The Essentials You Need to Understand Book Slang

If you’re new to the online book community, the BookTok and Bookstagram slang might not make much sense. In some cases, it’s almost like a whole language of its own! So, here’s a quick and simple dictionary of some of the most commonly used slang.

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Acronyms:

TBR: To Be Read
This refers to books you want to read next or have purchased but haven’t read yet.
Ex. “I want to read The House on Mango Street so bad, it’s on my TBR.” — said by no high schooler ever.

DNF: Did Not Finish
Pretty self-explanatory. It’s used when a reader doesn’t finish a book, usually for a variety of reasons, such as it being boring.
Ex. “I was reading a Stephen King book and DNF’ed it, but I might go back and finish it.”

RTC: Review to Come
You might not use this one as much, but I’ll use it in my blog for my latest reads.

TW: Trigger Warning
These are warnings for sensitive topics that the book touches on. Usually, the book will list these at the start, as the scenes involving these topics could be triggering for some readers.

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Character Terms:

Ship: When you think two characters should be in a relationship.

Insta-Love: Characters who fall in love at first sight, instantly feeling a deep connection and forming a relationship without any problems.

Love Triangle: When the main character has two love interests and can’t decide who to be with. A good (but slightly infuriating) example would be The Summer I Turned Pretty series by Jenny Han (and the show!).

Morally Grey: Typically used as an adjective to describe a character, this refers to someone who has questionable morals, often with psycho- or sociopathic tendencies. Many authors write these characters with some good peeking through.

Cinnamon Roll: Not the actual food! It’s a description of a sweet and lovable character.

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Reader/Blogger Talk:

Spoiler: A piece of information that ruins a later event, like a plot twist or character death. I’ve had my fair share of spoilers, most recently with my TikTok giving me major OBX spoilers. If I’m about to share a spoiler or write an article that includes one, I’ll use the format below:
*Spoiler*

Reading Slump: A reading slump usually happens for one of two reasons: you’ve just read an amazing book, or a really bad one. It’s the feeling of being unmotivated and not wanting to read.

Info-Dump: This happens when the author decides to share a lot of information all at once. It’s pretty straightforward but can sometimes be super frustrating.

Book Hangover: This occurs when a book is so intense and emotionally draining that it leaves you unable to jump into another book right away.

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Social Media Book Platforms:

BookTok: A super popular fandom on TikTok where people share recommendations and book-related videos. A few popular BookTok books include Six of Crows, A Court of Thorns and Roses, and Fourth Wing.

Goodreads: I LOVE Goodreads! It’s an app I primarily use to track my reading and keep my TBR list organized.

Bookstagram: Posts on Instagram that are related to books and book content.

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Genres

YA: Young Adult (ages 12-18)
NA: New Adult (ages 18-29)
MG: Middle Grade (for middle schoolers)

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I hope this gives you the essentials to understand some of the lingo I use in my reviews!