Author Emily Henry has given readers a ‘happy place’ to indulge in for many years. Now, the “Book Lovers” writer is being recognized for her influence.
Time Magazine’s “TIME 100 Next” list for 2023 was released on Wednesday morning. The outlet has been famous for its annual “Person of The Year” list for years, but their aim for the “TIME100 Next” list is to recognize the next generation of society’s biggest innovators. The list is divided into several categories. According to Time, the outlet’s goal for the list is to guide big names of the future “forward, showing what is possible as well as what society’s future and future leaders will look like.”
Henry has earned a spot on the list, and is celebrating the big moment on Instagram! She has become a viral sensation among the book spaces on the internet, including “BookTok” and Instagram’s “Bookstagram.” Her books, “Beach Read,” “People We Meet On Vacation,” the aforementioned “Book Lovers,” and her newest release, “Happy Place,” tell stories of life, love, and the human condition, all through a millennial lens.
Multiple Studios Are On Board To Adapt Henry’s Titles
Several of Henry’s viral book sensations are in the works to be adapted into films. Last October, Henry shared the news of 3000 Pictures‘ adaptation of “People We Meet On Vacation,” asking her followers on social media, “okay how’s everyone’s Tuesday,” as if the occasion was incredibly mundane!
On April 5th, Henry shared news of “Beach Read” also getting the film treatment. “Who’s ready to cry?” she asks, as if the entirety of the internet’s book communities hadn’t already grabbed tissues!
Henry rounded out the book-to-media bonanza in March with the news of “Book Lovers” joining her bestselling titles in receiving an upcoming film adaption. In the caption for her post, Henry discussed the perpetuated myth of the romantic comedy industry being “dead,” also praising Tango for their faith in the project.
Henry Jokes About ‘Imposter Syndrome’ Amid Big News
In the caption of Henry’s post announcing her place on Time’s ‘100 Next’ post, she jokes, “Used to think I didn’t really have imposter syndrome. Turns out I do. ??” continuing, “Honored and bowled over to be included in the #timenext100. Thank you, thank you, thank.”
Henry was a smidge more serious when she discussed how “grateful” she feels for the readers who have helped her get to her present days, filled with book signings, best-seller nods, and “Good Morning America” appearances, in a recent Instagram post.
She wrote, “feeling sentimental. Feeling grateful for my beautiful life. Feeling warm and fuzzy about my readers and their funny comments and heartfelt messages and cute videos and thought provoking reviews. It is so scary and strange to be seen, but it is also so special, this weird and beautiful thing we have going on here. Thank you, that’s all. Thank you so much.”
Henry’s readers are undoubtedly thankful for her presence on their bookshelves. The comment section of her Instagram posts are regularly filled with their thanks, a YouTube search for Henry brings countless results for reading vlogs about, or mentioning, her titles. A quick search on TikTok or Instagram also produces many results pertaining to Henry and her influence on readers.
Prior to “Beach Read” and “People We Meet On Vacation” becoming BookTok staples, Henry recalled her optimism about the then-current state of how the twosome had been faring.
“I felt like it was going pretty well,” Henry recalled in an interview with Penguin UK. “I was happy with how things were shaping up.”
and then came the ‘clock app.’
@kendra.reads The girls that get it get it #emilyhenry #beachread #peoplewemeetonvacation #booklovers #booktok #reading ? original sound – ??
On the same day as her editor called to reveal the books had been experiencing a huge bit of popularity, she began receiving BookTok links about them.
“I started getting messages from people on Instagram being like, ‘I don’t know if you’ve seen this but…’ and then linking to a couple different TikTok posts. I was like, ‘Oh, maybe that has something to do with the spike in sales!”
She later continued, “…I had just never seen that kind of support, even for the biggest books popping off around me. I had never seen that groundswell before. I had no idea at that point it was going to become this ongoing thing, the best place to get book recommendations. Now if you go in almost any bookstore,” she continued, “they’ve got the BookTok table, so that people can find exactly the ones that they’re hearing everybody rave about…”
Rave on, book babes! Emily Henry has made her mark and is here to say!