AMAs After-Party: 8 Music-Themed Books That Will Rock Your Bookshelf

Deep Cuts by Holly Brickley

We begin in a campus bar at Berkeley on a Friday night in the fall of 2000. Joe, a student and amateur songwriter, sips his drink as he listens to fellow student Percy geeking out over the Hall & Oates song playing on the jukebox. Percy has no talent for music, just lots of opinions about it, and Joe could listen to Percy talk all night.

All it takes is Joe asking Percy for feedback on one of his songs to kick off a partnership that will span years, nurturing new passions in them both, and humbling their egos again and again. Is their collaboration worth its cost? Or is it holding Percy back from finding her own voice? Deep Cuts takes you from the bars of Brooklyn to the clubs of San Francisco, all while examining obsession, belonging, and the human desire to be heard.

Under the Ivy by Graeme Thomson

Under the Ivy is the story of one woman’s life in music. Detailing everything from Kate Bush’s upbringing to her early exposition of talent, Thomson brings you a fresh new edition of her critically acclaimed, definitive biography. The text has been updated to include coverage of Bush’s return to the top of the charts in 2022 following the TikTok resurgence of “Running Up That Hill.” An immersive analysis of Kate Bush’s art meets an in-depth biography in Under the Ivy, making it perfect for both super-fans as well as those just breaking into the breadth of Bush’s work.

Honey by Isabel Banta

Let’s take a trip to the year 1997. Aspiring singer Amber Young is given a once-in-a-lifetime chance thousands of girls would die for: the opportunity to join girl group Cloud9 in Los Angeles and escape her small town. Encountering various music celebrities along the way, Amber must learn how to cope with fame as she climbs up the ladder to solo artistry. Amber finds herself in a world engulfed in fake love, exploitation and greed, and must come face-to-face with the scary reality of how one mistake can shatter a career. Debut author Isabel Banta’s coming-of-age story redefines the narratives of some of the most famous pop icons of the 1990s and 2000s, reimagining the superstars we idolized and hated, oversexualized and underestimated, and gives them the fresh, multifaceted story they deserve.

Traveling: On the Path of Joni Mitchell by Ann Powers

For decades, iconic folk singer Joni Mitchell has captivated audiences with both her music and mystique, inspiring artists from James Taylor to Prince and Brandi Carlile. In Traveling, music critic Ann Powers explores Mitchell’s life through her many journeys — geographical, emotional and artistic. Drawing on extensive interviews and archival research, Powers traces Mitchell’s path from her childhood in rural Canada to her evolving musical styles and enduring collaborations, crescendoing to her powerful return after a 2015 aneurysm. More than a biography, Traveling is a reflection told from the perspective of both a critic and a fan. With vivid detail and sweeping insight, Powers offers a compelling, intimate portrait of an ever-changing icon who remains just out of reach.

The Final Revival of Opal & Nev by Dawnie Walton

Beginning in 1970s Detroit, Opal, a fierce, Afro-punk visionary, is discovered by British musician Neville Charles. As they rise in New York’s rock scene, a bold protest against a Confederate flag at a concert sparks violent fallout — with lasting consequences, especially for an outspoken Black woman like Opal. Decades later, music journalist Sunny Shelton investigates their story for an oral history project. But what begins as a tribute unearths a shocking allegation that could rewrite everything. A Good Morning America Buzz Pick and one of Barack Obama’s Best Books of 2021, The Final Revival of Opal & Nev explores the depths of fame, race, truth and the price of speaking out.

Brothers by Alex Van Halen

In this deeply personal memoir, Alex Van Halen shares a heartfelt tribute to his brother and bandmate, Eddie Van Halen. Blending stories of their childhood — from the Netherlands to working-class Pasadena — with behind-the-scenes tales of rock stardom, Alex reflects on family, fame and their unbreakable bond. From sharing a record player and tour buses to navigating success and struggles, Alex paints an intimate portrait of brotherhood. With honesty and love, he sets the record straight on Eddie’s life, their journey together, and the legacy they built. An instant New York Times bestseller, Brothers is a rock ballad in book form.

LoFi by Liz Riggs

Aspiring Indie singer-songwriter Alison Hunter spends her nights working the door of The Venue, a sweaty music bar known for being the most popular destination in Nashville for bands like Bon Iver and Death Cab for Cutie. When a once-in-a-century storm hits and her lead singer ex-boyfriend shows up at the door, Alison finds herself stuck in a perpetual cycle of late nights, new flings and old flames as she slowly loses herself over the disappearance of a troubled indie star. Teetering on the edge, Alision must confront what she really wants in this raw, electric tribute to music, heartbreak and the reckless pursuit of meaning.

Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

There is no way I could leave out this Fleetwood Mac-esque novel-turned-hit-TV-series by Taylor Jenkins Reid. Bleeding talent, the undiscovered Daisy Jones is a girl coming of age in L.A. in the late 60s. Spending her nights sneaking into Sunset Strip, sleeping with rock stars, taking drugs and dreaming of singing at the Whisky a Go Go, Daisy loves rock ’n’ roll more than anything.

By the time she’s 20, her voice and beauty are getting noticed. Also getting noticed is The Six, a band led by the brooding Billy Dunne, whose girlfriend’s pregnancy announcement on day one of their first tour puts him in a tailspin. With the pressure of impending fatherhood and fame, Billy begins succumbing to alcoholism and depression. Daisy and Billy cross paths when a producer realizes that the key to supercharged success is to put the two together. Can Daisy and Billy work together, or will their fiery passion and tortured souls tear the band apart?