, historical romance, or slice-of-life, here are the best fiction BookTok books to read this year.
6. The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
What I would give to go back and read The Silent Patient for the first time again. It’s seriously one of my top BookTok recommendations for anyone who loves thrillers.
I’ve read so many mysteries and thrillers at this point that it’s extremely rare when I don’t see the twist coming.
Let me tell you I was SHOOK during this story.
The Silent Patient is an absolute page-turner that will have you staying up late to reach the conclusion. It follows the story of a therapist obsessed with uncovering the motive for a woman’s shocking murder of her husband – but she’s not talking.
@kaitlin.tracy I need more books like this asap #fy #fyp #kaitlintracy #thesilentpatient #mysterybooks #thrillerbooks #books #bookish #booktok #fastreader #readwithme #readingvlog #readinginonesitting #plottwist #twistending ♬ Home – Edith Whiskers
7. The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune
Oh how I love TJ Klune. I lap up everything he publishes. So naturally, The House in the Cerulean Sea has made my list of the best BookTok books.
Linus Baker works at the Department in Charge of Magical Youth and one day, he is summoned by Extremely Upper Management and given a special assignment. He must travel to an island where six dangerous orphans are living – including the Antichrist.
The House in the Cerulean Sea is such a feel-good story. It is like a warm hug at the end of a hard day. Do yourself the gift of reading it.
@freyvalerio Please everyone read this book thats all i can say #booktok #fantasybooktok #fantasybooktokers #bookworm #bookrecs #fantasybookrecs #bookreview #bookrecommendations #thehousebytheceruleansea ♬ original sound – freya valerio 📚
8. A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara
Another of my favorite BookTok books is A Little Life. The book follows the lives of four friends trying to make it in New York and the hardships that befall them.
You have to be in the right mood to read A Little Life, because it will slowly CRUSH YOUR SOUL in the best of ways. I’m talking 750 pages of life-changing trauma that will have you bawling your eyes out for the characters.
But it is just SO GOOD.
In fact, reading A Little Life has become a sort of right of passage on TikTok, and you’ll have a whole group of people in the BookTok community going through it with you.
@allegracappuccini do NOT reccomend reading this on a very public train iykyk #alittlelife #littlelifereaction #publicfreekout #booktok #crying #sobbing #sadbook #goodbook #sister #jude ♬ Little Life – Cordelia
9. The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
Speaking of tear-jerker BookTok books… I wasn’t expecting the end of The Song of Achilles to hit me as hard as it did, but boy does Madeline Miller make you fall for this couple. And the couple is none other than Achilles and Patroclus – with their story told like never before.
You think you know the story of the Battle of Troy, but trust me, you don’t. If you like Greek history or MM romances, this one is for you. It starts slow but it sure does go places.
Absolutely beautiful piece of literature.
@paulinasbooks my heart is in shambles. #booktok #books #thesongofachilles #bookrecs ♬ He is half of my soul – americab2004
10. Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi
Love BookTok books with heart-warming story lines that will also make you sob? Well then I have another one for you! Before the Coffee Gets Cold is unassuming, but it will totally sneak up on you.
In a small alley in Tokyo is a cafe that serves more than just coffee. Customers also have the opportunity to travel back in time and change one event in their lives – but they have to be back before the coffee gets cold. You can imagine the consequences.
This is a book that will push you to question your life choices, but above all else, to live fully and without regrets.
@abigailjro my last book in 2022! Gonna do a recap soon! 🤍 #booktok #beforethecoffeegetscold ♬ Would've, Could've, Should've – Taylor Swift
Fantasy BookTok Books
BookTok loves a little fantasy, and specifically Romantasy. So here are the best recent BookTok books of the bunch!
11. A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
Okay, so A Court of Thorns and Roses isn’t all that recent, but it IS the mother of all Romantasy. Love it or hate it, Sarah J. Maas has started a movement.
While arguable not the best writing of the bunch, the world building and characters are unparalleled. And you HAVE to give the second book a chance, because that’s where the series really takes off.
I have read the ACOTAR series three times, which is something I almost never do. But the characters feel like my good friends, and I wish they really were! It’s a world you’ll (clearly) want to return to time and time again.
Originally written as a Beauty and the Beast retelling, ACOTAR has truly taken on a life of its own. #shadowdaddy for life!
I can’t even post any of the good BookTok videos without spoilers, but this passes the vibe check.
@booklinslow as requested 🙂 #booktok #reader #bookworm #yabooktok #reading #book #acosf #acotar #sjm #batboys #rhysand #cassian #azriel #feyrearcheron ♬ original sound – Amelie
12. House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J. Maas
House of Earth and Blood is the first book in the most recent series from Sarah J. Maas, Crescent City. It’s also arguably her best series. Fans of ACOTAR will be thrilled to learn that this eventually turns into an ACOTAR crossover, but it’s worth reading in its own right too.
Enter the world of Midgard, where Bryce Quinlan finds herself at the heart of a dangerous investigation where nothing is as it seems. The last 200 pages of this book are so full of action and revelations, you won’t want to miss it.
We have faeries, shifters, angels, and characters you can truly fall in love with against a gritty urban fantasy backdrop.
There is a lot of world-building, but once you get through it, it really pays off. This book and its sequel with both 5-star reads for me. Add them to your BookTok book list if you’re a fantasy fan.
@libraryofhannah is anyone surprised this was a 5 star read for me? no 🥰 this is one that I wish I would’ve read way sooner, & already has solidified my ranking of TOG > CC > ACOTAR ✨ #booktok #bookish #bookreview #crescentcity #sarahjmaas #fantasybooks #houseofearthandblood #sjm ♬ original sound – han 📖
13. Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
Fourth Wing is what people read when they have an ACOTAR book hangover, and vice-versa. If you love one, you are pretty much guaranteed to love the other.
But Fourth Wing has something ACOTAR doesn’t: Dragons. And lots of them!
There is a reason Fourth Wing swept the competition of other BookTok books and won the best Romantasy of 2023. I was hooked from the very beginning, and this book brought out a childlike joy in me that I haven’t felt in years.
This book is set at the brutal Basgiath War Collage, where Violet is struggling to survive and earn her place as an elite dragon rider. It has a great enemies to lovers sub plot, and plenty of twists to keep you entertained.
Best yet, Fourth Wing is only the first book of many, and is soon to be transformed into a TV series. *fangirl scream*
@_abbiekae Calling all the BookTok gals who don’t love fantasy…👀🐉✨ #booktok #bookworm #bookish #bookrecs #bookrecommendations #thrillerbooktok #thrillerbooklover #fourthwing #fourthwingreview #fourthwingrebeccayarros #rebeccayarros #fivestarsbooks #fyp #nospoilersreview ♬ Autumn Leaves – Timothy Cole
14. Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan
Daughter of the Moon Goddess really took me by surprise – I wasn’t expecting to fall for it as hard as I did, but take this cue from me: add it to your BookTok book list.
I can’t believe how much happened in this book, or that it was Sue Lynn Tan’s debut novel. She has an artful way of storytelling that really gets under your skin. Seriously, it’s beautiful, and I cared so much about the characters and what happened to them so early on in the story.
Xingyin travels to the Celestial Kingdom under disguise where she hopes to find a way to free her mother from her exile on the moon. There are so many twists and turns, heartfelt romance, epic battles, and everything in between. This is a winner among BookTok books.
@aqilahsanecdotes A 5⭐️ book rec for my romance fantasy lovers #dotmg #booktok #fantasybooks #romance #daughterofthemoongoddess ♬ Athletic tune "heaven and hell" – Shinonome
15. The Serpent & The Wings of Night by Carissa Broadbent
The Serpent & The Wings of Night is like The Hunger Games with vampires. And I don’t really know what else needs to be said. It’s fun, it’s well-written, it’s got great romance, and it leaves you wanting to fly into the sequel (which is also one of the top BookTok books right now). But make sure you read the novella before you do!
@kaven_books Who me?? OBSESSED?? Understatement. BOOK: the serpent and the wings of night AUTHOR: @carissabroadbent #booktok #bookreview #bookrecommendations #darkfantasy #bookreviews #bookrecs #bookclub #bookworm #readertok #romancebook ♬ original sound – Kaven
Romance BookTok Books
Time for some spicy BookTok books! Of course, some are spicier than others, and some are just downright adorable. Here are my favorite romance BookTok books of recent years:
16. It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover
To be honest, It Ends With Us isn’t one of my favorite Colleen Hoover books. I would rather read Verity or Reminders of Him any day. But It Ends With Us and its prequel, It Starts With Us, have taken BookTok by storm, so I felt it was important to add to the list.
This is one of those BookTok books that sparks meaningful discussion. It’s not a happy, sappy romance novel, so don’t go in expecting that. This is about trauma and how we overcome it.
If you’ve ever been in a toxic relationship yourself, it can be healing to read this and talk it out with the BookTalk community.
@bookslandnepal Have you read this book? Place your order from the website and get additional discount. #booksnepal #deliveryallovernepal #fypシ #bookstoreinnepal #itendswithus ♬ original sound – Bookslandnepal
17. Book Lovers by Emily Henry
Book Lovers is one of my absolute favorite BookTok books, and probably my favorite romance of all time. It just has everything I want in a romance – seriously. It had me laughing, it had me crying, it had me squealing out loud with joy.
Nora is a book lover, but she is not a heroine. Her sister convinces her to take a trip to Sunshine Falls, where the small-town romance and transformation happens first ironically, and then in a deeply authentic and heartfelt way.
This book deals with grief, self-image, finding your way when you feel lost, and rewriting your story about yourself. 5 out of 5.
@miss_ipkiss_reads the perfect summer read imo 😊 out may 3rd! Tysm to the penguin random house canada team for sending me an early copy #booktok #booklovers #emilyhenry ♬ She Share Story (for Vlog) – 山口夕依
18. Beach Read by Emily Henry
Beach Read is my second favorite book by Emily Henry, and it was still five stars for me. Emily is just the queen of romance novels in my eyes. She knows how to write a main character, and isn’t afraid to poke fun at romance tropes or tackle difficult real-world issues.
In Beach Read, a romance novelist who no longer believes in love and a pretentious literary novelist decide to trade styles for the summer as a competition. And they end up learning how to fall in love with themselves and each other in the process.
It’s cute, it’s smart, it has great banter, and it left me feeling so, so content.
@mikaylasbooknook_ This review gets a little serious and vulnerable but I like to share my life with you all. This book is another good one. Haven’t found a Emily Henry book I don’t enjoy! #booktok #bookreview #bookrecs #vulnerable #mybookreviews #popularbooks #emilyhenry #beachread #bookclubbook #fyp #mikaylasbooknook ♬ original sound – Mikayla’s Book Nook☀️📚
19. Haunting Adeline by H.D. Carlton
Okay, you’ve found the spicy BookTok rec. Haunting Adeline is all sorts of spicy. And, while not one of the most controversial books of all time, there is still plenty of controversy around it. In fact, it was previously banned from Amazon because of its trigger warnings.
So rest assured, we are in dark romance territory here. I’m talking child sex trafficking, sexual assault, fall in love with your stalker sorts of trigger warnings. This probably shouldn’t be your first introduction to dark romances, but if you are into the genre, then this is one of the ones to beat!
@emsbookshelff 5/5 🌟
♬ original sound – Emily Michelle 📖✨
20. The Hating Game by Hannah Grace
The Hating Game is one of the few five-star romance reads for me that wasn’t Emily Henry, so you know I LOVED it. If you want a romance book with the absolute best banter, this is one of the BookTok books you should pick up.
Lucy Hutton and Joshua Templeman hate each other. HATE. They are each other’s absolute nemesis at work, but of course, that’s all going to change. This truly is one of the most fun enemies to lovers books I have had the joy of reading.
@pavisfrancesca One of my favourite romance books ever, super cheesy and predictable enemies to lovers but I LOVE it 💛 – #popularbooktokbook #booktokbookreview #thehatinggamebook #thehatinggamesallythorne #sallythorne #romcombooks #enemiestoloversbooks ♬ bound 2 – FILMSTELLAR
21. Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
BookTok loves a MM romance. And Red, White & Royal Blue is one of the best BookTok books in the genre!
Alex Claremont-Diaz is the son of the United States President, and Prince Henry is a member of the British royal family. They really dislike each other, but have to stage a truce after a fight gives their families unwanted attention in the tabloids.
Soon, their fake friendship grows into something more, but what does that mean for the political and generational pressures they face?
@bookswithniki Overall rating 5/5 ⭐️ #booktok #bookreview #redwhiteandroyalblue #Inverted ♬ original sound – ✩°｡⋆ books with niki ⋆｡°✩
HorrorTok Books
Now it’s time to get our creep on. I love a good horror book, so if you’re anything like me, then here are my top BookTok books for you!
22. House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski
House of Leaves has been my favorite book for over a decade – and I don’t know if anything will ever top it. Now, I must preface this by saying that this book isn’t for everyone. You have to be willing to go along for the ride.
House of Leaves is a story within a story within a story. At its core, it’s about a house that is bigger on the inside than the outside. And the horrors within.
There are footnotes upon footnotes and pages written upside down. There are pages of absolute nonsense that you aren’t even meant to read. That is all part of the journey.
This book will slip under your skin so slowly you won’t even realize until it has sunk its claws into you. It single-handedly made me afraid of the dark for years.
You’ve been warned.
@kate_in_the_unreal_world THE FINALE. Saving most terrifying for last. #booktok #rec #horror #houseofleaves ♬ original sound – Kate
23. Tender is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica
Tender is the Flesh is not for the faint at heart. We’re talking cannibalism here. This book takes place in a world where a virus has made animal meat poisonous, so people have turned to eating a “special meat.”
Marco works at a processing plant for human meat, and it is forbidden to have contact with the livestock. Unfortunately, he starts to see one of his specimens as a human being.
Tender is the Flesh will make you squeamish, and will also make you question your morality. It’s also one of the best horror audiobooks.
You won’t see the end coming.
@gabidextrous tender is the flesh, no spoilers. does Dante being in this video make it better or worse? #booktok #tenderistheflesh #horrorbooks #bookreview #dystopianbooks ♬ original sound – gabriela 📚💫
24. Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Mexican Gothic is gothic horror at its best. You feel the creeping dread while reading it, and you know it’s going nowhere good, but it’s so whimsical and lyrical that you can’t put it down.
Silvia Moreno-Garcia weaves a woeful tale of Noemí Taboada, who receives an alarming letter from her cousin, begging Noemí to save her from her impending doom. When Noemí goes to visit her cousin at the family manner of her cousin’s new husband, nothing is as it seems.
@salty_caroline_reads Replying to @saraafrocha Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia (5⭐️) #bookreview#gothichorror#mexicangothic#booktok#saltycaroline ♬ original sound – caroline 💕
25. Home Before Dark by Riley Sager
Home Before Dark is a book you will want to read in a single sitting to figure out what on earth is going on. It follows Maggie, who returns to the home her family fled in the middle of the night 25 years prior. She is here to finally sell the dreaded house – but it won’t go smoothly.
I don’t want to give any spoilers, but if @sydneyyybooks recommends it, you know it’s good, because she is the queen of horror BookTokers.
@sydneyyybooks MORE underrated books! #booktok #bookrecs #thrillerbooks #books #horrorbooks #booktokfyp #fyp #booktoker #creepybooks ♬ Lilac – Fthmlss
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