TikTok Made Me Read It
Written by: Holly Cambareri
You’ve been scrolling for way too long... it's time to put down the phone and pick up a book. MAVEN explores if the hype is real for some of TikTok’s favorite books and gives you only the best recommendations.
During the pandemic, people picked up all sorts of new hobbies since we had nothing better to do with our time. To combat our boredom, my sister and I redecorated several rooms in our house, completed dozens of paint-by-numbers, and finally picked up a book for the first time in years. I was the biggest reader in elementary and middle school, consistently surprising my parents with how fast I would finish books and how excited I was to pick up a new one. But by the time high school hit, I had lost all interest in reading for fun.
The endless textbook readings and required classics I had to read for school put me to sleep and completely turned me off from reading. When I finally started reading again during the pandemic, I was thrilled to see thousands of others doing the same and posting about it on TikTok. Seeing videos about the same books repeatedly made me feel like I needed to read them. I wanted to know if I agreed with people’s “hot takes” or “controversial opinions” about the books and be able to understand all of the inside jokes and references. Since then, I’ve read over a hundred books, and while some did not live up to the social media hype, I’m sharing a list of several of the best books I’ve read within the past two years.
If you want a beach read with substance:
It’s no secret that author Taylor Jenkins Reid has become incredibly popular recently, and TikTok is flooded with her books. While The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo is her most famous, Malibu Rising is my favorite (and I’ve read every single one of her books). While this is an excellent beach read, set in the 1980s along the California coast in Malibu and featuring celebrities as the main characters, make no mistake that it’s also an emotional rollercoaster, touching on themes of loss, family, and self-discovery. As cheesy as the expression is, I absolutely could not put this book down and finished it in one day, falling in love with the breathtaking setting, engaging characters, and captivating story.
If you want to revert to classic mythology:
Circe by Madeline Miller is a spellbinding and heartbreaking tale that features themes of self-discovery, feminism, love, and independence. A story based on Greek mythology and Homer’s classic The Odyssey, this book takes you on a magical vacation, transporting you to the Greek island on which it takes place. While the overall story is absolutely enthralling, and I found myself forgetting I was reading, the best part of this book is the incredible writing. Every minute I was reading this, I became more entranced by the setting, characters, and plot, and I didn’t want the story to be over when I reached the end.
If you want to escape to a fantasy world for a couple years:
This one is a commitment, but I can assure you that it is SO worth it. The Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas is eight books long and made me smile, laugh, cry, and throw a book across the room. Not an exaggeration; I literally threw the book because I was shocked by what I just read. Your classic fantasy tale of princesses, war, magic, and betrayal, Throne of Glass also features an amazing cast of characters that truly feel like your friends by the end of the series. The protagonists are all compelling, charming, and witty, and the villains are seriously evil and easily hateable. And it’s good that they’re intriguing characters because you read about them for over five thousand pages. So if you can get past the world-building and the names that don’t need to be as confusing as they are, I promise you’ll be in for the ride of your life.
If you want to get your heart ripped out and put back together:
If you’re a romantic like me, I highly recommend one of my all-time favorite romances, Archer’s Voice by Mia Sheridan. This book has ALL the elements of a perfect romance novel written into a beautiful story. Mysterious girl escapes to a small town to start a new life? Check. Lovable side characters? Check. Tortured protagonist with a secret? Check. Beware: This book will make you cry- I practically sobbed in the middle of Starbucks when I read it.
If you’re intrigued by a TV show or movie but want to read the book first:
If you only follow one piece of advice from me, it’s to always read the book before watching the movie. Because 90% of the time, the book is better. With the current release of Amazon Prime’s adaptation of Daisy Jones & The Six, I am BEGGING you to read the book before watching the show. Another amazing book by Taylor Jenkins Reid, Daisy Jones and the Six is told through interview clips detailing the story of a band in the 1970s, from their formation to their breakup, uncovering dirty little secrets along the way. I read this book, then listened to the audiobook, and am still not over it a year later, waiting anxiously for the next TV show episodes to drop. Another successful TV adaptation is The Summer I Turned Pretty, a three-book series by Jenny Han adapted into a TV series by Amazon Prime. I know everybody was talking about this when it dropped, so this isn’t new information. Still, it truly does perfectly capture the vibe of summer vacation. These books, precisely the first one, truly make you feel like you’re sixteen again, having the best summer of your life.
I hope I've convinced you to pick up a book by now, whether one of these or one on your shelf collecting dust for years. Just a few more tips: if you simply don't have enough time in your day to sit down and read a book, try an audiobook! I thought I would hate them, but this year, I fully became addicted and listened to fifteen audiobooks in a month, popping in my headphones whenever I had a spare minute, making dinner, blow-drying my hair, and walking to class. I also got every single one for FREE by using my library card to borrow them on the apps Hoopla and Libby. So, if you're looking for a fun, relaxing, and cheap hobby- get a library card and get reading!