STOP reading popular booktok books - 5 underrated thriller & romance recs 💌

[@meggiebeth_writes]

You'll love this: I just found your content because I read my first Frieda book, and I was super annoyed with it and was looking for better book suggestions. All your takes so far seem to line up with my book expectations, and I'm now your fan for life! Thanks, Frieda!

[@blodina001]

Me too! Just finished “Never Lie” by Freida and was so pissed off, I had to find people just as pissed off as me with better recs

[@brooke5258]

Omg the unreliable narrator lying in their own thoughts for half the book: enraging.

[@litwithleigh]

Instantly ready to throw hands 😂

[@sayuriakirayuu7944]

Me reading psychologic horror were most main characters are psychos and love lying to themselves 😂

[@brooke5258]

@@sayuriakirayuu7944 that I'm game bc that's part of the character's psyche. But when an author just goes "surprise bih, you thought" for a plot twist (Counterfeit by Kirstin Chen), I yeet that book into the sun.

[@litwithleigh]

@@brooke5258 exactly. If you're lying but it's bc you've got a condition and you genuinely think the sky is purple, fine. But if you KNOW that hoe is blue and you tell everyone it's purple just to add some drama, BYEEEEEEE

[@marginsofmarisa]

Omg thank god someone else who feels the same way I do about Freida McFadden 😶‍🌫️ I only read The Housemaid but that was enough for me to know the quality of writing was not going to meet my standards 🥴 I actually just posted a review of that book & a redesign of the cover (bc the original is so fugly 😭😭😭) Loving all these recs! I actually have not heard of any of them which is so refreshing 🫶 glad I found your channel

[@litwithleigh]

Yesssss 🤝🤝🤝 thank you for giving this random a chance haha. I have another video specifically about thriller recs to replace Freida books if you'd like to check that out too 🥰

[@marginsofmarisa]

@@litwithleigh literally sprinting to watch it rn 🏃‍♀️💨

[@BookReviewsWithBecky]

Love this! I read so much that I'm always looking for something that is not well known! I have found some gems, but you found some I hadn't heard of! I'm thrilled! Thank you! ☺ I have read, Someone in the Attic, and loved it!!

[@KarlyO83]

Yay you’re back!!! I’ve missed your unhinged videos!!! 😂 all is right with the world again

[@litwithleigh]

Lmao thank you 😁

[@marywebb9264]

I love this. Please keep doing this series. Need more forces fighting against shitty TikTok books.

[@erikaanderson3204]

I love your recommendations! Honestly i keep hitting a slump but i live for your non main stream recs. Also i finished Live To Tell, so good!

[@litwithleigh]

Yay!! Glad you loved Live To Tell ❤️ hope you get out of that slump asap

[@BookReviewsWithBecky]

Reading slumps are the worst!

[@marie_and_her_library]

Yay another video to add into my playlist of comfort watches to fall asleep to - what does it say about me I enjoy falling asleep to mediocre books/authors getting roasted … we’ll never know cause I have too many other things to discuss in therapy

[@litwithleigh]

Lmaooo there's worse things to listen to (I would hope). Thanks so much for watching ❤️

[@Bohan21]

Love your new video! I just got back into reading last year and booktok was the main spot for hunting recs. Since finding your channel and GR reviews, I pretty much never go to booktok for recs now. so thank you for playing a part in freeing me from that LOL Sheesh, the audacity of people to pounce on you the second they hear you speak of FM lol I can only imagine the comments/DMs you receive haha I will never understand that chokehold she has and I plan to never know lol Look forward to your next vid!

[@litwithleigh]

Thank you so much ❤️ I'm glad you've found some good books. Omg it's so weird lol that's why I haven't made a video detailing which books she's allegedly ripped off. I don't wanna deal with all the crazies trying to justify her lack of creativity lmao

[@Bohan21]

@@litwithleigh 🤭🤭Fair enough!

[@lisakusel6102]

I love the shirt. And thanks for the marissa finch rec.

[@litwithleigh]

Thank you!! Hope you enjoy it.

[@vadimcazacu6938]

LOVE your top!😍

[@litwithleigh]

Thank you!!❤️

[@TheBookCourt]

I heard that fans arent allowed to critique certain issues with FM's book in her group. Well, I joined a general thriller group, and every post critiquing her gets deleted too. I honestly don't get the hold her books have on people.

[@litwithleigh]

YEPPP or she comments on it and all her lil fans jump in and harass the poster until they delete it lol. Honestly she would make a great cult leader lmao the chokehold she has over her fans is next level

[@litwithleigh]

At one point it was actually a rule for her private mcfans group that you cannot ask why X Freida book sounds like *insert bestseller here* LMAOOO

[@crashedherparty]

Went and read The Trap from your previous rec, and WOW!!

[@litwithleigh]

Ahhh love to hear it!!! The low ratings are a crime!!!!

[@craftychicken12]

I fell into the hole of reading booktok books about 2 years ago and while I will say that some books off there are great (Six of crows and The house in the cerulean sea) some are really not to my taste. I read A court of Thorns and Roses and enjoyed it enough to want to continue, but when I read A court of mist and fury, I just couldn't go on. As an Asexual, that book was one of the smuttiest, plotless books I have ever read. I can take some spice, but that book just took it too far. (Sorry to anyone who enjoyed it, I respect your opinions) I absolutely love finding channels which recommend underrated books and authors and I love reading books that I haven't seen on Booktok, which I'm trying to pull away from. I thought I'd recommend a few here if anyone wants some more recs... Murder in the family- Cara Hunter (Mystery/Thriller) This is a book told through the medium of a TV show being created. It follows the story of a cold case of the murder of Luke Ryder. The book is told through different mediums and is designed in a way which allows the reader to figure out the case before the cast. I read this in a day and it's super intriguing and fast paced. Battle Royale- Koshun Takami (Japanese Thriller) Translated from Japanese this book is one I would recommend to people who enjoyed The Hunger Games, but wanted more deaths or violence and less romance. This follows 42 high school students as they are placed on a island to fight to the death. The twist? They all have collars around their necks which will explode if no one dies within 24 hours. WARNING- This book contains a LOT of violence and most of the deaths are VERY graphic so be aware of that going in. Every book Shari Lapena has written... (Mystery/ Thriller) Currently she has seven books out: A stranger in the house An unwanted guest Someone we know The end of her Everyone here is lying Not a happy family The couple next door For someone new to her works I'd recommend starting with An unwanted guest as it's a locked room murder mystery which reads similar to an Agatha Christie novel. Last, but by no means the least, my current obesession, John Marrs specifically The Passengers (Thriller/ Sci fi) This is one I'd recommend listening to on audiobook as it's a multi POV novel which benefits from having different narrators for each character. This is a thriller set in the future where everyone has driverless cars. We follow 9 characters (sounds like a lot I know, but I promise you'll be ok) who are all on their way to their destinations when their cars get hijacked and the hijacker delivers them a message 'in 2 and 1/2 hours you will very likely be dead'. We then watch as the public are asked to vote on who they want to die based on secrets which are revealled about each one of 'The Passengers'. This is a high octane thriller which does have some trigger warnings so please check those first. If anyone has any recs feel free to share them. Happy reading

[@litwithleigh]

Thank you 💖 great recs. I cosign Cara Hunter, but her DI Adam Fawley series for the police procedural girlies. Whoever is reading this, make sure you buy the physical books. The mixed media looks terrible in the ebook. Also Shari Lapena is solid. John Marrs has beef with me 😂🤭 but I really liked The Good Samaritan.

[@BookReviewsWithBecky]

I love Shari Lapena's books! I read a lot so I'm sure I have some recommendations you would enjoy! ☺

[@craftychicken12]

@@BookReviewsWithBecky Go ahead! I'm always looking for more recs

[@TheBeeesKnees]

i got nothing but time for this type of video 💅

[@litwithleigh]

Love it 😍😁

[@orkosubmarine]

that "Paypall me and I'll fix it" 🤣 but nah you look great, so good to see another video and hear your thoughts. forever boop for engagement

[@litwithleigh]

Thank you so much ❤️❤️❤️ always appreciate your engagement boops

[@rooshiisreading]

nono girl ur shirt is cute

[@litwithleigh]

Awww thank you ❤️

[@erinartypants6673]

Can't wait to read these!!❤

[@litwithleigh]

Enjoy 😍

[@jakesbug]

About Time is one of my fav movies ever!

[@litwithleigh]

So good!! The amount of times I rewatched it is embarrassing

[@brandi1908]

I got The Good Part as an arc and I really enjoyed it. Her son was hilarious.

[@litwithleigh]

Yay!! Glad you liked it too. I NEED it to be made into a movie lol

[@justwonder1404]

Here 3 minutes after posting, KZbin seems to be onto me.

[@litwithleigh]

LOL I ain't mad about it

[@angiebaebii]

Who doesn't know at least the basics of British slang? You have to have never watched a British show in your life or listened to a British artist to not know the basics, I think that’s so weird and this is coming from an American

[@litwithleigh]

You would think but the number of reviews or posts on social media I've seen of Americans complaining about British slang or "weird" Irish names is disturbing lol

[@janelle.evangelista999]

popular books r always so terrible: mortal instruments, twilight, divergent, six of crows... just to name a few

[@litwithleigh]

Teen me LOVED twilight but if I read it as an adult I'd be horrified lol

[@angiebaebii]

I as well always randomly think hey maybe kids aren’t that bad then I’ll babysit my niece for an entire day and realize that I’d rather listen to only Taylor Swift for the rest of my life than birth a human with my DNA running through its veins

[@litwithleigh]

LMAAOAO no better birth control than babysitting. I worked at an all day tennis camp for 3 summers in a row and WHEW

[@angiebaebii]

@@litwithleigh I would have cried lol but it’s definitely a very good form of birth control 🤣

[@gigi1625]

"..because they're written on a 1st grade level" 😂💯💯

[@litwithleigh]

🤭🤭🤭

[@AlexandraUtschig]

Lol, not inclusive because of slang. That's so ridiculous, it almost doesn't seem real, but I've been on the Internet long enough to know better. It takes like two seconds to look up words you don't know, slang or not! Lol

[@litwithleigh]

Right lmao and her comment was the length of a PhD dissertation. I was so dumbfounded but tbh that wasn't even the weirdest comment I've received 😂

[@rooshiisreading]

i believe i am first

[@SpecialHeaven]

These authors dropping books every menstrual cycle.😂😂😂

[@litwithleigh]

Lmao am I lying though? Camilla Isley is the romcom repeat offender

[@nadah1615]

Hear me out for a second; how about you post five times a week, please? I watched all of your videos in a week, and now I have to wait for more like a peasant.

[@litwithleigh]

LOL thank you so much for bingeing. Making more than one video a week is the dream but alas, my job that pays the bills is calling 😭

[@BookReviewsWithBecky]

😂 I have some you can binge too!

[@whimsicalapple4376]

First!! Another main reason to subscribe to you - finally a booktuber who isn't one of those booktubers who continuously posts recommendations that are way too mainstream and incredibly repetitive all the time. No offence haha. I personally have zero interest in reading any of them whatsoever. I kinda like Freida McFadden though and most of her books, except for one that is The Coworker which I found it to be such a fucking drag omg. 🤍💫🌿

[@litwithleigh]

Thank youuuu!! That's my goal ❤️ I have another vid coming out this week with under hyped books I wanna read this summer. Honestly idc that Freidas writing isn't my taste, I just don't like that she has WAAAYYY too many books that are eerily similar to other best sellers.

[@BookReviewsWithBecky]

Same! ☺