YOU GUYS!!!! IT’S OFFICIAL. FESTIVAL SEASON HAS BEGUN!!!! There are very few things in this life that I love as much as I love books, but one of those things is music. Not only has music played a huge role in my life since childhood, but it is also what brought me to my best friend. I’ve been to more concerts than I can count and have spent every summer of the last decade attending at least 1 music festival. Much like books, music festivals have become a sort of secondary home for me. A way to escape reality, if only for a few hours. I have read many books about music over the years and loved the combination so much that I’ve compiled them into an sharable list of musical books to help jumpstart your festival season!
Maybe Someday by Colleen Hoover
Oh Man!! We are starting this list off STRONG with Maybe Someday by Colleen Hoover. Not only has Hoover created an incredibly unique romance between two musicians, but she has also innovated a new listen-while-you-read experience and it is INCREDIBLE. After enlisting the help of Singer/Songwriter, Griffin Peterson, the duo created a soundtrack for Maybe Someday that pairs each song with a different scene from the book. The combination of reading/listening evokes a new level of emotion from the reader and allows them to experience a book like they never have before. If by some chance you’ve never read a Colleen Hoover book, pick this one up and jumpstart your music festival season!
Mayhem by Jamie Shaw
Alright – listen. If there is ONE book on this entire list that I want you to read, it’s Mayhem by Jamie Shaw. Years ago, a young and unsuspecting Summer saw a book with an intriguing cover on amazon and innocently thought “this looks kinda cool, maybe I’ll read it.” Little did she know how much this book would ruin her life!!! Mayhem is a slow burn story featuring college freshman, Rowan, and up and coming rock star, Adam Everest and their sexy-yet-sweet romance. Not only does this book grab your attention from the very first page but it doesn’t let go until its heart melting conclusion. I am absolutely obsessed with this series and wish I could read 1000 more books by Jamie! This book was made for those of us who spent our summers at Warped Tour in beat up chucks, screaming along to all of our favorite songs. Seriously – READ THIS BOOK!
Daisy Jones & the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Listen – I am not usually one to read super hyped books in fear that I will be disappointed; but let me just say that bookstagram did not let me down this time! Daisy Jones completely enraptured me with its documentary style storytelling and complex characters. Daisy Jones tells the story of a fictional 70’s rock band’s rise and fall from fame. With gut wrenching twists, this book will leave you gasping for breath and begging for more. I never expected to find myself so invested in this story, but I literally could not put it down! It may have taken me a while to read my first TJR book, but there’s no going back now! This book solidified TJR as an auto-buy author for me, so make sure you pick this one up.
Grip by Kennedy Ryan
Unlike the other books on this list, Grip features a musician outside of the rock/indie genre and I couldn’t love it more! This book features Bristol, a talent manager, and Grip – a musician on his rise to fame. Their story is unmatched in passion and emotion and encapsulates everything I’ve ever wanted from a love story. Not only does this book feature an incredible romance but it also addresses important topics such as race and social injustice; something that we do not often see in romance. This book completely ensnared me from the very first page and guaranteed that Bristol and Grip’s story was not one that I would soon forget. A must read!
Now that you have my ultimate guide of musical book recommendations, grab one of these and some sunscreen and stuff it into your fest pack and have an amazing festival season!!!
