I used to go through this phase where reading wasn’t just a hobby, but my safe place. I was really good at hiding in stories when everything outside was too loud. My favorites back then were those Philip Pullman books. I could really lose myself in it!
And now reading is suddenly everywhere again. Not just as a quiet hobby, but as a trend that people talk about, that you constantly see on your cell phone and that ultimately even decides which books are at the front of the store. That’s exactly where BookTok comes into play.
What exactly is BookTok
BookTok is the book community on TikTok. That sounds banal at first, but the effect is huge: people post short videos about books that they read, recommend or have just finished. Often these are not classic reviews, but rather reactions, reading updates, rankings, small stacks of books based on mood or recommendations based on genre. In Germany, above all “It’s Jess” became very famous because of this.
The gist is: books are sold through feelings and identification. That’s why BookTok is getting so many people back to reading. You not only get the title, but also the emotional context of it.
When was BookTok created?
BookTok was created around the hashtag #BookTok and became really big in 2020. TikTok was already growing during that time, and the short video format worked perfectly to show books quickly and attractively. In addition, many people read more during this phase because everyday life, leisure time and media use changed.
Since then, BookTok has not only become a social media trend, but also a real factor for the book market. Some books go viral and suddenly sell massively again, even though they have been out for a while. Others only become bestsellers thanks to BookTok.
What goes into the world around BookTok?
What I find so exciting about BookTok is that there is now a whole little culture attached to it. And it has very clear patterns.
1) Tropes instead of genre boxes
BookTok rarely just says romance or fantasy. It gets much more specific: Enemies to lovers, slow burn, grumpy and sunshine. This makes recommendations faster because you immediately know which direction to go. At the same time, it means that some stories can feel very similar because they are chosen according to the same patterns. By the way, tropes are recurring patterns, motifs, themes or narrative components in books, films and series.
2) New Adult, Romantasy, Dark Romance as long-running favorites
In 2026, New Adult and Romance, Romantasy and Dark Romance will dominate in the BookTok world. It’s not just a feeling, it’s now also sorted that way in the major publishing websites and trend overviews.
3) The pile of unread books becomes a running gag
The SuB feels like it has its own personality. BookTok turns it into something that makes you laugh, but also something that works in terms of purchasing psychology. You want that one book, then two more recommendations, and suddenly you have another pile that you hadn’t actually planned.
4) Fan edits, theories, reading routines
BookTok is not just reading, it is also staging. Reading lists, reading journals, markings, tabs, highlights, cozy corners, reading sprints. Some do it super aesthetically, others completely imperfectly, but both work because it sells a feeling: reading is part of my everyday life.
5) The book trade is now reacting visibly
BookTok tables in the store, stickers, entire shelves. The trend is so big that it is structurally planned. This is no longer a secret, but rather openly communicated, for example via BookTok bestseller lists and monthly trend lists.
Book Nooks: why they fit in so well
Now the part I really love because it brings this whole reading-becomes-visible-again thing into the room: Book Nooks. These are miniature dioramas for the bookshelf. You put them between books and suddenly your shelf looks like a small scene, sometimes like an alley, sometimes like a library, sometimes like fantasy. It’s bookshelf decoration that doesn’t scream, but simply sets the mood.
This is also a real hobby in itself, because… Shops like Figured’Art You can order your own DIY kits and get creative. I would have really liked that in the past if I could make my own fantasy worlds come true!
What many people don’t know is that the idea is often traced back to 2018, to a Japanese artist named Monde. From there, the whole thing spread further and further via photos and communities.
5 popular BookTok books currently
If you only pay attention to BookTok in passing, it sometimes seems as if it’s always the same three international titles that are so popular. In Germany you can also clearly see how much trends can shift, depending on what the community is currently pushing. The BookTok bestseller lists of the last few months are a very tangible snapshot, for example the monthly hypes that were listed for December 2025.
Here are five books that are particularly hyped there and are currently very present:
1) Your Knife, My Heart by KM Moronova
In the BookTok context it is seen as massive hype, especially in the dark romance area.
2) The LET THEM theory by Mel Robbins, Sawyer Robbins
Exciting because it shows: BookTok is not just fiction. Even non-fiction can go completely through the roof if it can be communicated clearly.
3) Qwert by Walter Moers
Moers on BookTok is somehow exactly this mixture of surprising and logical at the same time. The name is well known, curiosity is high, and the format is well suited for recommendations.
4) Frankie by Jochen Gutsch, Maxim Leo
This is also an example of how BookTok not only copies imported trends, but also pushes German-language titles forward.
5) The Yorkshire Girl by Lucinda Riley
Riley is already a name that has an extremely large number of readers, and BookTok ensures that titles like this constantly appear in feeds.
Conclusion: Dark romance is controversial, but reading should remain
What you can’t argue away: Dark Romance is one of the loudest areas on BookTok and that’s exactly why it’s also one of the most controversial. It’s often about power imbalances, boundary crossings, problematic dynamics, and there are legitimate discussions about how this is romanticized. At the same time, many say: It’s fiction, and fiction is the place where you can safely act out things that you would never want to do in real life. BookTok itself explicitly names Dark Romance 2026 as one of the big trending genres, so the topic will definitely stay with us.
I’m pretty clear on this: I think it’s good when people talk about what their limits are and what bothers them or interests them. Pushing it away doesn’t help. But what I really hope for, regardless of the genre, is that reading as a habit becomes normal again.
And I realize that the topic also affects me because at some point I hope that my daughter will experience the same thing. That feeling that a book will pick you up when the day is too full. That you can breathe again for a few pages. I loved it so much back then. I think it would be nice if she eventually found a book like this that she could really lose herself in.
