Are you a Swiftie? I feel like I grew up with Taylor Swift, watching her albums capture what it meant to be first a girl, then a woman, of a certain generation. Taylor captured the millennial mood, at least for females. I wanted to match each Taylor Swift album to a YA novel that captured the same mood. This was hard, but this is what I settled on.
Album: Taylor Swift
Book: What I Like About You
Why the book matches the album:
This is all about crushes and misunderstandings and the risks of first love, so it seems to fit a young Taylor.
Anyone who’s ever had a bookstagram should read this super cute story of a girl who’s in love with her online best friend, but when she meets him IRL, she’s too scared to tell him who she is. Marisa Kanter has perfectly nailed the awkwardness of teen romance and figuring out who you are, both IRL and online.
Album: Fearless
Book: One Way or Another
Why the book matches the album:
Fearless is all about Taylor getting out there and making mistakes, and One Way or Another is about one girl overcoming her anxiety to make choices that lead to love. In One Way or Another, I was rooting for Paige to find love from page one, even when I wasn’t sure which guy she’d end up with.
Paige gets two opportunities: a dream week in NYC with her mom and a dream trip to a snowy cabin with her newly single best friend Fitz, who she’s been in love with for two years. Unfortunately, they’re both the week of Christmas. Paige is terrible at making decisions, and turns to a Magic 8 ball for help, but luckily for her, the readers get to live my ultimate fantasy: seeing how both choices play out. This book brings all the feels!
Album: Speak Now
Book: Some Other Now
Why the book matches the album:
Both of these are a super emotional exploration of young relationships, ranging from hope to heartache. Some Other Now was advertised as having a similar feel to This Is Us, and it delivered. Jessi should know better than to start fake-dating her ex, Luke, who hates her, just to make Luke’s dying mother happy. “Should” being the operative word. She finds it impossible to resist being pulled back into the Cohens’ world. Told in a split timeline, the reader follows Jessi both before and after the horrific event that ripped her relationship with the Cohens apart.
Album: Red
Book: Amelia Unabridged
Why the book matches the album:
Both of these are explorations of love, heartache and grief/anger. Amelia Unabridged is for every girl who’s dreamed of meeting and falling in love with their favorite author. Hopefully that wasn’t just me!
When Amelia’s family falls apart, she’s staring into a bookstore window when Jenna sees her. Jenna pulls her into her happy life and family, and the two girls bond over their favorite books: The Orman Chronicles. The two girls plan to best friends forever, and sign up to be roommates at the same college, but then tragedy strikes.
This left me with tears in my eyes (the good kind) and a smile on my face. This book is like one giant hug for everyone who’s ever fallen in love with the world of a book.
Album: 1989
Book: The Sky Above Us
Why the book matches the album:
Both are reflecting on relationships that didn’t work out. The Sky Above Us is an achingly beautiful story of heartbreak and loss.
When three teen girls witness a plane crash on a beach after a party, it shatters their lives. Not only do they know the victims, but it’s the people who are most important to them. Izzy lost her twin, Israel. Cass lost her ex-boyfriend, Shane. And Janie lost her best friend Nate, who’d only hang out with her when no one from school could see.
Israel had been interested in past lives, but when Izzy swears their souls have moved into three dolphins, her friends think she’s losing it. The other girls agree to help her find out why the tragedy occurred to help her cope. Each one is searching for a sense of meaning. What led three teen boys to steal a plane and take it for a spin? The answer to that question will test the three girls’ friendship.
Album: Reputation
Book: The Grace Year
Why the book matches the album:
Both have angry, girl power vibes. The Grace Year will haunt you. It caught hold of my soul in a way I can’t quite put into words.
It’s a tale of brutality reminiscent of Animal Farm, but there’s so many more layers to it. Handmaid’s Tale comes to mind as well. It’s also the story of a love that conquers all and brings hope. Impossible to get out of your head, I will be thinking about this one for a long time.
Album: Lover
Book: Majesty
Why the book matches the album:
Both of these are about strong, confident women who’ve found who they want to be with. This book is even better than American Royals – which I loved!
I thought I knew who was going to end up with who after I finished reading American Royals. I was very wrong.
Each of the characters has grown and changed after the death of the king. The relationships, while surprising- there were some couples I never saw coming! – made perfect sense for the characters. And the chemistry and romance between Bea and her chosen suitor was so much fun! I love the ending so much.
Album: Folklore
Book: Jo and Laurie
Why the book matches the album:
Both have nostalgic vibes. This book is for every Little Women fan who has been angry or frustrated that Jo and Laurie didn’t end up together. Amy, Jo and Meg are portrayed as both real people and the beloved characters that Jo wrote. I love how these authors (of Jo and Laurie) show the differences between who Jo wrote and real life, and how sometimes real life mirrored fiction, as when Mr. Brooke gets the courage to approach Meg after Jo writes him in as her fictional husband. But in some ways it is very different, as Amy is still a child during these chapters. We never get to see mature, adult Amy.
Jo and Laurie have all the same reasons that they shouldn’t end up together as they did in the original book. The authors didn’t make them different people, instead, they believed that love would find a way. This is a very sweet, satisfying story.
Album: Evermore
Book: Watch Over Me
Why the book matches the album:
Both feature emotional tales with beautiful storytelling where the characters get closure. On Mila’s first night on the farm, the little ghost girl spins and twirls for her in the field.
Mila’s thrilled to have landed at the farm. After a traumatic childhood and several years in foster care, a place to call home seems like a dream come true. Julia and Terry have adopted over 40 foster kids, and employ others – such as Mila – to help them care for their current children. Mila’s willing to put up with ghosts, no cell service and some isolation for a chance at a real family.
But something about the farm seems to stir up old trauma, and her friendship with her student, Lee, and the other interns may not be enough to heal her.
This book is a quick read, but don’t let that fool you. It’s gut-wrenchingly emotional as you watch Mila struggle to figure out both herself and others.
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