Inside TikTok's literature boom: BookTok creators share their top summer reads
While TikTok has earned a name for brainrot and doomscrolling, it's actually leading this summer's hottest revival: BookTok. The hashtag currently contains over 59.3 million posts, while TikTok Shop data reveals that book sales were up 375% in 2024 compared to 2023.
But what are people reading? According to popular online bookseller, Books2Door, the romance genre has seen one of the biggest readership surges, with sales rising 20% month on month. And while romantasy has dominated the book charts (think ACOTAR), Books2Door predict a slight change in reading habits this summer. 'A noticeable trend this summer is a shift from last summer's Romantasy (romantic fantasy) boom toward darker romance genres,' the bookseller reveals.
They add: 'Titles like Legacy of Gods and Haunting Adeline are gaining traction, reflecting readers' growing interest for suspenseful love stories with a darker edge. This shift signals a broader trend in adult fiction where readers are exploring complex emotional themes paired with thrilling, sometimes supernatural elements.'
So, looking for your next fairy-king romantic epic to sizzle over by the pool? Or maybe a more sentimental drama to lie back with in the grass? We asked four popular BookTok creators for their summer picks:
Ben Mercer, @bcemercer
Summer holidays are the perfect time to invest in a deep read. Ben shares his top fictional picks that might make you shed a tear or two.
My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante - "This summer I'm going to Italy and I'm finally going to take down Elena Ferrante's Neapolitan novels starting with My Brilliant Friend. It's fun to read something related to where you're headed, it's supposed to be brilliant and if I like it, I can crack on with the sequels!"
The Names by Florence Knapp - "Knapp's debut novel The Names is a great concept, Sliding Doors mixed with One Day. A mother takes her newborn son to the registry office and the narrative splits in three as the name she chooses changes the rest of his life. It's easy to read but funny, shocking and moving all at once."
A Month In The Country by J.L. Carr - "This is my favourite read of the year so far. It's warm, profound, and funny with a small mystery running through the tale of a WW1 veteran who's spending a month uncovering an old painting in a village chapel. It's got the perfect elegiac, quietly beautiful tone for a summer read."
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Sam - @samfallingbooks
Sometimes we find love where we least expect it. Here are Sam's top romantic and fantasy reads to transport you faraway - without getting on a flight
Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid - "A beautifully written story set in the 1980s centring around the life of astronauts! It blends the wonder of space with all the love we find in our lifetime. An unforgettable read that will 100% make you cry."
A Witch's Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna - "A cosy fantasy about a witch trying to get her powers back while running an unconventional inn for the lost and the wandering. Equal parts hilarious, thoughtful and heartfelt. An absolute delight."
Say You'll Remember Me by Abby Jimenez by Abby Jimenez - "This book never fails to deliver a romance with so much heart. Falling in love when you least expect it, falling in love while life keeps moving, while you're still navigating hurdles, and holding on to the love that you have throughout it all because that's what makes it all worth it. I will never skip an Abby Jimenez book."
Dakota - @sp3llb00k
If dark romance is your cup of (black) tea, then Dakota has the best picks for you.
Bonjour Tristesse by Françoise Sagan - "A sharp, melancholic tale of a teenage girl's cruel games and emotional awakening during a sultry summer on the French Riviera. It dances between innocence and manipulation, freedom and guilt. Holden Caulfield if he were a hopeless romantic girl. Reads like a spell - you'll feel the sun on your skin, too."
Mrs. S by K Patrick - "A taut, sensual portrait of forbidden desire set in an English boarding school where a repressed young matron begins an affair with the headmaster's wife. It's about bodies, boundaries, and the ache of queer becoming across a blistering hot summer. Wonderful and gross."
The Girls by Emma Cline - "A sun-drenched fever dream of adolescence and obsession, following a teenage girl lured into the dark glamour of a Manson-like cult in 1960s California. It's about a longing for belonging, for danger, for someone to notice you. Sexy and terrifying."
Coco - @cultofbooks
Looking for love – but with less fairies? Coco shares some of her favourite contemporary romances.
Seven Year Slip by Ashley Poston - "This book found me at a point where I was losing my love for reading. It shows a love story that was beautiful, not perfect, and was a little out of its time loop (once you read it, you'll get what I mean)"
Game On by Ki Stephens - "It's so nostalgic to all my favourite books, the romance, the tension AND she is an English girl in America (take me out right now)"
Out on a Limb by Hannah Bonam-Young - "This is a beautiful contemporary romance that highlights a relationship of a differently able couple and how they deal with a surprise that comes along the way (9 months in the making!)"
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