BOOKS

Taylor Swift's music is basically a playlist of our lives. If you're obsessed with her songs—and also into the whole romance BookTok scene, this one's for you: We've paired up some swoon-worthy reads that match the vibes of your favorite T-Swift albums. So let's giggle and kick our feet together with these cute stories...

Taylor Swift: To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han

This self-titled album is all about the beginnings of innocent love. To All the Boys I've Loved Before follows Lara Jean, who accidentally mails secret love letters to all her crushes. This book has a sweet and heartfelt story of fake dating, secrets and the journey to discovering true love. 

Fearless: These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong

The Fearless era was all about innocent love and fairy-tale dreaming. Taylor flipped the story of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet in "Love Story," adding her own happily ever after. So what better book to fit this album's vibe than one that is actually a retelling of that Shakespeare novel? These Violent Delights is set in 1920s Shanghai, where Roma and Juliette are in rival gangs who must work together to defeat a monstrous threat to the city.

Speak Now: Better Than the Movies by Lynn Painter

Inspired by her transition from adolescence into adulthood, Taylor sings about love, heartbreak and past relationships. Just like TS poured her heart into this album, Better Than the Movies delivers all the feels. This book follows Liz, who pines over Michael, her long-time crush—and even befriends her next-door neighbor Wes along the way.

Red: Today Tonight Tomorrow by Rachel Lynn Solomon

Red captured a wide range of emotions in relationships (heartbreak, frustration, confusion, just to name a few). Today Tonight Tomorrow tells the story of Rowan and Neil, who are two academic rivals. They spend 24 continuous hours with each other and find out that they might have a deeper connection than they thought. This page-turning journey shows you the beautiful messiness of love.

1989: Permanent Record by Mary H.K Choi

1989 takes us into modern pop vibes with a more positive outlook on love and themes of celebrating the moment. A book that explores unexpected connections and personal growth is Permanent Record. Permanent Record is about Pablo and Leanna, who live very different lives. Pablo works at his local deli while Leanna is a celebrity, but they soon randomly meet in the middle of a snowstorm in Brooklyn. 

Reputation: They Both Die At The End by Adam Silvera

The best word to describe reputation is anger, and the best book we can pair with this is They Both Die At The End. Both of these works have similar themes of morality, identity and fleeting moments. The book follows Mateo and Rufus, who connect on an app because they are notified that it's their death day. They make their last day together count as they go through unforgettable adventures—a theme that resonates with Reputation. 

Lover: The Boy You Always Wanted by Michelle Quach

Just like how Lover is all about whimsy and timeless love, The Boy You Always Wanted matches the romantic atmosphere. Francine, driven by her grandfather's outdated wishes, enlists former crush Ollie to pose as the ceremonial heir. This leads to a web of lies, a fake dating scheme and unexpected emotions as they navigate familial expectations and discover that sometimes the person they need may not fit the mold they imagined.

Folklore: Our Year of Maybe by Rachel Lynn Solomon

The indie-folk vibes in folklore match the folkloric love in Our Year of Maybe. As Sophie contemplates donating a kidney to her best friend Peter, whom she secretly loves, their lives take unexpected turns post-transplant—challenging their friendship and forcing them to confront complex feelings of love and identity. (Psst: This story exactly matches the narrative of "cardigan.")

Evermore: Pumpkinheads by Rainbow Rowell and Faith Erin Hicks

Evermore is all about reflection and coziness, just like the journey in Pumpkinheads. Deja and Josiah are lifelong friends who face their last shift at a pumpkin patch. Instead of feeling sad about it, Deja proposes a Halloween night, where they explore sights and eat snacks—and this gives Josiah the chance to talk to his three-year-long crush.

Midnights: Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson

The songs in Midnights explore emotions like regret, self-critique and infatuation, and so does Bridge to Terabithia. We will admit that this book (and movie) completely *destroyed* us—and the best song that fully captures this story is "You're On Your Own, Kid." The novel deals with loneliness and friendship as it follows Jess and Leslie. Together, they create an imaginary land called Terabithia, but one day Leslie goes to Terabithia without Jess—and tragedy strikes.

Stay connected with us for more romance reads @glbestiebookclub!

Check out more of our book recs: 
📚 Books to read if you can't wait for the next Percy Jackson episode
📚 5 inspiring poetry books by female authors
📚 Beach read recommendations from your fave celebs

Top image: @taylorswift
Slider image: @winnipeg.reads

by Catherine Wang | 3/22/2024