BookTok is a phenomena that has moved an unfathomable amount of books. Despite its reputation as being solely the realm of Sarah J. Maas and Colleen Hoover, you can find book videos in every conceivable genre and format on TikTok — if you know where to look.
Some of us, though, can’t be trusted with TikTok. Some of us don’t have the discipline to use the app for a reasonable amount of time. Some of us will get pulled into a TikTok vortex and reemerge hours later, groggy and confused, only then remembering that we meant to be reading…hypothetically.
You also might not be a fan of TikTok and can’t be bothered to deep dive for the good stuff. Or you could want to discover BookTok creators that haven’t been delivered up by your For You page. In any case, this list can help. I’ve put together some of the best BookTok videos of the week, whether you’re looking for a bite size amount of TikTok without it devouring your life or you’re hoping to supplement your FYP.
You’ll also find some of Book Riot’s own TikTok videos here! We’ve been playing around there and are working to get to 10,000 followers, so follow us on TikTok @BookRiot if you’re interested. Now, onto our favorite BookTok videos of the week! I’ve included a mix of formats, from discussions to recommendations to aesthetic bookstore videos to bookish humor.
Let’s start off with a few aesthetic BookTok videos that are sure to stoke your reader envy. Doesn’t working at this little indie bookstore seem idyllic?
Sprayed edges are trending now, but apparently we’re behind Poland, because look at these gorgeous books!
Amanda gives a behind the scenes look at alphabetizing the Tailored Book Recommendation books before they get packed up with their orders!
I definitely have some book club envy after watching this.
It’s not all aesthetics on BookTokTok, though: there’s substance, too! In this video, Rebecca shares tips for helping people better understand book bans.
This is a really interesting discussion about the downsides of a owned unread books reading project.
Of course, book recommendations are a crucial part of BookTok. This video recommends works of Asian literature that aren’t about “struggles, trauma, and homeland” — a niche Asian authors are often forced into.
If you’re looking for horror novels that get straight to point, you need to check out these recommendations for novels where the horror starts right away.
The Maid and the Crocodile by Jordan Ifueko just came out this week, and this review will have Howl’s Moving Castle fans adding to cart right away — as soon as you recover from the claim that this retelling is even better than the original.
It’s not just new books that get recommended on BookTok. This review recommends an underrated and strange gothic horror novel, Hangsaman by Shirley Jackson.
You can also find nonfiction recs on BookTok! This one recommends An African History of Zeinab Badawi, especially on audiobook.
The trend on TikTok this week is very demure, very mindful, very cutesy, so I had to include at least one BookTok take on it.
Embrace the DNF! It will set your reading life free.
Okay, so I do have one Colleen Hoover video in here, but only to tell you to listen to Rebecca and Vanessa discuss the adaptation on the Book Riot podcast (“We Saw IT ENDS WITH US So You Don’t Have To”).
Do you want to be featured on the Book Riot TikTok account and roundups on the site, like this one? Tag your TikTok video #BookRiotTok and we’ll repost our favorites with credit!
That’s all for this week. I hope you found some new accounts to follow — including us! If you’re looking for more, check out our TikTok archives.