Spring is coming to an end, and the season of beach reads is quickly approaching. Perhaps the genre of happy love stories and fairytale endings isn’t necessarily your favorite thing. Maybe when you sit on the beach, you prefer tragic melodies over pop and EDM. If you want to spend your days feeling like an 18th-century girl who was prescribed sea air, this summer reading list is the perfect entertainment for your beach days.
The list is made up of four books and four songs. Find your favorite sad girl song on the list and add its book to your beach bag!
“Champagne Problems” and Type-cast
The second track on Taylor Swift’s evermore depicts the tragic ending of a relationship. One party was ready for the next step, while the other came to say goodbye. Andrea J. Stein’s Type-cast begins at a similar point. The protagonist, Callie, learns that her college boyfriend wrote a movie about their breakup and begins to question all her choices. Jumping between past and present, you will get sucked into both versions of Callie’s world, waiting to see why she left a man she took years to get over. This book manages a satisfying ending that does not have the protagonist make poor choices for the sake of romantic grandeur.
“Letter To An Old Poet” and Circe
Madeline Miller’s Circe tells the story of the titan witch Circe. Themes of love, patriarchy, grief, loss, fear, and power all work to tell her story. Circe’s immortal life is filled with toxic relationships and abusive treatment from those meant to love her. “Letter To An Old Poet,” the last track on boygenius’s debut album, depicts someone taking their power back from their abusive partner. The song, like the book, does not show defeat at the hands of those who know exactly how to hurt us. Walking away from toxicity and fighting for your happiness are themes in both pieces. This book will quickly become a favorite this summer if you love this song.
“Cardigan” and Normal People
Sally Rooney’s Normal People and Swift’s “cardigan” tell the story of passionate on-again-off-again relationships. In Normal People, Rooney beautifully depicts the humanness of miscommunication and grappling with your own emotions. Connell and Marianne’s frustrating and painful relationship sucks you in. “cardigan” is almost like an inside look into Marianne’s head. She knows her love will return but is not surprised when they leave for another. This combo will have you crying on the beach, but all the tears will be worth it.
“Francis Forever” and My Year of Rest and Relaxation
Ottessa Moshfegh’s My Year of Rest and Relaxation follows an unlikable female protagonist as she self-medicates into a year-long sleep following the death of both her parents. Her inability to face her grief leads her to isolation and substance abuse. Mitski’s “Francis Forever” would probably be the protagonist’s favorite song. The song perfectly embodies the feeling of missing someone you will never have back. The inability to face their absence mirrors the protagonist’s failure to feel the pain of her loss. This combination is by far the most heartbreaking but is perfect for a sad girl summer.
Whether or not you partake in a sad girl summer, these books and songs should be added to playlists and bookshelves before the year’s end. The melancholy all these pieces highlight leads to tremendous growth for the songwriters and characters. Sad girl summer feels painful, but that heartache will have become a much-needed life lesson by the fall. So, while you’re growing this summer, do it with some great authors and songwriters.
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