Here’s What The Biggest Names On BookTok Are Reading This Summer

BusinessMediaHere’s What The Biggest Names On BookTok Are Reading This SummerByToni Fitzgerald,Senior Contributor.Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Toni Fitzgerald is a Pennsylvania-based reporter who covers mediaFollow AuthorJun 04, 2026, 09:00am EDTSummaryBookTok is revolutionizing summer reading, moving beyond traditional light fare to embrace diverse genres like romantasy, thrillers, and LitRPG. Its growing influence led TikTok to curate its first official US BookTok Summer Reading List. Experts note that BookTok thrives on authentic, community-driven recommendations, where readers trust fellow readers more than marketing, effectively lowering gatekeeping for new and niche titles. While hashtags are important, authors emphasize that building a dedicated fan base through ARCs, giveaways, and broader social media engagement is also key to driving sales. The curated list features selections from popular BookTokers like Ayman Chaudhary, Brandon Baker, and Kierra Lewis, showcasing a wide array of books from dystopian romance to sci-fi and literary fiction, reflecting the platform's varied tastes.Show More TikTok influencer Ayman Chaudhary speaks during an interview at her home in Naperville, Illinois, on April 27, 2024. She and others shared their top selections for summer in the first-ever US BookTok Summer Reading List.AFP via Getty ImagesSummer is about beaches, barbeques—and now, BookTok. Over the past five years, summer reads have come to be defined by the influencers who devote their time to posting about their favorite books, and many of them are the BookTokers who populate TikTok. Light fare traditionally constitutes summer reading lists. But BookTok has also redefined what fits into your beach bag, leading TikTok to curate its first-ever US BookTok Summer Reading List, released Thursday morning.It just goes to show how impactful the medium has become, says Elizabeth Pucci. She oversees ebooks and audiobooks at Hoopla...