What’s a book enthusiast to do when their TBR needs a refresh? Hit those social feeds, of course.
#BookTok may be popular, but if you’re a fan of the “classics” like me (classic social media, that is), #Bookstagram reigns supreme. Whether it’s the gorgeous book covers, the intriguing captions, or the fact that hundreds of other Instagrammers are already fans, it’s hard to resist Bookstagram reading recommendations.
These trending Bookstagram books include romance, thrillers, literary fiction, and more. Reading them will cure your FOMO, allow you to engage with fellow bookworms, and keep you hooked from cover to cover.
Wondering where to start with Instagram’s latest books to read? I suggest Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll — a feminist take on the true crime genre.
1. Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
Violet, the bookish daughter of a formidable mother, must put aside her fear to become a dragon rider. But first, she has to graduate (read: survive) Basgiath War College, where everyone and everything seems out to kill her.
Fourth Wing — a dark academia fantasy about legacy and personal empowerment — has been a Bookstagram favorite since its release, and the sequel (Iron Flame) is just as popular.
2. None of This Is True by Lisa Jewell
A friendly meet-cute transforms into a twisted nightmare in this thriller from Jewell — a fan favorite among suspense readers. Followers of @jordys.book.club voted None of This Is True into the top two of the “Most Popular Books on Instagram” in 2023.
Alix Summers and Josie Fair share a birthday, and they meet by chance (or so it seems) while celebrating at the pub. Alix agrees to interview Josie for her podcast, but Josie isn’t the meek, mousy housewife she appears to be. Before long, Alix is the subject of her own true crime investigation.
3. Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll
Bookstagrammers everywhere are devouring (and raving about) Bright Young Women, a fictionalized account of Ted Bundy’s deadly attack on a sorority house in 1970s Florida.
Knoll, author of Luckiest Girl Alive, which inspired a Netflix Original movie starring Mila Kunis, doesn’t name the killer. Instead, she focuses on the women who are most affected by his perverse actions and how they use their trauma to seek justice.
Kirkus calls this thriller “a stunning, engaging subversion of the Bundy myth — and the true-crime genre.”
4. Yellowface by R.F. Kuang
June, a white writer, steals a manuscript from her recently deceased Chinese American rival, then publishes it under a racially ambiguous persona. But June’s choices soon haunt her in more ways than one.
Kuang continuously makes waves across Bookstagram and BookTok (see her 2022 release Babel, a perennial must-read on social media, later in this list). Here, she delivers a sharp satire that skewers white entitlement and cultural appropriation in the publishing industry and beyond.
5. Once Upon a Broken Heart by Stephanie Garber
In this spinoff of the Caraval series, Jacks, the Prince of Hearts, gets his time to shine. Evangeline Fox loses the love of her life to her stepsister, but Evangeline’s determined to stop the wedding and secure her rightful Happy Ever After. To do so, she makes a magical, dastardly deal with Jacks.
Garber’s Once Upon A Broken Heart trilogy has an abundance of imagination and heart, with each installment sparking more Bookstagram hype than the last. (The finale, A Curse for True Love, dropped in October 2023).
6. All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
Doerr’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel is seeing a resurgence on Bookstagram thanks to its recent Netflix limited series adaptation that stars Aria Mia Loberti, Mark Ruffalo, and Hugh Laurie.
All the Light We Cannot See follows the twin narratives of Marie-Laure, a blind French girl, and Werner, a German orphan recruited to the military, at the height of World War II. The imagery of war-torn France and rich character depth make this a hauntingly beautiful read.
7. Let Us Descend by Jesmyn Ward
Drawing on Dante’s Inferno and America’s sordid history, one of the greatest writers of our generation delivers the gut-wrenching story of an enslaved girl with a powerful ancestry.
As Annis makes the grueling journey between plantations by way of New Orleans’ slave markets, she relies on lessons passed down from her mother — teachings that connect her with nature, protective spirits, and herself.
Ward (Sing, Unburied, Sing) astounds yet again.
8. Wildfire by Hannah Grace
Grace’s hockey-themed romance, Icebreaker, became wildly popular among romance Bookstagram accounts, and this standalone Maple Hills follow-up is gaining similar momentum.
Following a passionate encounter, Aurora and Russ are shocked to realize they’ll be spending the summer together as camp counselors. But before they can open up to one another, they’ll both have to overcome insecurities and family trauma.
This romance is the perfect blend of sweet and steamy, with a fun setting to boot.
9. Starling House by Alix E. Harrow
Once home to a prominent author who disappeared long ago, Starling House is now abandoned — and supposedly haunted. Opal’s main priority is escaping her poverty-stricken Kentucky town, but a job at Starling House entangles her in a web of old secrets that infect her dreams and may alter her future.
Hugo Award-winning Harrow pulls readers into a dark, gripping exploration of trauma and suppressed societal evils. Starling House is a Reese’s Book Club selection and a Bookstagram hit, especially for fans of spooky reads.
10. Babel by R. F. Kuang
In this historical fantasy, a British professor adopts Robin Swift, a young Cantonese orphan, who goes on to study translation at an elite (and magical) Oxford institute. But it soon becomes clear that the Royal Institute of Translation is hoarding knowledge to fuel their colonialist agenda, trapping Robin between worlds and forcing him to make hard choices.
It’s only fitting that a book about what’s lost (and gained) in translation became the talk of the town on Bookstagram.
11. The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese
Verghese (Cutting for Stone) delivers a family saga that unfolds over much of 20th-century India, giving readers a glimpse of the nation’s changing cultural landscape. It follows three generations of a family that’s simultaneously cursed with tragedy and blessed with gifts of sharp intelligence and creativity.
Whether it's describing the gorgeous landscape or a breakthrough medical procedure, Verghese’s lush prose is rare and moving.
12. Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur
This collection of poems is the epitome of Bookstagram success: Kaur achieved worldwide fame when her simple and lyrical poems went viral on Instagram, and she remains an influential Bookstagrammer.
Milk and Honey addresses the chaos and rawness that comes with the everyday bittersweet experiences of life.
13. Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
While Shadow and Bone steals a lot of the spotlight (fitting for the Sun Summoner), fans on Instagram and elsewhere know the true gem of the Grishaverse lies at the bottom of The Barrel with Kaz Brekker’s crew of misfits.
Bardugo does an amazing job of fully fleshing out each character; between the kidnappings, thievery, and criminal shenanigans, she deftly weaves in stories of friendship and love.
14. Twisted Love by Ana Huang
Huang’s slow-burn romance — the first in her Twisted series — features opposites-attract and grumpy-sunshine tropes plus open-door steam.
Despite being wealthy, handsome, and intelligent, Alex Volkov shuts people out due to a dark past. Only his best friend’s sister, Ava, a kindhearted woman with demons of her own, can break through Alex’s formidable facade. Their growing relationship is passionate and, as the title suggests, somewhat twisted.
15. A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
Maas has become a mainstay of Bookstagram and BookTok with this beloved romantasy series.
A Court of Thorns and Roses introduces Feyre, a young girl who has taken on the responsibility of feeding her family after her father loses everything. Feyre is proud, fierce, loyal, stubborn, and clever — basically everything you want in a heroine.
16. All the Sinners Bleed by S. A. Cosby
The acclaimed crime writer who brought us propulsive hits like Blacktop Wasteland and Razorblade Tears delivers a noir that multiple Bookstagram accounts included in their top reads of 2023.
A fatal school shooting leads Sheriff Titus Crowne into a complex web of racially motivated crime, forcing him to reckon with his role as a Black law enforcement officer in the American South.
17. The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon
This sapphic epic fantasy, with its distinct orange cover, has been a fan-favorite on Instagram and beyond.
For the last millennium, the House of Berethnet has ruled over Inys. However, unless Queen Sabran produces an heir, she risks the loss and destruction of her queendom. The Priory of the Orange Tree is set in a complex world with an intricate magic system and a cast of fascinating narrators.
18. Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan
This dazzling debut — a reimagining of Chinese folklore — whisks readers away to a beautiful world full of mythological creatures and magic as Xingyin attempts to free her imprisoned mother, the moon goddess, and protect the fate of the world.
Tan’s coming-of-age tale and its sequel, Heart of the Sun Warrior, follow the epic adventures of a courageous heroine. Both covers, designed by Kuri Huang, were practically made to be in everyone’s Bookstagram posts.
