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.
@paperbird_books
Not everything is slow—there’s plenty of rushing to and fro with arms full of books, unpacking many boxes of books and tidying—but we try our very best to soak in these little bits of quiet. Did you have time to read today? #books #aesthetic #booktok #bookshop #slow
♬ The Flower Garden from Howl’s Moving Castle (piano) – Frozen Silence
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?
@readbypaulina
Wait for Part 2, I found sooo many beautiful books 😭 #BookTok #bookstore #bookshopping #specialeditionbooks #sprayededges #stephenking #booktokfyp #fyp
♬ оригинальный звук – ㅤ
Sprayed edges are trending now, but apparently we’re behind Poland, because look at these gorgeous books!
@bookriot
Behind the scenes at Tailored Book Recommendations! Nothing better than receiving a fresh shipment of books. If you want you know more about Tailored Book Recommendations, head to mytbr.co! booktok tbr bookrecommendations
♬ Cool Stardust – Astral Dune
Amanda gives a behind the scenes look at alphabetizing the Tailored Book Recommendation books before they get packed up with their orders!
@rachelcatherine99
I love my little book club 🥹🎂📖 #booktok #bookclub #hosting
♬ original sound – Rachel Catherine 📖
I definitely have some book club envy after watching this.
@bookriot
3 things to say to someone who wants to understand book bans. #booktok #booktokfyp #booktoker #project2025 #election
♬ original sound – book riot
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.
@myreadsbooks
in defense of owning a lot of unread books #physicalTBR #physicaltbrchallenge #unreadbooks
♬ original sound – amy 💃🏻
This is a really interesting discussion about the downsides of a owned unread books reading project.
@sisiliareads
seeing authors out there being represented and succeeding that look like us is the important part #books #bookrecommendations #asian #literaryfiction
♬ Juna – Clairo
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.
@allthingseryn
Replying to @Shannon Fast paced horrors for #spookyseason #halloweenbooks #horrorbooks #horrorbook #horrorbooktok #booksforfall #fastpacedbooks #Inverted
♬ original sound – Eryn Reads Everything 📚
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.
@novelniah
How long do I have to wait to reread a book? Because I’m ready for a reread now that my finished copy has arrived. I could spend hours talking about how much I loved The Maid & the Crocodile . I knew two pages in that it was going to be a five star read and by the end of it I had added it to my list of favorite books. Howl’s moving castle holds such a special place in my heart and I am constantly looking for books that have similar vibes. The Maid and the Crocodile is the first book that I found that fit the bill completely. It had everything that I wanted in a retelling and everything that I wanted in a book. Sometimes I read a book and I love it so much it just fills me with joy that I get to be alive in a time where the book exist. And this was one of those books. I loved it so much, and I just feel such overwhelming gratitude that I got to read it and enjoy it. #booktok #bookreview #howlsmovingcastle #fantasybooktok #novelniah #fantasybookrecs #cozyfantasy
♬ Howl’s Moving Castle – Merry Go Round of Life – Vitamin String Quartet
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.
@bewareofpity
one of my favorite books and one that doesn’t get talked about enough! 🔔 #booktok#littok#literaryfiction#gothichorror#gothiclit#shirleyjackson#hangsaman#bookreview#favoritebooks#bookrecommendations
♬ original sound – Malissa
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.
@claire_linney
A great non fiction book that aims and succeeds to give a solid overview and highlights of the multi faceted, complex and nuanced history of a continent often reduced to a slavery+ colonialism narrative. #africanhistory #nonfictionbooks #africanbooks #diversebooks
♬ original sound – Claire Linney | author | books
You can also find nonfiction recs on BookTok! This one recommends An African History of Zeinab Badawi, especially on audiobook.
@peruseproject
how to be demure while reading lol @Jools Lebron
♬ original sound – Peruseproject
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.
@jennnreads
It’s time for me to lay quicksilver to rest 🙂↕️ #romantasyreads #quicksilver
♬ One Step At a Time (Originally Performed By Jordin Sparks) [Karaoke Version] – Karaoke Nyc
Embrace the DNF! It will set your reading life free.
@bookriot
We watched the thing, we talked about the thing. Find the episode at bookriot.com/listen/it-ends-with-us-colleen-hoover-movie-review/, or search for Book Riot wherever you listen to podcasts. #booktok #itendswithus #fyp
♬ Funny video “Carmen Prelude” Arranging weakness(836530) – yo suzuki(akisai)
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”).
@bookriot
Get featured with credit on the Book Riot TikTok (and maybe on the site) by tagging your video #BookRiotTok ! #bookish #bookriot #booksbooksbooks #booktokers
♬ original sound – book riot
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.
