The Vampire Diaries Star Candice King's Favorite Books Include Some BookTok Faves
Candice King is most known for playing Caroline Forbes in the hit show "The Vampire Diaries," based on the book series by L.J. Smith, with the Texas native adding another adaptation to her acting credits as Bess Sinclair in the 2025 young adult series "We Were Liars." The Summertime show is adapted from the YA novel of the same name by E. Lockhart, which lands on the actor's list of favorite books alongside a handful of beloved BookTok titles. "You will love and hate the Sinclairs equally," she told Page Six about the psychological beach read. "You'll be reminded about your own first love when you read about Cadence falling in love with Gat."
Though King recommends several titles that avid online readers will recognize, the actor admits that her reading life isn't as robust as she'd like. "I wish I was as consistent a reader as I used to be," she said to Page Six, listing "Where The Sidewalk Ends" by Shel Silverstein as a childhood favorite. "But when everything slows down, there's nothing I love more than finding fast friends in the characters of the book I'm reading." While similarly feeling readers should check out our easy ways to read more this year, King's favorite reads may bring new life to your TBR shelf all on their own.
Candice's favorite reads include titles from Emily Henry and Taylor Jenkins Reid
Avid TikTok bookworms will recognize several entries on Candice King's list of recommendations, with "The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo" by Taylor Jenkins Reid ranking among the BookTok movie adaptations we can't wait for. "This book made me want to put on some Sinatra and drive around Hollywood in a convertible and red lipstick," she told Page Six. That classic vibe pairs perfectly with this work from TJR, which is a worthwhile pick for readers interested in novels about movie stars and old Hollywood.
Emily Henry, the iconic rom-com author, also made an appearance on King's list with "Funny Story." While the "Deadgirl" actor spoke highly of the 2024 release, she also interviewed the romcom author on "A Superbloom Podcast." "I am a huge Emily Henry fan," she said in the episode. "One of my favorite things [about] reading any of Emily Henry's writing is that it just takes me away to this magical setting in this magical place, and it does feel like a vacation. It feels like a little vacation from my own life."
The Hollywood figure also recommended a handful of books on Instagram in 2023, highlighting other authors she had the chance to interview on her podcast. If you've already perused the diverse nonfiction reads that make up Bryce Dallas Howard's bookshelf, King recommends memoirs like "Bomb Shelter: Love, Time, and Other Explosives" by Mary Laura Philpott" and "How Do I Un-Remember This?: Unfortunately True Stories" by Danny Pellegrino. Between BookTok favorites and standout nonfiction, Candice King has some great recommendations to check out.