If you’re on TikTok, you probably know how common book recommendations and reviews are on the app. After a few months of seeing the same books pop up time and time again on my For You Page, I decided to read a few during winter break while I had some time. Here are my thoughts on the books I read, in the order I read them:
Normal People by Sally Rooney
This is such an amazing book that I think a lot of high school and college students can relate to. It tells the story of an on-again off-again relationship between two people over the course of several years. It is so easy to fall in love with the characters, their personalities, and feel so attached to them. I also highly recommend the Hulu limited series based on this book by the same name; I think it is a really accurate portrayal of the book!
Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney
I started this right after I finished Normal People, but I was unfortunately slightly let down. The characters are super interesting and the plot is not boring by any means, but I just didn’t feel as connected to this book as many others I’ve read in the past. Even though this wasn’t one of my top books, it is being made into a Hulu series that is coming out in May, and I will definitely be watching it.
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reed
This book more than lived up to my expectations, and was by far my favorite read out of all of these books. It tells the story of an extremely famous Hollywood star, as well as her relationships, friendships, work, and struggles throughout most of her life. The plot was exciting, and I enjoyed this book so much that I stayed up to finish it in one night. If there is one book I recommend the most off of the list, it would have to be this one.
The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood
I think if there was one word I could use to describe this book, it would be cute. It’s a classic enemies (kind of) to lovers story, and even though it can be slightly corny at times, it’s definitely worth the read. The Love Hypothesis tells the story of a PhD student and a professor at her university, and the development of their fake relationship.
It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover
This was — without a doubt — the most talked-about book that I have seen on TikTok throughout the past few months, and I am definitely glad I had a chance to read it. This book centers on the relationship between the two main characters, Lily and Ryle, but includes flashbacks from Lily’s past and themes of domestic violence. I read this book over the course of one day, and it is absolutely worth reading. The author also just announced that she is releasing a sequel to this book, called It Starts With Us, on October 18th, 2022, so I will absolutely be reading that as well.
Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Read
Full disclosure, this is the one book that I did not finish reading yet. I started it a few days before the semester started, but quickly got busy with schoolwork, so I am still about halfway through. Even though I cannot give a totally accurate review of this book, I really like it so far. The story is told in the form of interviews, and talks about the lives and relationships of a fictional famous band, Daisy Jones and the Six. As soon as I have the chance, I will definitely try to finish this book, but for now, I’ll leave it at that.
Everyone has a totally unique taste in books, but if you’re at all on the fence, I recommend every single one of these picks!
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