Perfect Music Album and Book Pairings for the Ultimate Reading Experience

Music and books have been the best dynamic duo since the invention of the vinyl record. Seriously, name a better duo. But coupling music and books is a delicate process. You wouldn’t choose something fast and upbeat like Ariana Grande for a murder mystery, right? Though we can hardly blame anyone for trying. Below you’ll find some of our favorite album and book combinations. We hope the grooves help the pages turn that much faster.

All the Bright Places x Lorde’s Melodrama

All the Bright Places Movie Tie-In Edition

By Jennifer Niven

This complicated love story starts with a chance encounter. Now a Netflix film, the story follows Violet and Finch through series of highs and lows. We couldn’t think of a better match than Lorde’s Melodrama. It’s not a happy album, nor is it truly sad or melancholy. It’s complicated, as the best love stories are, but that doesn’t mean they’re any less full of love.

House of Salt and Sorrows x Billie Eilish’s Don’t Smile at Me

House of Salt and Sorrows

By Erin A. Craig

House of Salt and Sorrows is haunting and nerve-inducing but thrilling, putting a fascinating spin on ghoulish folklore. A curse in a castle on a hill at the edge of an island? Yes, please! And we couldn’t think of anything more grim to go with it than Billie, who low-key deserves to make the soundtrack if this ever becomes a movie.

The Book Thief x HBO’s Euphoria Soundtrack

The Book Thief (Anniversary Edition)

By Markus Zusak

A riveting tale set in Germany during the Second World War, The Book Thief is a classic that follows Liesel Meminger, a girl with a passion for books, through Nazi-occupied Germany. The Book Thief’s perfect companion? The soundtrack from HBO’s Euphoria—a show with several teenage antagonists trying to figure themselves out. The accompanying music is filled with melancholy notes wrapped in a mix of dark pop, indie, and a bit of hip-hop for good measure.

A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder x Chromatics’ Closer to Grey

A Good Girl's Guide to Murder

By Holly Jackson

A classic crime thriller about a local homicide and a relentless heroine who won’t stop until she finds the truth. Our album of choice for this murder mystery? Chromatics’ Closer to Grey. Known for having their music featured on shows like Riverdale and 13 Reasons Why, Chromatics’ songs are filled with heavy synths, brooding choruses, and enough thrills to match the pace of A Good’s Girl’s Guide to Murder. This may be the most perfect match on this list.

Wilder Girls x Lizzo’s Cuz I Love You

Wilder Girls

By Rory Power

Wilder Girls is a story of resilience and survival, as well as a demonstration that girls can do anything, including survive alone on a quarantined island. Lizzo belts anthems that are testaments to women’s ability and strength. Her voice soars, just like Wilder Girls, leaving you empowered.

Blood Heir x Allie X’s Cape God

Blood Heir

By Amélie Wen Zhao

Who doesn’t love a larger-than-life fantasy epic? We get one in Blood Heir, which follows a princess on a journey to clear her name and reclaim the throne to a gain control of a vast and mystical empire. The mood is brooding, with sparks of happiness and intrigue. Allie X is the perfect companion.

Who Put This Song On? x Tierra Whack’s Whack World

Who Put This Song On?

By Morgan Parker

Adolescence is hard enough, and being a black girl growing up in the middle of white suburbia doesn’t help, especially if you’re slightly off-beat. Who Put This Song On? focuses on music, adolescence, and owning your blackness, and rapper Tierra Whack, known for her vibrant lyrics and quirky aesthetic, is the perfect pairing for this slice-of-life read.

Pet x Beyoncé’s Lemonade

Pet

By Akwaeke Emezi

Pet is here to hunt a monster. Are you brave enough to look? In this genre-bending novel, Jam teams up with Pet, a creature who came out of one of her mother’s paintings, to uncover a monster in her town that she never thought could have existed. With Pet, Jam realizes she’s stronger and fiercer than she could have imagined . . . cue Beyoncé. Beyoncé’s Homecoming is fierce, groundbreaking, and triumphant, just like Jam.

19 Love Songs x Troye Sivan’s Blue Neighborhood

19 Love Songs

By David Levithan

19 Love Songs by David Levithan is an emotional anthology about—you guessed it—love. Different types of love, big and small love, undiscriminating love. Troye Sivan’s Blue Neighborhood follows love through all its stages, from obsession to heartache, and does so beautifully, as beautifully as David Levithan. Dare we say we have a match?