1989 (Taylor’s Version) is finally here, and with it, another list of books to read while you listen to the album on repeat. Welcome to 1989 (Simon Teen’s Version). It’s been waiting for you!
"SLUT!"
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“SLUT!” is probably the dreamiest song on 1989 (Taylor’s Version), painting an aquamarine picture of moonlit rendezvouses and a secret romance, which might just be worth all of the inevitable bad press and mean names from the rest of the world. Another popstar – Leanna Smart – is doing her best to keep her whirlwind romance a secret from the rest of the world in Permanent Record by Mary H.K. Choi. When Leanna meets Pablo in the middle of the night in Brooklyn, both of them know they can’t be together forever. They keep things on the down-low for as long as possible, but of course, it’s about three seconds before the world finds out.
"Is it Over Now?"
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“You dream of my mouth before it called you a lying traitor…” is so perfectly These Violent Delights era Roma and Juliette. Roma Montagov was Juliette’s first love… and first betrayal. But as a madness spreads across Shanghai and threatens both of their gangs, and Juliette and Roma must set down their guns (and their grudges) and work together to save their city.
"Say Don't Go"
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How is “I’m yours, but you’re not mine,” the perfect lyric for BOTH Will and Tessa in Clockwork Prince? After Will pushes Tessa away at the end of Clockwork Angel, Clockwork Prince is full of angst and longing from both of them, especially as Tessa is drawn closer to Jem, who is kind and completely devoted. Still, Tessa longs for Will and like Taylor, wants nothing more than for him to come back and declare his love for her. She would stay forever if Will would work up to courage to ask her not to go.
"Suburban Legends"
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"Suburban Legends" absolutely screams Neil and Rowan in Today Tonight Tomorrow! Rowan definitely did not come here to make friends. She has been bitter rivals with Neil have been bitter rivals for all of high school, clashing on test scores, student council elections, and even gym class pull-up contests. But Neil is so magnetic, Rowan begins to fall for him anyway – over the course of 24 hours.
"Now That We Don't Talk"
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"Now That We Don't Talk" is all about the pain of not speaking to someone after a break-up, especially a sudden one. This is pain Mia and Alfie know well. High school sweethearts Mia and Alfie had a plan to escape their town for college in the east, but then, Mia’s world imploded. She pushed everyone away… including Alfie. When Mia and Alfie’s paths cross for the briefest of moments, Mia realizes she never should have let him go and Alfie’s suppressed memories and feelings boil to the surface – right as a massive earthquake rocks San Francisco.
"Bad Blood"
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Betrayal is a HUGE part of both "Bad Blood" and Bonesmith. For bonesmith Wren, becoming a valkyr – a ghost-fighting warrior – is a chance to solidify her spot in the House of Bone and impress her father. But when sabotage causes Wren to fail her qualifying trial, she is banished to the Border Wall, where the vicious dead roam unchecked.
"Wildest Dreams"
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Not only is Curious Tides a dark and lyrical fantasy with a dreamy romance – aka, a perfect book to pair with "Wildest Dreams" – but it has actual dream magic. Perfect, right? Dreamers have the ability to manipulate dreams and enter dreams, and Emory’s best friend Romie is one of them. A dreamer. Except, after a deadly night in the Dovermere sea caves, now Romie is dead, and Emory is the only survivor – and is now plagued by stranger, impossible powers, which mean certain danger if the wrong person were to discover them.
"How You Get the Girl"
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Alex Blackwood knows how to get the girl. Keeping her on the hand... not so much. Molly has an opposite problem. She is completely awkward around everyone who isn’t her mom, which isn’t doing much to help her interact with her crush for once. Alex and Molly don’t belong on the same planet, let alone the same college campus, but soon, Alex and Molly find a way to help each other. But as Alex and Molly help each other get their girls, soon, they begin to wonder if they’re the ones falling for each other instead.
"This Love"
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We’re a little emotional about this pairing because in the A Foul Thing novella – one of two novellas featured in Last Violent Call – Roma and Juliette’s love really is alive and back from the dead. After the events of Our Violent Ends, Roma and Juliette have established themselves as the heads of an underground weapons ring in Zhouzhuang, making a living while remaining anonymous in a peaceful and quiet life. Until several Russian girls show up dead in nearby towns.
"I Know Places"
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"I Know Places" is an undoubtably a dark and romantic song, but I Know Places’s bridge (“They are the hunters, we are the foxes, and we run.”) could just as easily be about Harlow Ford and her mother in And Don’t Look Back. Harlow has spent her entire life running, caught in her mother’s wake as they flit from town to town, hiding from a presence that Harlow’s not even sure is real. In each new place, Harlow has a new name and personality, and each time they run, she leaves another piece of herself behind.
"Clean"
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"Clean" is a moving song about healing and finding yourself again after a relationship, and similarly, The Way I Am Now is a beautiful book about healing and finding yourself in the aftermath of trauma. The Way I Am Now explores how to move forward and heal – in life and in love – as Eden and Josh decide to give their relationship another chance.
Months after Eden and two other girls publicly accuse their rapist, Eden is starting college while her case goes to trial. Now when she and Josh reconnect, it seems like it might finally be in the right place at the right time for them to make it work. But is their love strong enough to withstand the challenges and chaos of college and the crushing realities of a trial that will determine whether Eden gets the justice she deserves?
"Wonderland"
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This is a song about a wonderful and dangerous love, which sucks you in and spins you around, despite your better judgement, which is exactly the kind of dazzling – and forbidden – romance featured in Powerless. (“Life was never worse but never better!”) A forbidden romance blossoms between a powerful prince and an ordinary girl – despite all odds – in this upcoming young adult fantasy, which is perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas!
"You Are in Love"
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“You Are In Love” is probably the most romantic song on the album (Like... “Pauses, then says, you’re my best friend, and you knew what it was, he is in love.” Absolute swoon!) And Lynn Painter’s Betting On You has an absolutely unforgettable romance. After making a bet about whether their coworkers will get together, Bailey and Charlie begin to develop feelings for each other.
"New Romantics"
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"New Romantics" is a glittery song about friendship and heartbreak and reshaping your ideas of love. And in Laura Taylor Namey’s newest novel, A British Girl’s Guide to Hurricanes and Heartbreak, Flora navigates heartbreak that feels like a hurricane in a city that is famous for them. She decides to escape her life in England after the death of her mother and flee to Miami where Flora lands in the flashbulb world of Baz, a Miami Cuban who shares her love for photography. And then, Flora starts to see her longtime friend Gordan in a new light.
"Shake it Off"
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When Sky Baker’s promposal plans are leaked by an anonymous hacker in a homophobic e-blast, Sky is fully prepared to drop out and skip town. Until his classmates encourage him to shake it off. And fight back, turning his 30-day promposal countdown into a school-wide hunt to expose the e-blast perpetrator.
"All You Had to Do Was Stay"
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Oh Conrad… Why’d you have to go and lock Belly out when she let you in? Why?!
Belly used to count the days until summer, until she was back at Cousins Beach with Conrad and Jeremiah. But after Susannah got sick again and Conrad abruptly pushed her away, Belly is wishing summer would never come.
"Out of the Woods"
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"Out of the Woods" is full of questions. Are we out of the woods yet? Is this relationship finally out of danger? Are we in the clear yet? Is it finally safe now? In the sequel to Legendborn, Bree is never out of danger. Enemies are everywhere, and Bree must go on the run to save Nick, the Legendborn boy Bree fell in love with, who has been kidnapped. All while dealing with own unpredictable powers and her growing attraction to Sel, who is sworn to protect Nick until death.
"Welcome to New York"
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Nothing pairs better with a song about all of the bright lights and magic of the city that never sleeps than a book about the city that never sleeps. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off meets Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist in this romp about Kat and Stevie—best friends, theater kids, polar opposites—who have snuck away from the suburbs to spend a night in New York City from the New York Times bestselling author of Since You’ve Been Gone.
"Blank Space"
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Love is definitely a game in this searing thriller. A deadly one. Their Vicious Games is Ace of Spaces meets Squid Game with a sprinkling of The Bachelor, where Adina Walker must enter the Finish, a high-stakes contest sponsored by Edgewater’s founding family. Twelve ambitious young women are selected to compete for entry into the fold of the Remington family, whose wealth and power can open any door.
"Style"
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In For All Time by Shanna Miles, Tamar and Fayard never go out of style in any lifetime. They have lived a thousand lives, seen the world build itself up from nothing only to tear itself down again in civil war. They’ve even watched humanity take to the stars. But in each life one thing remains the same: their love and their fight to be together. One love story after another. Their only concern is they never get to see how their story ends. Until now.