Another year coming to a close means one thing. Yes, sure, it means a brand new year lies ahead, full of brand new book releases, debut authors, and more titles to add to our endless TBR lists — but that’s not what we’re talking about here. No, we’re talking about bookish memes! Yup, another year closing out means another meme cycle coming to a close. To celebrate, we’ve compiled a list of ten book-related memes that made us laugh out loud, cringe, or both. Read on to see if your favorite, or your most-hated, has made the list!
Art History x Bookish Struggles
As an art lover, seeing these bookish struggles I know all too well (and that you all know, too) set against paintings simply — for lack of better phrasing — hit different. The expressions on the figures in these centuries-old paintings, overlaid with phrases such as “did I finish the book or did the book finish me?” or “my TBR watching me read the book I discovered an hour ago,” oddly go together perfectly. A perfect juxtaposition and an aesthetically pleasing meme I will miss next year.
The Summer I Turned Pretty
It’s safe to say that everybody and their mom was seated for the final season of the hit Amazon Prime series, The Summer I Turned Pretty, this summer. And so, much like the highly anticipated and buzzworthy book-to-screen adaptation, memes flooded social media. Hopping on social media after the latest episode — especially after the long-awaited series finale and movie announcement — would have you hit with hundreds of meme-worthy reaction videos, quippy tweets reacting to the episode’s events paired with hilarious reaction GIFs, or TikTok fancams dedicated to our beloved boyfriend, Conrad Fisher, set to our favorite Taylor Swift songs (Dress, anyone?). Guess we’ll have to wait until the movie’s release for our next dose of TSITP-inspired memes. Until then, we’ll always have a summer’s worth of memes.
“My Dream Date. Cute. And He Knows That.”
Take this viral Love Island USA moment but make it bookish. This unavoidable meme stems from the wildly popular reality show, Love Island USA, where two contestants, Huda and Iris, were discussing Iris’ date with Jeremiah — a man they were both pursuing. Sounds like the beginning of your next romance read, doesn’t it? Iris’ description of the date led to Huda quipping, “My dream date. Cute. And he knows that.” The delivery of her line made viewers laugh out loud, and memes ensued — and, of course, bibliophiles had to put their own spin on it!
Bookish Memes: Snoopy Edition
Who doesn’t love Snoopy? Lately, it feels like you can find the Peanuts gang just about anywhere. They’re on home decor, cutlery, and even on merchandise from some of your favorite singers. Snoopy memes have existed for ages, but the bookish spin that @jennifereads_ on Instagram took on them has become one of the most endearing and memorable book-related memes of the year. Plus, his overdramatic reactions to some of our favorite book tropes perfectly encapsulate our feelings.
Pop Girlies x Our Favorite Books
This year has been a major year for pop girlies. With Sabrina Carpenter and Chappell Roan embarking on tours, and Taylor Swift releasing yet another record-breaking album, 2025 has been rather good for pop stars and the ones who love ‘em (myself included, of course). And so, it only makes sense for popstar stans who also happen to be book lovers to create bookish memes inspired by their favorite gals. This one, of Sabrina Carpenter posing with her birthday cake, now covered with a popular book series we would all die for, is a perfect example. Here’s to hoping this trend continues next year!
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s Engagement Photoshoot (But Make It Bookish)
It’s no secret that the world stopped when Taylor Swift announced her engagement to her boyfriend, Travis Kelce. If you ask any Swiftie, they’d tell you that the signs were there from the “seemingly ranch” days (if you know, you know). It’s also no secret that all Swiftie-bibliophiles just had to ‘memeify’ the special moment — and we were so there for it. After all, their relationship does make for the plot of a great romance novel.
Jonathan Bailey
Johnathan Bailey has been everywhere this year. From starring in the latest entry in the Jurassic World series to the highly anticipated Wicked: For Good, and being crowned as People’s Sexiest Man Alive, of course. And so, it makes perfect sense that bookish memes featuring him have made the list!
This Feels Illegal
Has Illegal by PinkPantheress been stuck on loop, in your head, or on your playlist? You can blame, or thank, the wildly popular TikTok sound/meme featuring the song’s chorus for that. While this meme has been recreated by many celebrities and for promotional videos for movies and TV shows, it also had to be recreated in a bookish context!
@dilyopa’s Spicy BookTok Transitions
You’ve definitely seen TikToks that begin with a girl with short, curly brown hair, wearing pajamas, and reading a book that then transitions to a much spicier scene for a few seconds, and then reverts back to her, looking surprised but nevertheless intrigued. Those infamous TikToks come from Diana, or @dilyopa on TikTok, who recreates what it feels like to hit a steamy scene in a novel — and its inevitable aftermath. Love it or loathe it, Diana’s TikToks are one of the most, if not the most, memorable memes of the year.
@dilyopa it was Fitzgerald…..
The Life of A Bookgirl
When Taylor Swift announced her brand new album, The Life of a Showgirl, the internet was set ablaze with pure excitement and yes, memes. For the bookish community, this meant creating memes describing “the life of a bookgirl,” and when the album finally dropped in October, memes featuring Taylor’s showgirl photoshoot overlaid with struggles every reader relates to, took over our FYPs. It’ll be a meme we’ll remember all too well.
From Snoopy-inspired memes to spicy BookTok trends, this year’s bookish memes are ones we will not forget (for both good and bad reasons, depending on your tastes). Here’s to wondering what we’ll see while scrolling in the New Year.
Check out Bookstr’s Just For Fun section for more lighthearted and laugh-out-loud content!
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