“People haven’t always been there for me but music always has.”
Taylor Swift’s journey from country sweetheart to global pop sensation has inspired music lovers and authors alike. Her music, personal growth and cultural imprint have all sparked the creation of numerous books, each of them offering unique insights into her life, career and legacy. Whether you’re a lifelong Swiftie looking to learn more about her story or simply a curious reader eager to learn more about one of the most famous people on the planet, there’s a biography out there for you. Which is why we here at What We Reading thought we would pull together the best Taylor Swift books that capture everything from her early days in Pennsylvania to her record-breaking eras that all provide fresh and insightful perspectives on the singer-songwriter’s incredible ascent to superstardom.
Taylor Swift: A Little Golden Book Biography – Wendy Loggia
Our first hit on our setlist of Taylor Swift books is Wendy Loggia’s playful picture book, Taylor Swift: A Little Golden Book Biography. Little Golden Book biographies are the perfect introduction to nonfiction for younger readers and are designed to inspire them by capturing the brilliance of some of their favourite idols.
In this 2023 edition, the singer and songwriter is put under the spotlight. Her distinctive talent for storytelling is explored in a bright and colourful way by Loggia, making it the perfect biography for young children, as well as their Swiftie parents!
Taylor Swift: The Whole Story – Chas Newkey-Burden
In his biography on Taylor Swift, The Whole Story, Chas Newkey-Burden charts the Pennsylvania native’s rise from a small-town girl with exceptional talent into an award-winning, chart-topping phenomenon, as well as a smart and stylish icon.
Taylor Swift: The Whole Story is a comprehensive account of Taylor’s incredible journey, capturing her childhood dreams, the honest lyrics she’s penned about real-life events and her fight to be taken seriously within the music industry. With insights into her relationships with Harry Styles, Jake Gyllenhaal and Conor Kennedy, the book is crammed full of fascinating details about the real icon behind the microphone, undoubtedly making it one of the most illuminating Taylor Swift books.
Taylor Swift: This Is Our Song – Tyler Conroy
One of the best Taylor Swift books written by fans for fans comes from Tyler Conroy in Taylor Swift: This Is Our Song. This book is a fan-generated celebration of Swift’s first decade as an artist, charting her incredible rise from an unknown sixteen-year-old country singer to a ten-time Grammy Award winner.
This Is Our Song curates all the best writing and images from Taylor Swift’s first decade in the spotlight. From pre-fame interviews in local Pennsylvania newspapers, and early album reviews from the likes of Robert Christgau and Ann Powers to the most inspiring Taylor Swift quotes and numerous adult colouring pages and puzzles, this is the ultimate Swiftie handbook for any fan to sink their teeth into.
Taylor Swift: A New Era – Katy Sprinkel
One of the best Taylor Swift books from 2024, Katy Sprinkel explores how the singer songwriter has been able to cement herself as one of pop culture’s most iconic and culture-defining voices on the back of her deeply personal songwriting and genre-bending sounds in A New Era.
Published on the back of her record-breaking The Eras Tour, this visually stunning book pays tribute to Swift’s growth as an artist, her sonic and aesthetic influences, personal inspirations and her legions of devoted fans sprawling across the globe.
Taylor Swift: In Her Own Words – Taylor Swift And Helen Hunt (Editor)
Taylor Swift’s extraordinary achievements have led to her being named on Forbes’ 100 Most Influential People and Most Powerful Women lists and, in Taylor Swift: In Her Own Words, readers are able to find all of the most inspirational and thought-provoking quotes from over fifteen years in the music industry in one place.
Helen Hunt has carefully curated a collection of quotes from Swift’s numerous public statements, op-eds, interviews and social media posts, offering a fascinating portrait of her meteoric rise to the top, her savvy eye for business as well as her increasingly vocal perspective on the music world and beyond. Another one of the best Taylor Swift books for understanding how the singer is influenced and inspired as well as what she thinks and believes, it is an essential handbook for getting inside the head of a true cultural icon.
Heartbreak Is The National Anthem: How Taylor Swift Reinvented Pop Music – Rob Sheffield
As Taylor Swift’s preferred and most trusted music journalist, Rob Sheffield has enjoyed closer access to the pop star than any other writer. His intimate insights have afforded him a complete perspective on Swift’s world. His book on Taylor Swift, Heartbreak Is the National Anthem, merges reportage and criticism and offers a tantalising look into the life and times of the artist and her Swiftie fanbase.
Taylor Swift is known as much for her life beyond music as she is for the chart-topping hits she produces for the industry. Sheffield demonstrates how she is not only able to use the former to fuel the latter but also rebrand and reinvent herself through the many ‘eras’ of her career. Swift has become an expert at controlling the narrative, surrounding her life and career, whilst managing to keep her fans eager to learn of her every next step along the way.
Taylor Swift Is Life: A Superfan’s Guide To All Things We Love About Taylor Swift – Kathleen Perricone
Another one of the most invaluable Taylor Swift Books for all the Swifties out there, Taylor Swift Is Life is an all-encompassing fan book filled with all there is to know and love about the global pop icon. From her first vocal lessons as a nine-year-old to breaking the internet with her Eras Tour’, Kathleen Perricone captures all her epic achievements, brilliant lyrics and ability to connect with her fans in a way few other artists have ever enjoyed.
Both a tribute to all things Swift as well as a chic addition to any music lover’s bookshelf, Taylor Swift Is Life comes with everything from a full biography of the singer’s best performances and tours, a full discography, an essential guide to Swiftology and the most important words in the fanbase, as well as Taylorscopes, allowing readers to discover how the stars align with Swift’s music, and which songs represent them.
Part-time reader, part-time rambler, and full-time Horror enthusiast, James has been writing for What We Reading since 2022. His earliest reading memories involved Historical Fiction, Fantasy and Horror tales, which he has continued to take with him to this day. James’ favourite books include The Last (Hanna Jameson), The Troop (Nick Cutter) and Chasing The Boogeyman (Richard Chizmar).
