For more than a decade, Taylor Swift has been blessing us with catchy songs and lyrics to-die-for! She went from cutesy country songs to badass pop singles, and gorgeous love ballads. As much as we adore all her albums, I am sure that we all have slight preferences – be it her sweet debut album Taylor Swift or the snarky Reputation one! And since this quarantine is the perfect time to add some new books to your TBR, I made a list of YA books you should read based on your favourite T-Swift album! Without further ado, here are some epic YA recs that you can read while blasting Taylor at full volume!
TAYLOR SWIFT
Taylor’s self-titled debut album is an almost all-country album that is sweet and fluffy, while talking about high school life, heartbreak, and longing. There are a few songs, like Picture to Burn, that show the sass and confidence we get to expect from the singer in her later albums, but mostly this album is all sugar. So the books selected reflect that sweet quality of the album with occasional bursts of passion and anger!
To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han
The To All the Boys trilogy is one of the most beloved YA contemporary series in the book community, best known for its fluff, plenty of baking sequences, and mostly for its ability to divide fans into teams. We follow Lara Jean, a sweet and shy 16-year old who comes face to face with all her past crushes, when her well-hidden love letters to them come out. Drama ensues.
Geekerella by Ashley Poston
Geekerella might be an adorbs retelling, but with its endless fandom references, an actual actor-geek romance blooming, and a convention in the making it is also a beautiful love letter to fandoms and all their magic. Elle is a huge fan of a classic sci-fi show Starfield and Darien, a famous heartthrob and a secret geek, snatched the role of the main character, Prince Carmindor, in the Starfield reboot. As their paths cross, they learn a lot about themselves and also about the fandom they (in many ways) dedicated their lives to.
Heartstopper by Alice Oseman
This beautiful graphic novel is simply the cutest story of first love and self-discovery you will ever stumble upon! Nick and Charlie are high school students in an all-boys school. They are desk mates in class and when their unlikely friendships starts blooming into something more in time, we get a chance to witness a truly inspiring and queer love story that will give solace to the generations to come.
FEARLESS
Her second album, Fearless, is a country pop album where Taylor delves deeper into her romantic relationships and her perception of them. One of the most prominent underlying themes of this album is unrequited love and yearning that comes with it, making the songs on this album an audio equivalent of seating on your bed, gazing out the window at the falling rain, and daydreaming about the person that puts your heart on fire. To honour Fearless, I picked three books that talk of growing up, growing into yourself, of unrequited love, and longing.
Loveboat, Taipei by Abigail Hing Wen
This is another one of those stories where the characters just suck you in and make you root for them no matter what! When eighteen-year-old Ever is forced to spend her summer in far away Taiwan to improve her Mandarin, she is convinced that her perfect summer of dancing is over. She soon realises that the strict program is actually dubbed ‘Loveboat’ by students and might actually present a chance to be as free as she wants to be and dance her heart out. This is a story of finding yourself, a story of first loves, and giving your dreams everything you’ve got.
Yes No Maybe So by Becky Albertalli and Aisha Saeed
When Jamie, an awkward geeky guy who likes to stay behind the scenes on political campaigns, and Maya, a girl with a heap of problems who is having the worst Ramadan ever, are forced to work together on political canvassing, it seems like the end of a perfectly good summer. But as they get more and more invested in the cause they are canvassing for, they also start falling for each other. Yes No Maybe So is both a love story and an ode to activism, finding your cause, and fighting for what you believe in.
The Upside of Falling by Alex Light
Fake dating trope, cynical view of love, and the improbable odds that change that? Sign me right up! This cute contemporary follows a girl named Becca who gave up on love when her dad walked out on her and her mother, and a boy named Brett who jumps in to help her with a fake boyfriend ruse to get people off his back about not dating in high school will steal your heart! It’s a sweet and fluffy read but with underlying themes of heartbreak, letting go of the past, and believing in love.
SPEAK NOW
Speak Now was the first album written solely by Taylor. This album took her a bit closer to the pop genre with a sprinkle of country here and there, and Swift also expanded on her themes. She still sings about love and heartbreak, but there are also themes of regret, betrayal, and falling for someone you maybe shouldn’t fall for. So my picks are a hearty mix of said themes!
Opposite of Always by Justin A. Reynolds
This lovely contemporary with a magical twist will both break and mend your heart! When Jack meets Kate at a party and they bond almost instantly, he is convinced that she is the one! But then Kate dies unexpectedly – and what should be the end of their story actually marks a beginning of a devastating tale. Jack is sent back to the beginning, to the day he first met Kate, and gets a chance to do it all over again and maybe save Kate in the process. But things are more complicated than they seem and Jack will have to figure out what and who he is willing to sacrifice in order to finally save Kate in one of his many time travels!
The Sun Is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon
This is one of the books that will make you think of the ‘what ifs’. As Natasha and Daniel’s paths cross, them falling in love seems impossible. Natasha is twelve hours away from being deported and doesn’t believe in love. Daniel always worked hard to live up to his parent’s expectations, but his heart is that of a poet. Which one of them has it right? Can they beat the odds and actually fall in love or does the universe have different plans for them? The Sun Is Also a Star will make your heart sing with joy, but also face the harsh realities of our world.
Girls of Paper and Fire by Natasha Ngan
Now this fantasy book filled with rich imagery and deeper themes might be a more political book, but I believe it might intrigue the fans of Speak Now because of that! When Lei is chosen to be one of the nine king’s consorts picked from the lowest Paper cast, her life is turned upside down. But with the honourable job that threatens to break Lei apart also comes a chance to find out what happened to her mother and fight for her people – and the woman she loves. Will she be able to persist and rebel against the tyrannical king?
RED
Taylor’s fourth album, Red, was released in October 2012 and it reflects her growth as both a woman and an artist. The title of this album was inspired by the intense emotions she felt during one of the relationships she was in while writing it – and you can feel these emotions throughout the whole album. From burning love and confusion, to jealousy and frustration, the songs dig deeper into one’s psyche and present a more mature angle. Another important theme Taylor touches on is also fame and what it means for her life to be constantly under scrutiny.
Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare
The first book in The Dark Artifices trilogy is just the type of book that will make you feel as if your heart was put through a ringer. We follow parabatai Emma and Julian as they try to navigate the looming threats to the LA Institute, raising Julian’s younger siblings, and most perilous of them all – their feelings for one another. But parabatai are forbidden to fall in love, this can only bring heartbreak and devastation. Can they find a way to be together in secret while keeping the rest of their family and the world safe from ruin? Basically, Lady Midnight deals with a lot of heart-wrenching drama, unresolved issues, and emotions so deep you will need a whole box of tissues to get through the book.
History Is All You Left Me by Adam Silvera
Some might argue that every Silvera book is filled with the deepest emotions, the ones that are difficult to face. But this heart-wrenching story of first love and what follows when you lose it in the most permanent of ways packs an especially big punch. As Griffin is trying to deal with the death of his first love and ex-boyfriend, Theo, we journey through the past to piece together their story but also to find out what went wrong. The only thing Griffin can do is confront both his past and his present to be able to move on with his life.
The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
Did someone say heartbreak of epic proportions? In this lyrical rendering of the sung-about Trojan War, we see a different side of the story. Not the tale of war and battles, but the tale of fateful love and how it can colour every aspect of your life. As we follow Patroclus and Achilles, epic heroes of the Trojan War, from their childhood all the way to the war we get to know their story of blossoming friendship and later on legendary love.
1989
1989 was Taylor’s first official all-pop album, and the songs are bolder, full of potential, and infinite possibilities. Taylor mentioned that she was inspired by the late 80s pop songs – she still sings about love, but this theme takes a step back to let the themes of self-discovery, leaving idealism behind, and saying goodbye shine.
The books I picked had to be bolder, full of deeper love, and finding yourself in the process, books that aren’t afraid to shine the light on the ugly, call it out, and transform it into something lovelier.
The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater
Taylor’s fifth album is full of self-discovery and shows us a different take on love. Nothing sounds more in tune with that than Maggie’s magical book about five characters who work together in order to find a long dead Welsh king and uncover a legend, while also falling in love – but not in the most traditional sense. Love is a very present theme throughout this whole series but it is not limited to the romantic love. In the centre of this magical realism story is the love you feel for your friends and family and how limitless it can make you feel. Let me blast I Wish You Would and cry over all these beautiful character who are all in love with one another. Maybe in different ways, but it is love nonetheless.
Only Mostly Devastated by Sophie Gonzales
This queer Grease retelling will make you go ‘awww’ on more than one occasion! But the beauty of it is not only in its cute love story (though that is a very important part of it as well), but in the journey these characters go through in the book. Every one of them is facing different inner demons and they find their strength in fighting them but also in realising that they are all dealing with things as best as they know how and need to accept and understand that.
The Devouring Gray by Christine Lynn Herman
For some reason, 1989 really fits well with magical realism books for me! A dark story of a small town, its founding families, and five teenagers who have to work together in order to save it from a dangerous monster praying on its locals. This might be a book about monsters and mysterious powers, but in its centre it is also a beautiful story of friendship, forbidden love, beating the odds, and standing up for yourself and what you believe in! Did someone say Bad Blood and This Love?
REPUTATION
Taylor’s most badass album to date dropped heavy and unexpected, rocking the music industry, and bringing Taylor heaps of new fans with its confident and edgy songs! Whether this one is your favourite album or not, you can’t deny that Taylor reached new depths with it. From afar, this is an album about bad blood, enemies, and tarnished reputations, but at a closer look, we can see tendrils of love and romance that survive despite all the ugliness and cruelty.
The Cruel Prince by Holly Black
Now, nothing says cunning and badass as much as cruel faeries that are ready to trick you and get you on your knees in no time. In The Cruel Prince, we follow a story of Jude Duarte, a mortal living in the High Court of Faerie. She is often ridiculed and frowned upon for her mortality, but as Jude gets tangled into a dangerous scheme, she realises she possesses all the thirst for blood and cunning she will need to defy the odds and come out on top!
Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
Epic heists, mastermind plans, and beating the odds – Six of Crows has it all, and more! There will never be a duology about heists more perfect than this one, but it’s more than that! It is a story of surviving, of finding your crew even when the world all but abandoned you, of finding love in face of all the pain, and scars you were dealt. As we follow along with a criminal mastermind Kaz Brekker and his epic crew as they try to sneak into the Ice Court and free the most valuable and dangerous prisoner, we learn that this heist is about so much more than the money the crew was promised! No mourners, no funerals.
If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio
This dark academia masterpiece with a gruesome murder in its centre and a group of friends ready to do anything to hide the truth will make you gasp both in horror and twisted delight. The story jumps back and forth – on one hand we follow Oliver Marks as he is released from prison after serving ten years for a murder he might’ve committed, and on the other we delve into the past as we try to piece together what actually happened on that fateful night when one of the seven students, seven Thespians, lost their life. Its many twists and turns are perfect for the fans of a darker and more powerful Reputation. (I might be cheating slightly since this is not technically YA, but it fits Reputation too well to not scream about it!)
LOVER
And last, but never least, Taylor’s most recent album, Lover, which was released in the summer of 2019 and shaked the music industry yet again! Lover is a beautifully romantic album, where Taylor uncovered her personal journey and dared to be vulnerable. The romance is not evident just in the way Taylor sings about her lover, but in the way she sings about everything, as if one puts on the romantic googles. Lover is the album of positivity, vulnerability, and hope, where the main themes are being happy and feeling good.
Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli
This YA classic of a coming out story will warm your heart and make you believe in love again! Simon Spier is an awkward sixteen-year-old with a pen pal who knows Simon’s secret – he’s gay – and who Simon might be in love with. But when someone discovers their emails and starts blackmailing Simon, his life is turned upside down. Will Simon be able to fight off the blackmailer and finally figure out who his mysterious Blue really is? Pick up this cuteness of a book, press play on Lover and buckle up for a geeky ride!
Bloodlines by Richelle Mead
Nothing says Lover quite like deep yet forbidden love! In Bloodlines, an urban fantasy series that will steal your heart, we follow Sydney Sage who is an Alchemist, a part of a secret society that is tasked with keeping vampires a secret from the rest of mankind. When Sydney is sent on a top-secret mission to keep the Moroi princess safe, she starts questioning her loyalties – especially when said assignment brings an artsy, charming, and sassy Moroi into her life. Do love and loyalty really run deeper than blood? Bloodlines is a beautiful series that next to epic love also tackles some important issues such as mental health and what it really means to defy prejudices you were raised with.
Cinder by Marissa Meyer
And we are back at gorgeous retellings that will make you clutch your heart in awe again! When Cinder, ostracised as a cyborg, is forced to volunteer her body for plague research after her stepsister is infected with a plague, her life is turned upside down. Her body carries secrets – secrets not even Cinder knows about. When Prince Kai also steps into the picture and starts falling for Cinder, she must decide between telling the truth and fighting for the future of her world or running away and saving her own life! Cinder (and all the other books in The Lunar Chronicles series) is perfect for fans of Lover – filled with beautiful love stories, badass heroines, and saving the world!
