According to author Jenny Han, developing a literary playlist for her books is a tool she uses repeatedly to envelop her in the story and thoughts of her protagonist as she is writing:
"For every book I write, I create a playlist that I go back to again and again to help transport me into the story and into the main character's mindset. The To All the Boys playlist is a blend of songs that Lara Jean would listen to, songs that remind me of her, and songs that score certain scenes in my head."
Jenny Han was kind enough to share the playlist she developed for her light-hearted teen romance, To All the Boys I've Loved Before!
You can find the playlist and book review at this Amazon link or see the youtube playlist below. Enjoy!
I could give my own review of Jacqueline Woodson's After Tupac & D Foster, but this book trailer says it all:
[Do you have your own book trailer or an idea for one? Send it to us!]
Now hit play on this After Tupac & D Foster literary playlist to see what the girls were talking about. [NOTE: This is a playlist of songs the author mentioned in the book. MRL is not responsible for nor does it endorse the content of non-MRL websites. Users should use critical judgment in relying on information found in these websites and determine what information is appropriate to their needs.]
With a title like Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist, you have to know the music references are going to be solid.
I could list alllll the songs mentioned in the book, or I could give you a playlist that the authors picked themselves. We'll go with the latter.
Here are Rachel Cohn's & David Levithan's acknowledgements (special thanks to people who helped with the book) in playlist form. [NOTE: This is a playlist of songs the author mentioned in the book. MRL is not responsible for nor does it endorse the content of non-MRL websites. Users should use critical judgment in relying on information found in these websites and determine what information is appropriate to their needs.]
Okay, this is totally something I would write, but I didn't! This article from The Booklist Reader takes three songs that would be perfect as YA novels, talks about how the lyrics would match the plot, and then gives some actual YA suggestions for you to read! Love it!
That's the last thing Audrey's ex Evan says to her after she breaks up with him. Later that night, she shows up to one of his gigs, and he sings an admittedly awesome break-up song--about her! Evan's band blows up, with her song--and her life--getting caught in the middle of it. Audrey becomes an overnight sensation, with reporters calling to ask about her love life after dumping Evan. But Audrey just wants a normal life. She wants to start a relationship with someone new, but how can she, with the paparazzi following her every move?
Every chapter in Audrey, Wait! begins with a lyric from an awesome song. Click play below and get inside Audrey's head as her life gets crazy.
[NOTE: This is a playlist of songs the author mentioned in the book. MRL is not responsible for nor does it endorse the content of non-MRL websites. Users should use critical judgment in relying on information found in these websites and determine what information is appropriate to their needs.]
At the start of Beautiful Music for Ugly Children, Gabe's neighbor hooked him up with the gig of a lifetime: his own radio show. Gabe's going through his own stuff right now--transitioning, fighting off feelings for his best friend, trying to finish high school in one piece, dealing with his not-so-supportive family--but the radio show is his favorite part of the week. And it leads to new things for Gabe. Some of them aren't so great, and most of them scare the heck out of him, but Gabe's hopeful they'll lead to a new life for him.
Gabe is the new Elvis because he's ready to start his real life.
Read Beautiful Music for Ugly Children and listen to his Elvis-filled playlist. [NOTE: This is a playlist of songs the author mentioned in the book. MRL is not responsible for nor does it endorse the content of non-MRL websites. Users should use critical judgment in relying on information found in these websites and determine what information is appropriate to their needs.]
The year is 1963. JJ Green is only 16 years old, but she already graduated from high school. She's going to college in the fall, but for the summer, she gets a job at Good Music, in the same building in which her "music industry no-goodnik" Uncle Bernie works. Her mother cuts her a deal: If JJ can get the label to buy a song of hers in three weeks, she'll allow her to continue working toward her songwriting dream. If not, she has to become a lawyer.
JJ loves her new job at Good Music. She can be close to professional songwriters--and hopefully their talent will inspire her own songwriting. She's working on a song when she meets a music icon: Sweet Dulcie Brown, who happens to be working there as a custodian. She and Dulcie spend nights working on JJ's song. She also gets surprising help from an aspiring lyricist, Luke Silver, son of the recently departed George Silver, music producer extraordinaire. They eventually cut a demo of "I'm Glad I Did," which will hopefully
JJ gets tied up in the lives of those she meets: Dulcie, Luke, music producer Bobby Goodman, elevator operator Nick, her estranged Uncle Bernie, and his young wife, Marla. When one of her new friends turns up dead, she doesn't believe it was a suicide. JJ has no choice but to find the killer--and unravel the lies behind the music industry.
Hit play to set the mood for I'm Glad I Did by Cynthia Weil. [NOTE: This is a playlist of songs the author mentioned in the book. MRL is not responsible for nor does it endorse the content of non-MRL websites. Users should use critical judgment in relying on information found in these websites and determine what information is appropriate to their needs.]
In If I Stay, Mia and Adam meet at a special high school for musically talented teens. Mia is a cello ingenue, and Adam is the front of a band. They bond over music and fall in love, but their relationship is tested when Mia is involved in a car accident that puts her in a coma. She can see everything her friends, family, and even Adam say to her. But she has to decide: Will she wake up from the coma or not?
Author Gayle Forman made a list of all the songs mentioned in the book--mostly classical and rock, with a little Bette Midler and Bob Marley thrown in. We put them all on a handy playlist for you. Hit play and enjoy. [NOTE: This is a playlist of songs the author mentioned in the book. MRL is not responsible for nor does it endorse the content of non-MRL websites. Users should use critical judgment in relying on information found in these websites and determine what information is appropriate to their needs.]
Everyone hates Elise Dembowski. After her failed suicide attempt, she's a complete loner in school. Her dad doesn't know what to do with her. Her mom and step-dad are afraid of her. The only person she feels comfortable with is her younger sister. So Elise relaxes the best way she knows how--through music. At night, she sneaks out of her dad's house and wanders the streets with her trusty iPod. One night, two girls wave her down and tell her she's going the wrong way. How can she be going the wrong way when she has nowhere to go? Like Alice, she tumbles into a hidden, underground world and ends up in the middle of a warehouse party. There she falls in love with the idea of becoming a DJ.
In This Song Will Save Your Life, follow Elise through the ups and downs of becoming a DJ. She meets an interesting group of people from the club: Char, the mysterious DJ who teaches her the ropes; Pippa, the Char-obsessed British drama magnet; Mel, the bouncer who looks out for Elise; and Vicky, the confident band member who takes Elise under her wing. While her social life gets undoubtedly more active, her family life starts to suffer. She also has to deal with bullies from school when her secret life as a DJ is discovered. How will Elise juggle high school, friends, drama, family, and everything else? Great musical references allow you to see (and hear) Elise in her world. Check out our literary playlist for TSWSYL: This Song Will Save Your Life has also been optioned for the stage and screen, so we may see a Glee-style revolution in the coming years.
Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson is the perfect summer-themed pick-me-up in this dreary winter. It's about Emily, whose best friend Sloane vanished but left her a list of things she needed to do that summer without her. The list is difficult to manage because shy, reserved Emily would never dream of kissing a stranger or picking apples at night. She manages to make an unlikely friend in Frank Porter, a super popular guy from her school. He helps her with her list while she helps teach him how to be a long-distance runner.
In a well-ordered universe, you would hit play on this compilation of Emily and Frank's running jams. [NOTE: This is a playlist of songs the author mentioned in the book. MRL is not responsible for nor does it endorse the content of non-MRL websites. Users should use critical judgment in relying on information found in these websites and determine what information is appropriate to their needs.]
*Note: We have the audiobook version of Since You've Been Gone available for online checkout! See this post for more deets.
Happy Holidays, everyone! Hope you enjoy this month's literary playlist: The Beginning of Everything by Robyn Schneider is full of pop culture references. Ezra Faulkner loves reading, listening to music, watching movies (especially when you leave a movie theater and it smells like popcorn and every conversation is about the same thing), talking about comic books with his childhood best friend, Toby Ellicott, and spending time with the new girl at school, Cassidy Thorpe. Before hitting play on this indie playlist, you may want to put on a Gryffindor uniform, take your iPod full of Bob Dylan to the Barnes & Noble cafe, and read The Great Gatsby to prepare. Oh, and don't forget to watch Dead Poets Society, see a performance of Hamlet, and play a Mario game on N64 first. [NOTE: This is a playlist of songs the author mentioned in the book. MRL is not responsible for nor does it endorse the content of non-MRL websites. Users should use critical judgment in relying on information found in these websites and determine what information is appropriate to their needs.]
We were closed last week due to snow and Thanksgiving, so here's a literary playlist to make up for it!
The Kingdom Series and the Knights of Arrethtrae Series by Chuck Black contain something special at the end of each book: sheet music. Emily Elizabeth Black wrote a song for each book. The songs were then played on the audiobook versions in the background. They have all the songs on a soundtrack for each series. If you don't want to buy them or want to test them out first, some of the songs are available for preview on their website.
The Kingdom Series
Kingdom's Dawn
Kingdom's Hope
Kingdom's Edge
Kingdom's Call
Kingdom's Quest
Kingdom's Reign
The Knights of Arrethtrae Series
Sir Kendrick and the Castle of Bel Lione
Sir Bentley and Holbrook Court
Sir Dalton and the Shadow Heart
Lady Carliss and the Waters of Moorue
Sir Quinlan and the Swords of Valor
Sir Rowan and the Camerian Quest
[NOTE: MRL is not responsible for nor does it endorse the content of non-MRL websites. Users should use critical judgment in relying on information found in these websites and determine what information is appropriate to their needs.]
It's time for another literary playlist! This time we're in love with Stephen Chbosky's The Perks of Being a Wallflower. (It's often on bestseller lists, so you know it's gotta be good.) Part of the charm of protagonist Charlie is his newfound obsession with music. His friends introduce him to great tunes, including songs by David Bowie, The Smiths, and Nirvana. If you want the perfect background music as you're reading Perks, hit play.
[NOTE: This is a playlist of songs the author mentioned in the book. MRL is not responsible for nor does it endorse the content of non-MRL websites. Users should use critical judgment in relying on information found in these websites and determine what information is appropriate to their needs.]
This Song Will Save Your Life by Leila Sales is one of the TTT bookswe received from YALSA. It's full of amazing music references. If you've read the book, are reading the book, are going to read the book, or just want to hear good music, listen to this playlist based on TSWSYL. [NOTE: This is a playlist of songs the author mentioned in the book. MRL is not responsible for nor does it endorse the content of non-MRL websites. Users should use critical judgment in relying on information found in these websites and determine what information is appropriate to their needs.]
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MRL is not responsible for nor does it endorse the content of non-MRL websites. Users should use critical judgment in relying on information found in these websites and determine what information is appropriate to their needs.
