Two of my favorite things in the entire world are books and music, so when I can I enjoy nothing more than putting the two together. One of my favorite albums I have been listeing to over the past year is Fine Line by Harry Styles. Each song is crafted so beautifully and lyrically meaningful. I thought I would reccomend one book for each song off of this album, either based on lyrics or how the song makes me feel.
- Golden
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Golden, the opening track, is a hopeful song about being vulnerable while falling in love, even though the other person might be more reserved, or even scared. For this song I chose The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid. This novel follows Hollywood starlet Evelyn Hugo as she is interviewed towards the end of her life. Evelyn begins to tell the story of her seven husbands, and the one secret love behind them all.
- Watermelon Sugar
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Watermelon Sugar is a fun, catchy song that follows the a more fun side to a relationship. The book I chose for this is The Proposal by Jasmine Guillory. The Proposal follows Nik and Carlos after Carlos helps her escape from a disasterous public proposal that she had no desire in excepting. What follows is a fun story about the friendship and relationship between the two characters.
- Adore You
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Adore You is about wanting someone to accept the love you give them, without pressuring them to love you back. Every Day by David Levithan fits this perfectly. This young adult novel follows A, someone who wakes up every day in a different body. One day, A meets Rhiannon, and falls head over heels in love with her. A’s only desire is to love Rhiannon, even though it may be impossible for her to love them back.
- Lights Up
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In an interview, Styles stated that Lights Up was simply about being free. Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro follows a group of students from a secretive boarding school, Hailsham. It is only when they are free beyond Hailsham’s boundaries that Kathy H., Ruth, and Tommy discover the secrets that have haunted their entire life, and will determine their entire future.
- Cherry
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Cherry is a heartbreaking song about having to let go of someone, even if you still love them. Jane Austen’s Persuasion tells the story of Anne, who turned down the proposal of the man she loved due to societies expectations. Eight years later he reappears in her life and seems to have moved on. Anne, on the other hand, still has not.
- Falling
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Halfway through the album, Falling is about being disapointed in yourself and finding that you have become someone you never wanted to be. One of my favorite books of all time, Normal People by Sally Rooney is about Connell and Marianne, following them from teenagers who are together in secret, all the way through their friendship and (sometimes) relationship at Trinity College. They both struggle with who they are and, specifically Connell, who they become.
- To Be So Lonely
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To Be So Lonely is about avoiding blame for the end of a relationship, even when you are at fault. For this song I chose High Fidelity by Nick Hornby. This book follows record store owner Rob, right after his girlfriend left him. Rob immediately pushes blame to his girlfriend for ending their relationship but, as the book goes on, we learn that Rob is not as innocent as he initially insists he is.
- She
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She is a tricky song to relate a book to but I think I have a pretty good pick. The song tells the story of a man who “daydreams” about “she” but we later find out she only lives in his dreams. While not exact, I related this song to Norweigan Wood by Haruki Murakami. This book is about a man remanicing about a troubled girl he once loved, even though he never truly knew her. Toru truly believed he was in love with Naoko, but I would argue he was more in love with the idea of her.
- Sunflower Vol. 6
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I always saw Sunflower Vol. 6 as about a girl who is like a sunflower; free, unique, beautiful, and captivating. Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid is the perfect book if you love this song. Daisy Jones is a novel about the fictional rock band The Six and the limited yet significant time them spent working with singer Daisy Jones. Inspired by the drama behind Fleetwood Mac, Daisy Jones is a fictionalized Stevie Nicks, and just as magnetic. Almost like a sunflower.
- Canyon Moon
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Canyon Moon is essentially about loving someone and always finding your way back to them. For some reason, I have also always associated this song with nature and I think it pairs well with Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens. This novel has some of the most beautiful descriptions of nature and makes the marsh, where our main character lives, almost a character in itself. Kya, “the marsh girl”, raises herself in nature but her closest friend and childhood love, Tate, always seems to find his way back to her, no matter how much time has passed.
- Treat People With Kindness
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Treat People With Kindness is truly just a happy song about being kind that feels like a warm hug. For this reason I have chosen The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin, the coziest book I have ever read. A.J. Fikry is a grumpy bookstore owner mourning the death of his wife when a baby is abandoned in his store. Fikry decideds to raise the girl as his own, among books, and with unconditional love.
- Fine Line
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The title track is a rare song that I truly cannot describe, no matter how hard I try. It is not a sad song, but it is also not very joyful. The best way I can descrbe it is hopeful, it makes you feel invincible. The Perks of Being A Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky is the only book that makes me feel the same way. Charlie is a shy freshman in highschool, struggling with the severe trauma from his childhood when he meets Sam and Patrick, two seniors that take him under their wing. Set in Pittsburgh, a pivotal scene in the book is when Sam stands on the back of their pickup truck while Patrick drives through a tunnel. Charlie describes these ‘tunnel songs’ as making you feel infinite. Fine Line is a tunnel song, and Charlie described it best.
Happy reading and, in the words of Harry Styles, treat people with kindness.
HCXO,
Maeve