Best #BookTok Authors, Titles, Novels – The Hollywood Reporter

The graphic novel behind Netflix’s Heartstopper and a classic Jane Austen novel were among the winners over the weekend at the first-ever TikTok Book Awards. Launched by TikTok in the UK and Ireland, the awards honor the region’s biggest names in the worlds of literature, publishing and #BookTok, the popular hashtag TikTok creators use to discuss their favorite authors and titles.

“Heartstopper,” a graphic novel by Alice Oseman that was first-published in 2020, won the TikTok Book Award for “Best Book I Wish I Could Read Again For The First Time.” The LGBTQ series isn’t just a hit on BookTok — “Heartstopper: Volume One” is also currently topping Amazon’s young adult book charts, as of this writing.

There are now four books in the series, which follows Charlie Spring and his boyfriend Nick Nelson as they navigate the complex dynamics of high school relationships and coming out. A fifth volume is due out this December.

Picked up to series by Netflix, the first season of Heartstopper premiered in 2022, with the second season hitting Netflix earlier this month.

Aside from “Heartstopper,” Jane Austen’s 1813 classic, “Pride & Prejudice,” won the the award for “Best BookTok Revival,” which highlights older books that have seen a resurgence thanks to conversations on TikTok. One of the most-popular novels in English literature, “Pride & Prejudice” has become a popular discussion topic on TikTok, with users also using sounds and lines of dialogue from the 2005 movie adaptation.

There were some new books honored at the TikTok Book Awards too: “Honey & Spice,” the debut novel by Bolu Babalola, was named “BookTok Book of the Year.” The British writer’s book follows Kiki Banjo, as she navigates school, hosting her radio show “Brown Sugar” and pursuing — or not pursuing — a potential crush.

Released last year, “Honey & Spice” became an instant bestseller, and was even selected by Reese Witherspoon to be part of her book club.

The “BookTok Author of the Year’ award went to Holly Jackson, best-known for her “Good Girl’s Guide to Murder” series. And the award for “Best Book to End a Reading Slump” went to “Everything I Know About Love,” the heartbreaking memoir from former Sunday Times columnist Dolly Alderton. The book has since been developed into a series airing in the U.S. on Peacock.

The winners at the inaugural TikTok Book Awards were voted on by thousands of TikTok users through the app. TikTok says the #BookTok hashtag has more than 167 billion views and counting, spanning reviews and recommendations of favorite titles. The company says in addition to driving lively discussion and debate, “the #BookTok community is driving record book sales, helping to support independent book shops and launch careers of up-and-coming or previously underrepresented authors and genres.”