The Power of BookTok: TikTok's role in reviving reading

From viral book hauls to fantasy fandom, discover how BookTok is reviving reading through trending genres, book recs, reader challenges, and communities

Jul 11, 2025 - 03:55
Jul 11, 2025 - 04:05
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The Power of BookTok: TikTok's role in reviving reading
BookTok

Introduction:

When was the last time that you, as a reader, walked into a bookstore and spent hours lingering around aisles, trying to find a good book to read that you didn’t just see from a book haul on Instagram?

The recent trend of romanticising reading has completely taken over Instagram feeds, but this wasn’t always the case for readers. The reading community, once a cosy and niche space, has now found itself at the centre of a global movement, powered by the BookTok trend that first innocuously began on TikTok.

What first started as simple reels on book recommendations quickly changed into a full-blown phenomenon, making BookTok the go-to source to discover viral books; fuelling a new wave of readers.

Today, TikTok is no longer remembered for its dance trends or viral challenges but is known for the virality of TikTok books and unusual BookTok recommendations. Whether this be fantasy books, romance, thrillers or other popular genres, readers from all generations can connect over their love for reading.

In this article, we look at dissecting the roots of this BookTok phenomenon beyond its hashtags and romanticization of books, old and new, and how it’s changing the conversation on how and what we read.

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What is BookTok and how does it work?

BookTok was a niche community that began its origin on the social media platform TikTok, where readers from across the globe would review and theorise about their favourite books, recommendations, genres, or authors.

The community surrounding BookTok first gained traction during the pandemic when TikTok users began to post about their favourite books, which encouraged other users to share their literary opinions on trending books, giving space for discussion and connectivity across the globe.

As Hashtags such as BookTok, Bookstagram, or Bookcommunity started garnering more views, readers would search accompanying hashtags related to the genre of books that they were looking for. This then led them to the BookTok space, where users were introduced to other people who were interested in the same kind of books as they were.

In the present, most of BookTok’s creator base falls into the age group of 18 to 34 years old which is 70.1% of all its users. It isn’t just young women, as one would imagine the user base to be. There are also older TikTok users who are over the age of 35 years old who make up 29.1% of the demographics.

BookTok provided a new kind of online space for readers and budding authors that was previously only available on platforms such as Goodreads, Fan fiction websites, or local Book clubs. One where book lovers could actively engage with one another through a video format.

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Algorithms and Authenticity:

The BookTok trend going viral was also able to provide a platform for Indie writers who had self-published their books on niche genres like fantasy books, or at times, fan fiction based on older TV shows. 

This not only attracted more readers to older fan bases, keeping them relevant and alive in the new age, but also allowed for authors to revisit their past work and produce newer editions or sequels.

Colleen Hoover’s book, “It Ends with Us”, became one of the most recognised BookTok books  that transitioned from niche to mainstream due to TikTok’s influence on book sales.

Another fan-fiction based book that later got turned into a movie was the “After” series by Anna Todd, which started as a fan fic written about One Direction’s lead singer Harry Styles, and later evolved to be one of the early viral books turned into a movie franchise. This goes to show the powerful reach of TikTok books and its cultural momentum behind TikTok books.

Unlike other viral content on TikTok, BookTok books operated slightly differently. Creators on BookTok adapt to the viral trends and audio to share BookTok recommendations or promote their work, often adding a creative twist of their own that taps into the emotional pull of the story. 

Some would describe the plot of the fantasy books or other popular BookTok books that they are reading through cosplaying one of the characters, or a particular scene from the book that would cause intrigue. Others took the “Fake out” route of describing the plotline through a story time, and plug their book towards the end of the TikTok video.

Strong emotional reactions that were filmed, like the ‘before’ and ‘after’ effect of reading an emotionally intense book, also did wonders for the TikTok algorithm as more users flocked towards buying the book.

One popular example of this, is the reaction towards the novel, “A little Life” by Hanya Yanagihara, which gained attention through ‘TikTok books’ reaction videos and quickly became one of the most shared viral books in the community. This intense emotional engagement not only fuelled content discovery but also increased reading motivation among users.

 

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The Influence on Publishers and Authors


Both publishers and booksellers have taken serious notice of how BookTok books disrupt traditional publishing, which was previously a long, tedious process, and their influence on book sales and popular genres.

In one article by The Guardian in 2021, Alison Flood writes that publishers watch these ‘snapshots’ or book trailers in all its simplicity with great intrigue, as they can do what large-scale marketing campaigns have often failed to do but with a lot more strategic simplicity, which in turn has great influence on book sales and the discovery of viral books.

These short reviews and book montages make Booktok recommendations feel personal, genuine, and timely, driving both reading motivation and participation in the occasional reading challenge.

TikTok’s ‘For You’ page, then, acts as a powerful search engine that is personalised according to the user’s preferences and viewing habits, and even those that they are not consciously aware of. This algorithm doesn’t just promote various TikTok books but also suggests similar popular genres, creators, and BookTok recommendations that meet the readers’ emerging interests.

In her paper on BookTok algorithms and recommendations, Kira Guehring writes that unlike YouTube’s algorithm, which has several embedded features to promote continuous watching; TikTok attempts to increase the watch time by making it possible for users to scroll through endless content, which makes it harder to continue watching videos from the same creator.

Crystal Abidin, in her 2020 paper on TikTok celebrities, notes the shift in conceptions of TikTok celebrities due to its redefined definition of fame and virality. Here, fame is based on the performance of users’ posts. This places the focus on the content rather than the creators themselves, especially when discussing popular BookTok books or the latest book haul trends.

Abidin describes these changes as “the era of post-based fame” where a creator’s success is tied to the performance of individual posts”, which makes the popularity of creators less important as it has limited impact on changing BookTok recommendations, especially those in fantasy books, BookTok books, explainers of what is BookTok content dominating the algorithm.

 

Genres that are trending: What BookTok readers are loving

Scrolling through TikTok for a BookTok recommendation can be quite overwhelming for a first-time viewer, but it doesn’t always have to be this way. You might already know ‘what is BookTok’, but in the following section, you can find a guide to better navigate this space and understand the popular trending genres.

From mind bending fantasy books to slow-burn romances, TikTok books have entirely taken over the ‘For You Pages’ of every TikTok user. As a result, a major shift has taken place in popular genres, with readers sharing their book hauls to monthly or even weekly reading challenges.

Created by and for readers, these BookTok Trends are not only redefining reading motivation but also influencing book sales, which in turn helps Indie artists get the recognition that they deserve.

 

I.  Fantasy and Dark Academia:

This genre is the most popular amongst the BookTok fandom. Fans of this genre are interested in alternate worlds that don’t necessarily work by the same rules as real life might.

Not only are these books so immersive that writers often include maps or outlines of characters in the introduction page, but long-form fantasy books are the best escape from real-life problems or if you just need a good cry.

Other BookTok Books in this popular genre:

  • Nocticadia by Keri Lake 
  • Academy of Villains by Ever King
  • The Coven by Harper L. Woods
  • The Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

 

II.  Romance: coming of age & adult romance

The romance genre continues to be a favourite among young adults and older adults alike, topping the BookTok books list. Those books that involve enemies-to-lovers or forbidden romance gain the most traction in the BookTok recommendations list. 

Some popular BookTok Books in this popular genre:

  • The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood 
  • It Ends With Us & It Starts With Us by Colleen Hoover 
  • The Spanish Love Deception by Elena Armas 
  • The Chase by Elle Kennedy

 

II.  YA or Young Adult Fiction

YA also known as Young Adult fiction that is most popular amongst younger BookTok readers, as it often surrounds themes that are similar to their lived experiences. The most common themes are those about school pressure, mental health, and identity exploration.

The “coming of age” aspect of these TikTok books makes them more relatable for young teens entering young adulthood.

Some popular BookTok Books in this popular genre:

  • Ignite Me by Tahereh Mafi
  • Cress by Marissa Meyer
  • Restore Me by Tahereh Mafi
  • Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

III.   Thriller & Mystery:

If you’re a fan of creative plot lines and psychological suspense, then the Mystery and Thriller genre of BookTok is the best fit for you. 

Niche thrillers have specifically become popular through BookTok trends, with creators sharing their favourite booktok recommendations in short TikTok videos, with “no spoiler” reviews that help build curiosity and boost book sales significantly.

Some popular BookTok Books in this popular genre:

  • Never Lie by Freida McFadden
  • The Last One by Will Dean
  • The Perfect Marriage by Jeneva Rose
  • The Housemaid by Freida McFadden

 

IV.  Personal growth and Self-Help: 

Another best-selling genres among people of all ages are books on personal growth and self-help. This remains appealing to many BookTok readers looking for life advice from other people who have had the same experiences as them, as a way of finding a way out of their troubles. This genre is usually trending on TikTok reels with creators following “read with me” trends or reading motivation reels. 

Some popular BookTok Books in this popular genre:

  • Atomic Habits by James Clear
  • Feel Good Productivity by Ali Abdaal
  • Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill
  • Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey

 

Conclusion:

The rise of BookTok trends has brought on several conversations surrounding reading for the modern-day reader, blending social media with the reading community in ways the world could never anticipate. Today’s readers are finding community in other people from all across the globe.

From personally curated BookTok recommendations to book hauls and monthly reading challenges, the obsession with TikTok viral books has shifted the public space, propelling TikTok books into the mainstream bookstores. While this shift has its benefits, the question now lies in how traditional media is going to catch up to the rise of strategic short video content.

 

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Makshika Srinivasan Makshika Srinivasan holds a degree in Journalism & Psychology from St.Joseph's University, Bangalore. She's passionate about everything related to new media and is always on the lookout for the next new story to write about. When she's not writing, she's a Letterboxd self-certified cinephile who pauses one too many times to dissect a scene.