#BookTok Hot Takes, Pt. 2
In case you missed it, our staff has been laying out their true feelings about TikTok’s most beloved recommendations. They had so many feelings, in fact, that we had to make room for a second blog post to capture them all. Enjoy!
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Angie
Yes, yes, yes totally worth the hype. The less you know going into it, the better. One of my favorite love stories of all time and my favorite book by Reid.
Shannon
This one definitely isn’t going anywhere any time soon, if our recent sales numbers are anything to go by. People are loving Taylor Jenkins Reid!
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
Shannon
First of all: All of the hype is real. This novel is the perfect balm to the frazzled and disquieting times we find ourselves traversing, with new challenges presented seemingly every day. I am not one to write in my books, but I cannot wait to dissect this masterpiece with a highlighter and pen. If you've ever found yourself craving an alternate existence or questioned the "what ifs" of the past, you need to buy this book.
The Cruel Prince by Holly Black
Abby
Look, I know we all love our moody white boys. I get it. I like a morally grey protagonist as much as the next reader. But this… really bugged me. I definitely think I was too old to be in the main audience for this novel, as I found the main character whinny and her ‘love’ interest completely hateful. I’m also not a huge fan of the fae storylines that cropped up around this time, so that could also play a part in my utter disdain for this book.
The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton
Shannon
The premise of this book promised so much. The selling point of "Agatha Christie meets Groundhog Day" is not incorrect...though it does take a solid number of chapters to get to the premise at all. If you're willing to take this one out for a spin, I would recommend the physical book over the turgid plodding of the audiobook's narrator (the whole thing clocks in at around 17 hours). If you do venture to attempt the audio, I would recommend listening at 1.5x speed to make it bearable. I read that this novel has been optioned by Netflix and think that the complicated premise will translate much more easily to the screen.
Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo
Abby
Leigh Bardugo is best known for her YA Grishaverse series, including Six of Crows and Shadow and Bone. And I’ll admit, this first ‘adult’ book from her felt daunting, as I recommend Six of Crows to all readers, not just young adults. But she knocks it out of the park here! And it’s definitely not for young adults, with a graphic sexual assault playing a large part in the protagonist's life and backstory. But if you heed any trigger warnings, you’re in for a gothic mystery set at Yale, with lost mentors, secret societies, and all the snark you could ask for.
Ice Planet Barbarians by Ruby Dixon (18+/NSFW)
Jen M.
You can’t talk about BookTok books without talking about the blue alien men that took over BookTok for a hot minute. I love these books. They are super sweet (please note that the first book can be very triggering and has some pretty heavy themes) and really focus on found family (another fave trope of mine). These are fun science fiction romance reads which I feel is a hard niche to write and Ruby Dixon just did it so well. Also I want to note that I am not into the breeding trope at all unless it is ICP.
The Secret History by Donna Tartt
Abby
I love Donna Tartt. I love how I’ve never met her but I bet she takes her coffee black and wears wide-brimmed hats to avoid making eye contact with the barista. Her pretentious nature bleeds off the page and nowhere is that more evident than in The Secret History. This is the campus novel to end all campus novels and nothing makes me pick up a book faster than someone comparing it to The Secret History. However, I also completely understand anyone who can’t stand it or Tartt. I get it, she’s not for everyone. Does nothing happen for 100 pages except a preppy boy musing about his trip to Italy? Yes. Did I devour it? Do I even need to answer?
Blog contributions by Abby Bennsky, Shannon McCarthy, Jen Miller, and Angie Sanchez.
Photo contributions by Shannon McCarthy and Angie Sanchez.
Edited by Shannon McCarthy.