The top 10 most popular BookTok books trending right now

It’s the era of #BookTok, and if you’re not on it yet, you are missing out. At a time when book bans are sweeping the country and libraries are suffering budget cuts, it's not a stretch to say that this TikTok community has not only encouraged but popularized reading again.

Authors now turn to BookTok to engage with their readers and help their books become a social media sensation. With the hashtag holding over 100 billion views, BookTok is a force to be reckoned with in the publishing industry. It’s all a title needs these days to be catapulted to bestseller status, from new releases and hidden gems to older books coming back into the spotlight and experiencing a surprise surge in sales. All of it, of course, being driven by TikTok users.

It may seem like only a hashtag, but it's a platform that reaches and unites readers all around the world. With different books trending all the time, you might be wondering what's making waves on BookTok this month. We rounded up the top 10 trending titles to add to your to-be-read pile.

What is BookTok?

BookTok is a subcommunity of TikTokers that post under the hashtag #booktok, sharing book reviews, must-read recommendations, memes, and all sorts of fun literary content. While romance and fantasy are the top genres, BookTok covers even the most niche tropes, so whether you’re looking for “grumpy x sunshine” or "unsettling books that get under your skin” you’re in the right place. It is the world's biggest virtual book club, if you will. The community has popularized authors like Colleen Hoover (known as the BookTok queen) and Holly Black.

Nowadays, BookTok has spilled into the real world. Bookstores like Barnes and Noble have taken note and dedicated special displays for the platform's buzziest reads. Hollywood isn't exempt to its power either, with popular titles like Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo and It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover being adapted into film and television.

You’re not limited to only the most popular titles on BookTok though. The hashtag has subsections based on specific genres so you can go as niche as you like. To find book recs or get involved in the community of your favorite genre, search by the key term. Some of the more well-known ones include:

• Horror BookTok

• YA BookTok

• Spicy BookTok (Rated R romance)

• Queer BookTok

• BIPOC BookTok

• Fantasy BookTok

BookTok is the perfect place to get out of a reading slump or find your next favorite read. As with the nature of TikTok though, popular titles on the app are ever-changing. That’s why we round up the top 10 trending titles taking over BookTok each month. Settle in to discover your next read.

The top 10 books trending on BookTok this May

1. A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas

Genre: YA fantasy, Romance, Romantasy

Love the “enemies to lovers” trope? You’ll find your fill of it in A Court of Mist and Fury, the second book in the A Court of Thorns and Roses YA romantic fantasy series (known as ACOTAR on social media). Though an older pick from 2015, ACOTAR is probably the most famous and well-known fantasy series on BookTok, enjoying much love and attention and prompting plenty of creative videos. It’s even, remarkably, inspired an original song called "Luminary" by violinist Joel Sunny. The magical melody is perfectly on theme for the series and took off on the platform, enough that Sunny released an official music video on Youtube. The book also won the 2016 Goodreads Award for Best Young Adult Fantasy & Science Fiction. It’s no wonder then that at least one of the ACOTAR books always makes the rounds for what’s trending on BookTok.

Described as "sexy" and "action-packed", the book follows Feyre, a human huntress who is resurrected as a fae after she sacrifices herself to save Tamlin, a High Fae and lord of the Spring Court (the land of beautiful forests), whom she loves. She struggles to navigate her new powers, the politics of the fae world, and her future with Tamlin, especially with Rhysand in the picture, a half-Fae and powerful lord of the Night Court (the land of beautiful nights), with whom she has a bargain she must uphold.

2. The Women by Kristin Hannah

Genre: Historical Fiction

The bestselling author of The Nightingale is back with another heart-wrenching novel you'll have to clear your entire schedule for. The Women has not only been trending on BookTok but comes highly praised by those outside of the TikTok community, too. It’s one of the newer books on this list, having been published just this year. Take a look at its impressive 4.67 rating on Goodreads, averaged out by more than 319,000 reviews.

The book is an epic, impactful read on the women during the Vietnam War, the ones who were erased from history, the ones whose stories were forgotten. It centers on Frankie and documents 20 years of her life, from her time serving in the Vietnam War as a nurse to her return home, where she discovers that instead of a hero’s welcome, her community and her own family refuse to acknowledge her. Ashamed. Embarrassed. They want to forget Vietnam, avoid it. Unable to reconcile their treatment of her with the horrors she has witnessed, Frankie is caught in between, overwhelmed with anger and betrayal and unable to save herself.

3. Twisted Love by Ana Huang

Genre: Contemporary Romance

True romance readers know enemies-to-lovers is where it’s at. Huang clearly knows that too, if her incredible 897,000+ Goodreads ratings, 44 million TikTok posts mentioning the title, and 127,000+ posts under the hashtag #anahuang is anything to go by.

Twisted Love is an 18+ “opposites attract” romance with its fair share of trigger warnings, including morally gray characters and a possessive hero. It’s steamy, it’s suspenseful, it’s fan-yourself-worthy. Alex Volkov is the dark, strong, handsome type. You know the one—haunted by his tragic past and driven by revenge. Then he falls for his best friend’s sister and that icy exterior begins to show cracks. For the free-spirited Ava Chen, Alex just may be her downfall. She is similarly haunted by a childhood she can't remember. She knows the two of them aren’t supposed to be in love. Because their love just might burn down everything they’ve built and hold dear.

4. A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

This month, older novels are all the rage, as proven by the critically-acclaimed A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara, first published in 2015. Droves of BookTok readers are absolutely emotionally wrecked after reading this and now they want you to be, too. It’s won an abundance of literary awards, and at 720 pages, is quite a monster of a book to get through.

Harrowing, and bleak from start to end, the book follows Jude’s tragic life over the decades and his attempts to free himself from his inner demons, framed by his evolving friendships with three friends as they navigate life after college graduation. From abuse, trauma, depression, and self-harm, Jude’s story is relentlessly dark and Yanagihara doesn’t shy away from depicting every detail. Though not a happy tale by any means, it is one that will stay with you.

5. Tender is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica

Genre: Horror, Thriller, Dystopia

Go to Horror BookTok and you’ll see this recommendation coming up a lot. This is a dystopian horror that reviewers have called “deeply disturbing,” “skin-crawling,” and “morbidly fascinating,” yet “beautiful.” The Argentinian novel was translated into English and won multiple awards; it was warmly received overseas as well, garnering positive reviews from critics, over 211,000 ratings on Goodreads and eight million posts that mention the title on BookTok.

The reason why Tender is the Flesh is so horrifying to readers is because it reimagines our world in a way that feels believable, that feels like it can happen, a story of atrocity that careens toward a chilling ending. When a virus turns all animal meat poisonous to humans, the government legalizes and industrializes cannibalism to fulfill the demand for meat in society. Now, humans are the chickens, the pigs, the cows, bred and factory-farmed for consumption, their body parts cooked and presented in spices.

Marcos Tejo works at a meat processing plant, doing everything from breeding to packaging humans. It’s horrifying but he bites his tongue and deals with it to survive. Until one day, he’s given a quality live specimen as a gift. Though interacting with the “meat” is frowned upon, the time spent with her awakens the dormant fragments of Marcos’ own humanity. But is he so different than everyone else?

6. Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

Genre: YA fantasy

Six of Crows is a fantasy YA novel by Leigh Bardugo, better known as the author behind the Shadow and Bone trilogy (which spawned a popular Netflix series), and more recently, Ninth House. The first of a duology, it holds a striking 957,000+ Goodreads ratings (for one book alone), and with millions upon millions of TikToks based on the series, It's a title you shouldn't underestimate. Despite being published nine years ago, Six of Crows reigns on top even today. Bardugo, too, has maintained her status as one of BookTok's top authors, as you'll find no less than 106,000 TikToks under her name.

The book is set in the same universe as Shadow and Bone and follows a crew of six dangerous outcasts coming together to pull off a deadly heist — if they don’t end up killing each other first, that is. Told from the POVs of eight different characters, the book is praised by reviewers for its rich world-building, spectacular adventure, and engaging group dynamics. With a whopping 31 million TikTok posts mentioning the title, I believe them.

7. Covenant by LySandra Vuong

Genre: Fantasy, Paranormal, LGBTQ+

If you enjoy graphic novels, check out the one that’s taken BookTok by storm. Covenant by LySandra Vuong is a supernatural action comic that explores religion, faith, and queer romance through hot, tattooed priests with powers and hot demons with, well, demonic powers. Oh yeah, you read that right.

Rated Mature, this title is actually available to read on Webtoon, where it is 81 episodes in and ongoing. Its success brought it out of the screen and into print: the printed volume collects the first 18 episodes and is being released this May. If you want to be entertained, Vuong, who dropped out of engineering school to focus on this passion, makes delightfully dark, popular TikToks based on Covenant. Reviews particularly appreciate the comedy, along with the blend of action and mythology.

Ezra, a powerful exorcist who no longer believes in God, is tasked to protect Sunny, a mysterious boy, from demons. Despite the bickering and personality clash, the two are drawn to each other. Now it’s up to Ezra to find his conviction before it’s too late and they both end up suffering the consequences.

8. Archer's Voice by Mia Sheridan

Genre: Contemporary Romance

2014-2015 books must be having a moment because so many books from this time have been trending on BookTok! Archer’s Voice comes highly recommended in the community if you’re in the market for a contemporary romance without the fantasy. Let’s crunch the numbers: The title alone has nearly 10 million posts on TikTok while the author, Mia Sheridan, has 12,000+ posts under her name. It's not just TikTok either; the book’s praises carry over to Goodreads, with an admirable 4.23 rating out of 5, and almost 232,000 five-star reviews (that covers 50% of its total ratings). Oh, the power of a good love story!

Bree Prescott moves to a sleepy Maine town, hoping to find peace from the memories of that one traumatic night she can’t forget. Here, her life intertwines with the town outcast: Archer Hale, a mute, brooding, isolated man with a traumatic past of his own. It is Bree who will make him feel safe again, who will give him back his voice. And it is he who will free her from her demons.

9. Powerless by Lauren Roberts

Genre: YA Fantasy, Romantasy

Two questions: Are you done reading ACOTAR and just dying for something similar? Are you a fan of The Hunger Games?

If you answered yes to either of these, Lauren Roberts has your back. Powerless is a slow burn romantic fantasy with plenty of tension between the leads to keep you wound up. It was a Goodreads nominee for the 2023 Nominee for Best Young Adult Fantasy & Science Fiction and has been taking off on BookTok, earning a place on every BookToker’s rec list. And would you look at that beautiful cover?

The story follows our two leads in the kingdom of Illya, which is divided into the Elites (those with powers) and the Ordinaries (those who are powerless). Our main character, Paedyn Gray, is...you guessed it—one of the powerless. An Ordinary, part of the group that was banished by the king to preserve an Elite society. To survive, Paedyn blends in with the Elites, pretending she is one of them, until she inadvertently saves an Illya prince. As a result, she is thrown into the Purging Trials, an unforgiving competition where Elites must show off their powers—powers Paedyn doesn’t have. It’s either be killed in the Trials or be killed by the prince when he discovers the truth about her. The prince she is falling in love with.

10. Binding 13 by Rebecca Ross

Genre: Romance

If your thing is jock x shy girl and opposites attract, BookTok promises this book will ruin you. Binding 13, the first of a duology, is a slow-burn high school sports romance. Rugby star Johnny must stay laser-focused on his promising rugby career. Until he isn’t. Until the sad, bruised new girl enters the picture. Shannon has been through the wringer: heavily bullied in her previous school and by her own father, she only wants a clean slate at her new school. Until she meets Johnny. Until she realizes they just might be soulmates. She is damaged. But he is determined to love her despite everything he has to lose. And isn’t that what we all want?

With their hearts slowly binding, Shannon and Johnny must learn how to trust and open up again.