Over the past 16 years of Taylor Swift’s career, she has often mentioned different books she has enjoyed and has recommended them to fans. As a song-writer, Swift has also used books as inspiration for her music, and most of her songs incorporate story-telling components. She has often spoken about relating to books since the start of her career and is clearly a huge reader. We have compiled a list of the top 5 books that Taylor Swift has suggested, or been inspired from, that we think readers, whether or not they are fans of Swift, will also enjoy

1. Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier

Taylor Swift’s song “Tolerate it” from her 8th studio album, Evermore, is based on the book Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier. Rebecca is a gothic thriller classic that follows a young rich widow named Maxim de Winter. The story is set in a gray, creepy, and isolated mansion. As Maxim grieves, he meets an unnamed young woman, whom he eventually falls in love with and marries. However, when the woman moves into the mansion with Maxim, she realizes that the spirit of his dead wife, Rebecca, haunts both the house and Maxim. Although not necessarily scary, the story has an eerie feel. Overall, the book was really enjoyable, with a unique writing style that keeps readers on the edge of their seat. Although the first part of the book may be less exciting, once it picks up its pace, it is a brilliant, fast-paced, and haunting novel about the past. Taylor Swift has recommended this book on numerous occasions and has called it “her favorite book of all time,” so, it deserves the first spot on the list.

2. Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney

Also famous for the TV show she has called “phenomenal”( and which stars her boyfriend Joe Alwyn), “Conversations With Friends” holds a special place in Taylor’s heart. In an interview with Extra about the project, Alwyn said, “I mean she [Swift]’s read…and…loves the book.” The novel is set in Dublin and follows Frances and Bobbi, two college students who used to date but remain close friends. They meet an older couple, Nick and Melissa, and romances and affairs between different members of the four rapidly begin. Lacking a true structured plot, the novel chooses to instead focus on mundane conversations and moments shared between the characters. Oftentimes the reader feels as if they are merely a fly on the wall watching the characters’ stories play out, and the show emulates this feeling perfectly. It is easily understandable why the book resonated so deeply with Swift, as a lot of her song lyrics are about romanticizing the little things in life. 

3. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

In Taylor Swift’s time as a song-writer, she has written songs for various movies and TV shows. The most well-known of these are her songs “Eyes Open” and “Safe & Sound,” both written for the movie-book series The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. “Safe & Sound” is a folkish ode to the series’ main couple, Katniss and Peeta, while “Eyes Open” is a powerful anthem about Katniss’ relationship with the tyrannical government. The main character, Katniss Everdeen, lives in a poor area in our post-apocalyptic society, Panem. Each year they hold an event called the Hunger Games where two people of each district are drafted to fight in a deadly contes. Katniss volunteers to enter the games in order to protect her family. This book series has become extremely popular with teenage audiences ever since its release in 2008, and its popularity has only been magnified by its movie adaptation. Despite its dystopian theme, the story is still relatable, Katniss is still a teenage girl dealing with family problems, relationship issues, and other challenges that come with growing up. Although the series’ premise is outlandish, the author crafts a realistic and captivating story, with its fast-paced writing making it difficult to put down. Taylor Swift apparently read the entire series in a day after being hired to write the soundtrack, and has mentioned the series on many occasions, even calling it “addicting.”

4. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

The Great Gatsby tells the story of self-made millionaire Jay Gatsby and his pursuit of a younger and wealthy woman, Daisy Buchanan, whom he had loved in his youth. Like much of America, and even the world, Taylor Swift has what some may call a Great Gatsby “fixation.” A 2017 article from Slate may have put it best: “Listening to Taylor Swift’s new album, Reputation, it seems Swift—a hopeless romantic with a carefully curated image, who throws extravagant parties and is obsessed with the past—might be a fan of The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic American novel about a hopeless romantic with a carefully curated image who throws extravagant parties and is obsessed with the past.” Jay and Daisy’s story has also been the subject of Swift’s songwriting in albums besides Reputation, as their entire romance arc can be seen woven intricately into the literate musical wonderland that is Folklore and Evermore. The song “Happiness” alone seems to have several Gatsby references, and there are also other references throughout other songs. It’s clear that Swift enjoys this American classic, just as many readers do today.

5. Normal People by Sally Rooney

It is not surprising to find another one of Rooney’s books on this list, as Normal People portrays the same sense of romantic mundanity as her earlier novel, Conversations With Friends, does. Starring high school best friends Connell and Marianne, the book follows them as they come together and ultimately grow apart. The book’s themes of coming of age, heartbreak, and leaving your high school years are also highly relevant in Swift’s songwriting. This is one of Sally Rooney’s best works because there is a piece of Connell and Marianne in everybody;they are some of the most relatable characters of the literary world, and even a celebrity as popular as Taylor Swift found some way to connect to them.

As a song-writer, it is only natural that Taylor Swift would be an avid reader as well. Fans of Taylor Swift, especially lyric enthusiasts, will most definitely want to read the books that she has recommended.