Social media trends always fascinate me, but I don’t often participate in the ever changing landscape of challenges and fads (I haven’t even downloaded TikTok). Convincing other people to read my favorite books, though, is something I can’t resist.

When I saw my bookworm friends matching outfits to books, I knew this was the trend for me. So, if you’re bored in quarantine and looking for new reading material or comfortably stylish outfits, look no further than these brilliant novels and their matching looks!

Also, shoutout to my sister for modeling all these outfits!

Anna K by Jenny Lee

Anna K is a whirlwind of a book you won’t be able to put down. It’s a contemporary retelling of Anna Karenina, exploring the love lives of Manhattan’s wealthiest teens and focusing on the seemingly flawless Anna K. This story is dramatic and emotional, documenting the extreme highs and lows of first love. The plot and characters are captivating, and Lee’s writing sucks you in from the first page.

Anna K might be the best book I’ve read so far this year, and I’ve been recommending it to anyone who will listen. It’s even tempted me to pick up its source material, and that’s saying a lot given I usually steer far away from anything labeled a classic.

With this outfit, I debated trying to match the cover’s color scheme or mimicking Anna’s simple but fashionable look; in the end, I opted for the color-matching route because there’s nothing I love more than soft pastels.

Frankly in Love by David Yoon

Frankly in Love is a blend of tropes, yet still delightfully fresh. It centers on Frank Li, a Korean American teen who feels stuck between his parents’ traditional expectations and his modern upbringing in Southern California. Frankly in Love is first and foremost a romance book (that includes fake dating AND friends-to-lovers), but it’s just as much about family and identity as it is about falling in love.

In my opinion, this book is far from perfect, but it’s full of heart and made me laugh more times than I can count.

This was another outfit that was all about matching the colors of the cover! Frankly in Love has one of my favorite covers, so I tried to put together an outfit that really embodied its bright and bold design.

Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo

While both Anna K and Frankly in Love are light reads, Ninth House is as dark as they come. Galaxy “Alex” Stern dropped out of school at a young age and has been trying to survive on her own since. Because of a rare supernatural ability, Alex is offered a full ride to Yale in exchange for her services to Lethe, one of the university’s eight secret societies. Alex dives headfirst into occult activities the moment she arrives in New Haven, and what she discovers is more sinister than she could have imagined.

Ninth House is pretty dense and confusing at first; the reader, like Alex, is thrown into the world of Yale’s secret societies, and the magic system reveals itself gradually amid the heart-racing action. This is Leigh Bardugo’s first adult novel, yet she produces a phenomenal tale that’s empowering and incredibly gripping.

For this outfit, I wanted to match the cover but also put together an outfit that I could envision Alex wearing as she deals with Yale’s elite.

Warcross by Marie Lu

Science fiction isn’t my go-to genre, but Warcross nearly convinced me it should be: this book is fast paced and so vibrant. Emika Chen, a rainbow haired hacker, is scraping by in a world where Warcross, a virtual reality game, has become a lifestyle. While attempting to make some quick money, Emika accidentally glitches herself into the opening ceremony of the international Warcross Championships — and becomes a celebrity overnight. Her mistake leads her to Tokyo, where she meets Warcross’ enigmatic young creator, Hideo Tanaka. Suddenly thrust into a world of fame and fortune, Emiko quickly uncovers a dark plot that could impact the entire Warcross community.

Marie Lu is an expert at world building and romance, and all her characters always feel perfectly fleshed out. In Warcross, she keeps you on the edge of your seat for the entirety of the story.

I initially hated Warcross’ cover, but it’s grown on me immensely. A rainbow to match Emika’s iconic hairstyle had to be included in this outfit, but, other than that, I tried to stick to the cover’s sleekness and elegance with an all-white look.

The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern

If you’re looking for a book with lyrical and gorgeous writing, The Starless Sea is the book for you: it’s a stunning romance set in an enchanting world of magic. It’s an ode to the power of books and characters, delving deep into the impact stories can have on our lives.

As for the outfit to match this book, it had to be something fancy and glamorous to match Morgenstern’s extravagant writing. Still, I wanted it to be comfortable enough that one could, in theory, spend countless hours looking through the tomes of The Starless Sea in it.

And that does it for matching outfits to the beautiful covers of some of my favorite books! This was much more challenging than I expected it to be, but it was still a lot of fun, and I hope it’s given you some ideas of books to pick up if you’re in a reading mood.