Taylor Swift isn’t just a songwriter—she’s a storyteller with a deep love for literature. Known for her layered lyrics and literary Easter eggs, Swift has often referenced novels in interviews, social posts, and even in her songs. From Gothic classics to modern fiction, her bookish side shapes her songwriting in surprising ways.
Whether she’s channeling F. Scott Fitzgerald in Happiness or drawing inspiration from Peter Pan in Cardigan, her favorite reads reveal a lot about the themes that show up again and again in her work—love, loss, identity, and the haunting pull of memory.
In this series, we’re exploring Taylor Swift’s most beloved books—one by one—unpacking what they’re about, why they resonate, and how she’s woven them into her music.
Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
Category: Gothic Fiction, Mystery, Romance, Psychological Thriller
What It’s About
Published in 1938, Rebecca is a dark, atmospheric novel that explores obsession, identity, and the power of memory. It follows a young, unnamed narrator who marries the wealthy and mysterious Maxim de Winter and moves into his grand estate, Manderley—only to find herself haunted by the lingering presence of his glamorous, deceased first wife, Rebecca.
As the narrator struggles to assert herself in Rebecca’s long shadow, she becomes entangled in secrets, manipulation, and psychological unease, leading to a chilling unraveling of truth. Du Maurier’s writing is richly descriptive, dripping with dread, and packed with themes of jealousy, power dynamics, and the haunting nature of love past its prime.
Why You Should Read It
If you love slow-burn suspense, emotionally layered characters, and poetic writing, Rebecca is an unforgettable experience. It’s the kind of book that gets under your skin, filled with psychological twists and a moody, immersive atmosphere.
Its exploration of female insecurity, emotional gaslighting, and the search for identity in the face of a domineering past makes it eerily modern, even decades later. It’s a literary blueprint for any story about being the second choice—or feeling like you are.
Taylor Swift’s Take
Taylor has publicly praised Rebecca, calling it “a masterpiece of mood and obsession.” But the connection doesn’t stop there—the influence of Rebecca is all over her music. In particular, fans have pointed to “Tolerate It” (from evermore) as a lyrical echo of the novel’s themes.
In Tolerate It, Swift sings:
“I made you my temple, my mural, my sky / Now I’m begging for footnotes in the story of your life.”
It mirrors the narrator’s desperation for affection and recognition from Maxim, who, like the distant figure in Swift’s song, barely acknowledges her presence. The quiet anguish, the sense of loving someone who doesn’t fully see you—it’s pure Rebecca.
Fans have also noted how Taylor’s recurring themes of ghosts, memory, and hidden truths reflect du Maurier’s influence. From the haunting refrain of “I think I’ve seen this film before” in Exile, to the folklore-era fixation on the echo of past relationships, Rebecca feels like it’s perched on the edges of Swift’s entire discography.
Get Book: Rebecca!To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Category: Classic Fiction, Coming-of-Age, Social Justice, Southern Gothic
What It’s About
Published in 1960, To Kill a Mockingbird is a cornerstone of American literature—a coming-of-age story set in the racially segregated American South during the 1930s. Told through the eyes of young Scout Finch, it explores the harsh realities of injustice, inequality, and prejudice in her small Alabama town.
At the heart of the story is Scout’s father, Atticus Finch, a lawyer defending a Black man wrongly accused of assaulting a white woman. As Scout and her brother Jem witness the trial and its aftermath, they confront the contradictions of human nature—the clash between moral courage and societal bigotry.
The novel’s strength lies in its ability to blend tender family moments with searing social commentary, using Scout’s innocence to expose the ugliness of systemic racism with clarity and heartbreak.
Why You Should Read It
To Kill a Mockingbird isn’t just a classic—it’s a moral compass in novel form. Its themes of empathy, justice, and the loss of innocence are as relevant now as they were 60 years ago. Through simple yet powerful storytelling, Harper Lee offers a blueprint for what it means to stand up for what’s right, even when it’s unpopular.
If you’ve ever felt out of place, questioned authority, or wondered how to use your voice for good—this book is for you. It’s a story that teaches you to look at life from someone else’s point of view, even when it’s uncomfortable.
Taylor Swift’s Take
Taylor Swift has called To Kill a Mockingbird one of her favorite books, admiring its ability to “make your mind wander and think more deeply about humanity.” Her connection to the novel isn’t just about nostalgia—it speaks to her longstanding interest in justice, empathy, and advocacy.
This influence shows up in subtle but powerful ways across her work. Songs like “Only the Young” echo the novel’s call to action, encouraging listeners to stand up against injustice:
“They aren’t gonna help us / Too busy helping themselves / They aren’t gonna change this / We gotta do it ourselves.”
That same spirit—of questioning systems, of learning from the past, of recognizing one’s privilege and responsibility—is central to Mockingbird, and it’s something Swift has carried into both her lyrics and her activism.
Even the emotional core of songs like “The Archer” and “The Best Day”, which explore vulnerability, identity, and familial protection, resonate with the Scout-Atticus dynamic—the feeling of growing up under the watchful eye of someone who tries to teach you what’s right in a world that often isn’t.
Get Book: To Kill a Mockingbird!The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Category: Classic Fiction, Jazz Age, Love & Disillusionment
What It’s About
Set in the glittering excess of the 1920s, The Great Gatsby is F. Scott Fitzgerald’s most iconic novel—a poetic, tragic tale of ambition, longing, and illusion. At the center is Jay Gatsby, a self-made millionaire who throws lavish parties in hopes of winning back his lost love, Daisy Buchanan.
Told through the eyes of outsider Nick Carraway, the novel explores themes of wealth, obsession, identity, and the elusive American Dream. It’s a portrait of a world where appearances mask emptiness, and where the past is never truly past.
Why You Should Read It
Few books capture heartbreak and hope as beautifully as Gatsby. It’s lyrical, haunting, and full of quotes that stick with you—“So we beat on, boats against the current…”
If you’re drawn to melancholy romance, complex characters, and stunning prose, this novel delivers. It’s also an excellent reminder that not everything gold glitters—and that the fantasy we chase may never match reality.
Taylor Swift’s Take
Taylor Swift has referenced Gatsby directly and repeatedly in her lyrics, proving her deep fascination with the novel’s tragic glamour and doomed love.
In “This Is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things,” she sings:
“Feeling so Gatsby for that whole year.”
In “Don’t Blame Me,” she echoes Daisy with:
“I’m your Daisy.”
And in “Happiness,” she name-drops the famous line:
“I hope she’ll be a beautiful fool.”
But perhaps most striking is her use of The Great Gatsby’s “green light” imagery in the lyric:
“All you want from me now is the green light of forgiveness.”
Taylor clearly sees Gatsby as more than a character—he’s an archetype, one she explores again and again: someone who loves deeply, dreams obsessively, and often loses both. Her music mirrors Fitzgerald’s mood: romantic, nostalgic, and quietly devastating.
Get Book: The Great Gatsby!The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne
Category: Classic Fiction, Social Shame, Feminist Symbolism
What It’s About
The Scarlet Letter is Hawthorne’s famous tale of Hester Prynne, a woman living in Puritan New England who is publicly shamed for bearing an illegitimate child. Forced to wear the scarlet “A” (for adultery) on her chest, Hester endures society’s judgment and isolation while raising her daughter and guarding the identity of her child’s father.
It’s a novel about shame, resilience, guilt, and the power of women to survive and reclaim their identity—even when the world has turned its back on them.
Why You Should Read It
If you’re into stories about defying social expectations and reclaiming your narrative, The Scarlet Letter is a cornerstone text. Hester Prynne’s quiet strength has made her an enduring feminist icon.
The book is also a powerful reflection on how shame is used to control women, and how personal dignity can still bloom in the face of societal cruelty.
Taylor Swift’s Take
Taylor’s nod to The Scarlet Letter is one of her most direct literary references. In “New Romantics,” she sings:
“We show off our different scarlet letters / Trust me, mine is better.”
The line flips the symbolism—turning a mark of shame into a badge of individuality and pride. It echoes how Taylor has reclaimed public narratives and reshaped them into personal empowerment.From media scrutiny to public fallouts, Swift—like Hester—has often had to wear labels she didn’t choose. And like Hester, she’s done it with grace, wit, and unshakeable self-awareness.
Get Book: Scarlet Letter!Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
Category: Mystery, Coming-of-Age, Nature Writing
What It’s About
This bestselling novel tells the story of Kya Clark, known locally as the “Marsh Girl.” Abandoned as a child, Kya grows up alone in the wild marshes of North Carolina, learning to live off the land and finding comfort in nature.
As she comes of age, Kya faces prejudice, isolation, first love, and heartbreak—all while being caught in a murder investigation that rocks the town. The novel blends a murder mystery with a poetic portrait of loneliness and survival, wrapped in lush, lyrical writing.
Why You Should Read It
Where the Crawdads Sing is a quiet powerhouse. If you love stories about misunderstood outsiders, healing through nature, and strength born of solitude, this novel will resonate deeply.
It’s also a celebration of resilience—of growing, adapting, and thriving, even when the world tries to leave you behind.
Taylor Swift’s Take
Taylor loved the book so much, she wrote an original song—“Carolina”—for its film adaptation. In interviews, she said the story of Kya “spoke to something primal” in her, and she was inspired by Kya’s connection to nature, her isolation, and her determination to endure.
“Carolina” echoes Kya’s world with lyrics like:
“Oh, Carolina knows / Why for years I roam / Free as these birds, light as whispers…”
The song is moody, mysterious, and haunting—just like Kya herself. Taylor perfectly captured the melancholy beauty of Owens’ novel, turning it into a melody that feels like marsh mist at dawn.
Get Book: Where the Crawdads Sing!Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
Category: Gothic Fiction, Romance, Feminist Literature, Classic
What It’s About
Jane Eyre follows the journey of a plain, orphaned girl who grows into a fiercely principled and independent woman. After a difficult childhood, Jane becomes a governess at Thornfield Hall, where she meets the enigmatic Mr. Rochester and falls in love—but secrets, betrayal, and moral dilemmas threaten their connection.
What sets this classic apart is Jane’s quiet strength. She values integrity over passion, self-respect over comfort, and walks away from love when it threatens her sense of self.
Why You Should Read It
If you’re drawn to strong, emotionally complex heroines who challenge the expectations of their time, Jane Eyre is your girl. It’s Gothic, moody, romantic, and intensely introspective—a story about staying true to yourself in a world that wants you to bend.
The novel explores timeless themes: power dynamics in relationships, emotional abuse, self-reliance, and the balance between head and heart. It’s as relevant now as it was in the 1800s.
Taylor Swift’s Take
While Taylor hasn’t explicitly quoted Jane Eyre, her songs often mirror its themes. In tracks like “The Archer,” “My Tears Ricochet,” and “Daylight,” you can feel echoes of Jane’s inner voice—conflicted, self-aware, determined not to lose herself in love.Much like Jane, Swift writes characters who walk away to preserve their dignity, who love deeply but don’t beg to be chosen.
And that line from Jane Eyre—“I am no bird; and no net ensnares me: I am a free human being with an independent will”? It feels like something Taylor would quote in a secret lyric note or even scribble in the margins of Red (Taylor’s Version).
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
Category: Fantasy, Surrealism, Classic Children’s Literature
What It’s About
This whimsical novel follows young Alice as she tumbles down a rabbit hole and lands in a world of curious creatures, surreal logic, and nonsense rules. From tea parties with the Mad Hatter to encounters with the Cheshire Cat and Queen of Hearts, Alice navigates a place where nothing is quite as it seems.
Beneath the whimsy, the book is a surreal meditation on identity, growing up, and trying to make sense of a chaotic world.
Why You Should Read It
Carroll’s Wonderland is fun, weird, and sneakily wise. It’s a story that rewards re-reading—one you can enjoy as a child and then reframe entirely as an adult.
If you’ve ever felt out of place, misunderstood, or like the rules of life don’t make sense, Alice’s journey will feel strangely familiar.
Taylor Swift’s Take
Taylor has directly drawn inspiration from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland—most notably in her song “Wonderland.”
“We found Wonderland / You and I got lost in it”
The song transforms the playful absurdity of Carroll’s world into a metaphor for a tumultuous, all-consuming love. The emotional disorientation, the sense of falling into something thrilling and chaotic—it’s pure Wonderland.Taylor’s fascination with fantasy, escape, and alternate realities appears throughout her work—from folklore and evermore to the visual themes in “Lavender Haze” and “Out of the Woods.” Alice isn’t just a literary figure to her—she’s a kindred spirit.
Get Book: Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland!Normal People by Sally Rooney
Category: Contemporary Fiction, Literary Romance, Emotional Realism
What It’s About
Normal People tells the story of Connell and Marianne, two Irish teenagers whose friendship and romance evolve across years—through high school, university, and the messy transitions of young adulthood.
The novel dives into class, communication, vulnerability, and the way we wound (and heal) each other. Rooney’s style is quiet, intimate, and emotionally raw. She captures the unsaid things—the silence between lines, the meaning behind glances—and how relationships can shape us forever.
Why You Should Read It
This book is achingly real. If you’re interested in emotionally complex, slow-burn love stories where every small moment carries weight, Normal People will speak to you. It explores the fragile beauty of connection, and how people can love one another and still miss the mark entirely.
It’s perfect for fans of Taylor’s relationship-heavy storytelling, especially albums like Red and evermore, where love is both an anchor and a mirror.
Taylor Swift’s Take
Taylor has spoken about her love for Normal People, noting that “reading it felt like being inside someone’s mind.”
That immersive, stream-of-consciousness style—where you don’t just witness a relationship but feel it unfolding in real time—clearly resonated with her.
You can feel Normal People‘s emotional weight in songs like “Exile,” “All Too Well (10 Minute Version),” and “You’re Losing Me”—where timing, miscommunication, and unspoken truths tug at both characters and listeners.
Rooney and Swift share an emotional language—one where heartbreak is never dramatic, but quiet, detailed, and devastating in its simplicity.
Get Book: Normal People!The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
Category: Young Adult, Romance, Illness, Grief
What It’s About
John Green’s The Fault in Our Stars follows Hazel Grace Lancaster, a teenager living with cancer, who meets Augustus Waters in a support group. What begins as a sarcastic friendship blooms into a once-in-a-lifetime love story, defined by literary references, existential dread, and emotional intensity.
As they navigate their illness and their connection, Hazel and Gus grapple with the big questions—What does it mean to be remembered? How do we live fully in limited time? Can love exist alongside grief?
The novel is heartbreaking, funny, and painfully beautiful all at once.
Why You Should Read It
If you’ve ever been captivated by stories where love is real, even when the ending isn’t happy, The Fault in Our Stars will absolutely undo you—in the best way. It’s a celebration of life and love in the face of mortality.
Green’s writing is filled with poetic lines, emotional punch, and quiet honesty, making it a standout in the YA genre. It’s the kind of book that feels like a song you’d cry to in the middle of the night—and then reread anyway.
Taylor Swift’s Take
While Taylor hasn’t directly quoted the book, her admiration for John Green’s writing and themes of intense, fleeting love is echoed throughout her lyrics.
Songs like “The Moment I Knew,” “Forever Winter,” “Ronan,” and “Bigger Than the Whole Sky” all carry the same energy as Green’s novel: bittersweet tenderness, the ache of losing something beautiful, and the question of what lingers after love is gone.
Fans have also drawn parallels between Hazel and Augustus’ doomed-but-glorious relationship and the vibe of Swift’s Red album—where the intensity of the love is what makes the heartbreak so unbearable.
Get Book: The Fault in Our Stars!Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare
Category: Tragedy, Classic Romance, Forbidden Love
What It’s About
Shakespeare’s timeless play needs little introduction: Romeo and Juliet is the tale of two young lovers from feuding families who fall madly, passionately, and tragically in love.
Their story unfolds with impulsive romance, secret plans, poetic language, and devastating misunderstandings. Despite their love, they’re doomed from the start, and the play ends in one of literature’s most iconic tragedies.
It’s the ultimate story of love versus the world—intense, romantic, and utterly heartbreaking.
Why You Should Read It
Even if you’ve seen it in school, reading (or rereading) Romeo and Juliet through the lens of emotion and poetry gives it new weight. Shakespeare’s language is rich, the pacing electric, and the emotional stakes are still incredibly relatable.
It’s about first love and recklessness, the ache of being misunderstood, and how passion can both uplift and destroy.
Taylor Swift’s Take
Taylor directly references Romeo and Juliet in one of her most iconic early songs—“Love Story”:
“That you were Romeo, you were throwing pebbles / And my daddy said, ‘Stay away from Juliet’”
She famously rewrites the ending, turning tragedy into triumph:
“I talked to your dad, go pick out a white dress / It’s a love story, baby, just say yes.”
But as her songwriting matured, Swift’s references to Romeo and Juliet grew darker. In “The Story of Us” and “Enchanted,” we see more of the original play’s themes of longing, missed chances, and inevitable heartbreak.
What began as a fairytale in Fearless eventually gave way to the more complex emotional terrain of folklore and evermore. Still, Romeo and Juliet remains a key foundation in her romantic imagination—the first of many literary love stories that shaped her own.
Get Book: Romeo and Juliet!Final Thoughts: Taylor Swift’s Bookshelf Is Just as Lyrical as Her Songs
Taylor Swift’s love of books isn’t just a quirky fun fact—it’s the secret sauce behind her songwriting.
Swift isn’t just reading these books—she’s living in them, writing with them, and tucking their themes into melodies that millions sing along to. Each novel on this list reveals a piece of her creative DNA: thoughtful, romantic, sharp, and always deeply human.
So if you’re a Swiftie looking to get even closer to the stories behind the songs, try turning the pages she’s turned. You just might find yourself feeling seen, inspired, and a little bit heartbroken—in the best way.
Which of Taylor Swift’s favorite books is on your TBR next?
