Music has always been a huge part of my life, a silent home feels wrong to me, I have to always have something playing. My parents certainly fed into that from an early age, my mum was always playing music around the house and my dad is a musician so I grew up around his various instruments. Music has the brilliant ability to make you feel all sorts of emotions and go on all kinds of journeys, just like books, so it makes sense I’m also really into books about music too!
Here are a few recommendations I’ve enjoyed.
Deep Cuts, Holly Brickley
This book blew me away almost immediately. Following a relationship between two characters over years starting in the early 00s, this book is about love in all its forms; romantic, friendship, and passion. This is littered with fantastic music references throughout – in fact, it took me so long to read it because I kept stopping to listen to every song and album mentioned. I wish I’d started writing them down as I read because now I feel I want to reread to make a comprehensive list.
This book is one for anyone looking for some 2000s nostalgia, for some brilliant music recommendations, and for a book about music from the perspective of someone who is a music lover, not a musician.
High Fidelity, Nick Hornby
I didn’t love this book as much as I’d hoped to, mostly because I couldn’t stand the main character. He owns a record shop and is moping about after a breakup that has inspired him to look back on all his past breakups and why he is getting rejected. I was here for the music references and the music references only, because Rob’s whining and hatred of women got old real quick.
What I did enjoy about this book was the atmosphere of the record shop, the clear passion for music, and the 90s vibes throughout. The narrative told the story in an interesting way, it’s just not one I felt invested enough in.
Utopia Avenue, David Mitchell
This book is chef’s kiss perfection. Set in the late 60s in London it is littered with music references and iconic cameos. I kept getting so excited every time any artists were mentioned, it reminds you how trailblazing the 60s was for music. In this book, we’re following the journey of the band Utopia Avenue as they shoot to fame from being relative unknowns.
David Mitchell has a fantastic way of writing stories that just sweep you along on their journey. This was unputdownable, I kept having to remind myself this was about a fictional band, not a real one. Highly recommend for any music lover!
Daisy Jones and the Six, Taylor Jenkins Reid
This is such an iconic book about music that it’s become a staple of the genre. Giving serious Fleetwood Mac vibes this book follows the rise to fame of The Six and the introduction of Daisy Jones into the band. It’s full of drama, heart, music and passion. Told through interviews, this book has a really interesting and unique narrative style that means you never want to stop reading.
This was another book where I had to keep reminding myself the band wasn’t real… until they made a TV show of it and now you actually can listen to these songs!
Songs in Ursa Major, Emma Brodie
Another book set in the late ’60s, it’s like that decade is known for its music or something… Songs in Ursa Major is one for the Daisy Jones fans, following a singer’s journey into the music industry and her relationship with a famous singer. This has the struggle to fame journey Daisy Jones does so well, but it also has a more personal one-on-one feel as we follow Jane specifically on this path.
I loved the vibes of this book, seeing the music scene in the late ’60s and into the 70s was really cool, and seeing Jane’s personal experience of it too, the highs and lows.
Still on my TBR are The Mess We’re In by Annie Macmanus and Mayflies by Andrew O’Hagan. Do you have any more books about music recommendations for me? I’d love to hear them!
Hey. Thanks