Here’s What Your Favorite BookTok Read Says About You

Whether your "For You Page" is dominated by home renovations and movie reviews, or cute puppies and makeup tutorials, there’s no doubt that the most popular TikTok books have come across your timeline. Even if you’re not on the app, you’ve probably seen them in the window of your local bookstore – and since we believe the books that manage to catch your attention actually say a lot about who you are, we’ve come up with a list to prove it.

1. A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara

The book: follows the lives of four college friends who move to New York, quickly honing in on the group’s most mysterious member, whose severely traumatic past affects them all in unforeseen ways

Your FYP includes: quippy poems and teary-eyed book reactions

You are: a person who doesn’t shy away from extremely thick books, friendship drama, or complete emotional devastation; some might even say you’re a glutton for punishment. Resiliency is a key marker of your identity and you have a ride-or-die attitude when it comes to those in your inner circle. When you can’t reach your therapist for an impromptu crying session – which happens more often than you’d like to admit – you take this book on the metro and skim through the last ten pages.

2. The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

The book: imbues a classic Greek tale with new life by chronicling the intimate relationship between the warrior Achilles and a young prince named Patroclus

Your FYP includes: fan castings and clips from period dramas

You are: a collector of old worlds and histories. When you discover a new story set in the past, you’ll commit to learning everything you can about that time period. People are often stunned by your knowledge on countless niche topics (and your ability to bounce back from reading or watching tragic romances).

3. It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover

The book: tells the story of a young entrepreneur attempting to manage the rocky terrain of her new marriage, all while trying to make sense of her feelings for an old high school flame

Your FYP includes: sultry ASMRs and aesthetic book annotations

You are: a seasoned romance reader with an unquenchable thirst for complicated relationship dynamics and steamy sex scenes. Haters might consider your tastes to be basic, but you’re unafraid of enjoying what’s popular or believing in the transformative power of love.

4. A Certain Hunger by Chelsea G. Summers

The book: is a faux memoir written by a food-critic-turned-cannibal who documents her homicidal exploits from a jail cell

Your FYP includes: songs by Lana Del Rey and existential crisis memes

You are: an ardent supporter of women’s rights and their wrongs. You have a taste for gorey absurdism and an iron stomach, so BookTok recommendations that include an unhinged female character are your bread and butter. You might find empowerment in treating men with the same disdain they’ve shown you, but really, you just wish you could break free from social constraints and have a mental breakdown without getting in trouble for it.

5. The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides

The book: recounts a criminal psychotherapist’s obsession with uncovering the motives of a woman who went silent after murdering her husband

Your FYP includes: true crime podcast clips and behavior breakdowns from therapists

You are: an investigator (or an incredibly nosy stranger – it depends on the day) and won’t stop until you get to the bottom of a mystery. You feel most at home being immersed in the pathology of others, especially because it means the spotlight remains on someone else and not you. Somewhat of a chameleon, you can sense what people want from you and will switch up your emotional energy if the moment calls for it.

6. All About Love by bell hooks

The book: explains how our flawed understanding of love is shaped during childhood, and offers a new framework we can use with ourselves, our loved ones, and our communities

Your FYP includes: opinions on feminist theory and dating confessions

You are: in your healing era. Exhausted by a digital landscape crawling with sketchy dating coaches and misogynistic male podcasters, you’re willing to throw out what you thought you knew about relationships in search of a healthier love. You frequently FaceTime your friends to impart them with unprompted relationship advice and, somewhat relatedly, you will always speak your truth – even if it hurts.

7. They Both Die At the End by Adam Silvera

The book: tracks the journey of two strangers who find out they’re going to die in less than twenty-four hours and decide to spend their last day together

Your FYP includes: dystopian "choose your own adventure" quizzes and teen romance recommendations

You are: someone who frequently asks themselves, “What’s this all about?” You don’t mind thinking about questions relating to your finite existence on this planet — even if you can’t come up with a concrete answer. That’s because you have a rich interior life and loved ones to sustain you, as well as an appreciation for even the smallest moments that give your life meaning.

8. The Secret History by Donna Tartt

The book: follows a small town transfer student who gets more than he bargains for when he falls in with a group of cultish rich kids, led by a charismatic classics professor

Your FYP includes: dark academia GRWMs and praise for books like Dead Poets Society

You are: a lover of archaic institutions, tweed coats, and dark muted tones. Exclusivity is not your preoccupation but you enjoy watching power dynamics unfold within a clique and don’t mind if things get a little messy. Despite your penchant for thrillers and bloody bacchanals, you can probably be trusted around ravines – and you’ve most definitely practiced talking with a transatlantic accent.