BOOKS

Let's be real: Some T-Swift songs are sooo seasonal-coded. ("All Too Well" is basically *the* sad girl autumn anthem, while "Back to December" and "tis the damn season" have major winter vibes).

Now that we're soaking up the summer sunshine, we're blasting "Cruel Summer" and the sweet summer heartbreak of our fave folklore tunes like "august" and "betty."

If you're looking for a new poolside read or a book to slip into your beach bag, here are some of our favorite recs—plus the Taylor summer songs they pair with best.

"invisible string" from folklore: Love and Gelato by Jenna Evans Welch

@blackgirlbookbag

Come for the Tuscan setting and swoony romance, stay for the touching story about long-lost family.

In Love and Gelato, Lina travels to Italy, where she reconnects with the father she barely knows and meets a charming new friend, Ren. "invisible string" is about people connecting across distance and time ("all along there was an invisible string / tying you to me"), making it the perfect match for this summer travel story about finding other people halfway across the world.

"Cruel Summer" from Lover: Sunkissed by Kasie West

@booksbymanon

If you're all about the DRAMA, this one's for you!

Avery's summer is off to a rough start. After a friendship betrayal and her parents' surprise announcement that they're going to a summer camp for the whole fam, she starts falling for the very off-limits mysterious guy who works there. Like "Cruel Summer," this summer romance involves some stress and general wackiness along with the swoon.

"Blank Space" from 1989: The Boyfriend List by J.L. Wyer

@bookandacipofcocoa

The title says it all! If the theme of the classic jam "Blank Space" is quantity over quality, The Boyfriend List tries to combine both...with a To All the Boys I've Loved Before-esque list of secret crushes that ends up taped on every school locker!

Shy, nerdy Maegan keeps her list hidden... until a terribly-timed accident means her crushes are released to the world. Needless to say, it changes her life, maybe for the better?

"august" from folklore: Going Bicoastal by Dahlia Adler

@missdahlelama

"august" is all about that other world that might have been... and Going Bicoastal takes that concept quite literally!

When Natalya has the opportunity to spend her summer either in NYC with her dad *or* in L.A. with her mom, the book plays out with alternating chapters showing what each option would look like. "august" captures the book's summer vibes and the feeling of longing for another reality you haven't lived.

"Paper Rings" from Lover: The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han

@annsbookreview

If part of your prep for TSITP Season 3 is "reading the original books," this summer is the perfect time to make it happen!

This much-loved summer romance set in a cute beach town (aka top-notch coastal granddaughter vibes) is a coming-of-age-story as Belly transitions to young adulthood...making it an ideal match for "Paper Rings" which chronicles a relationship's evolution through little moments over time.

The swoony story will give you butterflies (and have you making an "East Coast beach town" Pinterest board).

Follow @glbestiebookclub for our favorite books and latest recs!

Keep reading for more recommendations:
☀️ 4 light reads to add to your TBR list for an It-girl summer
🍦 Your next read, based on your fave summer treat
🧚‍♀️ 5 romantasy books you should be reading rn

Slider image: @tranquilmemories
Top image: @abundleofbookss

by Ava Slocum | 7/26/2024