JOHN AND PAUL

 John & Paul: A Love Story in Songs by Ian Leslie, © 2025, 448 pgs.

Love the Beatles but never really read a book about them before. This is less a 'Beatles' book and focuses more on the friendship of the chief songwriters, John and Paul. Each chapter is named after one of their songs and talks about what was going on for the group at the time and what the dynamic was between Lennon and McCartney. Lots of good takeaways here, but as close as the two were, they also had a continuous game of trying to out-song the other--John wrote Strawberry Fields, Paul wrote Penny Lane. Paul wrote Yesterday, John wrote In My Life. They were constantly inspiring and feeding off each other, which resulted in them becoming the greatest American songwriting duo since the Gershwin brothers. When you think about it, the amount of time they wrote together and how many hits they produced were unheard of at the time--they single-handedly changed the face of rock and roll and celebrity within a decade--they still hold the record for most number one hits on the Billboard 100. The author is very empathetic to both artists, dismantling some of the misleading myths that came to dominate the press while also detailing their struggles with drugs and depression. At it's core, this is very much a book about male friendships. Really loved this book, well-written and researched--couldn't put it down. 

This Is Your Brain On Music

 This Is Your Brain On Music: The Science of a Human Obsession, by Daniel J. Levitin, 333 pages

I think I read this maybe a decade ago, but thought it would be a good intro to the science of music to our reading group. Now it's twenty years old and, while still a good introduction, the book could stand an updated re-issue. Other than being too clinical at times or not enough far-reaching, most folks appreciated the "nuggets" of interesting information. For example, the area of a violin players brain that is responsible for left hand coordination will be slightly larger than a non-player--due to their constant practice.  There was some debate as to music being more than just a series of sensory inputs interpreted by the brain--specifically how music also has far reaching effect on other systems in our body--but most of that is missing here. The first chapter is a quick tutorial on how music theory actually works. This is primarily how our brains process music and where in our brains we think it lives. I think some of the questions this book raises are probably answered now or at least we have some good theories about them. For example, the author mentions that they could take MRI's of a performers brain during a performance (because they have to move when they perform) but we can definitely do that now. But at the time, this was probably the best book on the subject designed for popular reading--musicians and non-musicians alike. We don't think about sounds hitting our ears as vibrating molecules but that's exactly what they are--vibrating to certain frequencies that our ears pick up and our brains interpret. Still, as a reader and musician, I was able to pick-up on concepts in this book that I missed out on the first time. Recommended for adults and science-savvy older teens. 

Romantic Comedy

Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld (2023) 305 pages

It's no accident that the backdrop of this book reminds one of Saturday Night Live. In her acknowledgement section, Sittenfeld lists the most humongous list of materials related to the long-running show, which she drew upon to get the full flavor of The Night Owls (TNO). Sally is a writer for TNO, and although she reminds me a bit of Liz Lemon from Thirty Rock, Sally's character is deeper, with a better story line.

Sally had married young, but her husband was done with the marriage when she got her job at TNO. He'd never expected her to be successful in her attempts to get onboard. Since then, Sally has had only one relationship that she wished would have gone further, but ultimately, she's grateful for her career at TNO over these past 10 years, and for the close friends she has made at the show.

It's April 2018. A good-looking and talented musical guest, Noah Brewster, is also the host of the upcoming show. Sally works with him on the sketches, and she's not sure if he's feeling the sparks that she is, but she decides that if the feeling is real, that it won't last. She's just not as desirable as other women Noah has reportedly dated. Good-looking women will pair up with ordinary men, but the reverse just doesn't happen.

Sittenfeld leans into this concept and takes it two years into the future, during the Covid lockdown. Sally gets an email from Noah and starts corresponding with him. Their interactions are mostly fun, but also reveal their inner feelings. Could their relationship work in the real world, or is heartbreak inevitable?

The Ministry of Time

 

The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley, 352 pages

If Candace Bushnell wrote a romance book about time travel, it would look something like this. I don't say this often, but I really hated this book. I won't spoil any endings here, but I found the writing lazy, the plot disjointed and ludicrous--it's generally just overmarketed as some kind of unique time travel/spy novel when it's really nothing of the sort--it's just a relationship book. Nothing happens for about 200 pages and then all of a sudden you realize you're in some kind of romance novel that still takes forever to wrap up. And then, after all that time, there's a threshold the author crosses and everything happens all at once in about the last third of the book--all the plot and characters and exposition go tumbling downhill to it's inevitable and boring conclusion.

How to Write One Song

 How to Write One Song, by Jeff Tweedy, 160 pgs. 

While doing some research for my future music book club, I came across this title by Wilco founder and Belleville native Jeff Tweedy. I also decided to check it out after reading an interview with local musician Beth Bombara, who said she relied on this book to work through a dry spell. This is kind of a difficult book to pigeonhole. It's not a memoir but the author highlights some moments that die-hard Wilco fans will know from his long career. It's also not a hard and fast how-to book--there's no bulleted list or structured plan for writing pop hits. While this book is more directed towards songwriters of various styles, Tweedy makes some rational and heartfelt statements about creating art of any kind, not just songs. When it comes down to it, you really feel like you're sitting in a dive bar with the author and he's opening up about the songwriting process he's developed over the decades. More than anything, Tweedy just wants the reader to shut off their self-critical naysaying and give themselves the permission to create anything, in the hopes of falling in love the idea of creation. It's a noble little pick-me-up for anyone of artistic abilities. Recommended for teens and adults. 

Guitar Zero: The New Musician and the Science of Learning

 Guitar Zero: The New Musician and the Science of Learning by Gary Marcus, 261 pages

A great violinist finished playing a moving piece. Afterwards, an audience member came up to him and said "I would give my life to play like that." And the violinist replied, "that's exactly what I did." As a child, the violinist woke up at 5 a.m. every day to begin working on his craft, lasting until the evening hours and he did that for most of his young life. 

While most of us listen to an accomplished, versatile musician and think to ourselves, wouldn't it be nice to be able to play like that, the reality is that we can still develop some musical capabilities during our lifetime, regardless of age or abilities. Guitar Zero is not just a book for guitar players, but a book for any readers who have an interest in what it takes to become a musician. Marcus, a professor of psychology and the director of the NYU Center for Language and Music, decides on this 40th birthday to begin following his boyhood dream of learning to play the guitar. On the way, he investigates the way musicians learn and what happens to the brains of musicians as they're learning their craft. As we follow along with him trying out lessons, signing-up for a kids band camp, and interviewing heavy hitters like Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine and jazz phenom Pat Metheny, we learn more about the science behind becoming a musician--how learning music triggers similar parts of the brain that utilize language, the various theories that debate whether music was a byproduct of our evolution, and finally, how talent is not innate. Yes, dear reader! You too can learn an instrument today, even if you've told yourself your entire life that you have no musical talent. Marcus' book demonstrates that true musical talent is a direct by-product of countless hours of practice and dedication. And while you don't need to dedicate your life to it necessarily and wake up every morning at 5 a.m., Marcus reminds us that there are no shortcuts. You've just got to get started. By the end of his journey, Marcus has learned his instrument, can play chords easily and transition between them. He even writes a personal song for a family member who is dying of cancer. While this book does focus on guitar and how it differs from other instruments, Marcus touches base with other instrumentalists as well. This is an easy read for anyone looking to know a bit more about the science behind music education and how it can impact your life in a positive way. Older teens and adults.