New Year, New BookTok Trends
If there's a TikTok to be trending on at all
It has been a long year of dragons and monsters and dark mafia drama, so for the last Romancing the Phone of 2024, I’m doing a round up of all of the latest BookTok trends I’m seeing on my FYP. A How to Decide What to Read Part 2, if you will.
I’m also seeing BookTok creators set up space on other platforms - YouTube, Instagram, Bluesky - in the face of the potential TikTok ban. I’m not convinced it’s going to happen, but even if it does, I’ll still be reporting on influencers who love to talk books and the ever evolving way we decide what to read in an extremely crowded landscape.
With that said, let’s dive in. The most successful BookTok creators are always looking for a new lens through which to recommend books. And despite the seeming narrowness of the BookTok format, there are endless new variations on the theme. Who knew there were so many ways to say fuck, marry, kill?
Reread, Rewrite, Burn
This is, by far, the most prevalent new trend. And for good reason. What a perfect lens through which to discuss popular books, especially books that are often part of a series. Disappointed by the latest installment? Rewrite it! I first saw this pop up on my feed a couple of weeks ago and it is everywhere.
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He’s a 10, but…
I saw this one start with BookTokers who read a lot of dark romance (he’s a 10, but he’s a stalker) but I think it has escaped containment. Notably, I haven’t seen any she’s a 10, but takes on this particular review format. I guess we’re only interested in the heroes here. I’m sure I’ve shared some of Tierney’s videos before, but she is both hugely popular and reliably filthy.
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And here’s the romantasy version:
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Best Books of Every Month
It is, of course, best of the year season, when every publication releases their carefully cultivated list of favorites and the NYT deigns to recognize one or two romance novels. But BookTokers, who not only talk about romance but dramatically influence the success or failure of many of the year’s new releases, are doing things a little differently. They’re sharing their favorite book of each month of the year, starting in January and working their way through a year of reading. I’m not sure this entirely makes sense, as some months are bound to be better book months than others, but it is both a way of recognizing more books as favorites and a way of showing off how many books you read this year. A lot of the creators start with something like - I read 120 fantasy romances this year. Here are my favorites from every month.
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Least Favorites
But the gloves are off on BookTok, because I’m also seeing a lot of least favorite reads lists or books I DNF’d this year (did not finish). Would the NYT publish that?
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Sailor Song
Hark! A new trending audio sings. Sailor Song by Gigi Perez hasn’t replaced That’s My Life by Gracie Abrams but it is coming for the crown. And it makes sense: it has the cinematic swell of a classic BookTok song, plus these lyrics:
Oh, won't you kiss me on the mouth and love me like a sailor?
And when you get a taste, can you tell me what's my flavor?
I don't believe in God, but I believe that you're my savior
My mom says that she's worried, but I'm covered in this favor
And when we're getting dirty, I forget all that is wrong
I sleep so I can see you 'cause I hate to wait so long
This is the plot of many a popular romance.
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Introductions via Books
This trend isn’t quite as new, but I do see it pop up fairly consistently. It’s a good illustration of the way BookTokers read across genres and sub genres. Creators introduce themselves with book covers superimposed on their video or image and say something like “If you like books like these…these…and even these… then welcome! You’re in the right place.” See:
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My Secret BookTok Account
We’ve talked about how a lot of BookTokers are open about what they’re reading, but this new trend is about keeping your online life and personal life separate. They’re all also using this trending audio, which is in fact the theme song from K.C. Undercover, sung by Zendaya (you learn something new every day).
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Honorable Mentions
-series I’ll convince you to read and series you need to convince me to finish
-buzzy book and hidden gems
-books I would sell my soul to read again for the first time
-last, now, next
-25 for 2025
-Predicting my 5 star reads for 2025
Imaginary Celebrity Book Club
Kylie Kelce’s new podcast, “Not Gonna Lie,” is holding off Joe Rogan to maintain the number one spot on the podcast charts. Have we finally found a Joe Rogan for the left? I don’t know, but what I do know is that Kylie Kelce should have a book club. Working on a separate project this week, I was struck by the lack of moms on BookTok. Is it because there aren’t enough hours in the day to read and make videos and raise children? Probably! But it feels like a real gap in the market. And I bet Kylie would pick some fun, no nonsense, and potentially profane books (the girl loves to swear). She seems like a good hang, and like her book club would be the kind where you read the book but then mostly gossip and drink wine.
I hope y’all have a happy holiday and I’ll see you in the new year! Thank you again for reading my newsletter.
P.S. every ad on TikTok for me this week was for Taco Bell. What does it mean? I saw there was something called a Decades Menu but did not investigate further. Just thought this was worth noting.
A Kylie Kelce Book Club would actually be so cool, tbh
I feel like the mom demographic leans more towards IG and FB, and learning how to use TikTok feels like a whole thing. I have no data to back this up lol