The best BookTok books to read in 2023

With 750 pages of trauma, reading A Little Life has become a rite of passage on TikTok. The story follows four friends as they move to New York to make their way. There is kind, handsome Willem, an aspiring actor; JB, a quick-witted, sometimes cruel painter seeking entry to the art world; Malcolm, a frustrated architect at a prominent firm; and withdrawn, brilliant, enigmatic Jude. It is Jude who becomes the centre of the story as the pages gradually reveal his unspeakable childhood. In case you've somehow missed the hype, a quick TikTok search will soon reveal quite how much this book makes people cry. 

On the completely opposite side of the BookTok spectrum is Red, White & Royal Blue, the charming sexy romance from Casey McQuiston. This enemies-to-lovers story follows Alex Claremont-Diaz, son of the President of the United States, and Prince Henry, a member of the British royal family. After the tabloids get hold of a photo of an altercation between them both, a plan is made for damage control: a staged truce. But this fake, Instagrammable friendship soon grows deeper, and more dangerous, than anyone could have imagined. Having already captured hearts across BookTok, Red, White & Royal Blue is now also a major Amazon Prime film. 

Not all romance is as feel-good as Red, White & Royal Blue however; enter Colleen Hoover, TikTok’s queen of dark romantic fiction. It Ends With Us is the too-good-to-be-true love story of Lily and Ryle. Lily has successfully started her own business in Boston and so when she feels a spark with gorgeous neurosurgeon Ryle, everything seems to be falling into place. But Ryle’s complete aversion to relationships is disturbing. Even as Lily finds herself becoming the exception to his “no dating” rule, she can’t help but wonder what made him that way in the first place. It Ends With Us is an unforgettable tale of love that comes at the ultimate price. 

BookTok loves a bit of fantasy is also made up of readers interested in broadening their horizons and reading books from all over the world. Introducing She Who Became the Sun, a reimagining of Chinese mythology, specifically the rise to power of Zhu Yuanzhang. When a sheer shows two siblings their fate – for the brother greatness, but for the sister, Zhu, nothing – Zhu resolves to overcome her destiny. Can she claim her brother’s greatness and rise, ruthlessly, to take the dragon throne? She Who Became the Sun has got BookTok talking both for its masterful blend of historical fiction and fantasy and because of that scene (IYKYK). 

Another big BookTok genre is dark academia, and Olivie Blake’s unique brand of drama and chaos has made her one of the biggest names on the platform. The Atlas Six is the first book of a series and introduces us to The Alexandrian Society, an exclusive club for magicians where members enjoy a lifetime of power and prestige. Yet each decade, only six practitioners are invited – to fill five places. If you've already read The Atlas Six series, Olivie Blake has also published several other standalone novels including Masters of Death and One For My Enemy.

This adorable time travel story set in a Japanese cafe does just what the BookTok community loves most – it will warm your heart and make you sob at the same time. In a small back alley in Tokyo, there is a cafe which has been serving carefully brewed coffee for more than one hundred years. But this coffee shop offers its customers a unique experience: the chance to travel back in time. In the first book of the series, we meet four visitors, each of whom is hoping to make use of the cafe’s time-travelling offer. For those of you who have already read Before the Coffee Gets Cold, don't fret as there are three more books to enjoy. 

BookTok also loves a cosy tale – one that feels like a warm hug in a book – and that's just what The House in the Cerulean Sea provides. Linus Baker leads a quiet life. At forty, he has a tiny house with a devious cat and his beloved records for company. And at the Department in Charge of Magical Youth, he’s spent many dull years monitoring their orphanages. Then one day, Linus is summoned by Extremely Upper Management and given a highly classified assignment. He must travel to an orphanage where six dangerous children reside – including the Antichrist. This is a book about the profound experience of discovering an unlikely family in an unexpected place.

Along with its sequel, We Free the Stars, We Hunt the Flame has had BookTok’s hearts a-flutter over romantic hero Nasir. Zafira is the Hunter. Forced to disguise herself as a man, she risks everything to provide for her people. Nasir is the Prince of Death. A feared assassin who is forever bound to the command of his father, the sultan. Both are legends in their kingdom – but neither wants to be. This fantasy duology is set in a richly detailed world inspired by ancient Arabia, and tells a story about discovery, conquering fear and taking identity into your own hands.  

Greek myths like you’ve never seen them before – The Song of Achilles combines BookTok’s love for queer romance with high-stakes historical fiction, and will leave you weeping like you’ve just read A Little Life (see above). Achilles is strong, beautiful and irresistible to all who meet him. Patroclus is an awkward young prince, exiled from his homeland. Brought together by chance, they forge an inseparable bond, despite risking the gods' wrath. This is the story of the fall of Troy, or rather part of it – a part full of war and sacrifice but ultimately, love. 

If you thought dark academia was a massive trend, try dark academia plus dragons! Welcome to the brutal and elite world of Basgiath War College, where everyone has an agenda, and every night could be your last. Now the commanding general – who also happens to be her mother – has ordered Violet to join those striving to become the elite of Navarre: dragon riders. But Violet is small and fragile, which doesn't mix well with dragons. As she spends every day and night simply trying to survive, darker secrets are uncovered: once you enter Basgiath War College there's only two ways out  – survive, or die. 

A bit of a cheeky addition, but we couldn't resist adding Cameron Capello's intoxicating romance debut to this list. Although it not due to be published until summer 2024, it already feels like a BookTok sensation. The story follows Theo and Magdalen, childhood neighbours, as they are reunited for the first time in seven years to celebrate a family wedding in the sleepy Italian village they grew up in. But, confronted with the ghosts of their pasts, Theo and Magdalen must face both the burning tension between them. This is, without doubt, one of the hottest books to pre-order for 2024.