#BookTok is taking over TikTok by storm, with users recommending the seemingly “best of the best” books of the past decade. As an avid reader myself, I was determined to read some of these trending books so I could see what all the hype was about. Here are the books I think are worth checking out:
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
This book is an absolute must read. It features the glamorous (and not so glamorous) sides of old age Hollywood, with main character Evelyn Hugo as a legendary starlet who marries seven husbands throughout her career. The book is full of so many secrets and shocking revelations about Evelyn’s life; I was constantly compelled to keep reading. The story’s pacing is unique because readers saw Evelyn’s character develop through each of her seven marriages. I enjoyed reading about Evelyn’s true love and how it impacted the decisions and sacrifices that she had to make. I think this is the best #BookTok book that is currently circulating and is definitely worth reading!
Happy Place by Emily Henry
Happy Place is a lighthearted, summer read about a second chance romance*. Harriet and Wyn fall in love on a summer trip with their friends to Maine and believe to be each other’s soulmates, until they go back to the city and their relationship falls apart. Happy Place picks up on the friend group’s final summer trip to Maine, which I think worked in reconnecting the two main characters. They fell right back into the same love situation as before. The book itself jumped between two settings: the past “Happy Place,” when Harriet and Wyn first fell in love, and the present “Real Life,” when Harriet and Wyn are broken up. I think seeing the foundation of their relationship made me root for them to get back together even more because seeing them in love was the most wholesome and adorable thing ever (I love romance books if you couldn’t tell). The time jumps in the book helped me see them simultaneously fall in love and cope with the break up (and attempt to reconnect) in Maine. This is so unique and it made the book all the better. I think this is a great book to pick up during the summer time, and is definitely worth checking out!
*Second chance romance is a common trope in romance books where the two main characters previously had a relationship that did not work out, but they are taking a second chance to fall in love and reconnect.
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
This is a beautiful read. Kya is an isolated “marsh girl,” who lives in the swamps of North Carolina, completely cut off from civilization her entire life. It was so captivating to see her coming-of-age story and learn about puberty, sex, relationships, etc. without any influence from society. As she forms relationships with two of the local boys, there is a stark difference between her feelings and behaviors, which encompass a woman’s inner monologue regarding a first love versus a casual relationship. Wrapped up in Kya’s coming-of-age story is a murder mystery, which although is a subplot to the novel, the two stories eventually cross paths and become one. The writing style focused a lot on describing the marsh setting in great detail, which I really enjoyed. This is a denser book, but still unique and captivating!