Reading sort of fell off in recent years. For many of us, it’s so much easier to pick up your phone and mindlessly scroll through different social media apps—Tiktok, Instagram, Snapchat—rather than emotionally invest in a book. Because let’s face it, books are associated with learning and school, and most of the time, when we want a break from those things, the last thing we want to do is more work. The wrong book can be taxing and feel like way more work to read overall.
However, in the past year or so, reading has experienced a renaissance. People have started sharing reviews and connecting with other readers again. There’s been a newfound love of reading again in readers and new readers everywhere.
At the source of this renaissance, you may ask? Tiktok. Or, more specifically, Book-tok, the book-lover side of the app that’s full of recommendations, reviews, and author input. This small world features dozens of books that people have raved about and endlessly recommend. It features profiles from authors like Taylor Jenkins Reid, Colleen Hoover, and Julie Murphy. By using the social media platform to promote their books and connect with readers, reading has reached new heights and garnered new readers yet again. It’s where news about books to movie adaptations get shared and people want to read said books.
While Tiktok has been the platform for which these books are being shared, it’s also the books themselves that have people excited about turning the page again. The following are several books that have gotten people back into reading, and why you must read them.
- The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, by Taylor Jenkins Reid
This book, by TJR, features a dual timeline of a young reporter, named Monique, and her interviews with a world-famous movie star, Evelyn Hugo. Through the differing timelines, Reid explores the complete timeline of all of Evelyn’s seven marriages and why she chose Monique to tell her story. TJR has readers still raving about this book, since its release in 2017. You should read it because it’s a tearjerker and will keep you hooked throughout its entirety.
- Malibu Rising, by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Another title by TJR explores the family dynamic of four well-known children of a famous singer, Mick Riva. In this novel, the four siblings throw their annual party, but instead of ending in success, it ends in flames. TJR draws readers into the suspense of this novel, as well as its themes of family and forgiveness. You should read it because it is set in a beautiful Malibu mansion and uses the past and present to develop its plot.
- Daisy Jones and the Six, by Taylor Jenkins Reid
This third, and final, novel by TJR, is told through an interview-style format of members of an old, fictional rock band called Daisy Jones and the Six. This book discusses the rise and downfall of all of its members, told through the input of all the members. You should read this book, because of its creative plot and its alluring characters.
- Verity, by Colleen Hoover
Colleen Hoover is known for her compelling romance novels, but Verity connects that romance with thrill and suspense. Hoover creates a spooky atmosphere by having Lowen, a lesser-known author, be recruited to finish the book of an author that’s been in a terrible accident, Verity Crawford. Lowen agrees to finish the novel for Verity, who is unable to walk or talk on her own, but she soon learns that everything is not as it seems. You should read this book because it was so unpredictable and shocking.
- It Ends With Us, by Colleen Hoover
This novel follows the life of a girl as she moves on from her first love, and experiences a different kind of relationship until she realizes that everything is not as it seems. You should read this book because it truly isn’t like any other.