Summer is the best time to dive into a new book and I've gotten through quite a few of them in the past few months.
With my "to be read" stack finally completed in May, I turned to BookTok — the subsection of TikTok devoted to all things book-related — to get some suggestions for what to add to my list.
I put a bunch of them on hold at the Toronto Public Library and got to reading as they rolled in. Some books blew me away, and others were just not it, as the kids would say.
Here's which ones I think are actually worth your time, and which ones might leave you disappointed with BookTok recommendations.
This article contains content that may be upsetting to some of our readers.
Warning — many spoilers below, as well as discussion of potentially triggering topics brought up in certain books like domestic violence and illness.
It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover
It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover.
It's only fitting that we start this list off with the book that set BookTok abuzz for months: It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover, which is already on its way to becoming a movie.
I genuinely do not understand why so many people are obsessed with this book. While the writing is alright (other than the chapters-long letters that the protagonist writes to Ellen DeGeneres), the sex scenes are cringe (and I love me a good smutty read), the plot is all over the place and most importantly — I think this book glamourizes abuse.
Lily Blossom Bloom, who is a florist (I swear I'm not making that up) and the story's protagonist is subjected to domestic violence, manipulative tactics and gaslighting by her romantic interest and eventual husband, Ryle.
Lily takes Ryle back many times, which is of course something that happens to real-life survivors of violence. So when Lily gives birth to a little girl and she realizes she needs to break free of the cycle of abuse for both of their safety, telling her baby "It ends with us," I wanted to cheer...
... Except to be furious about the absolute lack of repercussions that Ryle faces. Yes, Lily leaves him, but he keeps his job, his social status, is not reported to the police and eventually becomes a co-parent to their daughter, all because she thinks Ryle loves their little girl enough to not hurt her despite his previous history of not being able to control his violent outbursts.
My rating: 0.5/5 (I like Ryle's sister, but that's it)
Goodreads rating: 4.23
Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
I initially read the Shadow and Bone trilogy when it came out about 10 years ago and loved it, so with the recent Netflix adaptation and TikTok's obsession with it, I decided to give it another whirl to see if it stood up to the test of time.
The unease between magic and military in a Russian-esque setting is an interesting combination in terms of plot device, the writing is solid, the characters (especially the Darkling) are nuanced without being annoying and the world-building is so, so compelling.
But the best part of this book? The romance between Alina and Mal, the protagonists of the novel.
Is friends-turned-lovers played out? Yes. Did I still find it swoon-worthy? Also yes.
I genuinely couldn't stop reading and I'm looking forward to revisiting the rest of the trilogy as well as Six Of Crows.
My rating: 5/5
Goodreads rating: 3.94
People We Meet On Vacation by Emily Henry
From the cutesy title of this book to the massive hype it has online, I truly thought People We Meet On Vacation was going to be my best read of the summer, but the whole thing fell sadly far from my expectations.
As mentioned, I love a "friends to lovers" trope but this one made absolutely no sense seeing as how Alex and Poppy appear to have zero chemistry or the ability to communicate effectively with one another.
The overly-long descriptions of the places they had vacationed and the pages-long insight into Poppy's inner monologue dragged and I found both characters to just be irritating. (Seriously, how many times can a grown-ass man make a "sad puppy face" in under 400 pages?) As well, the sex scenes absolutely fizzled; what's the point of a romcom if you aren't getting a little lusty?!
If this book had been about 100 pages shorter, I might have been on board, but unfortunately, this one was a stinker.
My rating: 1.5/5
Goodreads rating: 3.91
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
When this book was suggested for a monthly book club, I had a bit of an eye roll as the plot didn't seem like something I'd get into — but good lord, Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow is one of the best books I've read in ages.
Sam and Sadie, brilliant and troubled friends who both love and hate each other, work together to create a blockbuster video game called Ichigo which launches them into a decades-long career of video game design.
The characters are wonderfully complex and deliciously flawed (they're both kind of the worst, but I love that about them) and the story examines different facets of identity, how relationships grow and change and how differently love can be expressed. This one made my heart ache and I stayed up 'til 4 a.m. in order to finish it one night.
The only reason I'm knocking a point off the book is that the ending was way too drawn out. Much like the last one, it could have wrapped up much sooner, and the whole video game immersion of gameplay between Sadie and Sam dragged a little too long.
My rating: 4/5
Goodreads rating: 4.22
All Your Perfects by Colleen Hoover
Ok, I know this is my second Colleen Hoover novel but I decided to give her another chance after It Ends With Us as I remembered reading Maybe Someday by her when I was younger and really enjoying it.
All Your Perfects is a hot mess of a book. While once again, the themes are relevant — a couple struggling with infertility and the impact that has on their relationship — I just can't get over some of the glaring issues here.
When Graham cheats on Quinn, he literally blames Quinn for his actions because she was depressed and that made him seek comfort elsewhere because he was lonely.
It's clear from the way these two people treat each other that they need to divorce, but no — after reading a few letters Graham wrote to her while she was sad, all is forgiven.
I’m giving it two stars because I thought the ending was well done. It showed the pair accepting the fact that they weren't going to have kids and eventually adopting a puppy.
My rating: 2/5
Goodreads rating: 4.09
Savor: A Chef's Hunger for More by Fatima Ali with Tarajia Morrell
Welp, this book absolutely destroyed me and I can't recommend it highly enough.
This memoir tells the life story of Fatima Ali, from her early life in Pakistan to her rise as a promising young chef in New York and a star on Top Chef before her life was cut short by cancer.
Similar to Crying In H Mart, Savor: A Chef's Hunger for More feels like a love letter to food interspersed with a fearless look at mortality that somehow is both devastating and uplifting all at once.
This book made me cry and I find myself thinking about it quite often.
My rating: 5/5
Goodreads rating: 4.51
Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi
When I heard about Before the Coffee Gets Cold on TikTok, I was excited as the premise sounds right up my alley: at a little cafe in Tokyo, you can briefly travel back in time, but you have to make it back to the cafe before your coffee gets cold.
Unfortunately, something about the way this book was written made it really hard for me to get into. The writing felt very clunky and I found it difficult to settle into the flow of it as it kept throwing me for a loop, and not in a good way.
About 20% into this one I gave up which is saying a lot as I almost never give up once I've started a book. To be honest, I simply lost interest and couldn't be bothered to finish.
My rating: I guess I can't rate it since I didn't finish it?
Goodreads rating: 3.72
Blake Lively in an Instagram story on Jan. 26, 2023.