Taylor Swift's Midnights: The perfect #BookTok reads for all 13 tracks!
Swifties everywhere are rejoicing after the release of Taylor Swift's latest album, Midnights.
Her lyrics are always deeply relatable, and this album is no exception.
With vivid descriptions of everything from heartbreak to anxiety, Midnights covers an impressive range of themes over its 13 tracks.
Many of the tracks mirror the themes and characters present in some of the best BookTok recommendations, so we've taken it upon ourselves to match each song on Midnights with an on-brand BookTok favorite.
Lavender Haze – The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Lavender Haze chronicles Swift's frustrations with the incessant rumors and speculation about her personal life. She decides that her relationship is meaningful enough on its own to ignore the input from others.
In The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, the titular actor faces an intrusive media that seeks to put her into a neat box, as the song Lavender Haze laments.
Evelyn's true love is what matters most to her, and she's willing to tune out all the outside noise to focus on it.
Maroon – The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
Maroon describes the end of a relationship and the haunting impact that memories can have.
Though Maroon describes a breakup, many of its lyrics relate to the tragic romance at the heart of The Song of Achilles.
In the bridge, Swift sings,
"And I wake with your memory over me / That's a real f***ing legacy to leave."
The profound grief explored in Miller's book ties into this idea of the legacy of love and lasts long past the end of the relationship itself.
Anti-Hero – Looking for Alaska by John Green
Swift explores her propensity towards self-loathing in Anti-Hero.
Her lyrics will remind fans of John Green's Looking for Alaska of the titular character.
The song's upbeat nature contrasts its darker themes, much like Alaska tries to conceal her depression throughout the novel.
Snow on the Beach – Heartstopper by Alice Oseman
The highly-anticipated Taylor/Lana Del Rey collaboration is a sweet look at the unexpected beauty of love.
Nick and Charlie's relationship in Heartstopper adorably captures that same unexpected nature of love and how special that can be.
It's also hard to ignore the very literal parallels in the title.
It's snowing the first time Nick and Charlie hang out outside of school, and their first official date is at the beach.
You're On Your Own, Kid - I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson
You're On Your Own, Kid captures the struggles of coming of age, so naturally, it's the perfect fit for a young adult book.
I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson is a stunning novel that follows twin siblings Jude and Noah with alternating first-person chapters in two different timelines.
The book beautifully captures the pain of adolescence and the challenges of finding one's identity with artistic imagery that you'll never forget.
Midnight Rain – Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
Midnight Rain perfectly captures that sense of lingering guilt and wondering what could've been after a relationship ends.
Little Women is one of the more popular classic novels on BookTok. The lyrics of Midnight Rain parallel the ill-fated relationship between Jo and Laurie after Jo rejects his marriage proposal.
The song highlights similar themes as Swift describes being "haunted" by the choice she made to end the relationship to pursue her career.
Question...? - Normal People by Sally Rooney
Question...? paints the picture of a complicated romantic relationship plagued by failures in communications and regrets.
These themes tie in perfectly with Sally Rooney's Normal People. Miscommunication is one of the main motifs in the novel, and Connell and Marianne's relationship lines up incredibly well with the song's lyrics.
Swift perfectly taps into the lingering questions that surround a relationship where feelings are often lost in translation.
Vigilante Sh*t – Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
Swift channels the vibes of her Reputation era in Vigilante Sh*t.
The song tells the story of a woman carrying out a plan for revenge against her lover, and there's no more iconic vengeful wife than Gone Girl's Amy Dunne.
Vigilante Sh*t's bridge is also eerily similar to Amy's famous "cool girl" monologue, proving that the unnamed woman in the song, like Amy, uses her knowledge of what is expected of women to her advantage in the revenge plot.
Bejeweled - Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Bejeweled is an epic anthem of empowerment. Swift describes feeling underappreciated by her boyfriend and deciding to go out on her own.
The themes in the song connect to the titular character in Taylor Jenkins Reid's Daisy Jones & The Six.
An epic rock star of the 1970s, Daisy doesn't let unrequited love keep her down.
Labyrinth - Red, White, & Royal Blue by Casey McQuinston
Labyrinth recounts Swift's anxiety about falling in love and the unexpected way in which her relationship managed to survive for so long.
The romance between Alex and Henry at the center of Red, White, & Royal Blue includes a similar sense of anxiety and apprehension towards diving all the way into a relationship.
Even though the relationship comes with significant complications, the pair is able to focus on the immense importance of the support that love provides.
Karma - Animal by Lisa Taddeo
Another Reputation-esque Midnights track, Karma is an ode to the joy of getting revenge.
Animal by Lisa Taddeo is an incredibly dark tale of revenge that takes this idea to a new level.
One of BookTok's favorite "feminine rage" reads, this novel is an unforgettable and raw portrayal of vengence.
Sweet Nothing - Carrie Soto is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Sweet Nothing, which Swift co-wrote with her boyfriend Joe Alwyn, shows how love can provide an important refuge from the outside world and underscores the importance of the simple moments.
Taylor Jenkins Reid's most recent book, Carrie Soto is Back, features a love story that follows a similar theme.
The highly-driven protagonist is laser-focused on her career and struggles to maintain her sense of self amid pressure from the outside world, but an unexpected romance, much like the one described in Sweet Nothing, helps keep her grounded.
Mastermind - Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
In Mastermind, Swift describes her carefully calculated efforts to find love.
In what might be one of the best lines from the album, she says, "I swear, I'm only cryptic and Machiavellian 'cause I care."
This shrewd nature is incredibly reminiscent of Leigh Bardugo's Six of Crows, which follows a group of criminals as they attempt a deadly heist.
Now that you have the perfect soundtrack, go get reading!
Cover photo: collage: unsplash/@gamanalice3012, screenshot/TikTok/@taylorswift