Books as Songs from Folklore by Taylor Swift

Guys, Taylor Swift decided to release her eighth studio album without warnings, and let me tell you, it is amazing. It’s probably my favourite Taylor’s album ever. So I decided to match every song with a book, as I did for her previous album Lover.
Hope you enjoy, I always have so much fun writing this kind of articles.

1. The 1 – The Regrets by Amy Bonaffons

“But we were something, don’t you think so?
Roaring twenties, tossing pennies in the pool,
and if my wishes came true,
It would’ve been you.”

Thanks to a friend’s suggestion, I decided to go with this book. I still have not read it, but I really want to, it seems so eerie and fascinating. From what I could get this story talks about a girl who sees a boy at the bus stop (I thought I saw you at the bus stop, I didn’t though), but he’s well – a ghost, so he could never have been the one.
This seems so good, I can’t wait to read this one for myself.

2. Cardigan – The Two Lives of Lydia Bird by Josie Silver

“But I knew you’d linger like a tattoo kiss
I knew you’d haunt all of my what-ifs
The smell of smoke would hang around this long
‘Cause I knew everything when I was young.”

This book has the same vibe as this song feels. I love how sweet but at the same time sad it is, and this song particularly reminds me of a couple in this book. I can’t go into which couple it is because I don’t want to spoil, but this book is actually the sweetest ever. Lydia has to deal with her husband’s passing, and she starts to feel a bit like an old cardigan until someone says to her that she’s still his favourite person ever. I cried so much, it’s so good. Josie Silver has the magic touch.

3. The Last Great American Dynasty – The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid.

“There goes the last great American dynasty
Who knows, if she never showed up, what could’ve been
There goes the maddest woman this town has ever seen
She had a marvelous time ruining everything”

If you’ve read this book you can see the big similarities between this story and this song. It was one of the easiest to pick, because this song really seems to be talking about Evelyn. This multi-divorced, crazy, and very very talented and independent woman will always have a special place in my heart. Even though she’s a fictional character, she truly feels like a real person to me. She’s honestly a force of nature, and I love her so much. Here goes for the maddest woman this town has ever seen.
Who knows if she never showed up what could have been?

4. Exile (feat. Bon Iver) – Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas

“I think I’ve seen this film before
And I didn’t like the ending
You’re not my homeland anymore
So what am I defending now?
You were my town, now I’m in exile, seein’ you out.”

Don’t read if you have not read the “Throne of Glass” series, but this honestly screams Chaol and Caelena for me. If you remember the last scene of this book, with Caelena’s revelation and her going away on that freaking boat (I still cry), you can totally see it. You have to know I’m a Chaol stan and I will forever cry about this scene. The boy was so in love, but she honestly gave so many signs.

5. My Tears Ricochet – Medea by Euripides

“I didn’t have it in myself to go with grace
And you’re the hero flying around, saving face
And if I’m dead to you, why are you at the wake?
Cursing my name, wishing I stayed
Look at how my tears ricochet”

This song for me will always talk about a woman who was badly hurt and now thinks about her relationship with the person who did her wrong. And this classic has it all. “I didn’t have it in myself to go with grace” for me is really the best way to describe the main character of this tragedy, one of my favourites from Greek literature. I think it fits very well.

6. Mirrorball – The Night Circus by Erin Morgernstern

“And they called off the circus, burned the disco down
When they sent home the horses and the rodeo clowns
I’m still on that tightrope
I’m still trying everything to get you laughing at me
I’m still a believer, but I don’t know why
I’ve never been a natural, all I do is try, try, try”

Okay I admit it, all of these circus references make me think about one of the most famous circus stories of the last few years. I really enjoyed this one (the song is better than the book lol), even though I still don’t quite get all of the hype. It is very lyrical, just like this song, and I think Mirrorball is quite fitting with the character of Celia. She’s quite the believer and she believes in love above all. She was my favourite in the story.

7. Seven – My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante

“And I’ve been meaning to tell you
I think your house is haunted
Your dad is always mad and that must be why
And I think you should come live with
Me and we can be pirates
Then you won’t have to cry
Or hide in the closet
And just like a folk song
Our love will be passed on.”

I’m so happy that I can feature a book by an Italian author (I’m Italian if you didn’t know). I’m sad to say I still have not had the chance to read this one, but here in Italy is quite the phenomenon, and the story is pretty well known. One of my friends suggested this choice to me, and I’m very grateful.
I think the two girls that are the main characters in this book can sadly relate to Seven, but this song in my eyes still has a lot of hope and it depicts so well the frail feeling of childhood friendship, and how important it is. I will forever be grateful to Taylor for writing this song. To my favourite childhood friend, wherever you are, I really hope you know I still got love for you and I love you to the moon and to Saturn. I’ll always keep in my heart these days when I wished that we could be pirates and we could go on adventures together. This song makes me so emotional, I really have no words.

8. August – Call Me By Your Name by André Aciman.

“Back when we were still changin’ for the better
Wanting was enough
For me, it was enough
To live for the hope of it all
Canceled plans just in case you’d call
And say, “Meet me behind the mall”
So much for summer love and saying “us”
‘Cause you weren’t mine to lose.”

I think I really don’t need to explain this one. It is probably my favourite on this album beside Invisible String, and now that I thought about it I forever will think about Elio and Oliver. I think Elio could be the narrator of this song. I mean “back when I was living for the hope of it all”, “you weren’t mine to lose”. This is a song sung by a teenager toward their Summer love, and I can totally see them being Elio and Oliver. The frailty and the volatility of first love are so well described in this song, it honestly brings tears to my eyes. Taylor Swift will forever be the best songwriter of her generation in my eyes.

9. This Is Me Trying – Daisy Jones and The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

“They told me all of my cages were mental
So I got wasted like all my potential
And my words shoot to kill when I’m mad
I have a lot of regrets about that”

Yet another Taylor Jenkins Reid’s book, but I just can’t help myself, I love her latest works so much. “Daisy Jones And The Six” is my favourite book I’ve read this year, and this song perfectly describes in my eyes Daisy’s character. She was so underrated by one character in this book (or was she?) when in reality she was an amazing woman, full of ideas and potential. If you like stories about wonderful women, bands and music, this one is the book for you.

10. Illicit Affairs – Normal People by Sally Rooney

“And that’s the thing about illicit affairs
And clandestine meetings and longing stares
It’s born from just one single glance
But it dies and it dies and it dies
A million little times”

I think now this is a truth universally acknowledged in this fandom that this song goes so well with “Normal People” (the first part at least), but I have to say that I totally agree. The book is a masterpiece, and this song really matches well with the vibe of it. “You taught me a secret language I can’t speak with anyone else.” I mean, should I say more? I think this line fits perfectly with Marianne and Connell. Also, if you haven’t already please watch the Hulu adaptation, Daisy Edgar-Jones and Paul Mescal are amazing in it.

11. Invisible String – Beach Read by Emily Henry and This Time Next Year by Sophie Cousens.

“Time, mystical time
Cutting me open, then healing me fine
Were there clues I didn’t see?
And isn’t it just so pretty to think
All along there was some
Invisible string
Tying you to me?”

This is my favourite song of the entire album, so it seems only fair that I use not only one book but two for this one. This song talks about destiny and fate tying you to “the one” before you even met them. In both these books destiny is a very important part. Both these couples have strings that tie them to each other, in “Beach Read” the couple attended the same course at Uni and in “This Time Next Year” the two were even born on the same day. These are both two amazing stories (especially Beach Read) and I can’t recommend them enough.

12. Mad Woman – Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë

“Every time you call me crazy, I get more crazy
What about that?
And when you say I seem angry, I get more angry
And there’s nothing like a mad woman
What a shame she went mad
No one likes a mad woman”

This may seem like a “mad” choice, but I can totally see that. Catherine Earnshaw has always been seen like a mad woman over the centuries, and I can totally see why, but at the same time I find her to be a well rounded and very complex and interesting character. Wuthering Heights is my favourite novel of all time, and this is also because Catherine is so different from all of the other “heroines” from her time. I have a lot of admiration for some of the things she does, even if I don’t condone others. But I find her to be completely believable, and this song is so good for her.

13. Epiphany – A Bend In The Stars by Rachel Barenbaum

“Keep your helmet, keep your life, son
Just a flesh wound, here’s your rifle
Crawling up the beaches now
“Sir, I think he’s bleeding out”
And some things you just can’t speak about”

I’m sorry to say that this is the only song in the album that I actually skip. I recognize its importance, but it just doesn’t resonate with me somehow. But this one talks about Taylor’s grandfather who fought in the war, and at the same time she does a comparison with the nurses and the doctors who worked so hard in this pandemic, and to whom we will forever be grateful.
The first book that came to my mind was “A Bend In The Stars” by Rachel Barenbaum because the main character in this book was a doctor and also because this book is set completely during WWII. It is an amazing read if you like historical fiction books. The story is really good, and the romance is over the top.

14. Betty – To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han

“You heard the rumors from Inez
You can’t believe a word she says
Most times, but this time it was true
The worst thing that I ever did
Was what I did to you”

This song is truly a gem, it takes me back to Taylor’s first albums, the country sound is very present and I could not thank her enough for that.
This song also talks about a high school romance, and what better than the popular series from Jenny Han? James really has Kavinsky vibes, and all the drama with Peter’s former sweetheart, it just reminds me of that. Ah, young love, so overrated, so dramatic, but we’re all still suckers for it.

15. Peace – Midnight Sun by Stephenie Meyer

“As long as danger is near
And it’s just around the corner, darlin’
‘Cause it lives in me
No, I could never give you peace”

Okay, you have to bear with me for this one. I’ve just finished reading Midnight Sun and all I can think about now while listening to this song is Edward thinking that he will always be a danger to Bella, that they can never be together, and that basically he could never give her peace. But at the same time I can’t stop thinking about Bella saying the lyrics “family that I chose now that I see your brother as my brother.” I mean, I can totally see it, sorry. If you listen to it, I hope you’ll see it too.

16. Hoax – Atonement by Ian McEwan

“Stood on the cliffside screaming, ”Give me a reason”
Your faithless love’s the only hoax I believe in
Don’t want no other shade of blue but you
No other sadness in the world would do”

Don’t know why, but this song really screams to me about the period of time when the protagonist of this book goes to war in Dunkirk. His love for Cecilia, our main character, might be in his eyes seen as a hoax, and I have to say I’m very biased by the scene in the movie at the beach (you know which one I’m talking about).
Also, if you’ve seen the movie or read the book there is a sentence in this song that’s too spoilery to write down, but for those of you who know the story, let’s see if you can find it out.

17. The Lakes – The Secret History by Donna Tartt

“Take me to the Lakes, where all the poets went to die
I don’t belong and, my beloved, neither do you
Those Windermere peaks look like a perfect place to cry
I’m setting off, but not without my muse”

“Take me to the Lakes where all the poets went to die”, if this does not scream Dark Academia to you I don’t know what will. And “The Secret History” is still to this day the absolutely best Dark Academia book I’ve ever read. I can totally see Henry talking about Wordsworth, and going to the Lakes to write poetry, and now I thought about this wonderful character again and I can’t help but be in awe of him. What a book, what a song. The perfect way to end this album.

Okay guys, I had so much fun writing this article. I hope you enjoyed because I love doing this article format. And this album is honestly so amazing. Let me know your favourite song if you’ve listened to it, or if you liked any of my matchings.
I’ll talk to you again very soon,