Ever since the pandemic started, many teens and young adults started using the up-and-coming app, TikTok, as their form of entertainment. TikTok has become a very popular platform for Generation Z and is used by many companies as their form of marketing. On this app, people can play with filters, try cool challenges, and dance to new trends with part of a song as the music accompaniment. For readers, TikTok is known for its platform, #BookTok.
On this platform, readers recommend their favorite books to the online community and why they think people should read them. For some, they give a condensed version of what their book is about to their audience, and for others, they mention specific phrases that only people who have read the book would understand. This is why I am here to recommend the books you should read, according to my BookTok page.
1. ‘Shadow and Bone’ by Leigh Bardugo
Shadow and Bone falls under the Romance, Childhood lovers trope. In this book, there is a love triangle between the main character Alina Starkov, her childhood best friend Mal Orestiv, and the Darkling, also known as General Kirigan. In this book, Alina grows up as an orphan and is tested to see if she has any superpowers. In order to stay in the orphanage with her best friend rather than travel far away, Alina and Mal skip the test and end up not getting tested. Fast forward a few years, Alina crosses the Fold, a place full of darkness and scary creatures that eat humans alive, when suddenly a strong ray of light seeps out of her. The Darkling hears about this and soon Alina realizes that she is the Sun Summoner, the hero that people have been talking about for generations. The Saint who has been prophesied to break the Fold. As you read this book, you experience Alina’s journey of discerning the good from bad, making important decisions, and knowing who to lean on.
2. ‘It Ends with Us’ by Colleen Hoover
This book also falls under the Romance genre, like every other book in this article. In the story, Lily is trying to move on in her life after the death of her physically and sexually abusive father. On her first day in Boston in pursuit of her dream of opening her own floral shop, Lily meets a stranger named Ryle. On the rooftop, the two develop something called ‘naked truths’, where they tell the other something that no one else knows about them. After a few weeks, Lily and Ryle start developing a love for one another and end up dating. However, Lily soon discovers that her childhood lover, Atlas, also lives in Boston. As the story unfolds, we learn about abuse, love, sexual assault, and how all of these things can affect a person’s way of life. Of how it affects marriages and the decisions made in it. In this book, we read about how Atlas and Ryle, both of Lily’s lovers, handle this situation in a messy, tangled, and chaotic way.
3. ‘The Inheritance Games’ by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
This was by far, one of my favorite books. Being the first book of a three-part series, the story introduces a girl named Avery Grambs whose name seems to be included in billionaire Tobias Hawthorne’s will. However, Avery has no relation to the billionaire and only knows about him when one of Tobias’ grandsons tells her the news. In this story, Avery and the Hawthornes, all of them boys, solve all the riddles in the will while learning more about each Hawthorne’s biography. It is an adventurous story filled with love, mystery, doubt and so much more.
4. ‘You’ve reached Sam’ by Dustin Thao
In this book, a girl named Julie deals with the death of her beloved boyfriend Sam. However, after his death, Julie realizes that she can have calls with Sam over the phone. It seems weird to her at first, but Julie soon finds comfort in these calls. In hearing Sam’s voice. In being WITH Sam. As you read this book, you learn about the meaning of love and death, as well as how one deals with it all.
Side Note: While reading this book, I truly enjoyed the idea of someone who has passed away being able to still share moments with their lover. It was emotionally gripping, so much so that I ended up tearing up as I read the end of the book. I would definitely recommend it to someone who is looking for something to make them cry on a dark, rainy day. Totally not pushing you to read this book by the way!
5.The Spanish Love Deception by Elena Armas
This book falls under the Romance, Enemies to Lovers trope. In this book, Catalina and her colleague Aaron, cannot seem to get along. They both claim that they have a strong hatred for one another and make it very obvious to the people around them, but Catalina can’t help herself from admiring Aaron and his good looks. As Catalina complains to her friend about not having a date to go to her sister’s wedding, Aaron suddenly volunteers to go with her. Catalina, knowing that Aaron has a strong dislike for her, is shocked and refuses. However, after much convincing, Aaron Blackford and Catalina Martin board the plane to Spain together. In this book, you will read about the love between these two enemies and how they came to terms with that, as well as the emotional challenges that Catalina went through while recovering from the heartache of her first love.
So, those were the books that I read during the pandemic thanks to BookTok. Even though there were many more that appeared on my page, I feel that these five books are a good start for people like me: people who prefer movies over books. I hope that these recommendations will provide a great experience to those who are seeking to fill their time or explore different genres of books. So with that, happy reading!
Sources
1.https://www.leighbardugo.com/book/shadow-and-bone/
2.https://www.amazon.com/Ends-Us-Novel-Colleen-Hoover/dp/1501110365
3.https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-inheritance-games-jennifer-lynn-barnes/1143257993
4.https://www.audible.com/pd/Youve-Reached-Sam-Audiobook/B0B29GC2LY
5.https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54189398-the-spanish-love-deception