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Recommended Reads: Best of BookTok

Personal Growth

March 08, 2022

In TikTok, various books are constantly being discussed, from cartoon-covered titles to enemies, to lovers. I'll be recommending to you some of my favorite books that I've read.

Daughter of the Pirate King by Tricia Levenseller

This was one of the first books that got me back into reading, so it'll always have a special place in my heart. With that being said, it's the perfect enemy to lovers, arch but with pirates! There are sword fights, magic, and it gives you the best “Pirates of the Caribbean” experience.

If you have enjoyed this book, I'd recommend The Fable series by Adrianne Young. It shows another strong female protagonist on a path of revenge and eventually finding the family she never knew she needed.

Crave by Tracy Wolff

This story is focused around Grace, a girl who has just suffered a tragedy and ends up in a magic boarding school in Alaska. The catch? She doesn't know who or what she is.

There she faces betrayal, friendship, and possibly even love. Although this is a rather large book (592 pages), the chapters are short and easy to read. One of my favorite things about this series is how Wolff names her chapters. They range from being sarcastic to being captivating.

We Hunt the Flame by Hafsah Faizal

Zafira is a dedicated huntress who is determined to bring back magic to her country. Nasir is the crown prince of the Arawiyan crown and used to working by himself. Now, what will happen when they both need each other to retrieve the item and must deal with the force conspiring against them?

This story includes loads of tropes, from enemies to lovers to the favored "Who did this to you"? I had a very complicated relationship with this book because, in the first half, it can be really slow and very detailed. But after finishing this series, I have come to appreciate the first book more because I think it helps you comprehend the characters even more.

Sweet Filthy Boy by Christina Lauren

Now there are books with smut and smutty books; this one is definitely the latter. It starts off with Mia recalling her one-night standing and finding out they had gotten married! So, instead of making the responsible decision and getting a divorce, she goes off to France with her new husband, Ansel.

Will this summer end up in heartbreak or love? If you're looking for a fun, lighthearted book, this is the one for you. This is definitely an 18+ book and if you like any of the other characters, some of them have spin-off books!

It Ends With Us By Colleen Hoover

If you have ever been on BookTok, you have definitely heard of It Ends With Us and Colleen Hoover. Those two are household names and for good reason. There are plenty of books that can be overhyped and I can say without a doubt that this isn't one of them.

This summary will be very short in order to not spoil your reading experience, but there is a deeper message in this book besides saying it's a "love triangle". Lily is a heroine that will inspire you. She's constantly learning who she is and can admit when she's wrong. If you need any reasons to read sooner rather than later, the second book in the series is being released on October 18, 2022.

The Nightingale by Kristen Hannah

If you like historical fiction and war romances, then you should check out this book. Besides romance, this book focuses on sibling love. Besides love, it wants to show how women played their part in the war in different ways, but both are influential. Plus, it’s also becoming a movie, so that’s a bonus!

Honolulu by Alan Brennert

This is another wonderful historical fiction recommendation. This story follows Jin, a Korean picture bride in 1914, and her journey to happiness in Hawaii. There are so many examples of strong women and how each of them overcome their challenges in a unique way.

Besides following Jin and her personal experiences, readers are also informed of Hawaii and multiculturalism. In my school, we briefly talked about the history of Hawaii but were never educated about the history that was there. Brennert also covers multiculturalism in Hawaii and, as a mixed woman, this helped me to come to terms with identity.

The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis

Growing up, I loved watching the Narnian movies, so I figured I might as well read the books. As a reader, I usually follow the rule that the book is better than the movie and the movies come pretty close to the books. The first movie is actually the second book in the series, so that's where I started.

You can definitely start reading the second book and not get confused. I also read Prince Caspian's book without reading the book before and I still understand it. The books definitely provide more context and made me appreciate the movies more.

Love & Gelato by Jenna Evans Welch

Lina moves to Italy, getting to know her father as per a mother’s dying wish. Once there, she uncovers her mother's other life. On a journey to find out about her mother's passage, she’s also on a journey to find herself.

It was very refreshing to read a fun ya book. I also loved how it took place in Italy. That's a place I want to visit someday and I have definitely learned more about Italy.

Darling Venom by Parker s. Huntington

Now this book is very dark and covers a range of topics that include suicide, addiction, and alcoholism. I would strongly encourage you to check for any other TW. With that being said, I loved this book.

Going into it, I thought it would be another "my best friend's brother trope". To a certain extent, it does carry that trope, but there are deeper issues at hand that I loved learning about. While covering serious topics, I believe Huntington provides enough comedic relief as well.

I hope you enjoy the book recommendations. I definitely loved reading all those books. I know some of these books are more popular than others, but I encourage you to step out of your comfort zone and read some of the lesser known books.

As an avid reader, I believe it is your responsibility to check whether or not a book has triggering topics. As a precaution, you could always check TW and there are multiple websites that you can check.

Izabella Jorge
1,000+ pageviews

Writer since Jan, 2022 · 1 published articles

Izabella Jorge aka Iz, is a recent high school graduate. She is currently going to community college. Izabella also loves reading and walking her dogs, Tito, Smokey, and Chichi.

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