Beat logo

Books to Match Your Taylor Swift Era: Fearless (2008)

Grab your best dress and celebrate being young with these picks

By Kristen BarenthalerPublished 8 months ago 4 min read

When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon

When Dimple Shah and Rishi Patel meet at a Stanford University summer program, Dimple is avoiding her parents' obsession with "marriage prospects" but Rishi hopes to woo her into accepting arranged marriage with him.

Slay by Brittney Morris

Kiera Johnson is an honors student, a math tutor, and one of the few Black kids at Jefferson Academy. At home she joins hundreds of thousands of Black gamers who duel worldwide as Nubian personas in the secret multiplayer online role-playing card game, SLAY. When a teen in Kansas City is murdered over a dispute in the SLAY world, the game is labeled a racist, exclusionist, violent hub for thugs and criminals. No one knows Kiera is the game developer-- until an anonymous troll infiltrates the game, threatening to sue Kiera for "anti-white discrimination." Can she protect her game without losing herself in the process?

A Cuban Girl's Guide to Tea and Tomorrow by Laura Taylor Namey

After graduation, everything Lila Reyes had planned for her life fell apart. Her worried parents make a new plan for her: Spend three months with family friends in Winchester, England, to relax and reset. But with the lack of sun, a grumpy inn cook, and a small town lacking Miami flavor (both in food and otherwise), what would be a dream trip for some feels more like a nightmare to Lila. Until she meets Orion Maxwell. A teashop clerk with troubles of his own, Orion appoints himself as Lila's personal tour guide. Soon a new future is beginning to form in Lila's mind-- one that would mean leaving everything she ever planned behind.

Virtually Yours by Sarvenaz Tash

College freshman Mariam uses a new virtual reality dating service and is matched not only with her new best friend, Jeremy, but also with her high school ex-boyfriend, Caleb.

Love and Olives by Jenna Evans Welch

Liv Varanakis's father fled to Greece when she was only eight. What Liv does remember is their shared love for Greek myths and the lost city of Atlantis. When she receives a postcard from her father explaining that National Geographic is funding a documentary about his theories on Atlantis, she jumps at the chance to fly out to Greece and help. On gorgeous Santorini, Liv doesn't want their past to get in the way of a possible reconciliation. But her father may not have invited her to Greece for Atlantis, but for something much more important.

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

The story of the fabulously wealthy Jay Gatsby and his love for the beautiful Daisy Buchanan, of lavish parties on Long Island at a time when The New York Times noted "gin was the national drink and sex the national obsession," it is an exquisitely crafted tale of America in the 1920s.

People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry

What happens when best friends with nothing in common come together, fall apart, and fall in love? The Vacationers meets When Harry Met Sally..., from the author of Beach Read When Poppy met Alex, there was no spark, no chemistry, and no reason to think they'd ever talk again. Alex is quiet, studious, and destined for a future in academia. Poppy is a wild child who only came to U of Chicago to escape small-town life. But after sharing a ride home for the summer, the two form a surprising friendship. After all, who better to confide in than someone you could never, ever date?

It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey

Piper Bellinger is fashionable, influential, and her reputation as a wild child means the paparazzi are constantly on her heels. When too much champagne and an out-of-control rooftop party lands Piper in the slammer, her stepfather decides enough is enough. So he cuts her off, and sends Piper and her sister to learn some responsibility running their late father's dive bar... in Washington. Piper hasn't even been in Westport for five minutes when she meets big, bearded sea captain Brendan, who thinks she won't last a week outside of Beverly Hills. So what if Piper can't do math, and the idea of sleeping in a shabby apartment with bunk beds gives her hives. How bad could it really be? She's determined to show her stepfather -- and the hot, grumpy local -- that she's more than a pretty face.

Take a Hint, Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert

Danika Brown knows what she wants: professional success, academic renown, and an occasional roll in the hay to relieve all that career-driven tension. But romance? Been there, done that, burned the T-shirt. Romantic partners, whatever their gender, are a distraction at best and a drain at worst. So Dani asks the universe for the perfect friend-with-benefits - someone who knows the score and knows their way around the bedroom. When big, brooding security guard Zafir Ansari rescues Dani from a workplace fire drill gone wrong, it's an obvious sign: PhD student Dani and former rugby player Zaf are destined to sleep together. But before she can explain that fact to him, a video of the heroic rescue goes viral. Suddenly, half the internet is shipping #DrRugbae - and Zaf is begging Dani to play along. Turns out his sports charity for kids could really use the publicity. Lying to help children? Who on earth would refuse?

Fearless (2008)

Disc: 1

1 Jump Then Fall

2 Untouchable

3 Forever & Always (Piano Version)

4 Come In With The Rain

5 SuperStar

6 The Other Side Of The Door

7 Fearless

8 Fifteen

9 Love Story

10 Hey Stephen

11 White Horse

12 You Belong With Me

13 Breathe

14 Tell Me Why

15 You're Not Sorry

16 The Way I Loved You

17 Forever & Always

18 The Best Day

19 Change

Disc: 2

1 Change Music Video

2 The Best Day Music Video

3 Love Story Music Video

4 White Horse Music Video

5 You Belong With Me Music Video

6 Love Story On The Set Behind the Scenes

7 White Horse On The Set Behind the Scenes

8 You Belong With Me On The Set Behind the Scenes

9 Fearless Tour 2009 Photo Gallery

10 Fearless 2009 Tour Behind the Scenes at the First Show!

11 CMT Awards "Thug Story"

listliterature

About the Creator

Kristen Barenthaler

Curious adventurer. Crazed reader. Librarian. Archery instructor. True crime addict.

Instagram: @kristenbarenthaler

Facebook: @kbarenthaler

Reader insights

Be the first to share your insights about this piece.

How does it work?

Add your insights

Comments (1)

Sign in to comment
  • Ethan Cole8 months ago

    These books sound interesting. I like stories with unique premises. Dimple and Rishi's clash over marriage prospects in a college setting seems fun. And Kiera protecting her game from accusations sounds like a great plot. Have you read any of these? What did you think?

Find us on social media

Miscellaneous links

  • Explore
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Support

© 2026 Creatd, Inc. All Rights Reserved.