7 Musical Novels to Add to Your Playlist

Now published in the United States for the first time—an early novel from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Giver of Stars and the forthcoming Someone Else's Shoes.

Isabel Delancey, a classical violinist, has always taken her comfortable life for granted. But when her husband dies suddenly, leaving her with a mountain of debt, she... Read more »

Winner of the PEN/Faulkner Award • Winner of the Orange Prize • National Book Critics Circle Award Finalist"Bel Canto is its own universe. A marvel of a book." —Washington Post Book WorldNew York Times bestselling author Ann Patchett’s spellbinding novel about love and opera, and the unifying ways people learn to communicate across cultural... Read more »

The Ensemble

“My goodness, I love the quartet of flawed and wonderful characters Aja Gabel brings to life. I felt the heartbreak and triumph each time the ensemble performed. The Ensemble captures everything from the relentless rehearsals to the particular hand injuries musicians worry over to the conflict within the group. Henry, Daniel, Jana, and Britt are each characters unto themselves, but together they create a fifth character: the quartet itself. An inventive novel about the lives of musicians and the world they inhabit, full of tension, ambition, confusion, and loyalty. The Ensemble is a remarkable achievement.”

Sarah Bagby, Watermark Books

Songs in Ursa Major

“Songs in Ursa Major is the perfect summer book recommendation. It should be read with music right out of Laurel Canyon playing in the background.”

Linda McLoughlin Figel, {pages} a bookstore

Jimmy Rabbitte of The Commitments returns in the triumphant new novel from the Booker Prize–winning author

The distinct wit and lively, authentic dialogue that are the hallmarks of Roddy Doyle’s fiction are on a full display as he reintroduces Jimmy Rabbitte in this follow-up to his beloved debut novel The Commitments.

In the 1980s Jimmy Rabbitte... Read more »

The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love is a contemporary American classic, a book that still captivates and inspires readers more than twenty years after its first publication. Now, in Beautiful Maria of My Soul, Oscar Hijuelos returns to this indelible story, to tell it from the point of view of its beloved heroine, Maria.She's the great Cuban... Read more »

If you enjoyed Daisy Jones & The Six (TV Tie-in Edition), then you’ll love The Final Revival of Opal & Nev.

“The Final Revival of Opal & Nev absolutely shines in its full cast audio production. Organized as a series of interviews interspersed with editor notes, this book reads like a documentary-style non-fiction book but is actually FICTION which blows my mind. I felt like I read this book in its true format. The audiobook narration was SPOT ON with the full cast coming together to give so much life and personality to this cast of characters. I felt like I was listening to an in-depth podcast and with the mentioning of real life musicians and stars, I had to do a double take and make sure this book wasn't rooted in fact. Walton's Opal Jewel was someone I wish existed in real life. I could see her inspiration in all the Black female stars of the era but Opal was also a force of her own and had so much depth and life. I also really enjoyed her best friend and stylist Virgil (narrated by the indomitable Andre de Shields). This book not only tackled the pure drama of the rock and roll scene but also racial and gender issues of the era. This book is great for any music or rock and roll fan as well as fans of Daisy Jones and the Six. And do yourself a favor and devour this beauty as an audiobook!!”

Kimi, Buttonwood Books and Toys