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Community Corner

Library Picks: Rock 'n Roll Fiction

These reads are on the shelf waiting to be picked up.

When the National Book Critics Circle Awards were announced on March 10, the award for fiction went to novelist Jennifer Egan for her wildly inventive, sprawling, ambitious, must-read novel A Visit from the Goon Squad. A collection of interwoven stories, the book follows the members of a San Francisco punk band and their hangers-on over several decades, one of whom becomes a top rock music producer in New York City. Here are some other contemporary novels with a rock ‘n roll theme.

Broad Street by Christine Weiser (2008): In 1990s Philadelphia, an all-girl underground rock group struggles for success in the male-dominated rock scene.

Juliet, Naked by Nick Hornby (2009): When Annie breaks up with Duncan, who has spent the entire 15 years of their relationship obsessed with reclusive singer-songwriter Tucker Crowe, her comments on a fan web site lead to an unlikely correspondence with her ex-boyfriend’s idol.  

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Long Way Back by Brendan Halpin (2006): After he loses his wife to a brain aneurysm, Francis turns to the angry, propulsive music of his adolescence for solace, and finds that you're never too old for punk rock.

The Song is You by Arthur Phillips (2009): Julian Donahue, separated from his wife after the death of his son, becomes drawn to an Irish rock singer, but delays meeting her, communicating only through email and text, until his attraction turns into an obsession with music and fame.

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You Don’t Love Me Yet by Jonathan Lethem (2007): Lucinda Hoekke, a bass player for an alternative rock band who spends her days listening to anonymous callers air their random grievances, falls in love with a frequent caller after being captivated by his philosophical musings.

For more good book suggestions 24/7, visit our Reader's Corner.

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