BookTok Books

If you're looking for a book that makes you cry, this might be the list. TikTok has increasingly become a platform for sharing the kind of reading experience that sticks with you. This Collection presents popular BookTok selections, with accompanying Study Guides to help you gain an even deeper understanding of the stories you can't put down.

Lightlark

by Alex Aster

Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Hate & Anger, Revenge, Love, Loyalty & Betrayal

Tags Fantasy, Romance, Science Fiction

... Read Lightlark Summary

Lore

by Alexandra Bracken

Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Memory, Gender Identity, Teamwork

Tags Fantasy, Mythology, Action & Adventure, Trauma & Abuse, Gender & Feminism, Grief & Death, Love & Sexuality, American Literature, Romance

... Read Lore Summary

Love, Mom

by Iliana Xander

Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Grief, The Past, Nature Versus Nurture, Daughters & Sons, Family, Mothers

Tags Psychological Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Mystery & Crime Fiction

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Love, Theoretically

by Ali Hazelwood

Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Perseverance, Fear, Forgiveness, Hate & Anger, Revenge, Love, Regret, Power & Greed, Science & Technology, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies, Justice, Appearance & Reality, Shame & Pride, Femininity, Gender Identity, Masculinity, Sexual Identity, Self Discovery, Mothers, Education, Equality

Tags Romance, Education, Gender & Feminism, Love & Sexuality, Modern Classic Fiction

... Read Love, Theoretically Summary

Mary

by Nat Cassidy

Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Fear, Hate & Anger, Loneliness, Revenge, Femininity, Mental Health, Aging, Midlife, Death, Place, Teamwork, Community, Good & Evil, Power & Greed, Religion & Spirituality

Tags Horror & Suspense, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Fantasy, Religion & Spirituality

... Read Mary Summary

Milk and Honey

by Rupi Kaur

Publication year 2014

Genre Poetry Collection, Fiction

Themes Mental Health, Femininity, Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Hope, Love, Shame & Pride, Race, Sexual Identity, Childhood & Youth, Coming of Age, Plants, Daughters & Sons, Fathers, Self Discovery, Beauty, Power & Greed, Truth & Lies

Tags Gender & Feminism, Instapoetry, Relationships, Trauma & Abuse

From 2014 to 2024, six million copies of Rupi Kaur’s debut collection, milk and honey, were sold, making it one of the best-selling poetry books of the 21st century. It’s rise to fame is unusual. A Canadian writer of Indian heritage who amassed a large following through social media, Kaur specializes in short, vernacular poems, often made up of only a few lines, which are accompanied by original line drawings. Kaur was at first unable... Read Milk and Honey Summary

Monday's Not Coming

by Tiffany D. Jackson

Publication year 2018

Genre Novel, Fiction

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Mental Illness

Monday’s Not Coming (2018) is a young adult novel by Tiffany D. Jackson. She employs a nonlinear narrative to explore issues of race, mental illness, and media bias. Claudia Coleman narrates the story of how her best friend, Monday Charles, disappeared for a year, and no one but Claudia seemed to notice or care.Published by Harper Collins, Monday’s Not Coming earned Jackson the Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe award for new talent. It was also nominated... Read Monday's Not Coming Summary

Next of Kin

by Hannah Bonam-Young

Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Perseverance, Love, Disability, The Past, Nature Versus Nurture, Family, Fathers, Friendship, Mothers, Siblings, Teamwork

Tags Romance, Modern Classic Fiction

... Read Next of Kin Summary

Ninth House

by Leigh Bardugo

Publication year 2019

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Friendship

Tags Fantasy, Horror & Suspense, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Religion & Spirituality

Ninth House is a 2019 contemporary occult fantasy novel by American writer Leigh Bardugo. Inspired by the author’s undergraduate experiences at Yale University, Ninth House is part of the Alex Stern series with the next book planned for release in 2021. The novel is also popular on BookTok, a community of readers and book content creators on TikTok. The story is set in a macabre version of the real world and focuses on the occult... Read Ninth House Summary

One of Us is Lying

by Karen M. McManus

Publication year 2017

Genre Novel, Fiction

Tags Bullying, Horror & Suspense, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance

One of Us is Lying is a 2017 young-adult thriller by Karen McManus that revolves around the suspicious death of Bayview High School senior Simon Kelleher, author of a gossip app called About That. The story is told from the alternating first person perspectives of four students who served detention with Simon when he died: Bronwyn, Cooper, Nate, and Addy. It explores themes about the corrosive impact of stereotyping and gossip, the value of empathy... Read One of Us is Lying Summary