25 Popular BookTok Books That Actually Deserve The Hype

Summary Not all BookTok recommendations are worth the hype, and determining if a book is truly well-written is key.

Reviewers on BookTok may oversell or undersell books, missing important aspects of the story.

Enduring popularity on BookTok doesn't guarantee a book's quality, but it may be indicative that a lot of people have read the book and still like it.

Since TikTok's inception, BookTok has been a popular social media outlet for readers to find new recommendations. However, not all the books advertised on BookTok are worth the hype. BookTok is a useful tool to find out about everything from amazing standalone fantasy books to the most anticipated romance books coming out in 2024. However, the real trick is figuring out which ones have only risen to popularity because of overused clichés and which ones are truly special.

Hopefully, BookTok-ers can give their followers some sense of the highlights of any given book — trope subversion, world-building, character development, etc. However, sometimes, reviewers only mention the most basic parts of the book when there is so much more to it. On the other hand, they might completely oversell it. Especially in the case of books that have been out for some time, their enduring popularity on BookTok and other platforms may be an indication that plenty of people have read the book and deemed it worthy of its hype.

Related 14 Most Anticipated Non-Fiction Books Coming Out The Rest Of 2024 2024 is a big year for literature, with several great non-fiction books that readers have been patiently waiting for finally hitting the shelves.

25 Daisy Jones & The Six

By Taylor Jenkins Reid

Daisy Jones & the Six season 2 is in limbo, but the standalone pseudo-historical fiction novel does everything it needs to and more within one book. Reid has put out one groundbreaking novel after another; Daisy Jones & the Six is formatted as a collection of interviews, emails, and song lyrics, through which the book relates the life of fictional singer Daisy Jones' adolescence in Hollywood and how she eventually falls in with rising rock band The Six. Inspired by Fleetwood Mac's story, this book was a fresh and welcome addition to Reid's repertoire following her romantic dramas.

24 Six Of Crows

Leigh Bardugo

Mastermind Kaz Brekker and his gang of criminals known as "the Crows" embark on a breathtaking fantasy heist inspired by Ocean's Eleven but with so much more to offer.

All of Bardugo's novels have appeared on BookTok, but Six of Crows and its sequel Crooked Kingdom still stand out as some of her best work. Mastermind Kaz Brekker and his gang of criminals known as "the Crows" embark on a breathtaking fantasy heist inspired by Ocean's Eleven but with so much more to offer. Every character is meticulously written, and every plot twist leaves everyone involved reeling. Because the Shadow and Bone TV show gets things wrong about the Crows, everyone who considers themselves fans of these characters needs to discover the original versions of them.

23 Priory Of The Orange Tree

By Samantha Shannon

Ead Duryan is an undercover mage, sent to the kingdom of Inys to pose as a courtier and protect the queen. On the other side of the world, Tané is an aspiring dragon rider whose dreams are disrupted by a chance encounter with a stranger. Yet these two women are destined to meet and play an important role in saving their world when an ancient evil awakens. Shannon manages to match the world-building of her dystopian fantasy series The Bone Season with a more traditional medievalist epic fantasy, elevated by a plot of complex politics and alliances between ideologically different kingdoms.

22 Verity

By Colleen Hoover

Colleen Hoover is something of a divisive name among those who peruse BookTook — some people on Reddit have sworn off her novels. Others believe that Hollywood should have adapted Verity before It Ends with Us, due to the former novel being unburdened by the same controversy and boasting a riveting, macabre mystery plot. Verity follows a struggling writer who is hired by another author's husband to finish her novel series while she is injured. However, the protagonist gets more than she bargained for when she discovers Verity's autobiography and finds herself embroiled in the couple's darkest secrets.

21 Beach Read

By Emily Henry

Everyone should read Beach Read before the movie adaptation arrives, announced to be in development in 2023 (via Deadline). In Beach Read, two novelists and old acquaintances afflicted by writer's block agree to trade genres as a writing exercise while spending a few months in neighboring beach houses. Henry has put out one bestselling romance novel after another, also including People We Meet on Vacation, Book Lovers, and Funny Story. Romance fans craving flirty banter will always find it in one of her books, with no signs that her career is slowing down anytime soon.

20 These Violent Delights

By Chloe Gong

Gong expertly weaves together historical fiction, Shakespearean romance, and urban fantasy in These Violent Delights, a Romeo and Juliet retelling set in 1920s Shanghai. As the story begins, gangster heiress Juliette Cai has just returned to Shanghai from New York and is forced to confront and work with Roma Montagov, the heir to the rival gang. What follows is a captivating tale of shoot-outs, betrayal, and, obviously, romance. These Violent Delights leads into Foul Lady Fortune, a spinoff duology comprising a reimagining of As You Like It. Juliet's cousin "Rosaline" then becomes the latter play's protagonist "Rosalind."

Related 10 Fantasy Duologies To Read If You Can't Commit To More Than Two Books Fantasy duologies including These Violent Delights, We Hunt the Flame, and Six of Crows offer brief yet complex stories to fans of fantasy literature.

19 I'm Glad My Mom Died

By Jennette McCurdy

The bold title likely clues most readers in that they are about to begin a complex drama. In her memoir, iCarly and Sam & Cat star Jenette McCurdy reveals her struggles as a child actor and the unhealthy habits enforced by her controlling mother, who was determined to see her daughter become a star. However, after the conclusion of Sam & Cat and her mother's death from cancer, McCurdy quit acting and began therapy as the first steps toward making a life for herself, one based on her own wishes rather than her mother's.

18 Iron Widow

By Xiran Jay Zhao

In Iron Widow and now its sequel Heavenly Tyrant, Zhao reimagines the life of Wu Zetian, China's only female emperor, in a fascinating futuristic setting of mechas called Chrysalises and armies of aliens. Zhao's Zetian enlists as a concubine-pilot to one of the mecha pilots, plotting to kill him to avenge her sister's death. However, Zetian then discovers her own immense power and is set on a path to becoming a vengeful leader. Iron Widow's protagonist is satisfyingly ruthless and her relationships with the other main characters are well-written, making it a must-read for sci-fi fans.

17 Aristotle And Dante Discover The Secrets Of The Universe

By Benjamin Alire Sáenz

Dante and Ari are seemingly polar opposites but manage to become friends and learn more about themselves through each other. Yet this apparently straightforward coming-of-age story leaves readers breathless. Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe is a succinct read that is arguably an example of literary fiction; it is only about exploring the two main characters. However, it is a true masterpiece not just because of the relationship between the two boys, but in the depictions of their familial relationships, and how all are important to how they view the world.

16 Tomorrow, And Tomorrow, And Tomorrow

By Gabrielle Zevin

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow is recognized as the coming-of-age novel written for gamers. At its core, it is a story about friendship and the pitfalls of success, as two childhood friends who reconnect while studying at Harvard go on to become in-universe legendary video game developers. However, even achieving this dream is not a guarantee of happiness. Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow is full of heartrending and heartwarming moments, and a lot of talk about video games. The wide-spanning timeline means the story can incorporate various real-life-inspired games, for a survey of pop culture history through fiction.

15 A Court Of Thorns And Roses

By Sarah J. Maas

While Hulu's A Court of Thorns and Roses TV show is taking a very long time to get off the ground, fans can pass the time reading (or re-reading) the books, with a new installment coming soon. Fans of paranormal romance will be delighted by this Beauty and the Beast retelling — however, Maas both utilizes the common tropes of the young adult genre and completely decimates them, and readers are in for some surprises. Maas' world of Fae warriors and powerful sorceresses is ever-expanding, and reading ACOTAR will likely lead to Throne of Glass and Crescent City as well.

Related 8 Fantasy Books That Are Getting Movies & TV Shows Some of the most captivating TV shows and movies are in the fantasy genre, so here are 8 more fantasy novels that are being adapted for the screen.

14 The Invisible Life Of Addie LaRue

By V. E. Schwab

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue is a story of heartbreak and healing, or the caveats that come with getting everything one always dreamed of, and a difficult but well-lived life.

In one of the more recent additions to the long list of amazing fantasy novels by V. E. Schwab, teenage Addie LaRue makes a deal with the devil to escape an arranged marriage in 18th-century France. While she is now immortal and can see the world as she always dreamed, she is cursed, so no one will remember her after meeting her once. The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue is a story of heartbreak and healing, or the caveats that come with getting everything one always dreamed of, and a difficult but well-lived life.

13 The Song Of Achilles

By Madeline Miller

In The Song of Achilles (and Circe), Madeline Miller delves into all the nuances of Greek mythology and turns them into stories for a modern audience. Her version of Achilles and Patroclus' romance and exploration of the events of the Trojan War provides an emotional explanation for what happens that the original story lacks. While the general population may have had a vague understanding of this facet of Greek literature and mythology and the characters involved in it, Miller makes Achilles, Patroclus, Briseis, and the rest real by emphasizing their hopes, fears, insecurities, and devotion to each other.

12 A Good Girl's Guide To Murder

By Holly Jackson

A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder’s sassy title promises a fun read, while the plot delivers a Scream meets Nancy Drew murder mystery. In the first book, a high school senior has always been curious about a murder case that struck her town years earlier and decides to take another look for a school project. However, she finds clues that might actually change the case’s outcome and meets someone who doesn’t want her to do so. This leads to two sequels of mystery and investigation, titled Good Girl, Bad Blood and As Good As Dead.

11 The Secret History

By Donna Tartt

Even books from before the advent of social media have made their way onto BookTok, drawing in a new generation of readers. 1992’s The Secret History follows a group of six classics students at a New England college who are beholden to their strange professor. Years later, one of them reflects on the events that led up to the murder of one of his classmates. The Secret History has perhaps found new popularity because of an interest in the evolution of the dark academia genre, eventually evolving into and deconstructed by novels such as Ninth House and Babel.

10 The Seven Husbands Of Evelyn Hugo

By Taylor Jenkins Reid

Before chronicling the rise and fall of a fictional 70s rock band, Reid became one of the biggest BookTok stars for the title almost everyone alive has heard of: The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. In a proto version of Daisy Jones and the Six’s interview format, journalist Monique Grant is invited into the home of reclusive Hollywood movie starlet Evelyn Hugo to gather information to write the actress’ biography. What follows is a gut-wrenching tale as Evelyn relates the sacrifices she made to make it to Hollywood and the greatest secret loves of her life.

Related The Seven Husbands Of Evelyn Hugo: Director, Cast & Everything We Know The best-selling novel The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo is coming to Netflix and here is what you need to know about the adaptation.

9 Convenience Store Woman

By Sayaka Murata

Convenience Store Woman is an oddly adorable contemporary novel about being pressured to be something by society and family when one is perfectly content with the way things are. Keiko has felt awkward and out of place her entire life but suddenly finds a sense of rhyme and reason when she starts working at Smile Mart as an 18-year-old. Another 18 years later, Keiko is still contently working there, but her family continues to ask when she will get married and have a real career. The quirky novel comes to a simple ending about rejecting the mythical idea of “normal.”

8 The Inheritance Games

By Jennifer Lynn Barnes

The Inheritance Games is a Knives Out-like story that has been stretched into multiple novels instead of being covered in one movie. It follows teenage Avery Grambs, who is doing her best to succeed in high school in order to win a scholarship that will carry her away forever. That is until a billionaire she has never met or even heard of leaves her his entire fortune. Avery travels to his estate where she must solve a series of puzzles and contend with the deceased man’s family if she wants the fortune that will secure her future.

7 The Atlas Six

By Olivie Blake

One of the latest dark academia novels to take off with BookTok is The Atlas Six, following the latest class of six magicians selected every decade to become a part of the mysteriously prestigious Alexandrian Society. They are forced to compete to avoid elimination by producing the best surrealistic research within a year. The Atlas Six is worth a read just to compare it to its genre contemporaries, with an ensemble cast of engaging characters. It is the first book in a now completed trilogy, with The Atlas Paradox released in 2022 and The Atlas Complex in early 2024.

6 The Love Hypothesis

By Ali Hazelwood

Another testament to fan fiction’s developing place in modern literature, The Love Hypothesis famously started out as a Kylo Ren/Rey fanfiction before it was adapted into a hilarious rom-com. The synopsis enjoys a cute nod to the novel’s origins, saying:

“Convincing Anh that Olive is dating and well on her way to a happily ever after was always going to take more than hand-wavy Jedi mind tricks.”

In this book, a PhD candidate pretends to date the most hated professor in Stanford University’s science department when she is caught in a lie by her best friend. Anyone who has ever read a novel like this knows how things escalate from there.