Which books are going to go TikTok famous this year
3
So many books, not enough time. Most avid readers share this sentiment. With so much to choose from, it can be hard to determine what to read next.
Like Alaina Leung, a creator on TikTok and Instagram, said: "As with every bookworm, I suffer from having a never-ending list of books that I want to read."
To help narrow your TBR list, I spoke to a dozen BookTok creators about the books they're most looking forward to reading in 2024. Some of these titles are new releases — The Prisoner's Throne by Holly Black was named more than once, as were multiple Elena Ferrante books — while others are decades, even centuries, old. A TBR shelf is a sacred space, but it's also one we should play with, a kind of ongoing curation of our future selves.
"If you ask me tomorrow, my answer might change," Haley Graham, otherwise known as @whatshalesreading on TikTok, said. "I'm a huge mood-reader, and I can never stick to a planned TBR... I'm drawn to character-driven stories, stories that are a little weird, [and] stories that are poetic or have dimensional characters."
It's easy to understand why TBR shelves are so varied. Creator Marisa Brand said she "honestly couldn't tell you why I added [some of the TBR books] to my list... At some point, something piqued my interest about them — [it] could have been a BookTok review, a friend recommendation, or something I liked the sound of at a bookstore."
Some of the books on your favorite creators' TBRs are part of a series, meaning the upcoming books feel like automatic additions to their shelves. For instance, Kendra Keeter-Gray likes having a series on her TBR because "it's nice knowing that I have [a finite] amount of books left in the universe to keep me entertained all year long."
Then there are hybrid genres like romantasy, a genre of fiction combining romance and fantasy that often includes strong female characters and sex scenes with men with wings. I have not read a single romantasy book that wasn't recommended to me by TikTok. I feel pretty confident about my taste and knowledge with regards to literary fiction, poetry, and other genres, but if I want a fun romantasy read, I turn to TikTok or Instagram book creators.
Same with Sky Robinson, a creator who said she finds "almost all" of her TBR recommendations on the app. Maya Topiwala, another creator, said, "BookTok is an exciting and fun way to learn about new releases and re-popularize books that came out in years past." Creator Georgia Wilder also gets many of her recommendations from friends and mutuals on BookTok but likes to "branch out and find books I haven't heard of at bookstores and online on book subscription companies' websites."
Among the TBR recommendations from creators listed below, most but not all were initially discovered on social media. Creator Cait Jacobs finds new books by looking through publishers' updates, following authors on social media, and, of course, BookTok.
"I found BookTok is a great way to find authors and books I otherwise might never have discovered, as well as make me reconsider picking books I might have dismissed too quickly," Jacobs said. "It also helps me keep up with what's happening with series and authors I've loved for years."
Their creator status also gives them early access to information and ARCs, or advanced reader copies. Like Dakota Bossard, a creator on TikTok and Instagram said, "As a BookTok creator I [learn] about upcoming releases directly from the authors and publishers I’ve connected with over the past two years.
"My platform has made it easy to stay on the pulse of what’s coming out and now I’m reading more new releases than ever before," Bossard added. "It’s almost overwhelming, last year I received over 100 galleys, but as an avid reader it’s such a privilege."
So what books are on your favorite BookTok creators' TBRs? Some of the books on this list are new releases in 2024, some are classics, and some are just books that are getting a bit dusty on the shelf. You'll see some repeats on this list, like The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo and The Prisoner's Throne by Holly Black, which means both will surely take off online.
It's hard to know what will become TikTok famous. But from romance and fantasy to literary fiction and classics, here are the books some of our favorite BookTok influencers will be reading this year:
Marisa Brand, @marisa_elle on TikTok and @marisaelle on Storygraph
Opens in a new window
Credit: Cross the Line by Simone Soltani
Cross the Line by Simone Soltani
$19.00
at Barnes & Noble
Brand is excited to read this "because an F1 / romance crossover is my Roman Empire."
Opens in a new window
Credit: Interesting Facts About Space by Emily Austin
Interesting Facts About Space by Emily Austin
$27.99
at Barnes & Noble
A book about secret shames, black holes, grief, and romance.
Opens in a new window
Credit: The Bookbinder's Guide to Love by Katherine Garbera
The Bookbinder's Guide to Love by Katherine Garbera
$12.99
at Barnes & Noble
"Books and witches, need there be more in a good book?" Brand asks
Opens in a new window
Credit: Ana Takes Manhattan by Lisette Decos
Ana Takes Manhattan by Lisette Decos
$15.99
at Barnes & Noble
A NYC woman can produce a great reality TV show — but her own life is a bit of a mess.
Opens in a new window
Credit: The Shadow Cabinet by Juno Dawson
The Shadow Cabinet by Juno Dawson
$17.00
at Barnes & Noble
The second installment of Dawson's fantasy trilogy focused on childhood friends and witches.
Opens in a new window
Credit: The Boyfriend Candidate by Ashley Winstead
The Boyfriend Candidate by Ashley Winstead
$19.99
at Barnes & Noble
What happens when you mix a school librarian, a foul-mouthed stranger, and a freak lightning storm?
Katherine Brink, @katiesbookobsession on TikTok
Opens in a new window
Credit: Here We Go Again by Alison Cochrun
Here We Go Again by Alison Cochrun
$17.99
at Barnes & Noble
A queer rom-com about ex-best friends taking their former English teacher on a road trip.
Opens in a new window
Credit: Don't Want You Like a Best Friend by Emma R. Alban
Don't Want You Like a Best Friend by Emma R. Alban
$18.99
at Barnes & Noble
A sapphic romance set in 1857 that was one of Brinks "most anticipated reads of this year."
Opens in a new window
Credit: Babel by R.F. Kuang
Babel by R.F. Kuang
$18.00
at Barnes & Noble
A historical epic fantasy about a student revolution and colonial resistance.
Opens in a new window
Credit: The Brown Sisters series
The Brown Sisters series
$16.99
at Barnes & Noble
A slice-of-life romantic comedy series that follows sisters Chloe, Dani, and Eve Brown.
Dakota Bossard, @dakotabossard on TikTok and Instagram
Opens in a new window
Credit: Fruit of the Dead by Rachel Lyon
Fruit of the Dead by Rachel Lyon
$28.00
at Barnes & Noble
Bossard said it's "beautifully written," "completely consuming" and made her "stare... in awe."
Opens in a new window
Credit: Worry by Alexandra Tanner
Worry by Alexandra Tanner
$27.00
at Barnes & Noble
Bossard calls it "an anxiety inducing story of the complicated facets of sisterhood."
Opens in a new window
Credit: All Fours by Miranda July
All Fours by Miranda July
$29.00
at Barnes & Noble
Bossard calls this story about a woman reinvented a "character study of the feminine condition."
Opens in a new window
Credit: We Were the Universe by Kimberly King Parsons
We Were the Universe by Kimberly King Parsons
$28.00
at Barnes & Noble
This book is about grief and motherhood, and Bossard can't wait to read it because she loves to cry.
Opens in a new window
Credit: Fang Si-Chi’s First Love Paradise by Lin Yi-Han
Fang Si-Chi’s First Love Paradise by Lin Yi-Han
$27.99
at Barnes & Noble
This feminist work of Taiwanese lit is "a powerful story of girlhood and survival," Bossard says.
Opens in a new window
Credit: Housemates by Emma Copley Eisenberg
Housemates by Emma Copley Eisenberg
$29.00
at Barnes & Noble
A coming of age story Bossard is "most excited to read this year."
Opens in a new window
Credit: The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion
Opens in a new window
Credit: My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante
All of Elena Ferrante’s books
"Calling her my favorite author feels like such an understatement, but it’s true," Bossard says.
Opens in a new window
Credit: The Golden Notebook by Doris Lessing
The Golden Notebook by Doris Lessing
$19.99
at Barnes & Noble
An exploration mental and societal breakdown, Bossard is "admittedly intimidated" by this book.
Opens in a new window
Credit: The Idiot by Elif Batuman
Haley Graham, @whatshalesreading on TikTok and Instagram
Opens in a new window
Credit: Perfume and Pain by Anna Dorn
Perfume and Pain by Anna Dorn
$18.99
at Barnes & Noble
When an author is lightly canceled, she throws herself into some sexy, sapphic distractions.
Opens in a new window
Credit: Margos Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe
Margos Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe
$28.00
at Barnes & Noble
Margo has an affair with her English professor, pregnant, and creates an OnlyFans account.
Opens in a new window
Credit: Come and Get It by Kiley Reid
Come and Get It by Kiley Reid
$26.10
at Barnes & Noble
A "fresh and provocative story" about an RA, her professor, and three students.
Opens in a new window
Credit: The Fury by Alex Michelides
The Fury by Alex Michelides
$28.99
at Barnes & Noble
A reclusive ex–movie star, her friends and family, her personal island in Greece, and a murder.
Opens in a new window
Credit: Blue Sisters by Coco Mellors
Blue Sisters by Coco Mellors
$28.99
at Barnes & Noble
An "unforgettable story of grief, hope, and the complexities of family."
Opens in a new window
Credit: My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante
Opens in a new window
Credit: Beloved by Toni Morrison
More of Toni Morrison's work
Graham said she "recently revisited Beloved and The Bluest Eye from her and was captivated."
Opens in a new window
Credit: When We Lost Our Heads by Heather O'Neill
All of Heather O'Neill's books
$18.00
at Barnes & Noble
A story about two girls' intense friendship and the destruction is brings.
Opens in a new window
Credit: These Violent Delights by Micah Nemerever
These Violent Delights by Micah Nemerever
$17.99
at Barnes & Noble
A story about two college students whose obsession with each other leads to "unspeakable violence."
Opens in a new window
Credit: Chain Gang All Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah
Chain Gang All Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah
$18.00
at Barnes & Noble
A look at the prison system, "systemic racism, unchecked capitalism, and mass incarceration."
Opens in a new window
Credit: Ripe by Sarah Rose Etter
Ripe by Sarah Rose Etter
$25.00
at Barnes & Noble
"One millennial woman’s journey through a late-capitalist hellscape."
Opens in a new window
Credit: Small Worlds by Caleb Azumah Nelson
Small Worlds by Caleb Azumah Nelson
$27.00
at Barnes & Noble
"An exhilarating and expansive novel about the worlds we build for ourselves."
Opens in a new window
Credit: Animal by Lisa Taddeo
Cait Jacobs, @caitsbooks on Instagram and TikTok
Opens in a new window
Credit: So Let Them Burn by Kamilah Cole
So Let Them Burn by Kamilah Cole
$19.99
at Barnes & Noble
This Jamaican-inspired fantasy follows a heroine who must choose between her sister and her homeland
Opens in a new window
Credit: To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods by Molly X Chang
To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods by Molly X Chang
$30.00
at Barnes & Noble
An anti-colonial YA fantasy. "She has power over death. He has power over her."
Opens in a new window
Credit: The Honey Witch by Sydney J. Shields
The Honey Witch by Sydney J. Shields
$18.99
at Barnes & Noble
An LGBTQ+ romance novel with family, loss, magic, and more.
Opens in a new window
Credit: The Prisoner's Throne by Holly Black
The Prisoner's Throne by Holly Black
$20.99
at Barnes & Noble
"An imprisoned prince. A vengeful queen. And a battle that will determine the future of Elfhame."
Opens in a new window
Credit: A Tempest of Tea by Hafsah Faizal
A Tempest of Tea by Hafsah Faizal
$20.99
at Barnes & Noble
"An orphan girl and her crew who get tangled in a heist with vampires."
Opens in a new window
Credit: Daughter of the Moon Goddess (Celestial Kingdom Duology #1) by Sue Lynn Tan
The Celestial Kingdoms duology by Sue Lynn Tan
$17.99
at Barnes & Noble
"A captivating debut fantasy inspired by the legend of Chang'e, the Chinese moon goddess."
Opens in a new window
Credit: Caraval by Stephanie Garber
Caraval by Stephanie Garber
$10.99
at Barnes & Noble
"A legendary competition. A mesmerizing romance. An unbreakable bond between two sisters."
Opens in a new window
Credit: Once Upon A Broken Heart by Stephanie Garber
Once Upon A Broken Heart by Stephanie Garber
$12.99
at Barnes & Noble
A YA fantasy about love, curses, and happily ever after.
Opens in a new window
Credit: The Last Tale of the Flower Bride by Roshani Chokshi
The Last Tale of the Flower Bride by Roshani Chokshi
$30.00
at Barnes & Noble
"A spellbinding and darkly romantic page-turner about love and lies, secrets and betrayal."
Kendra Keeter-Gray, @kendra.reads on TikTok and @kendra.readz on Instagram
Opens in a new window
Credit: Just For the Summer by Abby Jimenez
Just For the Summer by Abby Jimenez
$17.99
at Barnes & Noble
"Justin has a curse, and thanks to a Reddit thread, it's now all over the internet."
Opens in a new window
Credit: Love Unwritten by Lauren Asher
Love Unwritten by Lauren Asher
$17.99
at Barnes & Noble
Another "adicting" romance from a TikTok favorite, Lauren Asher.
Opens in a new window
Credit: Not Another Love Song by Julie Soto
Not Another Love Song by Julie Soto
$17.99
at Barnes & Noble
"Two string players fight their attraction for each other as they compete for center stage."
Opens in a new window
Credit: This Could Be Us by Kennedy Ryan
This Could Be Us by Kennedy Ryan
$17.99
at Barnes & Noble
A novel about love, loss, motherhood, and so much more.
Opens in a new window
Credit: Funny Story by Emily Henry
Funny Story by Emily Henry
$29.00
at Barnes & Noble
"A shimmering, joyful new novel about a pair of opposites with the wrong thing in common."
Opens in a new window
Credit: The Prisoner's Throne by Holly Black
The Prisoner's Throne by Holly Black
$20.99
at Barnes & Noble
"An imprisoned prince. A vengeful queen. And a battle that will determine the future of Elfhame."
Alaina Leung, @alaina.wyl on TikTok and Instagram, and @awyl on GoodReads
Opens in a new window
Credit: To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods by Molly X Chang
To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods by Molly X Chang
$30.00
at Barnes & Noble
An anti-colonial YA fantasy. "She has power over death. He has power over her."
Opens in a new window
Credit: Fathomfolk by Eliza Chan
Fathomfolk by Eliza Chan
$19.99
at Barnes & Noble
"A modern, myth-inflected story of revolution and magic" in "a glittering, semi-submerged city."
Opens in a new window
Credit: The Warm Hands of Ghosts by Katherine Arden
The Warm Hands of Ghosts by Katherine Arden
$28.99
at Barnes & Noble
"During the Great War, a combat nurse searches for her brother, believed dead in the trenches."
Opens in a new window
Credit: The Husbands by Holly Gramazio
The Husbands by Holly Gramazio
$29.00
at Barnes & Noble
"How do we navigate life, love, and choice in a world of never-ending options?"
Opens in a new window
Credit: Spider by Azma Dar
Spider by Azma Dar
$17.99
at Barnes & Noble
This domestic suspense novel follows a woman whose husband is found dead far from home.
Opens in a new window
Credit: Can You See Me? by Libby Scott and Rebecca Westcott
Can You See Me? by Libby Scott and Rebecca Westcott
$8.99
at Barnes & Noble
"A coming-of-age story about learning to celebrate yourself."
Meara McNitt, @mearaisreading on TikTok
Opens in a new window
Credit: The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo
The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo
$29.99
at Barnes & Noble
"A highly anticipated historical fantasy set during the Spanish Golden Age."
Opens in a new window
Credit: A Witch's Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna
A Witch's Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna
$19.00
at Barnes & Noble
"A witch who has a second chance to get her magical powers — and her life — back on track."
Opens in a new window
Credit: Where Sleeping Girls Lie by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé
Where Sleeping Girls Lie by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé
$19.99
at Barnes & Noble
"A girl new to boarding school discovers dark secrets and coverups after her roommate disappears."
Opens in a new window
Credit: Wisteria by Adalyn Grace
Wisteria by Adalyn Grace
$19.99
at Barnes & Noble
"A third deathly and decadent book in the New York Times bestselling Belladonna series."
Opens in a new window
Credit: Wrath of the Triple Goddess by Rick Riordan
Wrath of the Triple Goddess by Rick Riordan
$19.99
at Barnes & Noble
The seventh book in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series.
Opens in a new window
Credit: The Hedgewitch of Foxhall by Anna Bright
The Hedgewitch of Foxhall by Anna Bright
$19.99
at Barnes & Noble
"A rebellious witch" on a "quest to restore magic... as two princes vie for her heart."
Opens in a new window
Credit: The Fox Wife by Yangsze Choo
The Fox Wife by Yangsze Choo
$27.99
at Barnes & Noble
"A winter full of mysterious deaths, a mother seeking revenge, and old folktales."
Opens in a new window
Credit: Fathomfolk by Eliza Chan
Fathomfolk by Eliza Chan
$19.99
at Barnes & Noble
"A modern, myth-inflected story of revolution and magic" in "a glittering, semi-submerged city."
Opens in a new window
Credit: Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett
Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett
$18.00
at Barnes & Noble
A grumpy professor "discovers dark fae magic, friendship, and love."
Opens in a new window
Credit: A Psalm of Storms and Silence by Roseanne A. Brown
A Psalm of Storms and Silence by Roseanne A. Brown
$12.99
at Barnes & Noble
A story about violence, leadership, and the choice between power and love.
Opens in a new window
Credit: The Toll by Neal Shusterman
The Toll by Neal Shusterman
$13.99
at Barnes & Noble
The final book and conclusion to the Arc of a Scythe trilogy.
Opens in a new window
Credit: Gone Wolf by Amber McBride
Gone Wolf by Amber McBride
$17.99
at Barnes & Noble
"Amber McBride lays bare the fears of being young and Black in America."
Moly Milosovic, @molysbookclub on TikTok and Instagram
Opens in a new window
Credit: Lady MacBeth by Ava Reid
Lady MacBeth by Ava Reid
$28.99
at Barnes & Noble
"A reimagining of Lady Macbeth... giving her a voice, a past, and a power."
Opens in a new window
Credit: The Emperor and the Endless Palace by Justinian Huang
The Emperor and the Endless Palace by Justinian Huang
$28.99
at Barnes & Noble
"A genre-bending romantasy that challenges everything we think we know about true love."
Opens in a new window
Credit: Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
$18.00
at Barnes & Noble
"The Mayan god of death sends a young woman on a harrowing, life-changing journey."
Opens in a new window
Credit: Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb
Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb
$18.00
at Barnes & Noble
This story follows a young boy as he learns "how to kill a man secretly."
Sky Robinson, @booksplussky on TikTok, Instagram, and StoryGraph
Opens in a new window
Credit: The Partner Plot by Kristina Forest
The Partner Plot by Kristina Forest
$18.00
"Two former high school sweethearts get a second chance."
Opens in a new window
Credit: This Could Be Us by Kennedy Ryan
This Could Be Us by Kennedy Ryan
$17.99
at Barnes & Noble
A novel about love, loss, motherhood, and so much more.
Opens in a new window
Credit: The Wild Love series by Elsie Silver
The Wild Love series by Elsie Silver
$17.99
at Barnes & Noble
A book about "wanting your best friend’s little sister and knowing you can’t have her."
Opens in a new window
Credit: The rest of the New Haven series by JL Seegars
The rest of the New Haven series by JL Seegars
$17.99
at Barnes & Noble
An enemies to lovers romance about love after loss.
Opens in a new window
Credit: The Magnolia Parks Series by Jessa Hastings
The Magnolia Parks Series by Jessa Hastings
$17.00
A couple faces the question: "How many loves do you really get in a lifetime?"
Opens in a new window
Credit: Losers Duet by Harley Laroux
Losers Duet by Harley Laroux
$18.99
at Barnes & Noble
An NSFW series about having it all and playing a game.
Maya Topiwala, @maya.reads on TikTok and @mnmbooks on Instagram
Opens in a new window
Credit: Goddess of the River by Vaishnavi Patel
Goddess of the River by Vaishnavi Patel
$32.00
at Barnes & Noble
"A powerful reimagining of the story of Ganga, goddess of the river, and her doomed mortal son."
Opens in a new window
Credit: The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo
The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo
$29.99
at Barnes & Noble
"A highly anticipated historical fantasy set during the Spanish Golden Age."
Opens in a new window
Credit: Bride by Ali Hazelwood
Bride by Ali Hazelwood
$19.00
at Barnes & Noble
A paranormal romance between a Vampyre bride and an Alpha Werewolf.
Opens in a new window
Credit: The Boyfriend Wish by Swati Teerdhala
The Boyfriend Wish by Swati Teerdhala
$19.99
at Barnes & Noble
"A South Indian American teen girl makes a wish upon a flower for her perfect boyfriend."
Opens in a new window
Credit: That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon by Kimberly Lemming
That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon by Kimberly Lemming
$18.99
at Barnes & Noble
A story about, well, that time she got drunk and saved a demon.
Opens in a new window
Credit: Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
$29.00
at Barnes & Noble
"Elizabeth Zott isn’t just teaching women to cook. She’s daring them to change the status quo."
Georgia Wilder, @georgialovestoread on TikTok, @georgiakwilder on Instagram, and Georgia Wilder on Goodreads
Opens in a new window
Credit: Crescent City: House of Flame and Shadow by Sarah J. Maas.
Crescent City: House of Flame and Shadow by Sarah J. Maas.
$32.00
at Barnes & Noble
"The stunning third book in the sexy, action-packed Crescent City series."
Opens in a new window
Credit: The Wild Love series by Elsie Silver
The Wild Love series by Elsie Silver
$17.99
at Barnes & Noble
A book about "wanting your best friend’s little sister and knowing you can’t have her."
Opens in a new window
Credit: Not In Love by Ali Hazelwood
Not In Love by Ali Hazelwood
$19.00
at Barnes & Noble
"A forbidden, secret affair proves that all’s fair in love and science."
Opens in a new window
Credit: A Fragile Enchantment by Allison Saft
A Fragile Enchantment by Allison Saft
$20.00
at Barnes & Noble
"A magical dressmaker commissioned for a royal wedding finds herself embroiled in scandal."
Opens in a new window
Credit: A Fate Inked in Blood by Danielle L. Jensen
A Fate Inked in Blood by Danielle L. Jensen
$29.99
at Barnes & Noble
"A shield maiden blessed by the gods battles to unite a nation under a power-hungry king."
Opens in a new window
Credit: Defy The Night by Brigid Kemmerer
Defy The Night by Brigid Kemmerer
$12.99
at Barnes & Noble
A YA fantasy that follows an apothecary apprentice in a kingdom on "the brink of disaster."
Opens in a new window
Credit: The Woman in Me by Britney Spears
The Woman in Me by Britney Spears
$32.99
at Barnes & Noble
"A brave and astonishingly moving story about freedom, fame, motherhood, survival, faith, and hope."
Opens in a new window
Credit: Empire of Storms (Throne of Glass Series #5) by Sarah J. Maas
Empire of Storms (Throne of Glass Series #5) by Sarah J. Maas
$19.00
at Barnes & Noble
An epic fantasy series from TikTok favorite Sarah J. Maas.
Opens in a new window
Credit: Beach Read by Emily Henry
Beach Read by Emily Henry
$16.00
at Barnes & Noble
"A romance writer who no longer believes in love and a literary writer stuck in a rut."
Opens in a new window
Credit: Belladonna by Adalyn Grace
Belladonna by Adalyn Grace
$11.99
at Barnes & Noble
"A highly romantic, Gothic-infused world of wealth, desire, and betrayal. "
All quotes in the descriptions of these books should be attributed to GoodReads unless otherwise noted.