Novels About Music
My house has always had music, and it has always had an important role in my life. So, novels about music always bring me extra joy because they combine two things that I love so much. These are my favorite novels about music.
I was so excited to make novels about music for the 2023 reading challenge because we have wanted to include it for years. So whether you like contemporary fiction or romances, there is a little something for everyone on this list.
I also have a list of novels about bands and a separate list of novels about musicians. If you love music, I have you covered, no matter what you love to read.
The Best Novels About Music
Each colorful block below represents the best book in a subgenre. Click on the arrow to reveal my “best” pick in any category. You’ll also be able to use a page jump to see more books in that section.
The Best Fiction Novels About Music
Bel Canto by Ann Patchett- Jump to Section
The Best Historical Fiction Novels About Music
Diva by Daisy Goodwin- Jump to Section
Best Other Novel About Music
The Violin Conspiracy by Brendan Slocumb- Jump to Section
The Best YA Novel About Music
Echo by Pam Muñoz Ryan- Jump to Section
Fiction Novels about Music
Bel Canto
Author: Ann Patchett
Year: 2005
Genre: Fiction
More info: Winner of the PEN/Faulkner Award, Winner of the Orange Prize
Spice Rating:💋
Age Range: 16+
Plot
Somewhere in South America, the Vice President is throwing a birthday party. The guest list includes elite guests, including a revered opera singer. The night is going perfectly until armed gunman take the party hostage. What was supposed to be a quick reolutions turns into months.
As the guests and hostage takers form relationships, this becomes more complicated than anyone imagined.
Trigger Warnings
Hostage
Why Jackie loves it
Ann Patchett writes like no other author. Kirsten and I agree that whatever your first Ann Patchett novel is, will be your favorite. This is mine. I love how Patchett crafts the relationships between the hostages and their captors.
Find this book in: Novels About Music
The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto
Author: Mitch Album
Year: 2015
Genre: Magical Realism
Age Range: 14+
Plot
This is one of the best books that I have ever listened to. It is narrated by “Music” who tells the story of a magician named Frankie Presto.
Frankie was orphaned and lived with his blind music teacher in Spain before he was sent to America with only his guitar and its size magical strings. Frankie’s music has the power to change people’s lives and every time he does, one magic string changes color. Frankie works with musical legends and eventually becomes a star himself before disappearing from the spotlight.
Why Jackie loves it
Multiple people narrate this book, which is more like a play than a book when you are listening. I loved this book and bought a copy which I lent to an unnamed person who loved it and did not return it. My second copy has met the same fate. Third time’s a charm? The story made me feel like I should have known Frankie along with all the great musical legends.
Find this book in: Full Cast Audiobooks / Books About Music / Magical Realism Book / Jackie’s Top 10 All-Time Favorite Books / Adult Fantasy Novels / The Best Audiobooks of All Time
The Music Shop
Author: Rachel Joyce
Year: 2018
Genre: Literature and Fiction
More info: Named one of The Best Books of the Year by The Times (UK) and The Washington Post.
Spice Rating:💋
Age Range:16+
Plot
Music is big in my house so this contemporary fiction book spoke to me. Frank is a man who helps everyone with their problems by giving them the music they need from his little music shop. It sells only vinyl.
When a woman faints outside his shop, Frank realizes he can’t hear the music she needs. His life changes forever. This book about music has a similar feel to Little Paris Bookshop/Perfume Collector.
Why Jackie loves it
This book gave me such a nostalgic feel – It is set in 1988. However, the story and the plot will give you a nostalgic feel as well- when people had no cell phones and we had to turn to each other, rather than the internet, for a feeling of connection.
Find this book in: Books Set in the 80s / Books About Music / Best Audiobooks of All Time
Historical Fiction Books About Music
Diva
Author: Daisy Goodwin
Year: 2024
Genre: Historical Romance
More info: New York Times Bestselling Author
Spice Rating:💋
Age Range: 16+
Plot
Daisy Goodwin has done it again with this incredible biographical fiction about Maria Callas, famed Opera singer, and lover of Aristotle Onassis.
As usual with Daisy Goodwin’s stories, I found myself transfixed by the story of Maria’s life and her relationship with Onassis. It was fascinating to see how their courtship affected her performances and how she grew to become an unstoppable force in an industry ruled by men.
Why Kirsten loves it
I had previously read Gill Paul‘s story Jackie & Maria and thought I might find this book redundant, but I was wrong. They bring two different perspectives that flush out the Maria – Onassis- Jackie O love triangle. #gifted by St. Martins Press
Find this book in: Music Books / Biographical Fiction / New Historical Fiction Books / Books like The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
Plot
Most people know about Jackie’s life during her White House years, but hearing the tale of what caused her to marry Aristotle Onassis was fascinating. I loved the dual narrators of Jackie and Onassis’s long-time lover, opera singer Maria Callas. It’s a perfect political novel about music!
Why Kirsten loves it
Excuse me while I gush about Gill Paul‘s newest biographical fiction book, Jackie and Maria. Gill Paul is quickly becoming an auto-buy author for me. I loved Another Woman’s Husband and The Lost Daughter, about the Windsors and Romanovs respectively. Paul’s take on a new dynasty, The Kennedys, is equally compelling.
Find this book in: Novels About Music / Biographical Fiction / Books About Women in Politics / Best Books of 2020 / Books Set in the 1960s / Novels About Addiction
And After the Fire
Author: Lauren Belfer
Year: 2016
Genre: Historical Fiction
More info: National Jewish Book Award Winner
Spice Rating:💋
Age Range: 15+
Plot
This novel is based on the historical events of WWII. Henry, an American soldier in Germany, takes a manuscript from a seemingly deserted mansion and accidentally kills the woman who tries to stop him.
Years later, when he dies, he leaves the manuscript to his niece, Susan, with the request to return it to its rightful owner. This story spans from the late 1700s until the present as we follow the manuscript, a lost work of J.S. Bach. This novel about music was incredibly well-written and researched.
Trigger Warnings
Antisemitism, Pedophilia
Why Jackie loves it
This is such a powerful book; it has stayed with me. I love the writing, the story telling and the dual timeline.
Find this book in: Novels About Music
Other Novels About Music
Violin Conspiracy
Author: Brendan Slocumb
Year: 2022
Genre: Mystery
More info: February 2022 GMA Book Club Pick
Age Range: 16+
Plot
WHAT A MYSTERY! The Violin Conspiracy opens with a man’s 14-million-dollar Stradivarius violin being stolen, and the drama doesn’t let up.
Ray McMillian is a young black musical prodigy who just so happens to have inherited his grandpa’s busted-up fiddle – which turns out to be a rare violin built by one of the greats. But when the origins of the violin come into question, along with Ray’s claim to the instrument, the plot keeps thickening.
Trigger Warnings
Racism
Why Kirsten loves it
Truly the story was a gripping page-turner I could not put down. Slocumb’s ability to weave a multi-faceted tale was astounding. When it comes to novels about music, this is a must-read mystery book!
Find this book in: Best Audiobooks of 2022 / Novels About Music / Mystery Books/ GMA Book Club List 2022
Station Eleven
Author: Emily St. John Mandel
Year: 2014
Genre: Sci-fi
More info: National Book Award Finalist
Spice Rating:💋
Age Range: 16+
Plot
I do not know where to start with this award-winning dystopian Novel. The story begins with the famous Hollywood actor, Arthur Leander, dying of a heart attack on stage during the production of King Lear.
That is also the same night that a pandemic overtakes the entire planet, quickly ending civilization within a matter of weeks. Now, without power, fuel, running water, phones, etc. those that are left must start over.
Kirsten Raymonde was a little girl when she watched Arthur die and now, twenty years later, she travels with The Traveling Symphony, a small group who try to give back some music and theatre to the small towns of survivors. When they come back to St Deborah by the Water to retrieve their friends, they are no longer there. What remains is a new kind of threat.
Trigger Warnings
Pandemic
Why Jackie likes it
This is such a well-written book, I knew I needed to see how it ended. However, the events of the pandemic were difficult to read.
Find this book in: Dystopian Novels / Books About Road Trips / Books With Numbers in the Title
YA Books About Music
Echo
Author: Pam Muñoz Ryan
Year: 2015
Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy
Age: 10 – 12
More info: Newbery Honor Book, New York Times Bestseller, Children’s Literature Legacy Award Winner
Plot
The story is three tales woven together in one with a magical harmonica at the center. The story follows a harmonica as it lands in the hands of Freidrich in Germany, Mike in Pennsylvania, and Ivy in California.
Part fairy tale and part historical fiction, this is one story that is amazing for middle grade and adults alike. Each child has their own adventure but the end brings the three stories together in a beautiful way.
Trigger Warnings
Racism, Antisemitism
Why Kirsten loves it
It’s not often that I find myself contemplating a middle grade story long after I have finished it, but I have thought of this one many times in the years since I read it. My children loved it just as much as I did when we listened to it during a road trip.
Why Jackie loves it
I listened to this feel-good book and it blew me away. The full-cast audiobook plays music so it is a full sensory experience. In our opinion, this story is best in audiobook format.
Find this book in: World War II Books for Kids / Books for 11-Year-Olds / Audiobooks for Kids / Novels About Music / Newbery Award Winners / Best Middle Grade Fiction / Family Audiobooks / Full Cast Audiobooks for Kids
The Beauty That Remains
Author: Ashley Woodfolk
Year: 2018
Genre: YA Fiction
More info:
Age Range: 14+
Plot
Logan, Shay, and Autumn are all dealing with loss differently and Woodfolk does a wonderful job of telling their stories. The stories seem so genuine- not neglecting the role of friends, parents, and siblings when dealing with loss.
Despite being about a difficult topic, this book is so readable and relatable. Teens, young adults, and adults alike will be able to read this book and relate.
Trigger Warnings
Loss of a loved one
Why Jackie loves it
What a fantastic debut novel! Ashley Woodfolk is an author to look for in the future. Each teen in this story is learning how to cope with life in the aftermath of intolerable loss. Woodfolk tells each of their stories with such emotion and understanding and integrates them seamlessly.
Find this book in: Novels About Musicians/ The 20 Best Books of 2018
Eleanor and Park
Author: Rainbow Rowell
Year: 2013
Genre: YA Romance
Spice Rating:💋
Age Range: 13 – 18
Plot
When Park moves over on the bus to make room for Eleanor, their unlikely friendship starts. He’s a biracial boy, she is dealing with a troubled homelife. As their friendship and love for one another grows, they give each other the support and care they each deserve.
Trigger Warnings
Domestic Abuse
Why Kirsten loves it
This isn’t a lovey-dovey, hearts-flashing, music-playing romance. Rather, it is a story about friendship, daring to be different, and finding someone who loves you exactly the way you are. This is one of those books that is perfect for everyone to read.
Find this book in: YA Romance Books / High School Romance Books / Books Set in the 80s
Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist
Author: Rachel Cohn and David Levithan
Year: 2008
Genre: YA
More info: Movie starring Michael Cera and Kat Dennings
Spice Rating:💋
Age Range: 14+
Plot
Nick has a broken heart and spends his time in New York City’s indie rock scene. Norah is with her friend at the same club. A chance meeting leaves the two of them travelling around the city looking for a band’s secret show. It becomes an all-night first date that will change the way the two of them see the world
Trigger Warnings
infidelity, toxic relationship
Why Jackie likes it
This is such a perfect book to be made into a movie. Two teens with nothing in common, except for their taste in music and an all-night quest, make for a book that feels like a cult classic.
Find this book in: Novels About Music
Expert Tip
There are so many fantastic novels about music, musicians, and bands that I decided to divide them into separate posts. This is a post specifically about music and the power of it. Jackie and I have read all the books on this list, so I have a few tips to help you choose a book you will love.
- There are a few different genres on this list. Pick a book from your favorite genre.
- Have a look at the descriptions, “Why I liked it”, and trigger warnings. These will all give you great insight into the books before you start reading.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a novel about music
The novels on this list are about the power of music. These are not necessarily books about musicians or bands; they have music like another main character in the book.
Related Content
Epilogue
Which novel about music, bands, and musicians made it onto your to-read list?
