The following titles include both real-life and fictional stories of creative struggles, passion, and giving your craft it all. Find out whether their tales will inspire you to live your life to the fullest too.
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
“Doesn’t it bother you? That all anyone talks about when they talk about you are the seven husbands of Evelyn Hugo?”
“No. Because they are just husbands. I am Evelyn Hugo.”
Hollywood movie icon Evelyn Hugo gives her first-ever interview about her personal life to an unknown magazine reporter Monique Grant. She reveals not just how she became a star, but also the truth about her seven husbands, the ones everyone loves to talk about. This story is about two women: the incredible, confident, and extremely popular Evelyn, and the unlucky Monique, whose life is spiraling downward after her husband left her. You’ll learn that their meeting is about much more than just an interview. This book can easily be called one of the best BookTok books.
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
“Sam looked at Sadie and thought, ‘This is what time travel is.’ It’s looking at a person and seeing them in the present and past, concurrently.”
Is this just a love story or a tale about the essence of deep creative partnerships? Author Gabrielle Zevin will tell you about Sam and Sadie, childhood friends who achieved fame together by creating a video game business. But, as the wise often say, never go into business with family, friends, or romantic partners. Fame, money, and success turn out to be too much of a burden for these two young people, neither of whom is even 25. Where will their sudden fame lead them, and will they be able to keep their love alive despite all the obstacles fate throws their way?
Just Kids by Patti Smith
“The artist seeks contact with his intuitive sense of the gods, but in order to create his work, he cannot stay in this seductive and incorporeal realm. He must return to the material world in order to do his work. It's the artist's responsibility to balance mystical communication and the labor of creation.”
Here’s another book that will take you to 1967. A chance meeting between two young people leads to international success they never dreamed of. Brooklyn in 1967 has a special atmosphere—Chelsea Hotel, Max’s Kansas City, Scribner bookstore, Coney Island, Warhol’s factory—and two lovers trying to survive the political and cultural crisis. Romantic, though hungry, they inspire each other and give hope to the reader. Despite any international catastrophe, love and art will prevail.
The Final Revival of Opal & Nev by Dawnie Walton
“I felt pride, of course, but something more, something better: freedom. Freedom to trust my tastes, take my own counsel, make bold moves.”
Historical fiction tale about musicians trying to break into the top ranks. Opal dreams of the stage, and the idea of working a 9-to-5 job terrifies her. So, when she meets aspiring British singer/songwriter Neville Charles, she drops everything and follows him into a world of electric guitars, concerts, and freedom. And freedom takes on a special meaning here, as Opal, being a Black woman, feels it's her duty to protest racism and injustice for women from the stage. But life is extremely unfair, and Opal's ambitions might lead her to a very grim end. Read this story to discover how, despite everything, this ambitious, dream-filled woman will manage to overcome it all.
High Fidelity by Nick Hornby
“Sentimental music has this great way of taking you back somewhere at the same time that it takes you forward, so you feel nostalgic and hopeful all at the same time.”
Rob Fleming is an ordinary 35-year-old man who can’t move on from his past relationships. Dumped by his girlfriend Laura, he’s having a crisis and starts searching for new women to fill the huge hole in his heart. Besides being a total loser, Rob is also the owner of a record store in London called Championship Vinyl. And it’s this obsession with music that will help him escape from his self-destructive spiral and become a DJ.
Girl in a Band by Kim Gordon
“The only really good performance is the one where you make yourself vulnerable, while pushing beyond your familiar comfort zone.”
Unlike the other books on this list, this one is not just historical fiction. Kim Gordon, founding member of Sonic Youth, shares her own musical journey. It’s the story of going from being an ordinary girl to becoming a star, and yet it’s not at all overdone. How can a woman be a rock star and a mother? How does she prove her place in the world when she’s just a girl in the 80s and 90s? Read this to find out as quickly as possible.
We all love reading popular books about how great people reach the top and struggle with the pitfalls that come with it. It gives us hope, seeing that they are just like us. Not only did they have to work hard to seize their chance, but they also had to work even harder to keep it. Many start strong, but success corrupts them. Conflicts and scandals arise, causing bands and families to fall apart. Read more to understand how this works and how you can avoid it when you find yourself at the top.
