A book where music is a main component

Book Prompt #15 for the Between the Lines 2026 Reading Challenge

Updated January 27, 2026
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The magic strings of Frankie Presto : a novel
Albom, Mitch
Paper Book
From the beloved author of the #1 New York Times bestsellers Tuesdays with Morrie and The Five People You Meet in Heaven comes his most critically acclaimed novel yet--a stunningly original tale of magical realism and love: love between a man and a woman, between an artist and his mentor, and...
The upcycled self : a memoir on the art of becoming who we are
Black Thought
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * "One of hip-hop's greatest MCs, unpacking his harrowing, remarkable journey in his own words, with enough insights for two lifetimes."--Lin-Manuel Miranda, award-winning songwriter, producer, director, and creator of In the Heights and Hamilton
Florida Soul: From Ray Charles to KC and the Sunshine Band
Capouya, John
Paper Book
Florida Historical Society Charlton Tebeau Award University of Tampa College of Arts and Letters Outstanding Scholarship or Creative Work Award When recalling the roots of soul music, most people are likely to name Memphis, Detroit, New Orleans, Muscle Shoals, or Macon...
Unfaithful music & disappearing ink
Costello, Elvis.
Paper Book
The perfect gift for music lovers and Elvis Costello fans, telling the story behind Elvis Costello's legendary career and his iconic, beloved songs.  Unfaithful Music & Disappearing Ink provides readers with a master's catalogue of a lifetime of great music....
A visit from the Goon Squad
Egan, Jennifer.
Paper Book
NATIONAL BESTSELLER * NATIONAL BOOK CRITICS CIRCLE WINNER * With music pulsing on every page, this startling, exhilarating novel of self-destruction and redemption "features characters about whom you come to care deeply as you watch them doing things they shouldn't, acting gloriously,...
Nocturnes : five stories of music and nightfall
Ishiguro, Kazuo
Paper Book
One of the most celebrated writers of our time gives us his first cycle of short fiction: five brilliantly etched, interconnected stories in which music is a vivid and essential character. A once-popular singer, desperate to make a comeback, turning from the one certainty in his life . . . a man...
The music shop : a novel
Joyce, Rachel
Paper Book
"An unforgettable story of music, loss and hope. Fans of High Fidelity, meet your next quirky love story."--People NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY THE TIMES (UK) AND THE WASHINGTON POST It is 1988. On a...
Good day Sunshine State : how The Beatles rocked Florida
Kealing, Bob
Paper Book
The musical and cultural impact of the Fab Four in Florida   In 1964, Beatlemania flooded the United States. The Beatles appeared live on the Ed Sullivan Show and embarked on their first tour of North America--and they spent more time in Florida than anywhere...
The phantom of the opera
Leroux, Gaston
Paper Book
A sparkling new translation of the novel that inspired the most popular stage musical of all time. Rumors abound that a ghost stalks the dark passages and cellars of the Paris Opera House. No one has actually seen this Phantom, but Christine Daa , a beautiful and talented young singer,...
Utopia Avenue : a novel
Mitchell, David
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * The long-awaited new novel from the bestselling, prize-winning author of Cloud Atlas and The Bone Clocks. New York Times Book Review Editors' Choice * "Mitchell's rich imaginative stews bubble with history...
Sonic life : a memoir
Moore, Thurston
Paper Book
From the founding member of Sonic Youth, a passionate memoir tracing the author's life and art--from his teen years as a music obsessive in small-town Connecticut, to the formation of his legendary rock group, to thirty years of creation, experimentation, and wonder "Downtown...
Bel canto a novel
Patchett, Ann.
Paper Book
Somewhere in South America, at the home of the country's vice president, a lavish birthday party is being held in honor of the powerful businessman Mr. Hosokawa. Roxanne Coss, opera's most revered soprano, has mesmerized the international guests with her singing. It is a perfect evening -- until...
The Beautiful Ones
Prince,.
Paper Book
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * The brilliant coming-of-age-and-into-superstardom story of one of the greatest artists of all time, in his own words--featuring never-before-seen photos, original scrapbooks and lyric sheets, and the exquisite memoir he began writing before his...
Music is history
Questlove
Paper Book
In Music Is History, bestselling author and Sundance award-winning director Questlove harnesses his encyclopedic knowledge of popular music and his deep curiosity about history to examine America over the past fifty years. Choosing one essential track from each year, Questlove unpacks each...
Daisy Jones & the Six : a novel
Reid, Taylor Jenkins
Paper Book
#1 NATIONAL BESTSELLER * OVER TWO MILLION COPIES SOLD! A gripping novel about the whirlwind rise of an iconic 1970s rock group and their beautiful lead singer, revealing the mystery behind their infamous breakup--from the author of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, Malibu Rising, and...
The violin conspiracy
Slocumb, Brendan
Paper Book
GOOD MORNING AMERICA BOOK CLUB PICK! * Ray McMillian is a Black classical musician on the rise--undeterred by the pressure and prejudice of the classical music world--when a shocking theft sends him on a desperate quest to recover his great-great-grandfather's heirloom violin...
Swing time
Smith, Zadie.
Paper Book
"Smith's thrilling cultural insights never overshadow the wholeness of her characters, who are so keenly observed that one feels witness to their lives." --O, The Oprah Magazine "A sweeping meditation on art, race, and identity that may be [Smith's] most ambitious work...
Thank you (falettinme be mice elf agin) : a memoir
Stone, Sly
Paper Book
Not many memoirs are generational events. But when Sly Stone, one of the few true musical geniuses of the last century, decides to finally tell his life story, it can't be called anything else. As the front man for the sixties pop-rock-funk band Sly and the Family Stone, a...
How to write one song
Tweedy, Jeff
Paper Book
As Jeff Tweedy himself puts it, there are few creative acts more mysterious and magical than writing a song. But what if the goal wasn t so mysterious, and was actually achievable, and possible, for anyone who wants to add more magic and creativity in their life? That's something that anyone will be...
Ghost music : a novel
Yu, An
Paper Book
From the author of the "original and electric" Braised Pork (Time), An Yu's enchanting and contemplative novel of music and mushrooms follows a former concert pianist searching for the truth about a vanished musician For three years, Song Yan has filled the emptiness...

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