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In today’s ever-changing digital world, readers have discovered an exciting new way to share their favourite reads… BookTok! This book-loving corner of the TikTok app has exploded in popularity, making it one of the best places to find new book recommendations.

But with daily recommendations flooding in and new books becoming viral at the drop of a hat (or vid, in this case), how can you tell which BookTok book recommendation is worth reading? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. Keep reading to find out the seven BookTok books that absolutely deserve the love they’re getting right now!

In this blog:

7. Little Fires Everywhere
6. The Midnight Library
5. They Both Die At The End
4. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
3. A Little Life
2. Verity
1. The Song of Achilles

7. Little Fires Everywhere

Celeste Ng found BookTok fame through her first novel ‘Everything I Never Told You’, however, it’s her second novel ‘Little Fires Everywhere’ that has made it onto our list.

The story follows mother and daughter duo Mia and Pearl as they threaten to pop the idyllic bubble of the perfect Richardson family and their community. Celeste Ng’s novel explores the weight and burden of secrets, the essence of identity and the peril of believing that following the rules can prevent calamity.

6. The Midnight Library

This BookTok book recommendation is a unique novel about regret, hope and forgiveness following the book’s protagonist, Nora. After a series of events, Nora finds herself in the Midnight Library and has a chance to make things right in her past; a past which has been filled with misery and regret.

Without giving too much away, this book offers a touching and relatable perspective on mental health and just how overwhelming it can be. As Matt Haig’s novel unfolds, the story shows how you can find beauty and happiness in living.

BookTok has thousands of book recommendations on the platform, but this one is a standout – it even became the no.1 bestseller in the Sunday Times and won the award of readers’ most loved book of 2021.

5. They Both Die At The End

If you’re looking for a book recommendation to make you live life to the fullest, then look no further! Silvera’s third novel delves into the lives of two teenage boys who discover they have one day left to live. After hearing the news, the two boys connect and become friends embarking on a journey of heartbreak and loss on their last day.

This BookTok favourite has been named ‘a love story with a difference’ offering a hauntingly poetic narrative of two very different characters. Throughout this book recommendation, the reader can relate and empathise with the characters in various ways, stamping the novel’s emotional impact on them.

4. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo

From the same author as another BookTok favourite ‘Daisy Jones and The Six’, ‘The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo’ is a mesmerising journey into the lavish splendour of old-age Hollywood, through the memories of ageing starlet Evelyn Hugo, merged with the present day. Taylor Jenkins Reid writes from the perspective of journalist Monique Grant, who has been selected by Hugo to write an exclusive story about her life.

As the book unfolds, Monique discovers her life is entangled with Hugo’s in devastating and lasting ways. Taylor Jenkins Reid writes a compelling and heart-wrenching read that captures the hearts of its readers. At the end of the novel, readers will feel as though they’ve lived a hundred lives; this is one book recommendation backed by all its readers.

3. A Little Life

Be warned, this BookTok recommendation will have you reaching for the tissues. Hanya Yanagihara’s harrowing novel follows the lives of four friends who met at college, as they embark on their lives in New York. The tale recounts the numerous struggles the friends go through over the decades, as their lives move in and out of darkness haunted by memories and trauma in their past.

The story is a strong example of the importance of patience and sympathy, as people’s trauma and struggles are not always visible. Hanya Yanagihara explores the limits of friendship, depths of pain and the power of love in traumatic situations.

Hanya Yanagihara has reached national acclaim and won numerous awards because of the popularity of this book recommendation, which has fast become a BookTok favourite!

2. Verity

Colleen Hoover has become one of the most talked about authors on BookTok, with around 3.6 billion views under her name alone. Despite being increasingly popular, she is also one of the most divisive; BookTokers either love her or hate her.

‘Verity’ was published two years after her most talked about book on BookTok, ‘It Ends With Us’, and tells the story of a young writer who accepts an offer to finish writing a series on behalf of an injured author. Once she moves into the author’s home, she discovers more than she initially thought and gets thrown into a world of secrecy and terrifying events.

Colleen Hoover weaves a story of shocking and unpredictable twists, leaving the reader on the edge of their seat embroiled in a gripping mystery. If you’re looking for a book recommendation similar to Gone Girl, this will be right up your street!

1. The Song of Achilles

In ‘The Song of Achilles’, Madeline Miller envelops the reader in the intricacies of Greek mythology whilst exploring the events of the Trojan War. Most people have a general understanding of the story, however, Madeline Miller builds upon this and develops the relationship between Achilles and Patroclus.

Madeline Miller brings the characters of the popular Greek literature to life infusing them with flaws, fears and hope. It is a moving and original conception of an epic war, reaching the heights of imagination and storytelling. The novel portrays the key themes of peace, glory and the tortures of the heart. So, if you’ve ever wanted to mix your love of romance, historical adventure, and Ancient Greek mythology this is the book recommendation for you.

Has one of these BookTok book recommendations caught your eye? Browse through our collection of second hand books to find your next read for even less!