Welcome to the wild world of bookish lingo! If you’ve ever found yourself squinting at a review wondering, “What the heck is a RH why-choose FMC with a HEA in a SJM-level slow burn??” — don’t worry, you’re not alone.

Here’s your 2025 survival guide to all the acronyms, terms, slang, tropes, genres, and spicy ratings (ugh, just SO many to list! But y’all get the idea right?) that are dominating the book world.

📚 Common Acronyms

• TBR – To Be Read
• DNF – Did Not Finish
• HEA – Happily Ever After
• HFN – Happy For Now
• MC/FMC/MMC – Main Character / Female Main Character / Male Main Character
• RH – Reverse Harem (one FMC, multiple love interests, no choosing)
• WIP – Work In Progress
• ARC – Advanced Reader Copy
• BCE – Bookstagram Content Energy
• TW/CW – Trigger Warning / Content Warning
• SJM – Sarah J. Maas
• BookTok – TikTok community for books and readers
• Bookstagram – Instagram community for book lovers
• BIPOC – Black, Indigenous, and People of Color
• OwnVoices – Stories told by authors with lived experiences matching their characters
• MCE – Main Character Energy (you live like you’re the main character)
• MCE/MMCE/FCE – Main Character Energy / Male Main Character Energy / Female Main Character Energy (for reviews!)

📚 Genre Acronyms

• 📚 Genre Acronyms
• YA – Young Adult
• NA – New Adult
• AO – Adult Only
• MG – Middle Grade
• HF – Historical Fiction
• HR – Historical Romance
• PNR – Paranormal Romance
• SFF – Science Fiction & Fantasy
• UF – Urban Fantasy
• CR – Contemporary Romance
• MR – Magical Realism
• LGBTQ+ – Books with LGBTQ+ Representation
• MM Romance / FF Romance – Male/Male or Female/Female Romance
• Fantasy – Magic, dragons, epic battles
• Romantasy – Fantasy with a central romance arc
• Dark Romance – Romance exploring edgy, taboo, or dangerous themes
• Cowboy Romance – Contemporary or historical romance featuring cowboys, ranchers, and wild west vibes
• Western Romance – Similar to Cowboy Romance but often broader, including frontier life themes
• Southern Romance – Small towns, charm, slow burns, family sagas
• Dark Fantasy – Fantasy with heavy, mature, gritty themes
• Epic Fantasy – Grand, sweeping fantasy with high stakes and big worlds
• High Fantasy – Fantasy set entirely in fictional worlds with complex lore
• Low Fantasy – Fantasy set in the real world with subtle magic
• Sci-Fi Romance – Science fiction settings with strong romantic arcs
• Sports Romance – Love stories around athletes, teams, competitions
• Billionaire Romance – Rich, often alpha love interests
• Age Gap Romance – Romances featuring significant age differences
• Monster Romance – Romance between humans and non-human characters (monsters, shifters, fae)
• Shifter Romance – Romances where one or both love interests can shift into animals
• Mythology Retelling – Modern spins on myths (ex: Hades/Persephone retellings)

📚 Slang & Bookish Phrases

• Book Hangover – No other book hits right after that one.
• Slow Burn – You’ll wait 400 pages for one kiss and love it.
• Why-Choose Romance – All the love interests, zero guilt.
• Found Family – The people you choose to go to war (or brunch) with.
• Villain Era – Cheering for morally gray, slightly evil characters.
• Sword Crossing – Male characters getting romantically involved.
• Feral for It – Reading unhinged at 2 a.m.
• Trope-y – Indulgently leaning into story patterns we love.
• Book Boyfriend/Girlfriend/Partner – Your fictional soulmate.
• Reading Slump – Book burnout.
• Plot Bunny – When a random story idea attacks you.

🔥 Spicy Terms You Should Know

• Spicy / 🌶️ – Level of explicit content.
• Open Door Romance – The steamy scenes are very visible.
• Closed Door Romance – The door shuts before the clothes come off.
• Fade to Black – Intimacy implied, not described.
• Low Spice / Sweet Romance – Cuddles, kisses, little to no heat. 0-1 🌶️
• Medium Spice – Some spicy scenes, but still plot-focused. 2-3 🌶️
• High Spice – You’re fanning yourself while reading. 4-5 🌶️
• Slow Burn + High Spice – Agony, then reward. Wait 300 pages then BAM!
• Spice Rating – Measured in 🔥 or 🌶️ for clarity.

🧙 Character Acronyms & Archetype Slang

• Mary Sue / Gary Stu – Too-perfect characters.
• Cinnamon Roll – The soft, sweet love interest.
• Daphne – Naive or awkward FMC learning about love.
• Disaster Bi – A chaotic but lovable bisexual character.
• Himbo – Big heart, small thoughts, much love.
• Ice Queen – Emotionally distant character.
• Broody MMC – Grumpy hero hiding a soft heart.
• Sunshine Character – Pure joy in human form.
• Morally Gray Character – Could save the world or burn it down.
• Golden Retriever MMC – Loyal, sweet, endlessly happy male love interest.
• Green Flag MMC – Supportive, respectful, healthy relationship goals.
• Red Flag MMC – Toxic, but hot. (We make poor choices.)
• Walking Red Flag – Run, but you’ll probably stay.
• Soft Dom – Dominant but gentle partner.

📚 Tropes Still Dominating 2025

• Enemies-to-Lovers
• Friends-to-Lovers
• Second Chance Romance
• Fake Dating
• Fake Marriage / Marriage of Convenience
• Fated Mates
• Grumpy/Sunshine
• Touch Her and Die
• Love Triangle
• Forbidden Love
• Forced Proximity
• Secret Identity
• Banter/Witty Enemies
• One Horse / One Bed Trope
• Touch-Starved Hero
• Amnesia Romance

📚Booktok/Bookstagram Lingo

• ✅ Book Hangover – Already in! (good)
  ✅ Feral – Going absolutely insane over a book (Already touched on but we’ll feature it more)
  ✅ I Need It Injected Into My Veins – BookTok slang for loving a book so much you want it IMMEDIATELY
  ✅ No Thoughts, Just [Character Name] – When a character fully occupies your brain
  ✅ Delulu – Short for “delusional” — being wildly obsessed with a fictional character, ship, or fantasy
  ✅ Canon Event – Inevitable, often painful, moment that shapes you as a reader (like finishing Fourth Wing!)
  ✅ Ship – Short for relationship — when you support two characters together
  ✅ Endgame – The ultimate couple you believe belongs together
  ✅ It Lives Rent-Free In My Head – Unforgettable scene/character/book
  ✅ Slow Burn to Lovers Pipeline – Joke about how slow burns are a journey to the best relationships
  ✅ Red Flag MMC – We love them even though they’re a terrible idea (already added!)
  ✅ Green Flag MMC – The healthy good guy — already added!
  ✅ Touch Her and Die – Protective trope phrase — already added!
  ✅ Grumpy/Sunshine – Personality dynamic trope — already added!
  ✅ Emotional Damage – Phrase screamed when a book crushes your soul
  ✅ Chaos Reader – Someone who reads the ending first, skips chapters, spoilers don’t scare them
  ✅ Taboo Queen/King – Readers who specifically love dark, taboo romances
  ✅ POV – Point of View but used in meme captions like “POV: you’re falling for the morally gray villain.”
  ✅ Spicy BookTok – A place for high-spice recommendations 🥵

💬 Final Word

This isn’t a completed list, and I will be updating it, most likely, yearly. But, it gives you a heck of good idea of what’s-what in the bookish world. If you see any I’ve missed, make sure to leave them down below so I can add it to my ever growing list!

Alright y’all, there ya have it. Stay feral, stay delulu, and always root for your favorite OTP.

🫶🏻 – Ali