If you’re loving Sabrina Carpenter’s new album, Short n’ Sweet, these quick reads (all under 350 pages!) deserve a spot on your TBR. Which one will you be reading first?
From the New York Times and internationally bestselling author of A Cuban Girl’s Guide to Tea and Tomorrow, this novel follows two Cuban teens in LA’s Echo Park neighborhood who clash over their visions for the future, the secrets between their families…and the sparks flying between them.
Julie Murphy meets Heartstopper with a D&D twist in this heartwarming queer romance about a teen girl whose foray into fantasy tabletop roleplaying brings her new confidence, true friends, and a shot at real, swoon-worthy love.
From the New York Times bestselling author of So This Is Ever After, a young prince must rely on a mysterious stranger to save him when he is kidnapped during his coming-of-age tour in this swoony adventure that is The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue meets Pirates of the Caribbean.
Hitch meets The Sun Is Also a Star in this swoonworthy novel about a self-professed teen love doctor with a popular radio segment who believes he can get a girl who hates all things romance to fall in love with him in only three dates.
In this delightful romp for fans of Recommended for You and A Cuban Girl’s Guide to Tea and Tomorrow, a teen girl has the worst Valentine’s Day ever—only to relive it over and over again.
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Chloe Gong comes two captivating new novellas surrounding the events of Foul Lady Fortune and following a familiar cast of characters from the These Violent Delights Duet!
Belly has an unforgettable summer in this stunning start to the Summer I Turned Pretty series from the New York Times bestselling author of To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, Jenny Han.
Taylor Swift’s latest album, The Tortured Poets Department, is FINALLY here!!! If you’re a fellow Swiftie and can’t stop listening, or want a book rec with the same vibes as your fave song from Taylor’s newest masterpiece, not to worry. We’ve got all the book recs for The Tortured Poets Department you need, including the secret second installment!
Aristotle is an angry teen with a brother in prison. Dante is a know-it-all who has an unusual way of looking at the world. When the two meet at the swimming pool, they seem to have nothing in common. But as the loners start spending time together, they discover that they share a special friendship—the kind that changes lives and lasts a lifetime.
Emma Carstairs is no longer a child in mourning, but a young woman bent on discovering what killed her parents and avenging her losses. Together with her parabatai Julian Blackthorn, Emma must learn to trust her head and her heart as she investigates a demonic plot that stretches across Los Angeles. If only her heart didn’t lead her in treacherous directions…
Now that her crush Michael is back in town, Liz will do whatever it takes to get on his radar, even befriend her annoyingly attractive next-door neighbor, Wes Bennet. But as Liz and Wes scheme to get Liz noticed by Michael, she must rethink her own ideas of what Happily Ever After should look like.
An African tightrope walker who can’t die gets embroiled in a secret society’s deadly gladiatorial tournament in this historical fantasy set in an alternate 1880s London.
This funny and emotional story follows two estranged sisters to see how far they’ll go to save one of their lives—even if it means swapping identities.
On paper, college dropout Pablo Rind doesn’t have a whole lot going for him, while pop juggernaut Leanna Smart has enough social media followers to populate whole continent, so when they meet at 5:00 a.m. at the bodega, it’s absurd to think they’d be A Thing. But as they discover who they are, Lee and Pab turn to each other. Which, of course, is when things get properly complicated.
While Conrad has not gotten over the mistake of letting Belly go, Jeremiah has always known that Belly is the girl for him. So when Belly and Jeremiah decide to make things forever, Conrad realizes that it’s now or never—tell Belly he loves her, or lose her for good. Belly will have to confront her feelings for Jeremiah and Conrad and face the inevitable: She will have to break one of their hearts.
For a few beautiful months, Wes had his dream girl: strong-willed girl-next-door Liz. But right as the two were about to set off to UCLA to start their freshman year together, tragedy struck. Wes was left dealing with the fallout, which ultimately meant losing Liz in the process. Flash forward months and months later and Wes and Liz find themselves in college, together. Wes knows he broke Liz’s heart when he ended things, but he is determined to make her fall back in love with him.
A Korean American teen who is thrust into the competitive, technicolor world of K-pop, from Jessica Jung, K-pop legend and former lead singer of one of the most influential K-pop girl groups of all time, Girls’ Generation.
What would you do if you forgot the love of your life ever even existed? Stevie and Nora had a love. A secret, epic, once-in-a-lifetime kind of love. But then Stevie has a terrible fall. And when she comes to, Nora finds herself forgotten. Can the two beat the odds a second time?
Rowan and Neil fell for each other in just twenty-four hours, and after a summer together, they're embarking on a long-distance relationship during their first year of college. Will they be able to make it work, or will they be driven apart?
Filled with mystery and an intriguingly rich magic system, Legendborn reinvents the King Arthur legend and “braids together Southern folk traditions and Black Girl Magic into a searing modern tale of grief, power, and self-discovery” (Dhonielle Clayton, New York Times bestselling author of The Belles).
This heart-stopping speculative young adult novel from New York Times bestselling author Robbie Couch explores all the different ways love can live on after tragedy.
This ripped-from-the-tabloids drama follows Honor Lo's famous-for-being-famous family as they fracture from within when their dirty laundry gets exposed.
Two rival journalism students compete for the same position on their university newspaper (and try to sabotage each other) in this smart, chemistry-filled romcom.
A year has passed since Rowan had gone off grid. Since then, he has become an urban legend, a vigilante snuffing out corrupt scythes in a trial by fire. As Scythe Anastasia, Citra gleans with compassion and openly challenges the ideals of the “new order.” But when her life is threatened and her methods questioned, it becomes clear that not everyone is open to the change. Will the Thunderhead intervene? Or will it simply watch as this perfect world begins to unravel?
Cordelia Carstairs has lost everything that matters to her. In only a few short weeks, she has seen her father murdered, her plans to become parabatai with her best friend, Lucie, destroyed, and her marriage to James Herondale crumble before her eyes. Even worse, she is now bound to an ancient demon, Lilith, stripping her of her power as a Shadowhunter. After fleeing to Paris with Matthew Fairchild, Cordelia hopes to forget her sorrows. But reality intrudes when shocking news comes from home: Tatiana Blackthorn has escaped the Adamant Citadel, and London is under new threat by the Prince of Hell, Belial.
This funny and unflinchingly honest story follows a teen who must come to terms with her disability and what it means for her identity, her love life, and her future.
This fantasy thriller follows six teenage wizards as they fight to make it home alive after a malfunctioning spell leaves them stranded in the wilderness. But tangled secrets and ulterior motives may create more challenges than they could have ever anticipated...
Lara Jean didn’t expect to really fall for Peter. She and Peter were just pretending. Except suddenly they weren’t. Now Lara Jean is more confused than ever. When another boy from her past returns to her life, Lara Jean’s feelings for him return too. Can a girl be in love with two boys at once?
Harlow Ford has spent her entire life running, hiding from a presence that Harlow isn’t even sure is real. But when Harlow and her mom set off on yet another 3 a.m. escape, they are involved in a car accident that leaves Harlow’s mother fatally wounded. Before she dies, she tells Harlow two things: where to find the key to a safety deposit box and to never stop running. Harlow realizes she has two choices: keep fleeing her mom’s ghosts or face down the nebulous threat that’s been hanging over her for her entire life.
Set during the time of Powerless, fan favorite Adena gets a story all her own in this captivating novella as she attempts to survive on the streets of Loot…and falls for a mysterious—and dangerous—Elite.
We’re still so obsessed with Olivia Rodrigo’s stunning sophomore album GUTS and even more obsessed now that the Guts World Tour has kicked off. Grab your purple, your combat boots and silver sparkles, and if you’re lucky, your Guts World Tour tickets and settle in for a list of book recommendations based on the GUTS album.
This is a song about being afraid to confront your feelings and break up with someone who – while familiar and good – ultimately isn’t right for you, which is what Hollis goes through with her boyfriend, Chris in The No-Girlfriend Rule. When Hollis decides to learn Chris’s favorite tabletop roleplaying game, Secrets & Sorcery, in an all-girls group, an in-game crush develops between Hollis’s character and the bard played by charismatic Aini, whose wide, cocky grin makes Hollis’s stomach flutter. As their flirting sparks into something deeper, Hollis is no longer sure what she wants… or if she’s content to just play pretend.
Conrad is a stranger Belly knows everything about in the second book in The Summer I Turned Pretty trilogy, It’s Not Summer Without You. Belly used to count the days until summer – until Cousins Beach and Conrad and Jeremiah – but this year, Belly is dealing with grief and heartbreak. Susannah is gone, and Conrad feels more distant than ever. Everything that was right and good has fallen apart, leaving Belly wishing summer would never come.
A Cuban Girl’s Guide to Tea and Tomorrow is basically the book version of this sugar-sweet and upbeat love song. For Lila Reyes, a summer in England was never part of the plan, but after everything that is part of the plan falls apart, her parents send her to Winchester, England to spend three months with family friends, where Lila meets Orion. He appoints himself her personal tour guide, and soon, Lila is finds herself not only charmed by him, but by England itself.
Everything has changed for Emory in the aftermath of a deadly night in the Dovermere sea caves that leaves a group of her classmates dead and her as the only survivor. But despite her strange and dangerous new powers, Emory is still the girl she’s always been – and more determined than ever to unravel the mystery of what really happened that night and the cult-like secret society that might have been involved in her classmates’ deaths.
In this fun rom-com that’s perfect for fans of To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before and She Gets the Girl, Ava ‘Fitz’ Fitzgerald and her childhood friend Levi Berkowitz create a fake relationship to help each other win back their exes. It’s the perfect plan. If all goes well, by the end of the summer they’ll both be back together with their exes and get to rekindle their friendship in the process. But even the most carefully crafted plans can fall apart, and it’s not hard to be a little obsessed with each other’s exes when fake dating leads to very real feelings.
“all-american bitch” is very much a female rage song and all about burying your feelings to be a perfect – and palatable – all-American girl. And really, what’s a better female rage book than Their Vicious Games by Joelle Wellington? A Black teen desperate to regain her Ivy League acceptance enters an elite competition only to discover the stakes aren’t just high, they’re deadly, in this searing thriller that’s Ace of Spades meets Squid Game with a sprinkling of The Bachelor.
Powerless follows the forbidden romance between a powerful prince (Kai) and a seemingly ordinary girl (Paedyn), both trying to survive their kingdom’s grueling laws pitting them against each other. She is the very thing Kai has spent his whole life hunting. He is the very thing Paedyn has spent her whole life pretending to be. Falling in love is probably a bad idea… right?
Any vampire lover needs to read Cruel Illusions by Margie Fuston, a deliciously dark young adult fantasy that’s Caraval meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Ever since a vampire murdered her mother, Ava has been determined to get revenge. She strikes a deal with a magical secret society to enter a potentially deadly competition for the chance to avenge her mother’s death.
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And if one vampire-filled recommendation isn’t enough for you, check out Margie Fuston’s upcoming book The Revenant Games. All of Us Villains meets Kingdom of the Wicked in an action-packed fantasy following seventeen-year-old Bly, who is determined to win the competition held by warring vampire and witch kingdoms, only to developed complicated feeling for the vampire she’s supposed to hand over.
There is a thin line between love, obsession, and hate in both this song and this book. In this gorgeous, queer standalone fantasy, a young musician sets out to expose her rival for illegal use of magic, only to begin to doubt everything she knows about her family, her music, and the girl she thought was her enemy.
She may not have been homeschooled, but Belly from The Summer I Turned Pretty can absolutely relate to the social anxiety and angst of “ballad of a homeschooled girl.” In the first book in The Summer I Turned Pretty series, Belly has a wonderful, terrible, and unforgettable summer at Cousins Beach with Conrad and Jeremiah Fisher.
“I got the things I wanted, it’s just not what I imagined,” is exactly how Belly is feeling during We’ll Always Have Summer. Belly has only ever been in love with two boys, both with the last name Fisher. And after being with Jeremiah for the last two years, she’s almost positive he is her soul mate. Almost.In this third and final book in The Summer I Turned Pretty trilogy, Belly will have to confront her feelings for Jeremiah and Conrad and face the inevitable: She will have to break one of their hearts.
Nothing is logical or as it seems in Black Ice by Becca Fitzpatrick, the New York Timesbestselling author of the Hush, Hush saga. Britt has trained to backpack the Teton Range, but she isn’t prepared when Calvin, her ex-boyfriend who still haunts her every thought, wants to join her. An unexpected blizzard forces her to seek shelter in a remote cabin, where Britt is forced to guide two dangerous men off the mountain. Everyone is keeping secrets, including Calvin and Mason, one of her kidnappers, whose seemingly genuine kindness confuses Britt. While facing the threats of frigid snowstorms and wild grizzly bears, can Britt figure out who her real enemies are?
“Do I love him? Do I hate him?” is the perfect representation of how Juliette Cai feels about her first love – and first betrayal – Roma Montagov in These Violent Delights. As Juliette and Roma set their guns aside and work together to stop the mayhem destroying their city, Juliette definitely wants both revenge and Roma. She wants to get him back (affectionate) and get him back (stab him).
Love really is embarrassing for Lara Jean. This is a song for the hopeless romantics out there. For anyone who has embarrassed themselves over a crush and done something that makes you look back and cringe. Or, in the case of Lara Jean, anyone who has written a love letter to a boy you didn’t even date. After all of Lara Jean’s love letters – five letters, one for every boy she’s ever loved, meant for her eyes only – are mailed out to them, her love life goes from imaginary to out of control.
Bonesmith Wren understands the betrayal described in this song! Becoming a Valkyr is a chance to solidify her place in the noble House of Bone and impress her frequently absent father. But when sabotage causes Wren to fail her qualifying trial, she is banished to the Border Wall, the last line of defense against a wasteland called the Breach where the vicious dead roam unchecked.
Rowan from Today Tonight Tomorrow would have “teenage dream” on repeat! In this unforgettable romantic comedy that’s The Hating Game meets Booksmart by way of Morgan Matson, Rowan Roth is facing anxiety about the future on the last day of senior year. Still, she’d love to beat her infuriating nemesis and academic rival, Neil McNair, one last time. And when Neil is named valedictorian, Rowan has only one chance at victory: Howl, a senior class game that takes them all over Seattle. Everything changes when Rowan is forced to team up with Neil and realizes, perhaps, this boy she claims to despise might actually be the boy of her dreams.
Pisces (February 20 – March 20) is the last sign of the zodiac, a water sign ruled by the planet Neptune and symbolized by the fish. Our Pisces friends are known to feel their emotions very deeply and often wear their hearts on their sleeves. They can be empathetic dreamers, hopeless romantics, and everything in between, and Simon Teen has a list of book recommendations for you or the Pisces in your life!
Like all water signs, Pisces love a good romance and a good cry, and The Quiet Part Out Loud is a full-Kleenex-box cry with a second-chance romance that will shred your heartstrings. Five months after their devastating break-up, high school sweethearts Mia and Alfie struggle to reunite in the wake of a devastating earthquake in San Francisco. This heartrending novel is perfect for fans of You’ve Reached Sam and A Heart in a Body in the World.
Speaking of a full-Kleenex-box-cry – Five Feet Apart is another book that’s perfect for the Pisces who loves a heaping side of heartbreak to go with their romance. Stella and Will both have cystic fibrosis, and if Will so much as breathes on Stella, both of their lives – and their spots on the transplant list – would be at risk. The only way to stay alive is to stay six feet apart. But would five feet apart really be so dangerous if it stops their hearts from breaking too?
Stevie and Nora had a love. A secret, epic, once-in-a-lifetime kind of love. They also had a plan: leave their small, ultra-conservative town behind after graduation and move to California. And then, Stevie has a terrible accident and forgets the past two years of her life, including Nora. This is a sweeping and emotional story of the strength of love and the power of choosing each other, against odds and obstacles, again and again that will appeal to both the angst-loving and the hopelessly romantic Pisces.
Clockwork Angel has it all: action-packed sequences, an atmospheric and immersive setting in Victorian London, and not one but TWO sweeping romances. When Tessa crosses the ocean to find her brother in England, something terrifying is waiting for her London’s Downworld, where vampires, warlocks, and other supernatural folk stalk the gaslit streets. Friendless and hunted, Tessa takes refuge with the Shadowhunters – warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons and keeping order amidst the chaos.
Any Pisces who has ever listened to a Sea Shanties playlist on Spotify and longed for a life on the open ocean needs to read In Deeper Waters by F.T. Lukens. A young prince must rely on a mysterious stranger to save him when he is kidnapped during his coming-of-age tour in this cozy and swoony adventure that’s The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue meets Pirates of the Caribbean. Dive on in!
Curious Tides is for the fantasy-loving Pisces who craves an atmospheric read. Ninth House meets A Deadly Education in this gorgeous dark academia fantasy about Emory, a student at Aldryn College for Lunar Magics, who develops strange and impossible powers after a deadly night in the sea caves kills a group of her classmates. Determined to find the truth behind the drownings and the secret society that may have been involved in their deaths, she is faced with even more questions when the drowned students start washing ashore – alive.
Olivia Rodrigo is a Pisces and not only is The Summer I Turned Pretty a very GUTS-coded series, but the Amazon Prime show also features multiple songs from the SOUR album in the first and second seasons. Get ready to laugh, cry, and fall in love alongside as Belly returns to Cousins Beach – and Susannah, Jeremiah, and Conrad – for one summer, one wonderful and awful summer that changes everything.
Taylor Swift’s birthday, which is basically a national holiday over here at Simon Teen, is on 12/13. And in honor of her birthday, we put together a list of 13 can’t miss books for Swifties: 10 to check out next year and 3 to read right now. 1, 2, 3… Let’s go!
A skeptic and a supernatural being make a crossroads deal to achieve their own ends only to get more than they bargained for in this lively young adult romantic adventure from the New York Times bestselling author of Spell Bound and So This Is Ever After. You can preorder your copy here or add it to your Goodreads Shelf!
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Perfect for Swifties who… are obsessed with cozy fantasy and the wintery atmosphere of the evermore album.
Darcy believes in love at first sight. She’s spent her whole life waiting for that perfect, magical moment. But right now, her life is anything but perfect. In the aftermath of a music festival, she’s stranded at a bus station until morning—the day before she leaves for college. Her phone is dead, she has no cash, and she’s convinced nothing good can come of this night…but then she meets Russell. You can preorder your copy here or add it to your Goodreads Shelf!
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Perfect for Swifties who… are hopeless romantics like Darcy and love sweeping love songs like Fearless (Taylor’s Version).
The Field Guide to the North American Teenager meets Derry Girls in this hilarious and relatable young adult novel in diary entries about a British teen determined to be a good feminist and her charming, embarrassing, and inspiring journey to figuring out how. You can preorder your copy here or add it to your Goodreads Shelf!
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Perfect for Swifties who… are looking for books that make them laugh and love Fifteen (Taylor’s Version).
Laura Taylor Namey’s newest novel navigates heartbreak that feels like a hurricane in a city that is famous for them. In this highly anticipated companion to the New York Times bestseller and Reese Witherspoon x Hello Sunshine Book Club YA Pick A Cuban Girl’s Guide to Tea and Tomorrow, Flora Maxwell escapes to Miami to find a path for her future…and finds her heart along the way. A British Girl’s Guide to Hurricanes and Heartbreak is available now. Read it for free on December 17 during Simon Teen’s 25 Reads of December!
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Perfect for Swifties who… loved A Cuban Girl’s Guide to Tea and Tomorrow and love New Romantics (Taylor’s Version).
From the New York Times bestselling author of Better Than the Movies, this swoon-worthy rom-com in the vein of She’s All That and 10 Things I Hate About You follows a teen girl who unwittingly finds herself at the center of a bet while working at a waterpark. Betting On You is available now. Read it for free on December 23 during Simon Teen’s 25 Reads of December!
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Perfect for Swifties who… love an enemies-to-friends-to-lovers arc and “You Are in Love (Taylor’s Version).”
For fans of You’ve Reached Sam and A Heart in a Body in the World, this searing and heartrending teen novel follows an ex-couple as they struggle to reunite in the wake of a devastating earthquake. The Quiet Part Out Loud is available now. Read it for free on December 18 during Simon Teen’s 25 Reads of December!
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Perfect for Swifties who… love second chance romance, a good cry, and Last Kiss (Taylor’s Version).
We first fell in love with Rowan and Neil in Today Tonight Tomorrow as Rowan and Neil fell in love with each other over the course of 24 hours. Over a year of late-night phone calls, weekend visits, and East Coast adventures, Rowan and Neil fall for each other again and again as they grapple with the uncertainty of their new lives. They’ve spent so many years at odds with each other—now that they’re finally on the same team, what does the future hold for them? You can preorder your copy here or add it to your Goodreads shelf!
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Perfect for Swifties who… wanted more of Rowan and Neil after Today Tonight Tomorrow and love songs about adolescence and coming-of-age like “You’re On Your Own, Kid” and the whole folklore album.
A girl with dangerous magic makes a risky bargain with a demon to be free of her monstrous power in this young adult fantasy perfect for fans of An Enchantment of Ravens and House of Salt and Sorrows. You can preorder your copy here or add it to your Goodreads Shelf!
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Perfect for Swifties who… love lush fantasy and dark and atmospheric songs like “Out of the Woods (Taylor’s Version)” and “Haunted (Taylor’s Version).”
Julie Murphy meets Casey McQuiston in this unforgettable queer romance about a teen girl whose foray into fantasy tabletop roleplaying brings her new confidence, true friends, and a shot at real love. You can preorder your copy here or add it to your Goodreads Shelf!
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Perfect for Swifties who… love swoon-worthy queer romance and upbeat songs about being yourself like “You Need to Calm Down.”
A bisexual teen girl tries to make her ex jealous by faking an Instagram romance that leads to surprisingly real feelings in this hijinks-filled rom-com perfect for fans of To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before and She Gets the Girl. You can preorder your copy here or add it to your Goodreads Shelf!
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Perfect for Swifties who… love the fake dating trope and “Is It Over Now? (Taylor’s Version).”
In the highly anticipated sequel to Powerless, Paedyn and Kai battle with duty and desire. This second installment in the sizzling and epic romantic fantasy trilogy is packed with spicy tension and edge-of-your-seat betrayal. You can preorder your copy here or add it to your Goodreads Shelf!
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Perfect for Swifties who… love a good forbidden romance and can’t wait for reputation (Taylor’s Version) to be announced.
The Hating Game meets Alex, Approximately in this smart, chemistry-filled teen rom-com about two rival journalism students competing for the same position on their university newspaper. You can preorder your copy here or add it to your Goodreads Shelf!
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Perfect for Swifties who… can never read enough rivals to lovers romances and songs like “I Wish You Would (Taylor’s Version).”
An anxious teen hopes that a summer of adventure and offbeat dares will keep her friend group together after graduation in this luminous coming-of-age graphic novel with the feel-good vibes of Booksmart and Morgan Matson’s Since You’ve Been Gone. You can preorder your copy here or add it to your Goodreads Shelf!
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Perfect for Swifties who… love fun coming-of-age stories and crave all the wonderful summer vibes of “Cruel Summer.”
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!” 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.
“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 amadness 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.
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" absolutely screams Neil and Rowan in Today Tonight Tomorrow! Rowan definitely did not come here to make friends. She has been bitter rivals withNeil 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" 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.
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.
Not only is Curious Tides a dark and lyrical fantasy with a dreamy romance – aka, a perfect book to pair with "Wildest Dreams" – but ithas 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.
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.
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" is an undoubtably a dark and romantic song, but I Know Places’sbridge (“They are the hunters, we are the foxes, and we run.”) could just as easily be about Harlow Ford and her mother in AndDon’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.
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” 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" 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.
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.
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" 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.
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 Playlistin 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 Cityfrom the New York Times bestselling author of Since You’ve Been Gone.
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.
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.
A new chapter is upon us in the form of a new re-recorded and re-released album from queen Taylor Swift. Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) is a sometimes whimsical and sometimes raw confessional, and if you have the album on repeat like we do, we have a book recommendation to go with every song on your listen. Grab your purple and get reading!
“Mine” was absolutely made for Lynn Painter’s newest rom-com! Bailey first meets Charlie on a long flight to Omaha, where she is moving in with her mom after her parents’ divorce, and Charlie does not make a good impression. A year later, Bailey and Charlie crash into each other’s lives with opposite beliefs about love and romance and end up making a bet about whether their flirtatious coworkers will get together, a bet which only brings them closer together. They’re an unlikely pair, but careful Bailey and guarded Charlie might just prove to each other that love is worth facing a fear of falling.
“Mean” is a song about… well, mean people and bullies, but ultimately, “Mean” is a hopeful song about rising above people who will do their best to tear you down and being unapologetically you, just like Time Out. Barclay Elliot is a basketball legend in his small Georgia town, but when Barclay comes out as gay in front of the whole school, everything changes. And then, Barclay joins a voting rights group and finds a bigger purpose – and fearless, undeniably handsome Christopher.
Stevie and Nora had a love. A secret, epic, once-in-a-lifetime kind of love, but then Stevie has a terrible fall and can’t remember anything from the last two years, not even Nora. Feelings don’t vanish overnight, not like memories, and even if Stevie doesn’t remember Nora, Stevie still loves her and finds herself inexplicably and deeply drawn to this stranger. Sparks are flying between them from the moment Stevie and Nora meet… again.
Technically, Taylor Swift herself created this pairing, but really, who are we to argue with her? Belly used to count the days until summer, until she was back at Cousins Beach with Conrad and Jeremiah. But not this year. Not after Susannah got sick again and Conrad became distant. Everything that was right and good has fallen apart, leaving Belly wishing summer would never come.
“Speak Now” is the big confession of love on the album. It’s urgent. It’s now or never. And for that reason, Today Tonight Tomorrow is an excellent read to go along with this song. Two rival overachievers – Rowan and Neil – form a reluctant alliance during a senior class game on the last day of high school, and over the course of 24 hours, Rowan and Neil’s relationship completely changes – right as everything else is about to change.
Sparks flew instantly when Juliette first met Roma… and then Roma betrayed her. Now, Juliette and Roma are on opposite sides of a blood feud in this Romeo and Juliet retelling, set in 1920’s Shanghai. A madness spreads across the city and threatens both of their gangs, and Juliette and Roma must lay their armor (and their guns) down and set grudges aside and work together for the good of Shanghai.
Prince Tal is enchanted to meet roguish Athlen in this swoony adventure on the high seas. A young prince must rely on a mysterious and roguish Athlen to save him when Tal is kidnapped during his coming-of-age tour. They have the kind of instant chemistry that “Enchanted” was written about – and on a pirate ship, no less.
“There is nothing I do better than revenge” might as well be the tagline of the Burn for Burn trilogy. Postcard-perfect Jar Island is home to charming tourist shops, pristine beaches, amazing oceanfront homes – and Kat, Lillia, and Mary will show Jar Island that revenge is a dish best enjoyed together.
In Pride and Prejudice and Pittsburgh, Audrey Cameron finds the kind of love that you only find once in a lifetime in Lucy Sinclair – just not in her lifetime. After losing her spark, Audrey finds herself transported back to 1812 to become a Regency romance heroine and meets Lucy, who is similarly struggling with her own spark – and her future, involving a marriage she couldn’t be less interested in – after the death of her mother. They fall hard for each other, but can a most unexpected love story survive even more impossible circumstances?
At the beginning of Bonesmith, Wren has lost everything, which definitely leaves her feeling like her castle has crumbled – and makes her all the more determined to prove her worth. For Wren, becoming a valkyr —a ghost-fighting warrior— is a chance to solidify her place in the noble House of Bone and impress her frequently absent father. But then, sabotage causes Wren to fail her qualifying trial. After being banished, Wren’s only chance to reclaim her family’s respect is to rescue a kidnapped House of Gold prince in the Breach – a dangerous wasteland where the dead roam unchecked.
“I Can See You” absolutely screams forbidden romance. (Like… “I could see you being my addiction. You can see me as a secret mission.” Come on now!). In Powerless, a forbidden romance blossoms between a powerful prince and an ordinary girl as they try to survive their kingdom’s grueling laws pitting them against each other.
What happens when Emma falls in love? Find out in the first book of the Dark Artifices trilogy. Emma Carstairs and Julian Blackthorn are best friends and parabatai, who are forbidden from being in a romantic relationship by Shadowhunter law. (And much like Emma, Lady Midnight is the kind of book you can’t put down!)
“Electric Touch” is all about the risk and vulnerability and uncertainty of falling in love. Feelings, which are magnified and experienced to the umpteenth power by Will and Stella from Five Feet Apart. If Will so much as breathes on Stella, she could lose her spot on the transplant list. Either one of them could die. The only way to stay alive is to stay apart – six feet apart. But would five feet apart really be so dangerous if it stops their hearts from breaking too?
“Superman” is the ultimate pining song, all about wanting a larger-than-life crush to notice you and come back to you. In Better than the Movies, perpetual daydreamer Liz is desperately wishing that Michael, her untouchable crush, will notice her. She will do whatever it takes to get on his radar – and hopefully, snag him as a prom date – even befriend her cute yet obnoxious neighbor, Wes.
As a child star turned international icon, no one knows that “people throw rocks at things that shine” better than Leanna Smart. When Leanna meets college dropout Pablo at 5:00 a.m. at the bodega in the dead of winter, it’s absurd to think they’d be A Thing. But as they discover who they are, who they want to be, and how to defy the deafening expectations of everyone else, Lee and Pab turn to each other. That is, of course, when everything becomes complicated.
Today is never too late to be brand new for Emilie Hornby, who is having the worst Valentine’s Day ever… over and over again. In The Do-Over, Emilie is stuck in a time loop nightmare that she can’t wake up from, re-watching her boyfriend cheat on her and her life go up in flames day after day. She also can’t get away from the enigmatic Nick, who she keeps running into – sometimes literally – in unfortunate ways. And when something good starts to come out of these terrible days, what happens when the universe stops doling out do-overs?
“Haunted” is one of the most intense songs on the album and deserves an equally intense and evocative book pairing. In this mind-bending psychological thriller, Brittney decides the new season of her popular web series – (called Haunted, see what we did here?) – will uncover what happened to a young Black girl named Daisy in a mysterious mansion ten years prior. But as Brittney gets more wrapped up in the investigation, she’ll have to decide: if she can only bring one story to light, which one matters most—Daisy’s or her own?
“Last Kiss” is the break-up song on Speak Now and likewise, The Quiet Part Out Loud is the break-up book of the summer. 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. Five months after the worst summer of their lives, Mia and Alfie are briefly united, only for a devastating earthquake to hit San Francisco, leaving them to stumble desperately across the rubble in search of each other before the city crumbles — taking one, or both, of them with it. Prepare your tissues!
Many of the Shadowhunters books have the emotional weight and massive scale to feel like a worthy choice for Long Live, but Clockwork Princess really was the end of a decade, but the start of an age, closing a chapter on the characters whose descendants we’d come to know and love. Danger, betrayal, and enchantment abound as the Shadowhunters are pushed to the brink of destruction in the conclusion to the Infernal Devices trilogy.
The 1975 is a band known for their dark, ethereal pop-rock anthems and they’re fan favorites for a reason, just like these books! Whether you’ve been a fan of The 1975 since the days of “Chocolate” and “Robbers,” or you’re just discovering this awesome band, we have the perfect book rec for you.
It’s a special kind of betrayal to fall in love with a show over the course of a season or two only to find out that your new favorite show has been cancelled. We’ve all experienced this heartbreak in the streaming age, and it’s so sad to realize you’ll never get the closure you so desperately wanted for those characters. Our recommendation? Pick up a new read from list below to find a book to read when you’re missing your favorite cancelled show!
Anyone who loved Firefly for the ensemble cast and adventure across the stars needs to pick up Sky Without Stars! An epic reimagining of Les Misérables, Sky Without Stars has three incredible protagonists and will give you just the right blend of mystery, romance, and revolution to fill the space opera-shaped hole in your life.
We may never find out what happened to the population of West Ham, Connecticut. (Is it a parallel universe? Aliens? A strange afterlife, a la Lost?). Luckily, Amanda Panitch has our backs with a thrilling tale of survival in Gone Dark. After the US suffers a malware attack that shuts down power grids across the country, a seventeen-year-old girl must lead her friends across a dangerous and crumbling country to safety in an underground bunker.
Fans of First Kill deserved better than Netflix’s recent cancellation of the show. (You had the numbers, Netflix!) You also deserve a book recommendation that is as dark, queer, and supernatural as that wonderful show, and for that, I offer you A Dark and Hollow Star. As a wave of gruesome crimes in Toronto threatens to expose the faerie world to the human world, a group of four queer teens forms a fragile alliance to track down the killer.
Spinning Out was all about navigating tumultuous mother-daughter relationships, mental health struggles, budding romance relationships, and starting over after a devastating injury – all in the tough world of figure skating. Although Genie of Turning is a ballerina and not a figure skater, Genie deals with a similar battle and must confront the secrets of her past to move forward after a terrible injury leaves her without the use of her legs.
It has been two long years without more High Fidelity in my life. (I wanted that Cherise episode. Curse you, Hulu!). High Fidelity was filled to the brim with good music and pop culture references, and had a trio of friends at the center of the show, which makes Ebony LaDelle’s Love Radio the perfect replacement. Pick up this read to meet Prince, a self-professed love doctor with a popular hip-hop radio show, and Dani, a girl who hates all things romance.
Santa Clarita Diet – Rot & Ruin by Jonathan Maberry
Although Santa Clarita Diet ran for a few more seasons than other shows on this list, Netflix did cancel the show after three seasons in 2019, and for fans of Santa Clarita Diet who are looking for more horror that has heart, Rot & Ruin is the perfect book for you! In a zombie-infested, post-apocalyptic America, Benny Imura reluctantly apprentices as a zombie hunter with his brother and ends up with a job that teaches him what it means to be human.
Central to Netflix’s now cancelled I Am Not Okay With This was 17-year-old Sydney’s struggles to navigate high school and also confront complex family dynamics and mysterious budding superpowers. For a good dose of family complexities and powers (although this book focuses on magic, not telekinesis), I would recommend Blood Like Magic, a dark fantasy that follows a teen witch given an horrific task to sacrifice her first love to save her family’s magic. Once you’ve read Blood Like Magic, pick up the sequel, Blood Like Fate!
If the Top Gun: Maverick craze and my TikTok FYP is any indication, 2022 is ushering in what I’ve been waiting for since the 2011 Footloose remake… the Miles Teller renaissance. And whether you’re new to the movement or the recent TikTok videos have been TAKING YOUR BREATH AWAY, I am here for you with Miles Teller characters and book recommendations go along with them!
Pick Your Favorite Miles Teller and Get a Book Rec!
1. Rooster (Top Gun: Maverick) – The Bones of Ruin by Sarah Raughley
Anyone who loves the fast-paced action, soaring high stakes, and hot men of Top Gun: Maverick will absolutely love The Bones of Ruin. This page-turning historical fantasy follows an African tightrope dancer who can’t remember her past and also can’t die. It might not seem like an obvious choice, but this must-read book is full of dangerous competitions, exciting sequences, and so much romance (i.e., more hot men). Perfect for any blockbuster action lover!
The 2011 Footloose remake brought us forbidden romance, dance sequences, and Miles Teller in some super questionable hats. You probably liked Footloose for the major 1980’s nostalgia and not the cowboy hats, and for you, I would have to recommend Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe. Aristotle and Dante meet and learn to open themselves up to love in the 1980s. Get your next eighties fix here!
3. Reed Richards (Fantastic Four) – Chain of Gold by Cassandra Clare
I am not going to sit here and defend the 2015 Fantastic Four remake, but I will say that Miles Teller as Reed Richards and Michael B. Jordan as Johnny Storm was a kind of a moment, and might qualify as iconic casting choices. And if you’re a fan of iconic ensemble casts, Chain of Gold needs to be at the top of your TBR list. Cordelia and her fellow Shadowhunter friends must unravel their connection to a dark legacy and make a brutal choice that will reveal the price of being a hero.
Andrew is a promising young drummer who enrolls in an extremely competitive music conservatory and is pushed to his limit by his new strict and ruthless instructor. Things spiral onwards from there. When We Were Infinite deals with similar themes of living in an extreme pressure situation of academic success and a dedication to music in a community where all the students are always striving to be the best.
Sutter is an extroverted party animal with a complicated home life and a drinking problem, and after meeting, befriending, and eventually, developing feelings for introverted Aimee, Sutter struggles with the problems in his life and the question of his future. It is a serious coming-of-age story with a hefty dash of romance. Fans of Sutter and The Spectacular Now should check out The Perks of Being a Wallflower, another story that doesn’t shy away from the more serious sides of growing up and coming of age. And then if you haven’t already, make sure to check out the movie adaptation with our other favorite 2010s man, Logan Lerman!
Tumblr is making a resurgence, which I take to mean that 2022 is the revival of 2014 trends and therefore, the Divergent movie should re-enter our collective consciousness. Peter is a certified Bad GuyTM in the first Divergent, one of the many threatening factors in this futuristic world with factions based on psychological aptitude tests. And after you’ve re-watched Divergent for the thousandth time, I would recommend picking up a copy of Scythe, which is sure to give you the thrilling and chilling science-fiction fix you need!
That Awkward Moment is a romantic comedy about three ‘bros’ who are navigating the dating scene and their own friendships to many entertaining, and of course, awkward moments. This is a classic romantic comedy. What better way to follow up than with Better Than the Movies, essentially a rom-com about rom-coms. Perpetual daydreamer Liz Buxbaum attempts to find her HEA moment with Michael, her crush since forever, and ends up falling for Wes, the annoying boy next door.
I really couldn’t end this article without mentioning the incredible Miles Teller appearance in Taylor Swift’s “I Bet You Think About Me” music video. He plays a handsome groom who is being ‘haunted’ by the appearance of his ex-girlfriend (aka Taylor Swift) at his wedding. Rachel Lynn Solomon’s We Can’t Keep Meeting Like This is the perfect counterpart to this Miles Teller role. After confessing her love via email and being left unanswered at the end of last summer, Quinn and Tarek fight and flirt their way through wedding after wedding while working for their parents, who are wedding planners and catering company owners.
