Fourth Wing Is TikTok's First European #BookTok Bestseller of the Year

Which book won #BookTok in Europe this year? Rebecca Yarros' Fourth Wing. On October 8, 2026, TikTok and market researcher Media Control named it the first European #BookTok Bestseller of the Year, in a release timed for the Frankfurt Book Fair.

The top five books and authors

Based on Media Control data, Fourth Wing takes the top spot, ahead of Chloe Walsh's Binding 13, Rachel Reid's Heated Rivalry, Elle Kennedy's The Mistake and Walsh's Saving 6.

Chloe Walsh is the most successful #BookTok author in Europe so far this year, TikTok says, with two titles in the top five. Rebecca Yarros, Hazel Riley, Rachel Reid and Elle Kennedy complete the top five authors.

The release's footnote says the European ranking is based on #BookTok Bestseller List data from Germany, the United Kingdom, Spain, Italy, Austria and Switzerland, from January to August 2026. The release does not publish a full top ten or unit sales for each title.

How the list grew

TikTok says the #BookTok Bestseller List first launched in Germany in 2023. In 2024 it expanded to new genres and to Austria and Switzerland, and this year it added the United Kingdom, Italy and Spain. The list combines data from the platform with Media Control data.

TikTok also says more than 50 million #BookTok books were sold across Europe in 2025. A footnote cites Media Control #BookTok and sales data. The release does not define which titles count as #BookTok books.

What TikTok's survey says

TikTok commissioned a survey, fielded by Qualtrics from September 22 to 29, 2026, among TikTok users ages 16 and up. The footnote lists ten markets of about 500 respondents each: Sweden, Italy, the United States, Spain, France, Romania, Brazil, the Czech Republic, Germany and the United Kingdom. The headline findings are reported for five markets: Italy, the UK, Germany, France and Spain.

• Roughly 4 in 5 young readers on TikTok, defined as ages 16 to 39, report rising interest in reading over the past few years.
• Among BookTokers in the five markets, 53 percent say TikTok helped them discover book genres that were new to them, and nearly 3 in 4 say they have expanded their reading to include new genres or diverse authors.
• On average, 49 percent of BookTokers say TikTok inspired them to buy a book or audiobook. TikTok says 57 percent of TikTok users who bought books spend more on books than two years ago.
• In the UK, 34 percent of BookTokers say they attended a book-related event in the past year. In Germany, 28 percent say the same, and 51 percent say they supported a local or independent bookstore.

These are self-reported answers from TikTok users in a survey TikTok paid for. They describe people already on the platform, not readers in general.

What TikTok and Media Control said

"#BookTok began with readers simply sharing the books they love," said Thomas Wlazik, TikTok's General Manager, Europe, Global Business Solutions. "Today, that community is helping books and authors find audiences across Europe, while giving readers new ways to discover what to pick up next."

Ulrike Altig, Managing Director at Media Control, said tracking the lists "gives publishers, retailers and authors a much clearer picture of what readers are discovering and where tastes are heading."

Why it matters for authors

One author holds two of the top five spots. Chloe Walsh placed Binding 13 and Saving 6 in the top five and is Europe's top #BookTok author so far this year, TikTok says. The list ranks authors as well as books, which gives writers with several titles in play a second way onto it.

Discovery is the pitch, and it is self-reported. TikTok's own survey says about half of BookTokers bought a book or audiobook because of TikTok, and 53 percent found new genres there. Treat those as directional numbers from the platform, not independent market data.

Europe now has one list instead of several. Germany has had a #BookTok list since 2023. The UK, Italy and Spain joined this year, so a book that breaks out in one market can now be compared across six.

Related reading: BookTok's biggest books of 2026 and how social media is reshaping what gets published.

Sources

• TikTok Newsroom: #BookTok reveals first ever European Bestseller of the Year as the community helps drive reading, discovery and book sales across Europe (October 8, 2026)