A Guide for Getting Back into Reading 

Social media has made reading cool again.  

Bookish communities on the Internet, such as ​​BookTok and Bookstagram, have exploded ​in​​     ​ recent years. This resurgence in reading has led to older books such as The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller and Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo finding newfound popularity. Book stores have noted they’ve seen an increase in customers​ and p​opular BookTok books in Canada ​have seen​ an exponential increase of 1,047 per cent in sales.  

While BookTok has been great at getting readers back into reading, ​the number of recommendations can be overwhelming.​     ​​​     ​ 

​​Finding the perfect book to help you get back into reading can be difficult. Are you more of a romance or fantasy reader? Maybe you like contemporary novels that focus on societal issues. Whatever your tastes are, this guide has you covered. ​​​ 

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Below we will explore the different book genres, recommend some titles geared towards young adults (characters between the ages of 14 and 18) and showcase BookTok accounts worth checking out. 

Romance 

Romance is in many books. The romance genre, however, is one where the love story is the central plot of the book. Romance novels typically lack any overwhelming world-building, have digestible writing and are very character focused, allowing for a fun and easy to read reading experience. 

If you are interested in trying out a romance novel, check out authors like Jenny Han and Lynn Painter.  

Han has written popular books including The Summer I Turned Pretty and To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, both of which have received screen adaptations.  

The Summer I Turned Pretty follows Belly as she returns to her beach house for another summer and finds love from brothers Conrad and Jeremiah. A love-triangle ensues. 

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before follows Lara Jean, a teenage girl who writes (never sends) love letters to all the boys she has crushed on. However, someone has mailed her letters, resulting in Lara Jean potentially finding love. 

Painter is a BookTok beloved. Her novel, Better Than the Movies — a Valentine’s Day time-loop romance, was all over the platform following its 2022 release.  

Fantasy 

Fantasy novels are set in imaginary universes, typically including magical and mythical elements. As a kid, you may have read the fantasy series Percy Jackson and the Olympians or The Chronicles of Narnia. 

Fantasy as a genre is a bit more complicated than others. There is high fantasy, epic fantasy, urban fantasy and many more sub-genres in fantasy. If you start out in high or epic fantasy, you may become too overwhelmed as these novels tend to have more complex world building, more intricate magic systems and are rather long and slow-paced. 

Young adult fantasy tends to be less complicated. To start, try reading Blood Like Magic by Liselle Sambury. The book follows a young witch in a futuristic Toronto.  

If you are interested in reading a more fleshed out fantasy universe, a BookTok favourite is the Grishaverse by Leigh Bardugo. The Grishaverse consists of three different series that are all interconnected — and it is best to read the books in order of release date to enjoy the full experience. The books are set in a made-up, politically divided world. Grisha, people able to harness the natural elements of the world and use them as weapons, are the main focus of the first trilogy, starting with Shadow and Bone. 

Romantasy 

Romantasy has always been a staple in the book world, but with the rise of BookTok, this genre has become the favourite. Romantasy novels are romance stories set in fantasy worlds. 

The Cruel Prince by Holly Black was one of the first romantasy books to take off on BookTok. The Cruel Prince follows Jude, a human girl, as she grows up in a faerie world. The faeries are cruel and what results is a fun enemies-to-lovers romance story filled with messy characters and political intrigue. 

Mystery 

The classic ‘who dunnit’ genre.  

Many young adult mystery novels follow teenagers acting as amateur detectives to solve a local murder or crime. While the premise is a bit far-fetched, these books tend to be full of fun antics and plot twists. 

One of Us is Lying by Karen M. McManus follows a group of teenagers in detention, when suddenly, one of them dies. The death is treated as a murder, and the surviving teens end up being investigated by the police. The book follows the surviving teens as they deal with their personal issues, but also as they team together to solve the murder. 

A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson found BookTok fame pretty quickly. The book follows Pip as she reexamines a ‘solved’ murder. Her investigation leads her down a trail that might just put herself in danger. 

Contemporary  

Contemporary novels are grounded in reality. Typically referred to as coming-of-age stories, these books tend to follow characters as they are dealing with personal, and often relatable, issues. These stories explore themes such as mental illness, grief, racism and illness.  

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas follows 16-year-old Starr as she witnesses a childhood friend be fatally shot by police. Throughout the book, Starr must grapple with what it means to be Black in America. This book is noted as being very powerful and emotional and it is recommended readers look up trigger warnings before reading. 

Every Last Word by Tamara Ireland Stone follows Sam as she is learning to deal with her obsessive-compulsive disorder. Throughout the book, Sam makes a new friend and is introduced to the art of poetry. The book explores themes of gaining and losing friends, mental illness and learning to find your voice. 

Want More Recommendations? 

Hopefully this guide can provide a start to your reading journey. If you are looking for more recommendations check out these BookTok accounts.  

• @vinopapi23 — Smitty is a well-known fantasy lover in the BookTok community. He often lists what he considers to be 6/5 star books but is also great at recommending fantasy to new readers. 

• @bookish.hb — Hannah provides excellent book recommendations encompassing a variety of genres including young adult.  

• @caitsbooks — Cait loves a good romance novel and is often discussing the latest book they have picked up. 

• @edensarchives — Eden is a very diverse reader and is outspoken on readers branching out and trying new genres. 

As you are exploring new genres and reading new books remember reading should be fun. Don’t push yourself to read as much as possible. Slow and steady wins the race.