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.

Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Midlife, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Teams, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality

Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Fantasy, Religion / Spirituality


Publication year 2018

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Self Discovery

Tags Romance, Music


Publication year 2014

Genre Poetry Collection, Fiction

Themes Identity: Mental Health, Identity: Femininity, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Race, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Natural World: Flora/plants, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Fathers, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags Gender / Feminism, Instapoetry, Relationships, Trauma / Abuse / Violence

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


Publication year 2018

Genre Novel, Fiction

Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, 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


Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Disability, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Teams

Tags Romance, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 2019

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Friendship

Tags Fantasy, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, 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


Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Emotions/Behavior: Fear

Tags Fantasy, Romance, Gothic Literature, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction


Publication year 2017

Genre Novel, Fiction

Tags Bullying, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, 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


Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Race, Values/Ideas: Art

Tags Romance, Race / Racism, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Marriage, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Appearance & Reality

Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, LGBTQ, Modern Classic Fiction, Gothic Literature


Publication year 2003

Genre Graphic Novel/Book, Nonfiction

Themes Relationships: Family

Tags History: World, Middle Eastern Literature, Auto/Biographical Fiction

Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood by Marjane Satrapi is a graphic memoir and coming-of-age tale about Satrapi’s experiences growing up in Tehran, Iran, before and after the revolution in 1979. Originally published in France to critical acclaim in four volumes between 2000-2003, it was translated into English in two volumes in 2003 and 2004 and explores themes of Coming of Age During Revolution, Civil Unrest, and War, Family Resistance and Heroism, Joy in Wartimen... Read Persepolis Summary


Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Marriage, Self Discovery

Tags Romance, Modern Classic Fiction, Sports, Relationships, New Adult


Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Friendship, Society: Class, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger

Tags Fantasy, Romance


Publication year 1813

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Relationships: Marriage

Tags Classic Fiction, Romanticism / Romantic Period, Romance, British Literature, Education, Education, History: World, Historical Fiction

Published anonymously in 1813, Pride and Prejudice is Jane Austen’s most well-known book. A “novel of manners,” which presents a realistic picture of society through the customs and manners of everyday life, Pride and Prejudice offers a glimpse into 19th-century English social hierarchies, as well as women’s roles and the importance of marriage. While Austen’s books were popular during her lifetime, she died before she was acknowledged as their author; when Persuasion was published posthumously, her... Read Pride and Prejudice Summary


Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Self Discovery, Relationships: Teams, Identity: Sexuality

Tags Romance, Sports, LGBTQ, Love / Sexuality, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 2020

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Friendship, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice

Tags Fantasy, Romance, LGBTQ


Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Fathers, Society: Politics & Government, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal

Tags Fantasy, Action / Adventure


Publication year 2015

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Life/Time: Coming of Age

Tags Fantasy, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Romance, Science / Nature

Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard (Harper Teen, 2015) is the first book in the Red Queen series, which follows one girl’s battle to bring equality to her people in a dystopian fantasy world where the power hungry Silvers oppress the lower Red class. The book won the 2015 Goodreads Choice Award for Debut Goodreads Author and was nominated for the 2015 Goodreads Choice Award for Young Adult Fantasy & Science Fiction. New York Times bestselling... Read Red Queen Summary


Publication year 2019

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love

Tags LGBTQ, Romance, Modern Classic Fiction

Red, White & Royal Blue is the debut novel of author Casey McQuiston. When first published in May of 2019, it created an immediate sensation and rose to the top of the New York Times and USA Today bestseller lists and earned awards from NPR, Kirkus, Library Journal, and others.Red, White & Royal Blue is the story of a gay romance between FSOTUS (First Son of the United States) Alex Claremont-Diaz and Prince Henry, a... Read Red, White, and Royal Blue Summary


Publication year 2016

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags Historical Fiction, WWII / World War II, Military / War, History: World, Romance, Action / Adventure

Salt to the Sea is a historical young adult novel written by Ruta Sepetys and published in 2016. Sepetys is known for similar young adult historical fiction works, such as I Must Betray You (2022) and Between Shades of Gray (2011). Set during World War II, Salt to the Sea is a coming-of-age story that follows four protagonists as they make and resist the journey to adulthood in a world characterized by war and trauma... Read Salt to the Sea Summary