By Danielle Deaver | Adult Services Librarian | Montgomery County Public Libraries, Davis Library
Some books appearing on the bestsellers list in 2022 caught librarians, booksellers and publishers by surprise. Why was a romance published in 2016 suddenly incredibly popular? Where did that new book get the attention to launch it to the top ten list before it was even published? The answer was usually BookTok. People on TikTok, a popular social media app, have been influencing the bestseller list for more than a year now with videos about their favorite books, creating word-of-mouth phenomena. Library systems — including Montgomery County’s — have adjusted purchases to line up with these suddenly popular books. Here are some of the top BookTok selections from 2022.
It Starts with Us
by Colleen Hoover
Colleen Hoover might be the author who has benefited most from BookTok. Her romance and thriller books have reappeared on the bestseller list since BookTokkers started raving about them — at some point, her books have claimed eight of the top 10 titles on the New York Times bestseller list. Some are books that she wrote more than five years ago, which are boosted back to a slot on the list by BookTok.
Her books are dramatic, fast-moving and romantic. Some address serious topics in their roller coaster plots. “It Ends with Us,” a book about domestic abuse, is the prequel to “It Starts With Us.” “It Starts With Us” looks at what happens when the abused wife tries to move on with her new life — and love. The library system has them available but you will need to place a hold on them — unless you find them while browsing the Lucky Day collections at the libraries.
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Evelyn Hugo, the glamorous and reclusive 1950s film star, is finally ready to tell her life story to a journalist, Monica. The women’s lives intertwine as they tell their stories.
They Both Die at the End
by Adam Silvera
In an alternate world, a service informs people that they will die that day. Through an app called Last Friend, Mateo and Rufus connect for the last 24 hours of their lives.
The Spanish Love Deception
by Elena Armas
Under pressure to bring a date to her sister’s wedding, Catalina panics and says her (nonexistent!) American boyfriend will be joining her. Maybe her colleague Aaron could help her out of this jam.
