Despite my best efforts to respond to that text I’ve left on read for days, Google something, check my email, take out the trash or check out my to-do list for the week, I find myself spending the next hour scrolling through TikTok on my phone. If you find yourself relating to this, you have undoubtedly come across BookTok as well.

On TikTok platform, #BookTok is a community of users who share, discuss, and review books in the form of video content. The community has grown rapidly into a strong force in the literary industry, captivating readers with its lively, concise material that combines wit and passion. Book lovers on the TikTok discuss and recommend books. Book content creators immerse viewers in the worlds of their favorite books and authors through entertaining videos and real reviews. Booktok content is also a great way for visual and auditory learners to learn more about books and decide if they want to listen to audio books, read paperbacks or download it on Kindle. The platform great for finding hidden gems to read or reread well-liked stories in a fast-paced, visually exciting manner.

Due to the millions of likes on countless videos that have been posted, BookTok has had a huge impact on book sales and has revolutionized the book market. Many authors have found considerable success as a result of their books becoming well-liked on the app, especially by the Gen Zs.

Nigerian literature has not been left out of the Booktok trend. BookTokers frequently draw attention to the works of Nigerian authors because of the increasing interest in international and global literature, and they are becoming more and more visible on the platform. This increased awareness of Nigerian literature makes me happy as someone who is always interested and excited about learning other people’s cultures, be it eating their food, listening to their music or learning a few words or phrases in their language.

Reading has always been one of my favorite hobbies for as long as I can remember, when I was in primary school, I would always tell my parents to get me the latest Enid Blyton books, Dork Diaries and the Diary of a Wimpy Kid book series as I was obsessed. Despite my love of books, I find myself to be one of those readers who can only read a maximum of two books in a month before I randomly get into a reading slump that may last for a couple of months. As someone who enjoys reading, reader’s block is the worst, and sometimes I find myself zoning out while reading. However, since discovering Booktok during the pandemic, I was able to break out of my reading slump and haven’t looked back. I absolutely understand the pain of being a reader who feels physically unable to read as it is frustrating.

So, if you are feeling stuck in a reading slump as well, I have put together a list of three books by Nigerian authors that I discovered with the help of BookTok that will inspire you to read again. Nigerian literature is well known for its richness, diversity, and gripping stories, and I cannot help but mention a few of the notable Nigerian authors, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Chinua Achebe and Wole Soyinka. But with BookTok’s help, I have a short list of some other noteworthy writers that you need to check out!

 

1. My Sister, The Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite

For a debut, this book is an amazing read, and the writing pulled me in! Set in Lagos, Nigeria, Braithwaite dives into the story of two sisters. Korede, who is a nurse, is older and has to deal with her younger sister, Ayoola’s mess. Ayoola, as the title implies, has the habit of murdering her boyfriends with little to no remorse. Korede considers it her duty to look after her psychopathic sister, but sticks to herself most of the time, which makes sense when you are working to hide your sister’s misdeeds as a serial killer. She soon realizes that she is in love with a doctor that she works with at the hospital, but when Ayoola comes into the hospital to visit her, she finds out the doctor seems to be interested in her sister, not her. Korede is torn between the man she has feelings for and whether to let the doctor know about her sister’s secret, and her blood-strong loyalty to her sister.

It is so addicting that I read it all in one sitting. It is a short, gloomy thriller book that is easy to read and would definitely get you out of a reading slump. This genre is also rare for a Nigerian book, so I was intrigued, and it exceeded my expectations!

 

2. Yinka, Where is Your Huzband  by Lizzie Damilola Blackburn

You literally cannot escape this on Nigerian BookTok; it is on everyone’s favourited, recommended, and TBR list. It follows Yinka, an Oxford graduate who believes she has achieved success with her esteemed university degree, solid career, and group of wonderful friends. Nevertheless, she has been feeling the pressure of getting married by her mother and her aunties as they continue to inquire about her finding a husband. If Yinka doesn’t get married and have kids, her life won’t be complete. That is exactly how Yinka’s mother thinks, to the extent that she finds a way to add it into every prayer. When Yinka’s cousin gets engaged, she is on a mission to get a date for her cousin’s wedding. Through this journey, Yinka comes to realise that before she loves anybody else, she must love herself.

Like Yinka’s mother, a lot of aunties back home still have this mentality and I strongly believe it needs to die down. Even though the book’s title very well tells you what to expect, I was still a little curious. Although the characters of the book are immigrants from Nigeria and the story takes place in England, the book shows how prevalent this culture still is, regardless of place or time. A lot of people might assume that as society changes and advances, the practice of mothers and aunts forcing their daughters and nieces to find husbands would decline, but sadly, this is still the reality in many places.

3. Wahala by Nikki May

Trouble is what we call wahala in Nigeria, and the title does not lie. The book follows three women, Simi, Ronke, and Boo, who have been best friends since their college days. Everything was going well until a new girl named Isabel, a childhood friend of Simi’s, joins their group. Isabel infiltrates the friend group and causes so much wahala and drama. In capturing some of the key themes of contemporary city life, Wahala is both incredibly clever and a lot of fun. The story includes the changing roles that women play at home and work, interracial relationships and multicultural identity, the competitive spirit that permeates so many friendships and everyday encounters, and, most importantly, how easily intimacy can turn into enmity. The narrative moves from London to Lagos, detailing their experiences, worries, struggles, victories, and setbacks, all within the themes of love, friendship, and second chances.

BookTok really did well with recommending this one because I found it so captivating—everything that was going on in the women’s lives, the drama and what happened in the past that led to all of it.