Books to Read If You Like ‘Daisy Jones and the Six’

I love music almost as much as I love books and reading so fiction centered around rock and pop stars are often a hit with me. After the success of Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid (and the subsequent screen adaptation), more books starring musicians and their music are hitting the shelves. Music often represents and addresses the topics and issues of the time period, and as a result, these types of books provide for nostalgic, interesting, and engaging reads about a particular era. Here are some of my favorites from the last few years:

The Daydreams by Laura Hankin – The Daydreams follows four teen stars whose popular show was derailed by a spectacular collapse on live TV and their reunion special 13 years later that will either redeem them or finish them off for good. Told in a dual timeline format set in 2004 when the Daydreams band is created and in 2018 when they reunite, the story follows the four members who are learning to deal with success and the media in 2005 and have moved on with various levels of success in 2018. As the four friends reunite, they struggle to move forward, instead holding grudges, keeping secrets, and desiring to understand exactly what happened 13 years ago. When their reunion begins to go sideways, the group learns there is more going on behind-the-scenes than they realized. I devoured this book in less than a day and am completely in love with the stellar cover.

The Lightning Bottles by Marissa Stapley (out Sept. 24) – This unique and compelling book follows Jane Pyre, the former lead singer of The Lightning Bottles, one of the most popular rock ‘n’ roll duos of the 1990s, as she seeks to discover what happened to Elijah, her husband and the other half of The Lightning Bottles, who disappeared years before. Jane and Elijah shared a deep bond and were both extremely talented, but the pressures of stardom and the music industry caused them to crash spectacularly. When Jane rents a house in rural Germany, she encounters a teenage mega fan who believes that Elijah is alive, and the pair set out to find him. In a cleverly crafted manner, the pair follow clues left in artwork in an attempt to locate Elijah. Readers who grew up in this era will revel in nostalgia as they read this book, which references maps, call-in shows and countdowns, Walkmans, and music trivia and details from the time period. The Lightning Bottles takes readers on a memorable journey, connecting the past and present through flashbacks explaining how Jane and Elijah met, describing their highs and lows, and what led to both their meteoric rise to fame and subsequent crash. This book is a good fit for music lovers, mystery readers, and those who enjoy a walk down memory lane.

Songs in Ursa Major is inspired by the relationship between James Taylor and Joni Mitchell. 

Songs in Ursa Major by Emma Brodie – This beautifully-written debut tells a fictionalized, loosely-based version of the relationship between James Taylor and Joni Mitchell in the late 1960s. This coming-of-age tale follows Jane Quinn, a talented singer, as she rockets to stardom, encounters extreme sexism in the music industry, battles with wanting to stay true to herself and her music, whether to choose love or a career, the stigma of mental illness, and more. Brodie brings the music of the era to life and had me wishing I could actually listen to Jane’s music. Songs in Ursa Major is truly stunning and was one of my top reads of 2021.

Under Your Spell by Laura Wood – The daughter of a self-absorbed older rock star finds herself unexpectedly “babysitting” the most popular (and handsome) musician in the world and is unsettled when their relationship becomes more personal – especially since she swore she’d never, ever date someone famous. This book is so much fun, and I adored the focus on music as well as the forced proximity story line. Wood’s dialogue is laugh-out-loud funny without feeling forced, and the main characters’ banter is spectacular. The sibling dynamic among the three sisters is a great addition to the book as well as the way Wood crafts a strong sense of place with the English countryside setting. This will be my favorite rom-com of the year. Those who like engaging and sweet romances, as well as well-crafted characters, will really enjoy this one.

The Unsinkable Greta James by Jennifer E. Smith – Following a public breakdown brought on by the sudden death of her mother, indie musician Greta James agrees to accompany her father on a cruise to Alaska. They have always had a tense relationship, and while she was alive, Greta’s mother, her biggest fan, had helped father and daughter communicate. With her gone, Greta and her father Conrad struggle to bridge the divide between them, especially in the face of their shared grief. Both hope the cruise to Alaska will help them learn to understand each other. In addition to trying to repair her relationship with her father, Greta is working on her sophomore album, dealing with fans on the cruise ship, re-evaluating her current relationship, and trying to recover from her public meltdown. Ultimately, The Unsinkable Greta James is a story about repairing relationships, finding your joy and living life to the fullest. I absolutely loved this one and highly, highly recommend it.

Editor's note: For more on book-to-screen adaptions, including Daisy Jones, read From Book to Screen: Adaptations that work and why by Cindy Burnett, Feb. 2024

For more book recommendations and bookish thoughts, see Cindy’s monthly Buzz Reads column, her award-winning Thoughts from a Page Podcast or follow @ThoughtsFromaPage on Instagram.