Midnights is out and it needs to be talked about over and over again. As someone who loves to read and loves Midnights, I decided that I needed to compile a list of books that reminded me of some of the songs from the album. So, to all book lovers and Taylor fans, this one’s for you!
“Dear Reader” and the Bridgerton series by Julia Quinn
I honestly couldn’t help but think about the Bridgerton series when I first heard this song. I instantly thought of Lady Whistledown from the series (possibly because of the “Dear Reader”). Certain lyrics that really stood out to me that made me think even more about the series are “You wouldn’t take my word for it / If you knew who was talking” as well as “I prefer hiding in plain sight”. To me, these lyrics feel like we’re inside the brain of Lady Whistledown, so if you haven’t already, you should definitely give the Bridgerton book series a try (or the TV series) if “Dear Reader” is your favourite song on Midnights!
“Anti-Hero” and November 9 and Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover
This is truly one of the best songs on Midnights and I think that it’s one that a lot of people can relate to. It’s about being very much in your own head and only seeing your flaws. This song honestly reminded me of November 9 by Colleen Hoover because of the way the main character, Fallon, views herself. Fallon was in a fire that left her with some scars which really affected her and how she views herself. One lyric that really reminds me of Fallon is, “Sometimes I feel like everybody is a sexy baby / And I’m a monster on the hill”. This song also reminded me of Miles from Ugly Love also by Colleen Hoover. In this book, Miles really views himself as an anti-hero because of traumatic events that happened to him in the past. He feels that he is the problem, and he is afraid to love anyone because of his past.
“Snow On The Beach” (Feat. Lana Del Rey) and Beach Read by Emily Henry
This song encapsulates the feeling of falling for someone who is so right for you even when they are possibly someone that you did not expect, it’s weird but also beautiful… like snow on the beach. So, obviously, I thought of January and Gus from Beach Read. If you haven’t read this book yet, you definitely need to! It is a sort of enemies-to-lovers book where it seems sort of weird that they have these feelings toward each other, but they are so perfect for each other that it’s beautiful… like snow on the beach.
“Question…?” And Normal People by Sally Rooney
This song literally feels like it was written about this book. This song perfectly encapsulates the relationship between Marianne and Connell in Normal People. Their relationship starts in high school together where Connell is popular and Marianne is not, however, when they go to college together this switches and Connell experiences some mental health problems. The very beginning of the song perfectly encapsulates this situation: “Good girl, sad boy / Big city, wrong choices”. This entire song perfectly reflects Marianne and Connell so if “Question…?” is your favourite song on Midnights, you need to read Normal People A.S.A.P!
“Karma” and Circe by Madeline Miller
If there is one thing that Circe is going to do, it’s getting revenge. Circe works hard but karma works harder so this song and book are the perfect matches. Circe is a retelling of the Greek myth about Circe who can turn men into pigs. Karma is quite literally a (minor) God(dess) so these two are a perfect match.
“Glitch” and People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry
“Glitch” is a friends-to-lovers song, which is one of my favourite tropes, so I could come up with a bunch of books that this song reminds me of, but I think that Poppy and Alex from People We Meet on Vacation are literally this song. Ā Poppy and Alex are so connected to each other, they’re fastened together like a stitch as Taylor puts it. Then something happens and the two don’t talk to each other for a few years which seems to be their “glitch”, but when they reunite, there is no evidence of them ever separating again.
“Lavender Haze” and Redeemed by Lauren Asher
To me, this song reminds me of a trope where one person is famous and the other is kind of getting used to all the attention that surrounds them, particularly because of the lyrics “I been under scrutiny / You handle it beautifully”. The “Lavender Haze” makes me think of just this little bubble that is just away from all the attention and flashing lights because of the lyrics “I just wanna stay in that lavender haze”. That is why I instantly thought of Redeemed. The book is about Santi, an F1 racer who went through a traumatic experience, so he ended up living in this bubble away from the public eye. He then meets the main girl, Chloe, who becomes used to their little lavender haze bubble but when they begin to be more visible to the public eye, she experiences a bit of a shock. To me, both “Lavender Haze” and Redeemed both seem to be about some of the chaos that surrounds celebrities and having your own love bubble, so this is the perfect book to read if you’re looking for something with that same vibe.
If you are a book lover and Taylor fan, you should definitely give these books a read! They’re all available on Amazon and can likely be found at your local bookstore! Also, don’t forget to always check trigger warnings before starting a book to make sure that it’s right for you!