18 books for the music fan this holiday season
Here are a few gift ideas for lovers of books about music that hit the right note.
Enya: A Treatise on Unguilty Pleasures by Chilly Gonzales
In Enya, Canadian musician and producer Chilly Gonzales looks at the music and artistry of mysterious Irish musician and singer-songwriter Enya and explores the power of fame, success and musical achievement in the process. Enya is a bestselling artist and this book dissects the magic behind the music.
Jason Charles Beck, professionally known as Chilly Gonzales, is a Grammy-winning Canadian musician, producer and author.
If I Knew Then by Jann Arden
Jann Arden is one of Canada's best known singer-songwriters. But when she reached her 50s, her life changed in unexpected ways: she became the caregiver for her mother, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer's, she became the star of the sitcom Jann and she realized that getting older doesn't mean she can't grow, change and celebrate. If I Knew Then is Arden's memoir looking back on this journey, and how she learned to free herself from expectations and not only live her life, but revel in it.
Arden is a multi-platinum recording artist and has won eight Juno Awards over her celebrated career. She recently starred in the fictional television series Jann on CTV. She is also the author of Feeding My Mother, a memoir of caring for her mother after she was diagnosed with Alzheimer's.
The Subtweet by Vivek Shraya
In The Subtweet, Neela Devaki's song is covered by internet-famous artist Rukmini. When the two musicians meet, a transformative friendship begins. But, as Rukmini's star rises, jealousy creeps in, and Neela sends out a highly-destructive tweet that blows up their friendship.
Vivek Shraya is a writer, artist and musician from Alberta. Her books include the novel She of the Mountains, the poetry collection even this page is white, the essay I'm Afraid of Men and the comic book Death Threat.
Love Her Madly by Bill Cosgrave
In 1965, Bill Cosgrave followed his friend Mary to Los Angeles. There, Mary introduced Bill to her boyfriend, and the two men spent the summer hanging out, smoking pot and enjoying being young and free. That friend was Jim Morrison, who would later find fame as the lead singer for the Doors. Bill lost touch with both Mary and Jim. His book Love Her Madly chronicles that unforgettable summer, and Bill's quest to track Mary down after more than 40 years of wondering where she ended up.
Cosgrave is the founder of the travel company Fun Seekers. He currently lives in Kelowna, B.C. Love Her Madly is his first book.
More Myself by Alicia Keys
American musician and vocalist Alicia Keys talks about her life and career in the memoir More Myself. The book is a look at identity, family, realizing one's worth and the oppressive expectations of female perfection. More Myself is structured as part autobiography, part narrative documentary as it delves into Alicia's journey for truth.
Alicia Keys is a Grammy-winning musician, singer-songwriter and producer from New York City.
The Meaning of Mariah Carey by Mariah Carey with Michaela Angela Davis
The Meaning of Mariah Carey by superstar American singer and songwriter Mariah Carey is a memoir of her life, in her own words. Working with writer Michaela Angela Davis, the book looks at emotional highs and lows of Carey's life and career. It looks at her triumphs and her traumas and recounts stories about the challenges and successes she has endured.
Mariah Carey is an American singer-songwriter and actress.
Any Night of the Week by Jonny Dovercourt
Any Night of the Week delves into the Toronto music scene across its many diverse neighbourhoods. It looks at various musicians, music bands and music venues in the city to offer a historical look at a vibrant and thriving independent scene. It features acts such as Rough Trade, Martha and the Muffins, Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet, Rheostatics, Ghetto Concept, LAL, Broken Social Scene and more.
Jonny Dovercourt (aka Jonathan Bunce) is a veteran Toronto indie musician/writer and the co-founder and Artistic Director of Wavelength Music, a Toronto-based non-profit independent music organization and concert series.
How to Lose Everything by Christa Couture
Christa Couture has lost a lot over the course of her life: her leg was amputated, her first child died when he was one-day old, her second child died as a baby after a heart transplant, her marriage ended in divorce and a thyroidectomy threatened her music career. But through it all, she has found hope, joy and love and maintains a perspective filled with compassion and understanding. She shares her journey, and what she's learned along the way, in her memoir, How to Lose Everything.
Christa Couture is a writer, musician and broadcaster who is currently based in Toronto. Her work has appeared in CBC Arts and CBC Parents and she has been a columnist on CBC Radio's The Next Chapter. How to Lose Everything is her first book.
Music Lessons by Bob Wiseman
In Music Lessons, musician Bob Wiseman writes about finding the link between music and daily life. Each entry in the book explores improvisational music, life lessons and conflict.
Wiseman is a Canadian film composer, songwriter and music teacher. He is one of the founding members of Juno Award-winning band Blue Rodeo. Music Lessons is Wiseman's first book.
Leonard Cohen by George Walker and Leonard Cohen, Untold Stories: The Early Years by Michael Posner
These two books are a look at the life of the late musician and poet Leonard Cohen. Leonard Cohen by master engraver and writer Geirge Walker is a biography that features woodcut engravings as it explores the life and artistic accomplishments of the Quebec-born poet, musician and novelist. Leonard Cohen, Untold Stories: The Early Years by Michael Posner uses hundreds of interviews to provide a holistic perspective of the complex artist.
Posner is a Canadian journalist and biographer.
Walker is a Canadian artist and writer best known for his wood engravings and wordless novels.
Music for Tigers by Michelle Kadarusman
Music for Tigers is a middle-grade novel and coming-of-age story about a young violinist who finds out that her mother's family secretly has a sanctuary for extinct Tasmanian tigers — the island's most beloved and lost, creature — in the remote Australian rainforest.
Michelle Kadarusman is a Canadian Australian Indonesian author of novels for children and teens. She is the author of The Theory of Hummingbirds and Girl of the Southern Sea, which was a finalist for the 2019 Governor General's Literary Award for young people's literature — text.
Not for You: Pearl Jam and the Present Tense by Ronen Givony
Not for You is a critical look at the career of bestselling American rock band Pearl Jam. The Seattle quintet sold more than 85 million records and this full-length biography looks at the impact the group has had on history and popular culture.
Ronen Givony is an American author and critic.
This Isn't Happening: Radiohead's "Kid A" and the Beginning of the 21st Century by Steven Hyden
Radiohead is a seminal English rock band and their 1999 album Kid A redefined the genre when it was released in 1999. This Isn't Happening is a look at how forward-thinking the record was and still is and how the band navigated industry issues and intra-band squabbles to create an enduring album that changed the genre forever.
Steven Hyden is an American rock critic and author.
Let Love Rule by Lenny Kravitz
This memoir is a reflective look at the early life and career of American rock star Lenny Kravitz. Let Love Rule explores his biracial heritage, his early marriage to actress Lisa Bonet and his journey to becoming a hugely successful and respected musician.
Lenny Kravitz is an American musician, producer and actor.
She Come By It Natural by Sarah Smarsh
She Come By It Natural is a biography of the country music icon Dolly Parton. The book looks at her working-class upbringing in Kansas and her rise to become a cultural and music legend that crossed genres and musical sounds. She Come By It Natural is a tribute to Parton's life as a feminist and a socially conscious human being.
Sarah Smarsh is an American journalist and writer. Her books include the bestselling 2018 nonfiction book Heartland, which explored socioeconomic class, politics and public policy.
The Butterfly Effect by Marcus J. Moore
The Butterfly Effect is a nonfiction book that looks at the life and career of American hip-hop artist Kendrick Lamar. Known as a rap superstar and a master of storytelling, the book is a biography that explores the life, career, racial politics and cultural legacy of the 13-time Grammy Award-winning rapper and artist who became the first hip-hop artist to win a Pulitzer Prize.
Marcus J. Moore is an American journalist and music critic.
We Still Here edited by Charity Marsh & Mark V. Campbell
We Still Here is a nonfiction essay anthology looking at the cultural phenomenon that is rap and hip-hop and its impact in the Canadian music scene. Curated by Canadian editors Charity Marsh and Mark V. Campbell, the book's contributors place a spotlight on the power of the popular music genre and how Canadian hip-hop artists have created and engaged with the music across the country.
Mark V. Campbell is a DJ, scholar and curator based in Toronto.
Charity Marsh is the associate professor in Interdisciplinary Studies and Creative Technologies in the Faculty of Media, Art, and Performance at the University of Regina.
