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If Every Taylor Swift Album Had a 12-Book Reading List

If Every Taylor Swift Album Had a 12-Book Reading List

If Every Taylor Swift Album Had a 12-Book Reading List

Your favorite Taylor Swift album probably reveals more about your reading taste than any personality quiz ever could.

Are you a Fearless reader who wants sparkling romance and a guaranteed happily ever after? A folklore reader searching for atmospheric family secrets? Or are you firmly inside your reputation era, looking for morally gray characters, calculated revenge and enemies who are dangerously close to becoming lovers?

To help you find your next read, we created a 12-book reading list for every Taylor Swift album.

That means 12 albums, 12 distinct reading moods and 144 books for every possible Taylor Swift era.

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Taylor Swift

Small Towns, First Love and Growing Up

Taylor Swift’s debut album feels like driving down a country road with the windows open, writing someone’s name in the margin of your notebook and dreaming about a life beyond your hometown.

These books are filled with childhood friendships, family ties, summer memories and the first relationships that teach us who we are.

  1. Every Summer After by Carley Fortune


    A childhood friendship becomes an unforgettable first love—and an equally unforgettable heartbreak.
  2. The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han


    A nostalgic coming-of-age story filled with beach-house summers and complicated first love.
  3. Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross


    Two rival journalists form an intimate connection through magical letters.
  4. Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren


    Former childhood sweethearts reunite after years apart and confront what ended their relationship.
  5. Archer’s Voice by Mia Sheridan


    A woman looking for a fresh start connects with a quiet, isolated man in a small Maine town.
  6. The Simple Wild by K.A. Tucker


    A city girl returns to rural Alaska and discovers love, family and a life she never expected.
  7. In the Weeds by B.K. Borison


    A social media influencer returns to a small town and the farmer she left behind.
  8. The Pumpkin Spice Café by Laurie Gilmore


    A cozy small-town romance featuring a café, a new beginning and an adorably grumpy farmer.
  9. Done and Dusted by Lyla Sage


    A woman returns to her Wyoming hometown and falls for her brother’s best friend.
  10. The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks


    A teenage girl spends the summer reconnecting with her father and experiencing first love.
  11. The Lucky One by Nicholas Sparks


    A Marine searches for the woman in a photograph he believes saved his life.
  12. The Moon and More by Sarah Dessen


    A girl begins questioning her future during one final summer in her small beach town.

The reading mood: Front porches, worn-in boots, old journals and remembering every detail about your first crush.

Fearless

Fairytale Romance, First Dates and Grand Gestures

Fearless is for readers who still believe someone might appear in the rain at exactly the right moment.

These books contain sparkling romance, enchanted kingdoms, movie-worthy moments and characters brave enough to risk everything for love.

  1. Better Than the Movies by Lynn Painter


    A hopeless romantic recruits her irritating neighbor to help her win over her dream guy.
  2. Once Upon a Broken Heart by Stephanie Garber


    A girl makes a dangerous bargain with the Prince of Hearts to secure her happily ever after.
  3. The Selection by Kiera Cass


    A young woman enters a royal competition to win the heart of a prince.
  4. The Princess Bride by William Goldman


    A witty fairytale adventure filled with true love, sword fights and impossible rescues.
  5. The Bodyguard by Katherine Center


    A professional bodyguard pretends to be a famous actor’s girlfriend.
  6. The American Roommate Experiment by Elena Armas


    A romance writer tests out experimental dates with her temporary roommate.
  7. The Do-Over by Lynn Painter


    A teenager repeatedly relives Valentine’s Day until she begins rewriting her perfect plan.
  8. The Prince and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang


    A prince and a talented dressmaker secretly pursue their dreams together.
  9. The Siren by Kiera Cass


    A girl bound to the ocean falls for a human she is forbidden to love.
  10. The Cheat Sheet by Sarah Adams


    Two best friends fake a relationship while privately wishing it were real.
  11. Rules for the Summer by Meghan Quinn


    Renley Gossage has one shot to prove she's more than Cape Meril's favorite cautionary tale: restore her favorite candy shop before the town writes her off like they did her father.
  12. The Royal We by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan


    An American college student falls in love with the future king of England.

The reading mood: Sparkling dresses, handwritten notes, castle staircases and dancing in the rain.

Speak Now

Enchanted Meetings, Missed Timing and Things Left Unsaid

Speak Now belongs to everyone who has replayed a conversation because they thought of the perfect response three days too late.

These stories explore magical encounters, complicated timing, second chances and the courage to finally say what has been sitting quietly in your heart.

  1. The Seven Year Slip by Ashley Poston


    A magical apartment connects a woman with a man living seven years in the past.
  2. Funny Story by Emily Henry


    Two people abandoned by their partners become roommates and unexpectedly rewrite their futures.
  3. The Unmaking of June Farrow by Adrienne Young


    A woman follows a mysterious door into the past to uncover her family’s secrets.
  4. One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston


    A woman falls for a girl trapped on a New York subway train since the 1970s.
  5. The Dead Romantics by Ashley Poston


    A ghostwriter who can see spirits encounters the ghost of her recently deceased editor.
  6. The Ex Vows by Jessica Joyce


    Former partners reunite to save their best friend’s wedding.
  7. The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center


    An aspiring screenwriter moves in with a famous writer to help repair his romantic-comedy script.
  8. Twice in a Lifetime by Melissa Baron


    A woman receives text messages from a man claiming to be her future husband.
  9. In Five Years by Rebecca Serle


    A woman wakes up five years in the future beside a man who is not her fiancé.
  10. The Good Part by Sophie Cousens


    A woman wishes to skip ahead to the good part of her life—and wakes up years later.
  11. This Time Next Year by Sophie Cousens


    Two people born minutes apart keep crossing paths throughout their lives.
  12. Expiration Dates by Rebecca Serle


    A woman receives mysterious notes revealing exactly how long each relationship will last.

The reading mood: Purple flowers, candlelight, magical clocks and finally saying the words you were afraid to say.

Red

Consuming Love, Autumn Nostalgia and Emotional Devastation

Reading for the Red era means willingly choosing emotional damage.

These stories capture relationships that are exhilarating, complicated, all-consuming and occasionally terrible for everyone involved.

  1. One Day by David Nicholls


    Two people reunite on the same date every year across two decades.
  2. Talking at Night by Claire Daverley


    Two people remain connected throughout years of separation, loss and missed timing.
  3. The Idea of You by Robinne Lee


    A woman begins a passionate relationship with a much younger global pop star.
  4. Normal People by Sally Rooney


    Two young people repeatedly fall together and drift apart as they grow into adulthood.
  5. Before We Were Strangers by Renée Carlino


    Former college sweethearts reconnect after fifteen years apart.
  6. November 9 by Colleen Hoover


    Two people meet on the same date every year while living separate lives.
  7. People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry


    Two former best friends take one final vacation in hopes of repairing their relationship.
  8. One True Loves by Taylor Jenkins Reid


    A woman must choose between the husband she believed was dead and the man who helped her rebuild.
  9. The Light We Lost by Jill Santopolo


    Two people share an intense connection that follows them across years and continents.
  10. The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller


    One decision forces a woman to reconsider her marriage and her first love.
  11. Before I Let Go by Kennedy Ryan


    A divorced couple running a business together considers whether their love deserves another chance.
  12. Magnolia Parks by Jessa Hastings


    A glamorous, destructive couple repeatedly breaks each other’s hearts.

The reading mood: Autumn leaves, tear-stained pages, a meaningful scarf and resisting the urge to text someone you absolutely should not text.

1989

Reinvention, City Lights and Main-Character Energy

1989 is the soundtrack to starting over.

These books are about moving somewhere new, becoming someone new, making bold choices and learning that reinvention can be both exhilarating and terrifying.

  1. The Paradise Problem by Christina Lauren


    A fake-married couple reunites for an extravagant island wedding.
  2. Happy Place by Emily Henry


    A recently separated couple pretends to still be together during their annual friend vacation.
  3. The Husbands by Holly Gramazio


    A woman discovers that her attic can produce an endless rotation of husbands.
  4. One Night on the Island by Josie Silver


    Two strangers are accidentally booked into the same remote Irish cottage.
  5. In A New York Minute by Kate Spencer


    An embarrassing subway encounter leads to an unexpected New York romance.
  6. The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger


    A young assistant enters the glamorous and brutal world of fashion publishing.
  7. Pineapple Street by Jenny Jackson


    Three women navigate privilege, family expectations and life in New York.
  8. The Comeback by Ella Berman


    A former child star returns to Hollywood to confront the powerful man who controlled her career.
  9. Writers & Lovers by Lily King


    A struggling writer attempts to build a creative life while grieving her mother.
  10. The Magnolia Palace by Fiona Davis


    Two timelines reveal secrets hidden inside a famous New York mansion.
  11. Ghosts by Dolly Alderton


    A woman navigates dating, friendship and adulthood in her thirties.
  12. The Rachel Incident by Caroline O’Donoghue


    A woman looks back on the chaotic friendship that defined her early twenties.

The reading mood: Rooftop drinks, bold lipstick, late-night taxis and walking through the city as though the opening credits are rolling.

Reputation

Revenge, Power, Betrayal and Secret Romance

Reputation is for readers who are no longer interested in explaining themselves.

These books feature calculated revenge, dangerous courts, powerful women, hidden identities and romances that develop behind closed doors.

  1. The Cruel Prince by Holly Black


    A mortal girl becomes entangled in the deadly politics of the faerie court.
  2. The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes


    A teenager unexpectedly inherits a billionaire’s fortune and moves into his puzzle-filled mansion.
  3. The Mindf*ck Series by S.T. Abby - can only get on amazon that i can find!


    A female serial killer seeks revenge while dating the FBI agent investigating her crimes.
  4. The Shadows Between Us by Tricia Levenseller


    A woman plans to marry the Shadow King, kill him and steal his kingdom.
  5. The Bridge Kingdom by Danielle L. Jensen


    A warrior princess enters an arranged marriage intending to destroy her new husband’s kingdom.
  6. Never Saw Me Coming by Vera Kurian


    College students participating in a psychopathy study are targeted by a killer.
  7. The Lies I Tell by Julie Clark


    A con artist meticulously targets the people she believes deserve punishment.
  8. They Never Learn by Layne Fargo


    A professor secretly eliminates dangerous men on her college campus.
  9. The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo


    A servant with magical abilities becomes caught in a dangerous political competition.
  10. The Serpent and the Wings of Night by Carissa Broadbent


    A human raised by vampires enters a deadly competition to gain power.
  11. A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas


    A mortal woman enters a dangerous faerie realm and discovers that nothing is as it seems.
  12. Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas


    An imprisoned assassin competes to become the king’s champion.

The reading mood: Black clothing, locked doors, strategic alliances and falling in love with the one person who knows the real you.

Lover

Colorful Romance, Vulnerability and Choosing Your Person

Lover celebrates romance in all its forms, but it also understands that lasting love requires vulnerability.

These books pair playful premises with emotionally mature relationships, found family and the quiet beauty of choosing someone every day.

  1. Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez


    Two people attempt to break their relationship curses by dating each other temporarily.
  2. The True Love Experiment by Christina Lauren


    A romance novelist joins a reality-dating show produced by a skeptical filmmaker.
  3. The Bodyguard by Katherine Center


    A bodyguard poses as her famous client’s girlfriend during a family visit.
  4. Part of Your World by Abby Jimenez


    A doctor from a wealthy family falls for a younger carpenter in a small town.
  5. The Happy Ever After Playlist by Abby Jimenez


    A lost dog brings a grieving woman and a musician into each other’s lives.
  6. The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren


    Two enemies take a free honeymoon together after the entire wedding party becomes sick.
  7. Out on a Limb by Hannah Bonam-Young


    A Halloween connection and unexpected pregnancy lead to friendship and love.
  8. Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez


    Two doctors form a tender friendship through handwritten letters.
  9. The Fiancée Farce by Alexandria Bellefleur


    A bookstore owner and a wealthy publishing heir enter a fake engagement.
  10. The Charm Offensive by Alison Cochrun


    The producer of a reality-dating show falls for its anxious leading man.
  11. The Wedding Menu by Letizia Lorini


    A wedding planner and a chef reconnect while working on the same event.
  12. The Flatshare by Beth O’Leary


    Two strangers share an apartment and a bed without initially meeting.

The reading mood: Pink skies, colorful cocktails, paper rings and making an ordinary Sunday feel romantic.

Folklore

Wooded Mysteries, Family Secrets and Quiet Longing

Folklore feels like discovering an old story hidden inside an abandoned cabin.

These atmospheric books explore memory, isolation, family legends, missing people and the stories we tell about one another.

  1. The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab


    A woman is cursed to live forever while being forgotten by everyone she meets.
  2. The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah


    A family moves to the Alaskan wilderness, where isolation intensifies an already dangerous home life.
  3. The God of the Woods by Liz Moore


    A girl disappears from summer camp years after her brother vanished from the same property.
  4. The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow


    Three estranged sisters reconnect with one another and with forbidden magic.
  5. The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield


    A reclusive author asks a young biographer to document her mysterious life.
  6. The Secret History by Donna Tartt


    A group of elite college students becomes involved in murder.
  7. The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey


    A childless couple living in Alaska encounters a mysterious girl in the woods.
  8. The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden


    A young woman in medieval Russia discovers that the spirits from old stories are real.
  9. The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner


    A present-day discovery reveals the history of a secret apothecary that helped women poison men.
  10. The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert


    A teenager enters the dark fairytale world created by her grandmother.
  11. Once There Were Wolves by Charlotte McConaghy


    A scientist reintroducing wolves to Scotland becomes entangled in a local murder.
  12. Spells for Forgetting by Adrienne Young


    A woman’s former love returns to their isolated island and reopens an unsolved murder.

The reading mood: Moss-covered paths, cold lakes, oversized cardigans and a secret that has haunted a family for generations.

Evermore

Winter Reflection, Grief and Bittersweet Endings

If folklore leads you into the woods, evermore leaves you there as winter begins.

These novels explore grief, family, memory, resilience and the realization that surviving something does not mean it left you unchanged.

  1. The Wedding People by Alison Espach


    A woman experiencing a personal crisis becomes entangled in a week-long wedding celebration.
  2. Tom Lake by Ann Patchett


    A mother tells her daughters about the summer she dated a famous actor.
  3. Go as a River by Shelley Read


    A young woman experiences love, loss and survival in rural Colorado.
  4. The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai


    Two timelines explore friendship, loss and the lasting effects of the AIDS crisis.
  5. The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey


    A couple’s lonely Alaskan life changes after they build a child out of snow.
  6. Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan


    A man makes a difficult moral choice during a cold Irish winter.
  7. The Dutch House by Ann Patchett


    Two siblings remain emotionally tied to the house from which they were expelled.
  8. The Collected Regrets of Clover by Mikki Brammer


    A death doula begins reconsidering whether she has truly been living.
  9. Maame by Jessica George


    A young woman begins building her own identity after years of caring for her family.
  10. The Most Fun We Ever Had by Claire Lombardo


    Four adult daughters confront the complicated legacy of their parents’ marriage.
  11. Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano


    A close family is transformed by love, betrayal and long-held resentment.
  12. The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters
    The disappearance of a young girl reverberates across two families for decades.

The reading mood: Snow against the windows, cold coffee, old photographs and finally accepting that some endings cannot be rewritten.

Midnights

Overthinking, Alternate Lives and 2 A.M. Revelations

Midnights is for readers who are physically exhausted but mentally reviewing an embarrassing conversation from seven years ago.

These books examine alternate lives, ambition, regret, identity and the questions that become impossible to avoid when the rest of the world is asleep.

  1. The Midnight Library by Matt Haig


    A woman explores the lives she might have lived after making different choices.
  2. The Measure by Nikki Erlick


    Everyone on Earth receives a box revealing the length of their life.
  3. Maybe in Another Life by Taylor Jenkins Reid


    One small decision divides a woman’s future into two alternate timelines.
  4. Oona Out of Order by Margarita Montimore


    A woman begins living each year of her adult life in a random order.
  5. The Good Part by Sophie Cousens


    A woman skips ahead to the seemingly perfect future she once wished for.
  6. The Versions of Us by Laura Barnett


    Three timelines reveal how one encounter could shape two people’s lives.

  7. Wrong Place Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister


    A mother travels backward through time to prevent her son from committing murder.
  8. The Book of Doors by Gareth Brown


    A mysterious book gives its owner the ability to travel through space and time.
  9. The Other Valley by Scott Alexander Howard


    A town sits between identical towns located twenty years in the past and future.
  10. The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley


    A civil servant works with historical figures brought into the present.
  11. The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August by Claire North


    A man repeatedly lives the same life while retaining memories from previous versions.
  12. The Two Lives of Lydia Bird by Josie Silver


    A grieving woman discovers that sleep transports her into a life where her fiancé is still alive.

The reading mood: Blue light, unanswered messages, intrusive memories and accepting that you will not be sleeping anytime soon.

The Tortured Poets Department

Obsession, Grief and Beautifully Bad Decisions

This era is for readers who want yearning, emotional destruction, literary references and at least one character making a decision everyone warned them against.

These books explore complicated relationships, grief, obsession, art and the uncomfortable space between love and self-destruction.

  1. Blue Sisters by Coco Mellors


    Three estranged sisters return home after the death of their fourth sister.
  2. Cleopatra and Frankenstein by Coco Mellors


    A whirlwind marriage becomes the center of a messy story about love, loneliness and addiction.
  3. Alone with You in the Ether by Olivie Blake


    Two emotionally complicated people become intensely fascinated with one another.
  4. Writers & Lovers by Lily King


    A grieving writer struggles to complete her novel while navigating two possible relationships.
  5. The Rachel Incident by Caroline O’Donoghue


    A woman reflects on the friendship, affair and secrets that defined her twenties.
  6. Acts of Desperation by Megan Nolan


    A woman becomes consumed by an emotionally damaging relationship.
  7. All This Could Be Different by Sarah Thankam Mathews


    A young woman builds a life through friendship, work, desire and chosen family.
  8. The Marriage Plot by Jeffrey Eugenides


    Three college graduates become entangled in love, literature and intellectual ambition.
  9. Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar


    A poet becomes obsessed with death, art and the mysteries surrounding his mother.
  10. Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney


    Two college students become involved with an older married couple.
  11. Everything I Know About Love by Dolly Alderton


    A memoir exploring friendship, romance, heartbreak and growing into adulthood.
  12. The Days I Loved You Most by Amy Neff


    An elderly couple recounts a lifelong love shaped by sacrifice, separation and reunion.

The reading mood: Annotated pages, dramatic prose, an empty coffee cup and claiming the heartbreak was worth it because it produced excellent material.

The Life of a Showgirl

Fame, Ambition, Performance and Life Behind the Curtain

The Life of a Showgirl calls for stories about what happens underneath the sparkle.

These books feature ambitious women, public personas, performance, glamour and the tension between being admired by an audience and being truly known by another person.

  1. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid


    A Hollywood icon reveals the truth about her career, marriages and greatest love.
  2. City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert


    A young woman enters the glamorous theater world of 1940s New York.
  3. The Favorites by Layne Fargo


    Two ambitious figure skaters become legends while their destructive relationship unfolds publicly.
  4. Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid


    A fictional rock band recounts the fame, conflict and attraction that fueled its rise.
  5. The Final Revival of Opal & Nev by Dawnie Walton


    A music journalist investigates the legacy of a groundbreaking rock duo.
  6. The Spectacular by Fiona Davis


    A young dancer joins the Radio City Rockettes during a dangerous period in New York history.
  7. The Comeback by Ella Berman


    A former child star returns to Hollywood to confront the man who controlled her career.
  8. Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter


    A decades-spanning Hollywood story begins when an actress arrives in an Italian village.
  9. Did You Hear About Kitty Karr? by Crystal Smith Paul


    The death of a legendary actress reveals secrets about race, identity and old Hollywood.
  10. The Singer Sisters by Sarah Seltzer


    The women of a musical family struggle with ambition, motherhood and inherited secrets.
  11. Songs in Ursa Major by Emma Brodie


    A young musician’s career and relationship unfold inside the 1960s folk scene.
  12. Honey by Isabel Banta


    A young pop star comes of age inside the highly manufactured music industry of the 1990s.

The reading mood: Dressing-room mirrors, champagne after midnight, rhinestones, thunderous applause and one person backstage who knows the whole story.

Which Taylor Swift Album Matches Your Reading Era?

Maybe you are currently craving the fairytale optimism of Fearless. Perhaps you want to disappear into the misty woods of folklore, make a dramatic comeback with reputation or experience enough fictional heartbreak to fill the entire Red vault.

You may even find that your reading era changes from week to week.

There is no rule saying you must choose only one.

Read the romantic comedy. Enter the haunted forest. Investigate the family secret. Reinvent yourself in the city. Plot fictional revenge. Fall in love. Get your heart broken. Then find the book that helps you put it back together.

Every era deserves its own bookshelf.

Which Taylor Swift album are you currently reading? How many of these have you read?

Save this list for your next bookstore visit, share it with the Swiftie in your book club and choose an album for your next group reading challenge.

We have made collections to make shopping in each era and tracking your reading if you want to hit them all a bit easier! 

Click the link by era below to see all the books from each album in one collection:

Taylor Swift

Fearless

Speak Now

Red

1989

Reputation

Lover

Folklore

Evermore

Midnights

TTPD

The Life of a Showgirl

 

Thank you all for supporting us and shopping bookshop.org!!! 

 

Let us know, what is your favorite album!? How many books have you read from that album book list??

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