By Despoina Herouvim,
I know that most of us have spent quite some time scrolling through TikTok. I wonder though, whether you have come across a special corner of the app, called “BookTok”. For those of you who do not know, BookTok is the ideal sector of TikTok for book lovers. It is basically an open space for anyone who loves reading, as they can share their must-read titles or show around their incredibly organized bookshelves. Let us take a look at some of the books that went viral on this hashtag of TikTok during the last year.
1) It ends with us (2016) – by Colleen Hoover
I could not have started this list with any other book or any other author, because let us be honest. Colleen Hoover is one of the most recommended authors right now. She is literally everywhere and with good reason. It ends with us is a rollercoaster of emotions. At first, it seems like a light-hearted read about a love triangle, but this is not the case. It deals with very serious issues like abuse and domestic violence, so keep that in mind before you read it. The story follows Lily, a young woman who meets a seemingly perfect neurosurgeon Ryle. Everything seems to be just fine until her first love, Atlas, reappears and Lily’s life takes a turn. The novel is raw, honest, and full of emotion as it will make you fall in love and out of love in a matter of seconds. It is heartbreaking but enchanting nonetheless and is definitely worth all the hype.
2) The seven husbands of Evelyn Hugo (2017) – by Taylor Jenkins Reid
I do not even know where to start with this book. I was completely speechless and in awe when I finished it. The seven husbands of Evelyn Hugo is a historical romantic fiction that follows the story of the glamorous yet retired Evelyn Hugo who was a Hollywood star of the 1950s and is finally ready to recount her life story to a journalist. The book alternates between past and presents centering on the tales of her twisting and tragic life, including of course her seven weddings. This is the ultimate page-turner. It is glamorous, romantic, heartbreaking, and breathtaking all at once.
3) The song of Achilles (2011) – by Madeline Miller
Whether you are a fan of Greek mythology or not, The song of Achilles is a must-read for all book lovers out there. This book might have been written back in 2011, but thanks to TikTok it was literally brought back to life. It follows the story of Greece’s most powerful hero, Achilles, as seen from the eyes of Patroclus, his best friend, his lover, and his soulmate. The book retells the well-known myth of Achilles, but if you love romance and reading about epic loves, this is for you. The book is an emotional journey. Have your tissues around because it is most likely you will shed a couple of tears. I am quoting one of my favorite lines from the book here because I simply could not resist and because this exact quote gives you a glimpse of the epic love between Achilles and Patroclus.
“I could recognize him by touch alone, by smell; I would know him blind, by the way, his breaths came, and his feet struck the earth. I would know him in death, at the end of the world”.
4) The silent patient (2019) – by Alex Michaelides
If you love a good mystery thriller that keeps you on your toes, then I guarantee you that you will absolutely love The silent patient. The novel follows a psychotherapist that starts working in a new psychiatric facility and immediately gets interested in a patient that murdered her husband but has not uttered a word ever since. The book mainly focuses on the efforts of the psychotherapist to uncover the patient’s life and secrets. With an ending that will leave you totally speechless, I am certain that you will not be able to put it down until you are done.
5) They both die at the end (2017) – by Adam Silvera
If you are looking for a book to tug at your heartstrings, well look no further. They both die at the end is the story of Rufus and Mateo, two boys that have just been told that they only have one last day to live. The two of them might be total strangers but they both look for a friend to spend their last day on earth with. Fortunately, there is an app for this. It is called the last friend and through it, they decide to meet and live a lifetime in a day. They go on their greatest adventure together and they teach you that life is too short to just watch it pass you by. Love and grief are the main themes of this heart-wrenching novel, and it shows us the importance of making each day count like it is our last one.
6) Beach Read (2020) – by Emily Henry
This book right here is the perfect one to read at the beach, as the title suggests. The story revolves around two writers Augustus and January, who are polar opposites, and who are staying in next-door cabins for the summer. There is a problem though. They both need to write a book and they need to do it quickly. So, they strike a deal in order to get out of their writing slump. The plan is that Augustus will write something happy for a change, while January will move on from her romantic tropes and will write the next great novel. Everyone will write a book, and no one will fall in love. At least that was the plan. If you love romance books, then this is ideal for you this summer, as it is fun and will have you laughing out loud while being stretched out on your towel at the beach.
I could go on and on with this list, but these are the first books that came to my mind when I thought of BookTok. If you love books and are looking for the most hyped-up ones, then you should go on and take a look at the famous hashtag of TikTok.
References
- BookTok Made Me Read It: Popular Books on TikTok, dymocks.com.au, Available here
- BookTok Books: The Most Popular Books on TikTok That’ll Make You Forget You’re Even Reading, stylecaster.com, Available here
