The Book Thread Book • Page 196

I'm reading the Dutch House by Ann Pachett and it's one of those books that if someone asks if I'm enjoying it I'd say absolutely I am. But if they ask me what it's about I'd be like.... Honestly I don't know. Which isn't a judgement it's just always kinda funny to me when a book falls in that space

 

just finished Between Two Fires, incredible book. one of the best horrors in recent memory for sure

 

Hi all — I'm working on proposing my dissertation right now and I wanted to do a little crowd sourcing here. My project is, broadly, about the affective relationship between popular music and the novel (mostly American/British but not necessarily nationally delineated) after 1948, with special attention to the evolution of the musical commercial format (LP --->Cassette--->CD and so on).

My question for the room is this: What are your favorite novels about music from that long period? I've got a long list I'm working with already, but I think this is such a particular place (a book thread on a music forum), and I know you all have some favorites I've not heard of. All kinds of novels or short stories would be useful (including any genre fiction!) But I'm looking for fiction (or autofiction). Let me know if you have any thoughts!

 

Playing fast and loose with "about music", if that is allowed, Less than Zero and American Psycho both utilize music in a unique way.

 

Speaking of Ellis, I'm reading Paradais by Fernanda Melchor for Anthony Jeselnik's book club and it feels like it is taking the stream of consciousness of Ellis's novels to an extreme. An ugly, gross book so far that occasionally spirals into beauty. I'm about half way through and have no idea where it is going. Good stuff!

 

American Psycho and Glamorama are both on my list so this is definitely in the ballpark. I have not read Less than Zero so I'll get on that! Thank you.

 

I swear I've read more about music, but no titles immediately jumped to mind.

If you want to draw a line between how music has often been used as resistance to power, Suzanne Collins and "The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes" could be a more recent example of similar use of music in a novel. Of course, those turn of the millennium Nick Hornby books "About A Boy" and "High Fidelity" use music pretty integrally to the plot.

As for nonfiction that stood out as I went through my read list, Nick Hornby's "Songbook" and Rob Sheffield's "Love Is A Mix Tape: Life and Loss, One Song at a Time" were two I read that I thought might be worth mentioning.

 

Oh man it's his masterpiece!

 

also I haven't read this one but I read Hurricane Season and felt the same — extremely queasy but incredible prose. I'll have to check this one out too when I get a moment

 

oh hell yeah, I really liked hurricane season so I’ll have to check out paradais

 

Pretty short, about 200 pages. I find myself having to put it down whenever a break in a paragraph comes (not very often) because it feels like I am running out of breath.

 

Spark Bird by Jonathan Koven, Julian Shendelman, and Danny DeRock

 

I'm about halfway through Polybius by Collin Armstrong and really enjoying it so far. Very obvious Stephen King influence - cursed object, small town, multi POV, people being driven to violence by supernatural/sci-fi forces

Also halfway through Witchcraft For Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix and absolutely loving that one.

 

On Beauty by Zadie Smith, sort of
High Fidelity by Nick Hornby

 

Dana Spiotta’s “Stone Arabia” is absolutely worth looking into. Great novel “about” music and it’s been a while since I’ve read it but I’m pretty sure different physical formats of music play a big role in the themes she’s exploring

 

just wrapped up The Buffalo Hunter Hunter, absolutely incredible. one of the best takes on vampires I've ever seen, easily one of the best Stephen Graham Jones books

 

Absolutely loved Witchcraft for Wayward Girls. This is my third Grady Hendrix book and I'd say it's pretty easily my favorite

 

What were the other two books? I think I have most of them but only read My Best Friend’s Exorcism

 

MBFE and How To Sell A Haunted House

 

SGJ sequel to The Only Good Indians out later this year, let's fucking go

 

Can’t fucking wait.

 

between this and new Dark Tower adjacent stuff from King, we are feasting this year

 

I'm in my cozy romance era. Reading Love, Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood. Basically in her books the female protagonists are feminists who work in academics or STEM and the men fall hard and first for the woman. I was skeptical at first cause she got her start in writing fanfic which is fine but I'm not usually a fan of media that started out as fanfics first, but it's cute and characters have depth and are flawed in ways that make sense for them. Just easy entertaining cozy reads which is what I've been in the mood for with the current state of the world.

 

I tried to listen to the audiobook of Game Changers and I made it approx 2 seconds into it before the narrators attempt at an NY accent just sent me and I couldn't stop laughing. No way I could take that seriously for the entire book

I'm getting more into audiobooks now but for every one I can tolerate I have to stop like 5 of them because of the ridic narration

 

hell yeah literally just picked this up the other day