Looking for a new book? Or are you looking for the motivation to pick up that book off your nightstand, where it has been collecting dust since you made it your 2025 New Year’s resolution to read? Look no further than summer break. Away from the stress of classes and the busy days at UNCW, summer is the perfect time to grab a book, or seven, and combat anti-intellectualism.

If you have ever stumbled onto “BookTok,” – the name booklovers who share their love for books on TikTok – then before noticing the books, you may have noticed the aesthetics of being a reader. From overpacked, glamorous shelves to fancy homemade matcha, being a reader looks expensive. As the online world of readers has grown, so has the pressure to own hundreds of unread books. TBR (to be read) shelves are often shown off, pressuring many to feel like they should be buying books. Don’t feel pressured to fall into overconsumption, you are not getting paid thousands from TikTok’s creator program.

For this reason, the first recommendation on this list is: Any book you currently own

Is all reading, reading? This oddly phrased question has circled TikTok as readers debate who is better; romance readers or readers who exclusively read classics? Think you fall into one of these categories? Recently many readers, who primarily read romance, have taken to TikTok to share frustrations with being told romance isn’t “real literature.” One user stated, “Book propaganda I will not be falling for: romance readers aren’t reading ‘real’ books.” Romance books have taken over a majority of BookTok, so it is no trouble finding a new book. It has even become easy to find a book with specific tropes that have become popular. Simply type in your go-to trope, or plot theme you enjoy in a book, into the search bar and you should find what you’re looking for.

Popular Romance Books as Featured on TikTok:

• The Things We Leave Unfinished by Rebecca Yarros
• Love Redesigned by Lauren Asher
• The Summer of Broken Rules by K.L. Walther

Author recommendation:

• Get a Life Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert

On the other side of the reading spectrum is the classics. Books that have been read and loved over and over and have stood the test of time. Many readers are worried about the over persisting use of AI and have deemed anti-intellectualism to be on the rise. One user urged viewers to turn off TikTok and read by saying, “When I’m scrolling but then I remember that anti-intellectualism and ChatGPT is on the rise and fascists love the uneducated and learning and reading is an important form of resistance.”

Anti-intellectualism is the devaluing of education. As members of society we should always strive to stay educated about our surroundings and world, and books have always been the most accessible way to do so. The fear that anti-intellectualism is on the rise may be due to President Trump’s budget cuts on education, or even push-back at the rise of reading’s lack of popularity. Either way readers who enjoy classics, enjoy reading literature that has stood out amongst other books as being labeled “important.”

Must-read Classics Today:

• 1984 by George Orwell
• Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky
• The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
• Camilla by Frances Burney

Many kids who grew up reading daily may lose their love for reading as they grow older. Why not go back to those books that provided us with security and nostalgia? A current TikTok trend has encouraged users to go back in time and share the books they grew up reading. This summer, reread a book that is a classic to you. I personally have selected multiple books from my shelves that I would love to revisit.

Author’s nostalgic books that are worth reading:

• Keeper of the Lost Cities by Shannon Messenger
• Cinder by Marissa Meyer
• Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco

Almost as important as picking up a book is where you will be reading that book. Curled up on a cozy couch may call for a different mood than at the beach. While frequenting Wrightsville Beach, try picking up a horror or murder mystery to spice things up (or if that’s what you’re normally into, props to you, because I had to put these books away when the sun went down).

Horror and Suspense as Recommended by TikTok:

• Summer Camp for Slasher Victims by Matthew Mercer
• Clown in A Cornfield by Adam Cesare
• Dead Girls Walking by Sami Ellis

Author recommendations:

• Just Like Home by Sarah Gailey
• The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides

This summer, read lots and support local businesses. Where you buy your books is important, so shop local. Avoid Amazon, and don’t say they’re cheaper. Local used bookstores, such as Pomegranate Books, are filled with cheaper, hidden gems. If you’re still looking for that one book you saw on TikTok, try visiting Papercut Books downtown. Another option is borrowing from the library. Use the resources your local libraries have for free, to ensure that they receive funding and can continue providing community literature.

My Favorite Finds from Papercut Books:

• Cultish by Amanda Montell
• Misrecognition by Madison Newbound

TikTok recommendations and wandering around bookstores are two ways to pick your next read. But if you are skeptical of BookTok reviews and overwhelmed by the amount of options in a store, there is always the New York Times Bestselling List. There are multiple lists that stay updated weekly with the top bestselling books in each category.

Notable Mentions from the June 29 Lists

• Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkin reid
• Bury Our Bones In The Midnight Soil by V.E. Schwab
• One Golden Summer by Carley Fortune
• Mark Twain by Ron Chernow
• Never Flinch by Stephen King

The perfect summer read will be different for everyone. For some people, like myself, the weirder the better. This summer I challenge you to pick up that book you swore you would read in January. Reading has been around forever, and books hold power. Check out the banned books list, read something that challenges you and find a book that you love. Pick up that romance, or classic; all reading is good.

Additional book recommendations selected by the author:

• Notes on an Execution by Danya Kukafka
• The Project by Courtney Summers
• Blood Sugar by Sascha Rothchild
• The Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix
• Patron Saints of Nothing by Randy Ribay

All books are linked to Goodreads where descriptions and reviews are readily available.