If you like reading and are on TikTok, you’ve probably ended up on BookTok, where all the readers talk about different books, and then the popularity of those books grows. But are they popular because they’re good, or just because your favorite influencer posted them?
BookTok is a great platform to discover new books and get recommendations from fellow readers. While some books gain popularity because of influencers, many of them are genuinely good reads.
I’ve enjoyed several BookTok recommendations, such as If He Had Been With Me (2013) by Laura Nowlin and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo (2017) by Taylor Jenkins Reid. It’s a positive way to explore new books and connect with others who share a love for reading.
From my experience, most of the BookTok books I’ve read have been enjoyable, but there are the occasional poorly written ones. For example, Icebreaker (2022) by Hannah Grace got a lot of attention, but many feel that it isn’t good and was only hyped up for the storyline and being labeled as “spicy” instead of the book quality. My expectations were high after hearing many people talk about it, but I’ve read much better.
If He Had Been With Me gained a lot of attention this past year on TikTok. It was published back in 2013, but it recently grew in popularity, with people talking about how heart-shattering and well-written it is. This year, Laura Nowlin published If Only I Had Told Her, a continuation of the story, with more detail and different perspectives on the heartbreaking teenage love story. The release of the new book brought even more attention to these stories. I wouldn’t have discovered this author and her writing if it weren’t for all the hype around the story on BookTok.
These are just some of the many popular books of TikTok, and every reader has their preferences so even though these books may not be for you, you will find something of your interest. The TikTok algorithm makes book recommendations based on what you’ve liked in the past. Once I liked a few videos about books that I read, I began to see similar books in my feed and grew my love for reading.
We’ve been so lost in our devices that it’s discouraged reading and activities away from a screen. I think BookTok has reintroduced the beauty of reading to the younger generations that have grown up with cell phones as a preferred option of entertainment. While there might be some books that are popular just because of influencers, BookTok can be a great way to find recommendations and grow your love of reading.
