Jun 27, 2024
Review of The Piano Tuner by Daniel Mason
ICYMI: Daniel Mason's atmospheric, mysterious, languorous story is of a shy piano tuner's trip to Burma to get the piano of an eccentric...
Jun 7, 2024
Six Musicians' Memoirs that Sing
Musicians' Must-Read Memoirs I'm a biiiig memoir fan, and I love behind-the-scenes peeks. These six memoirs from musicians offer stories...
Jul 6, 2023
Review of Maddalena and the Dark by Julia Fine
Julia Fine's Maddalena and the Dark is a gothic story set in 1700s Venice in which two young women's lives and destinies become...
Jun 15, 2023
Review of Boys I Know by Anna Gracia
Gracia's young adult debut digs into teenaged June's messy, sometimes disastrous, and ultimately heartwarming teen exploration of...
Jun 14, 2023
Review of Charm City Rocks: A Love Story by Matthew Norman
Charm City Rocks is sweet, interesting, and layered. I loved this story about relationships, complications, famous/everyday person...
Jun 13, 2023
Review of The Second Ending by Michelle Hoffman
Hoffman's novel is about facing dark realities, entering uncharted territory, leaning on music as a solace, and welcoming new beginnings....
May 23, 2023
Review of Don't Tell Anybody the Secrets I Told You by Lucinda Williams
Lucinda Williams offers a gritty, honest, captivating, spare yet fully developed memoir in which she explores her musical influences and...
Apr 11, 2023
Review of Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld
Sittenfeld's funny and sweet take on an unlikely romance sparked by a longtime SNL-type weekly skit show immediately had me hooked, never...
Dec 28, 2022
Review of Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story by Bono
Thoughtful, self-deprecating, earnest, and honest, Surrender is a captivating peek into the four decades (and counting) of U2. Bono...
Jul 22, 2022
Six Musicians' Memoirs that Sing
Musicians' Memoirs I'm a biiiig memoir fan, and I love behind-the-scenes peeks. These six memoirs from musicians offer stories about the...
Jun 29, 2022
Review of One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston
McQuiston's love letter to New York offers charming song references, LGBTQ love, steamy scenes, character growth--and an irresistible...
Mar 2, 2022
Review of The Unsinkable Greta James by Jennifer E. Smith
I enjoyed the glimpses of Alaska and peeks into Greta's musical inspirations and aspirations, although I remained confused about why her...
Oct 6, 2021
Review of Broken Horses by Brandi Carlile
In Broken Horses, Brandi Carlile shares a beautifully open, poignant, tough, rich, gorgeous account of her life and career so far. The...
May 31, 2021
Three Books I'm Reading Now, 5/31/21 Edition
The Books I'm Reading Now Two of these books are largely about redemption, two focus on the twisted blessing-and-curse of technology, and...
Apr 23, 2021
Six Rockin' Stories about Bands and Music
Who likes a little rock with their reading? My friend Deyna recently mentioned revisiting Daisy Jones and the Six. I was thinking about...
Nov 20, 2020
Shhh! Books I'm Giving as Gifts This Holiday
Spoiler alert: If you're someone I give gifts to for a fall birthday or for the holidays, this roundup might be a surprise ruiner! Or...
Oct 15, 2020
Review of Blood: A Memoir by Allison Moorer
Blood reads like an unflinchingly honest journal; Moorer sifts through memories, photos, joyful moments; she feels rage, sadness, and loss.