The Life of a Showgirl (Pan Macmillan’s version)

It had to be, really.    

Why read this: One of Shakespeare's best known tragedies, Hamlet explores themes of revenge, deception, madness and the conflict between action and inaction (if the song was The Fate of Hamlet, it would have been on Reputation). Hamlet, prince of Denmark, meets with his father's ghost, who alleges that his own brother, now married to his widow, murdered him. But is his father telling the truth? Tormented by doubt and introspection, Hamlet feigns madness to test the ghost’s accusation and plots brutal revenge against his uncle. But his apparent insanity wreaks havoc on innocent and guilty alike – including Ophelia, the woman he's in love with before the play begins. Ophelia herself only appears in six scenes (and doesn't speak in one of them), but she's a cultural touchstone nevertheless, in part thanks to the painting by Sir John Everett Millais Taylor references in the music video.

If you’re looking for: Tragedy, beautiful language, introspection, and well, the fate of Ophelia

Great for fans of: Poetry, drama, the classics

What’s under the shiny veneer? Both the song and this novel peel back glittering surfaces to reveal what’s beneath: pressure, loneliness, and heartbreak.

Why read this: Set at the same time as lavish series The Gilded Age, (which, incidentally, Ms Swift has said she's a fan of), The House of Mirth follows the story of socialite Lily Bart. Lily grew up surrounded by money but her social standing is on the slide as her financial situation becomes increasingly perilous. The only thing that could save her from poverty would be to find a suitable husband (great) but, at twenty-nine, she's regarded as rather old. And she’s running out of options. 

If you’re looking for: Sharp satire, high society, dark wit, social commentary

Great for fans of: The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton, Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Gossip Girl

After many failed attempts at love, they finally found their endgame. 

Why read this: This heartwarming rom-com follows Penny Popplestone, a chemical engineer who, after one too many disastrous relationships, decides she’s done with men. But when Caleb, the mysterious and ridiculously good-looking barista at her local coffee shop strikes up a friendship with her, her resolve begins to crumble. What begins as something platonic quickly turns into something undeniable. 

If you’re looking for: STEM romance, opposites attract, rom-com

Great for fans of: The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood

Betrayal, legacy, power: themes this song and novel both share. 

Why read this: Set in a magical Manhattan, a long-standing feud between two witch families threatens to explode amongst the city’s criminal underworld. As the Antonova sisters navigate a dangerous legacy, they are threatened by their long standing enemies, the Fedorov brothers. A sudden change destroys their fragile stalemate, leaving both families on the brink of collapse. And as each struggle with internal divisions, a forbidden romance develops between the two opposing sides. The Romeo and Juliet inspired One For My Enemy is all about power, loyalty, and betrayal – Father Figure thrives on the same tension. Both book and song carry the same weight of love bound tightly with duty, where protection and control become blurred. If you’re drawn to stories where love and power collide, this book will keep you hooked.

If you’re looking for: Urban fantasy, enemies to lovers, forbidden romance, high stakes 

Great for fans of: Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong, The Serpent and the Wings of Night by Carissa Broadbent

An anthem for those who shoulder responsibility yet still carve space for their own wildness. Don’t worry, you can be the youngest daughter too.

Why read this: Nikita Gill’s These Are the Words is an empowering feminist poetry collection full of the ideas and inspiration Nikita wished someone had given her when she was younger. This anthology is an exploration of growth, resilience, and self-discovery, allowing you to become your most authentic self. For all daughters, if you’ve ever felt the weight of words that haven't been said, these will resonate deeply.

If you’re looking for: Feminism, poetry, navigating adulthood, empowerment

Great for fans of: Everything I Know About Love by Dolly Alderton, Women Don’t Owe You Pretty by Florence Given

Swift’s Ruin The Friendship and Kiran Millwood Hargrave’s upcoming novel both heartbreakingly explore roads not taken and what could have been.

Why read this: Spanning across cities and decades, this is a story of the lives we almost live and the choices we don't make. During their first meeting on the Sacré-Cœur, Paris in 1978, Erica and Laure form an undeniable connection that will determine the course of their lives – almost. 

If you’re looking for: Sapphic romances, LGBTQ+, bisexual representation, European settings, moving stories

Great for fans of: One Day by David Nicholls, Normal People by Sally Rooney

Sometimes love, hate and obsession can get a bit mixed up.

Why read this: From the bestselling author of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil follows three young women, Maria, Alice, and Charlotte, across three different cities and centuries, weaving together stories of wild desire, forbidden love, and vengeance born of betrayal. It's a dark tapestry of power, of the confusion between love and hate, control and obsession, of wanting freedom and clinging to rage when love itself feels dangerous. 

If you’re looking for: Toxic lesbian vampires, female rage, yearning, obsession, dark fantasy

Great for fans of: The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V. E. Schwab, The Atlas Six by Olivie Blake

Celebrating the moment when you stop chasing perfection and start craving something real. . .

Why read this: Annie has lived aiming for perfection, making sure everything is polished whilst her life trembles beneath. As she unexpectedly mentors an extraordinary teenage witch, chaos drastically changes her supposedly charmed life. She learns that letting go, embracing mess, and drawing strength from flaws might be the real magic. 

If you’re looking for: Found family, magic, cosy fantasy, the perfect read for autumn  

Great for fans of: Rewitched by Lucy Jane Wood, Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree, TJ Klune, Gilmore Girls

Whether you joyfully embrace the double entendres or this song makes you want to curl into a ball and listen to The Archer on repeat, I think we can all agree sometimes we just need a fun, sexy romance. Fortunately, Simone Soltani is an expert.

Why read this: This steamy marriage of convenience romance will surprise you in its heat, risk, and chaos. Stella, never in her wildest dreams imagined she’d wake up in Vegas with a ring on her finger, or that the groom would be F1 driver Thomas. What began as a drunk decision quickly turns into something neither of them can walk away from. Wood and Ride with Me explore what happens when attraction is unpredictable and certainly undeniable. If you love romance that accelerates under fire, this match will get your heart racing.

If you’re looking for: Marriage of convenience, sport romance, spice, scandals 

Great for fans of: Cross the Line by Simone Soltani, Play Along by Liz Tomforde 

Sometimes your best friends are the ones you go through the worst times with. 

Why read this: Thirst Trap follows three friends; Maggie, Harlet and Róise, around the first anniversary of their best friend Lydia’s death. Their houseshare in Belfast has witnessed the full force of their roaring 20s, from awful hangovers to concerning one-night stands. Haunted by loss and laced with unresolved tension, the three friends try to hold themselves, and their friendship, together. It’s a heartbreaking, gripping, and incredibly hilarious story about the friendships that endure through the very best and the very worst of times. 

If you’re looking for: Irish fiction, grief, womanhood, navigating late 20s

Great for fans of: Blue Sisters by Coco Mellors, Sally Rooney, Fleabag

Words hit different when the right person says them. 

Why read this: For years, meteorologists Jackson and Delilah have clashed like thunder and lightning, until they’re forced to work together to cover the snowstorm of the century. Jackson thrives on routine and order, whilst Delilah lives for spontaneity and adventure. Despite their differences, they find themselves warming up to each other, forming into an unexpected partnership – and something more. (And I promise I'm not spoiling anything when I say the nickname 'baby' is Jackson and Delilah's 'honey'.)

If you’re looking for: Rivals to lovers, opposites attract, forced proximity 

Great for fans of: When Harry Met Sally, Lovelight Farms by B.K. Borison, Emily Henry

The final song on the album and Carissa Broadbent's latest series are stories of resilience and reinvention, performing through pain, and emerging stronger, unbreakable, and utterly unforgettable. 

Why read this: Daughter of No Worlds follows Tisaanah, a young woman torn from her homeland as a child, spending years dancing and bargaining for her freedom only to find herself caught in a dangerous new world of power and deceit. To rescue her best friend she left behind, she must apprentice under the handsome, fire-wielding Maxantarius, and face the ruthless politics of the Orders. 

If you’re looking for: Romantasy, dark magic, vengeance, redemption 

Great for fans of: Carissa Broadbent's Crowns of Nyaxia series, Jennifer L. Armentrout, Sarah J. Maas, Naomi Novik