Books About Music

Snooze break at GovBall

I went to GovBall a few weeks ago! It was my first music festival and I had a blast. I saw so many amazing artists - Florence + the Machine, Kate Tempest, Marina and the Diamonds, Angus and Julia Stone, Drake, et cetera. I could go on forever but I'm probably boring you all, so I'll just say that I've had music on the brain since GovBall, and this reading list is a result of that.

1. Elenor and Park by Rainbow Rowell: This cute YA romance is made interesting because it dares to break several conventions of the YA romance genre. For example, the girl is not drop-dead gorgeous. Anyway, the couple, Elenor and Park (durr), connect through music - Park brings his Walkman on the school bus every morning, and they share earbuds on the ride to school.
2. Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan: Another romance in which the characters are united by their love of music! Don't get cynical on me, though. This book is hilarious and it's full of fun details about New York City nightlife.
3. Dispatches by Michael Herr: In order to capture the feel of the Vietnam War, Michael Herr sprinkled his stream-of-consciousness narrative with songs, album titles, and artists that he heard and listened to during his time in Vietnam.
4. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou: This classic memoir is packed with music, from hymns to swing. Click here if you want to read my review.
5. A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess: My last post was a review of this book, but in that review I only touched on the protagonist Alex's love of classical music. The kind that he likes is as dark and violent as he is. If you read a passage of this book and Alex mentions a song, play it and read the passage over again. I swear it will take on a whole new, sinister dimension.

- Carly

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