We live in an age of mass media production. And while this can lead to overwhelm, it can also lead to the happy discovery of new stories, new bands or singers, or new authors in which to devour, so to speak. And sometimes, when we get lucky enough, we find a melding of both the literary world and the music world, in which one references the other, or vice versa.
Below, you will find five such books which do just that! Ranging from classical music and musicals to good old 2010’s boy bands, the books below will all take you on their unique journeys that feature music in wildly diverse ways!
Trigger Warning: The mention of sexual assault, drug use, depression, and anxiety may be triggering for some readers. Please exercise personal care while reading.
Sparrow Hill Road by Seanan McGuire
A literary genius in her own right, Seanan McGuire includes several different song mentions throughout her ghostly trilogy, alongside a few of her very own creations. Rose Marshall, our undead heroine, is a girl who was killed the night of her school dance through a deliberate car crash; and is charged forevermore to help those who might avoid the same fate. Maybe. Sometimes. Rose loves cars and the Last Dance Diner, and burgers with fries that bring her back to life a little bit.
In the first book, we follow Rose as she goes about trying to prevent inevitable death, which she both accomplishes and fails in equal measures. However, the thing that changes her wavering trajectory through the ghost roads is when she tells her story — her full story. In the comfort of the Last Dance Diner, Rose Marshall gives us the full tale and receives an additional charge while real-life heartbreaker Tom Petty’s song Mary Jane’s Last Dance plays on in the background.
Love in the Time of Serial Killers by Alicia Thompson
Alicia Thompson, digestor of true crime in the real world, puts that same gory interest to good use in her contemporary romance-thriller Love in the Time of Serial Killers. Phoebe Walsh, also a massive over-consumer of the True Crime genre, has managed to thread her interest into every angle of her life. Her dissertation, her hobbies…even into her new (attractive) neighbor, Sam Dennings! Combining Phoebe’s certainty that Sam Dennings is a certifiable serial killer with plenty of song sprinklings from Paramore, this fun, gripping tale will definitely have you up all night.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
Stephen Chbosky’s book-turned-movie hit, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, references the iconic Rocky Horror Picture Show as both a regular talking point and as a vehicle in which the characters can exhibit a different side of themselves. Charlie, the protagonist, fully utilizes this alternative character (however brief,) when he is chosen to play Rocky instead of Craig, Sam’s romantic partner for the special night. Here, his deeply hurt, introverted personality gets to take a momentary backseat as the characters all get into the groove and “do the timewarp.”
Revolution by Jennifer Donelly
This YA novel of music, pain, and time travel, written in 2010 by Jennifer Donelly, acts rather like a time capsule of the genre and of the teenage passions at the time. It combines and weaves together many characters and scenes, all with their own backtrack ranging from Radiohead’s Reckoner to Beethoven’s most famous pieces.
Without giving too much away, Andi escapes from her grief, survivor’s guilt, and unsteady world into her music and makes nearly all of her connections and triumphs from her mishmash of tastes throughout the book. This book is ambitious, to be certain, but the characters nonetheless draw you in as the plot changes the look of the outcome up until the very end.
Light from Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki
This intergalactic love story is interwoven with music from many different outlets. Shizuka Satomi, aptly named The Queen of Hell, is our main heroine, and she is trying to find her seventh and final violin prodigy, whom she can convince to sell their soul in order to gain success – along with her own salvation. She finds that in the form of Katrina Nguyen, a young transgender kid with a conviction all her own. However, as literal freedom hovers just within her grasp, Shizuka meets Lan Tran, an alien captain long retired, now living with her children in LA, who both sweetens Shizuka’s heart and stomach with heartfelt conversation and homemade donuts. This book talks about sacrifice, gender, and being displaced in a world full of cruelty, yet finding love and acceptance despite it all within the litany of violin pieces and exacting demon pacts.
Our respective taste in books is often as varied as our preferences for our music, but the joy of trying – and finding something new and addictive will never get old. Hopefully one or more of these titles has piqued your interest a little, and you’ll find yourself with a new read (or song), before the end of the day!
Curious about Bookstr’s other book recommendations? Click here
Interested in more music-related tales? Feel free to read through our Music, Magic, And Maestros: Melodic Fiction For Classical Musical Lovers for more possible reads!
