Book Recommendations Based On Your Favorite One Direction Member
This is an unusual post for me to write, but I was inspired by all of the pop culture-inspired book posts on bookstagram for this. That, and one of the books I just finished reading was The Idea of You by Robinne E. Lee.
Listen, I’m a huge fan of One Direction. I am waiting for the day that they announce their reunion tour. I am HOPING that they reunite for at least one reunion album. I get it—they each have their solo careers; I mean, where would the world be without Falling or Watermelon Sugar by Harry Styles? Niall Horan’s random singles? And put my personal feelings about Zayn aside, he does put out some pretty good songs.
So, I created this post as an outlet for me to listen to One Direction songs and revisit my childhood youth of obsessing over this incredible boy band. (Is it weird to call it a man band?)
For The Niallers:
Niall Horan is that boy next door, Archie Andrews type—but with a special, angsty bad boy musician type. Sure, you can take him home to meet the parents, but when you two are alone, he will serenade you all night long if you’ll allow him. “Niallers” probably are the goody-two-shoes who like a little bad boy from time to time. Books I’d recommend for the Niallers in the group (a very special breed of people) are:
To All The Boys I Loved Before by Jenny Han // You are Lara Jean, and the boy you’re crushing on is Noah Centineo, the hot bad boy jock who drives a Jeep and is a player.
The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood // this is a cute, steamy romance and honestly, sounds like a great book for fans of Niall Horan.
The Duke & I by Julia Quinn // honestly, being the goody-two-shoes, you are Daphne Bridgerton and secretly in love with the bad boy duke.
For The Liamanators:
TBH, I don’t know much about Liam Payne other than the fact that he has tattoos (they all do), and that he dated Cheryl what’s her name from X Factor. You probably like to be different if your favorite member from 1D is Liam, but you’re still basic as heck so the books I recommend for the Liamanators are:
A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas (and the entire series, tbh) // You’re basic, but different. And people who read this series are probably diving into a new genre (fantasy) and so ACOTAR is perfect. You think you’re different for reading a fantasy novel, but really, everyone is reading ACOTAR. So you’re basic.
The Hating Game by Sally Thorne // You’re basic, but you like a good romance. The male lead, Joshua Templeman, plays a brooding, cold yet efficient assistant opposite Lucy Hutton, the female lead, who is the charming nice girl of the office. Honestly, Joshua represents a lot of who I imagine Liam Payne is in “real life.”
If This Gets Out by Sophie Gonzales and Cale Dietrich // two members of a boy band come to rely on each other amidst strife in the boy band. Their already close friendship blossoms into a romance but they are not ready to tell the world—and their management, who disapproves of their sexuality. I’m not recommending this only for Liamantors, but I’m putting this under this category for the Liam fans solely for numbers.
For the Louis Lovers:
Honestly, like Liam, if you like Louis, you’re probably trying to stand out amongst the Harry and Niall and even Zayn fans. Maybe you like both Liam and Louis. Like Liam, I’d also recommend the ACOTAR series, and specifically ACOMAF, so maybe once you’ve read ACOTAR, you should upgrade to ACOMAF. Also, seeming that Louis wrote most of the songs on the 1D albums, he does seem more musical and into music, songwriting, and desires to make songwriting into a career. Some books I’d recommend are:
A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas // honestly, this is just for Rhysand and the misunderstanding of bad boys in general. I’d recommend this book to anyone, but especially if your favorite 1D member is Louis (or Liam or Zayn).
Daisy Jones and The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid // this is about a rock group from the 1970s, and idk, I just believe that Louis belongs in a 1970s rock group. Daisy herself plays a “rebel” coming of age in the late 1960s, sneaking into clubs and sleeping with rockstars. The band, The Six, gets noticed in addition to Daisy, led by Billy Dunne. When his girlfriend gets pregnant, he starts go wild on the road, like Louis did post-1D.
Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover // honestly, any fan of Louis probably is a fan of Colleen Hoover books and will not stop talking about them. Tate and airline pilot Miles aren’t in love, but they do have a mutual understanding and an attraction; he doesn’t want love, she doesn’t have time for love, so that just leaves the sex. Love gets ugly. I would say this is more of a thrilling romance, which kind of fits for any fans of Louis. Don’t ask me why, I don’t make the rules.
From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout // the main character, Poppy, has been chosen from birth to usher in a new era—only that she never really chose that life. I feel like Louis never really chose to be a part of 1D, or maybe he did and then regretted the decision later. So, this book could be great for the Louis Lovers.
For the Zaynators:
I need to get more creative with the names I’m making up for the fans, but whatever. I saved A LOT of books for the Zayn fans. Fans of Zayn are on a different level. Personally, I am not a fan of him. But that’s besides the point. Fans of Zayn were probably never fans of 1D, or maybe they were, are probably the “rebellious” ones of the group or idk. Fans of Zayn were always only fans of Zayn most likely, and were probably happy when Zayn entered into his solo career. They are enamored with not just the bad boy, but the dangerous, brooding, sultry style that Zayn has adapted into his career and music. When I picture Zayn, I think of the leather jacket, black t-shirt, black skinny jeans with ripped holes at the knees, and skater shoes. Very hipster vibe. Oh, and black hair, earrings, and dark eyebrows. Maybe you have some books in mind already, but here are my recommendations for the Zayn fans:
After by Anna Todd // my above description literally describes Hardin from After (at least the film). Now I know that this book is probably a Harry Styles fan fiction. But hear me out, there are tons of Harry Styles fan fictions out there (see below). This book specifically, After, catches the fantasies of all of the Zayn fans out there who dreamt of falling for the true dangerous, mysterious bad boy of 1D. Hardin is mysterious in himself—as is the legendary 1D member that is Zayn Malik.
Emergency Contact by Mary H.K. Choi // maybe you’re into the dangerous, mysterious type but already went through the After series already. Try this novel, Emergency Contact by Mary H.K. Choi. You may like it.
Verity by Colleen Hoover // you probably like dark things, and with that, I don’t want to mess with you. You’d probably like Verity by Colleen Hoover, or any thriller book that Colleen Hoover writes.
Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James // okay, maybe this is a little cliche, but Zayn literally has a song on the album. Christian Grey is dark, brooding, and mysterious—all traits of the iconic Zayn Malik.
For The Harry Styles Fans:
Oh BOY, am I excited for this one? Okay, so we all know the obvious one: The Idea of You. I just finished reading this one, and already know that it’s a Harry Styles fan fiction. I mean, can you argue that it’s a fan fiction for boy bands in general? Yes, probably. But the main character, Hayes Campbell, is literally Harry Styles. And then, we have a new era of Harry Styles, that I like to call post-1D. This is primarily his Watermelon Sugar and more gender neutral looks that he is always wearing. (Pink suspenders and bell bottom pants? Iconic.) Here are my book recommendations for fans of Harry Styles:
The Idea of You by Robinne E. Lee. // I mean, let’s just go with the obvious, shall we? I already went into detail above, so just go read that, but highly recommend this book. Bookstagram hyped it up, and while it didn’t live up to the hype, I still very much enjoyed this one and I recommend it to not only the Directioners, but for any romance reader.
After by Anna Todd // alright, fine, I included this one for the Harry Styles fans as well, because simply, the author herself even said it was a Harry Styles fan fiction. Although I do think Hardin fits more of Zayn’s vibes, this one would be perfect for the Harry Styles fans.
The Heartbreakers by Ali Novak // originally published on Wattpad, The Heartbreakers features Stella, who absolutely hates the band, The Heartbreakers, but is dragged to a CD signing of theirs for her sick sister, Cara. Right before, she met a cute boy in line at a coffee shop but … to never see him again. However, she does see him again … at the CD signing, signing her sister’s CD. When Stella is offered a job as a photo blogger for the band while they go on tour, she agrees—even though her sister is currently in cancer treatment—and may end up falling for Oliver Perry, the lead of The Heartbreakers and the cute guy in the coffee shop.
Beach Read by Emily Henry // Augustus Everett = Harry Styles? Possibly? Idk, you decide.
It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey // A rom-com about a Hollywood It Girl who moves (forced to move) to a small beach town in the Pacific Northwest, where she meets and catches the eye of a sexy local who think she doesn’t belong. This enemies-to-lovers Tessa Bailey novel is perfect for the fan of Harry Styles.
AND THAT’S IT! Honestly, this post was just pure fun and I truly enjoyed putting this list together. All of these are opinions of my own, so please, if you disagree with any of these opinions and have book recommendations of your own for each 1D member, go ahead and write them in the comments below.