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So, What exactly is BookTOK?
If you’ve been spending an embarrassing amount of time scrolling through TikTok like I have, you have likely stumbled upon “BookTok”. Booktok is a genre of videos on TikTok where people discuss their favorite books with others on the platform. Many books have blown up in this community and for good reason. In this article I have collected my top 5 favorite books straight out of BookTok, and fair warning, they are all cheesy romances.
For every book listed below, I have attached an amazon link that takes you to where you can buy the book. Amazon Prime is offering students their first 6 months of Prime free, so this would be a great opportunity to get the books to yourself fast. I definitely recommend taking advantage of this student deal, but I listed other places to purchase these books if Amazon does not work for you!
Where to purchase these books:
- Amazon
- Barnes & Noble
- Department Stores (Target, Walmart, Walgreens, etc)
- Second Hand Stores! (Half Price Books, Goodwill, Volunteers of America, etc)
- Second Hand Online Retailers (eBay, Mercari, Depop, etc)
Now Then… onto the list!
5. People we meEt on vacation
By: Emily Henry
Starting with book number 5 (because we always save the best for last), we have the book People We Meet on Vacation. This book tells the story of Poppy Wright and Alex Nilsen, and their journey from strangers, to friends, to lovers. The pair embark on annual vacations together, and the chapters switch between their current vacation and all of their prior vacations that lead up to “the incident,” which is something the reader is not aware of that caused a rift between the two. Throughout the book, the reader is trying to uncover what exactly went down between the two, and hoping that they are able to overcome it in this emotional, awkward, and hilarious vacation. This book is a prime example of a friends to lovers romance, and although these two characters can be incredibly frustrating at times, the book does have an incredibly sweet ending. This book is an easy read that I think most people who are a fan of romances will enjoy.
4. The Hating game
By: Sally Thorne
#4 is an extreme case of an enemies to lovers book, and that is what makes it so comical. The Hating Game follows Lucy Hutton and Joshua Templeman, who although are business colleagues, are absolute enemies. These two sworn enemies are pitted against each other for their dream promotion, and the tension between the two makes Lucy realize that she may not hate Joshua after all. But then again, this could just be another game. This story is incredibly captivating and at times made my heart actually smile. This story will make you love Joshua, hate Joshua, love Lucy, and even hate her at times. I definitely recommend this book to anyone who is again looking for an easy read and is a fan of enemy to lover romances.
3. ugly love
By: Colleen hoover
I feel like I am doing Colleen Hoover a dishonor placing Ugly Love at #3 in this list because this is an amazing book, but it was such a struggle to order. Rest assured all of these books are amazing and that is why it was so tough putting them in order! Ugly Love is an incredibly raw and heart wrenching story about Tate Collins and Miles Archer. Tate and Miles strike up a “no strings attached” relationship, which is no problem until Tate begins catching feelings and questioning Mile’s past. The only issue is that Miles has one rule: “Never ask about the past. Don’t expect a future.” The chapters switch between present day Tate and Miles and Miles’ point of view from several years prior, so we gain insight on why Miles acts the way he does. This story, like all of Hoover’s works, is so emotional, and your heart really will break for Miles when you find out why exactly he has sworn off love. This story teaches about, as the title suggests, the ugly side of love. I 100% recommend this book, as long as you are okay with getting a good cry in.
2. The Unhoneymooners
By: Christina Lauren
THIS BOOK. I’m not sure what exactly it is about this book, but I absolutely fell in love with the characters. I preach this book so much that I have even bought copies for my friends so that I can talk to somebody about it. This book, like a few of the others mentioned, is an enemies to lovers romance. The story follows Olive Torres and her hatred for Ethan Thomas. The two’s siblings are in the process of getting married, when, at the rehearsal dinner, everybody falls ill with food poisoning, including the bride and groom. The only two to not get sick are Olive and Ethan, so naturally, the two of them take the Hawaiian honeymoon tickets. The two sworn enemies embark on a tropical vacation together. This book actually left me laughing out loud at times and the ending was so sweet. Again, I don’t know what about this book has me so obsessed, but it is a really fun read, and I absolutely recommend it to anybody and everybody.
1. The tattooist of auschwitz
By: heather morris
#1 on my list is by far the most influential book I have read this year. Based on a true story(!), the book follows a young Jewish man (Lale Sokolov) who is imprisoned in Auschwitz and earns the job of tattooing those who are entering the concentration camp. In doing so, he meets a young girl (Gita Sokolov), and the two form an instant connection. The story follows the two as they find every way to sneak around and be together, take care of each other, and find each other even after Auschwitz had been liberated. I do love historical reads and am fascinated by stories details WWII, so when I saw this book in Walmart and saw that it was a true love story, I instantly grabbed it and read it that day. I am very much in love with this book and am begging you to read it. The story highlights a small positive in an otherwise terrible time in history and proves that love really does always find a way. The way Lale talks about Gita and the love that he has for her is just too powerful to put into words. If you read one book from this article let it be this one. I am in love with these characters and this plot, and I applaud Morris for bringing such a powerful story to life. After finishing the book, I highly suggest reading the notes Morris leaves in the back of the book and how she describes the interview process with Lale Sokolov.