If you like Taylor Jenkins-Reid’s books, you need to add these 9 great books like Daisy Jones and the Six to your reading list!
Daisy Jones and Six was a smash bestseller when it was published in 2019, and for good reason. An original and creative novel, it tells the story of the iconic 1970s rock band in a series of tell-all interviews. It’s authentic, full of twists and turns, and it showcases the brutal underbelly of addiction in the music scene.
READ MORE: Review of Daisy Jones and Six
If you are looking for books similar to Daisy Jones and Six then check out these nine books. They share the same themes of rock ‘n’ roll and the pressures of fame, and they might hit the spot if you’re looking for your next read.
Books similar to Daisy Jones and Six.
Paint it Black by Janet Fitch
Paint it black not afraid to explore what it means to lose everything. Delving into the darkest depths of betrayal and mistrust, the film follows Josie, an art model whose lover, Michael, turns up dead.
Josie has to come to terms with what happened to Michael while trying to learn more about him from his mother. The two women have a complicated relationship, which makes Paint it black intensive reading.
I like it Daisy Jones and Six, this is a human story that unfolds slowly, scandalously, bit by bit. This is Michael’s life as told by the two most important women in his life.
Fitch is a great writer and some of the writing is almost lyrical. It captures the Los Angeles rock star lifestyle incredibly well.
Buy Paint it Black: Amazon | Book storage | The Blackwells | Water stones
The Ultimate Rebirth of Apollo and Nev Downey Walton
Part of what does Daisy Jones so irresistible is the authentic portrayal of the music scene. If this is what you enjoyed the most, you should read it The final rebirth of Apollo and Neu.
It follows an interracial rock duo in the 1970s, during their incredible rise to fame and their disastrous breakup.
The characters are great. Opal is a fierce Afropunk woman determined to lead an exciting, extraordinary life.
Neville is a singer-songwriter who happened to find Opal at just the right moment. Until Opal’s protest against racism leads to unexpected consequences.
I like it Daisy Jones, this book reunites Opal and Neva years later, after a journalist decides to reveal what really happened to them. Her interviews reveal shocking truths that both main characters have to deal with.
This is an extraordinary book, the kind that stays with you long after you put it down. It looks like Daisy Jones but asks several different questions about society in the 1970s and today. A great choice for a book club.
Buy The Final Revival of Opal and Nev: Amazon | Book storage | Verbosity | The Blackwells | Water stones
High Fidelity by Nick Hornby
modern classics, High accuracy it’s a great book about the end of a relationship and how history shapes our experience of music (and how music in turn influences our lives). Set in the 1990s, the main character Rob goes through a list of ex-girlfriends after a devastating breakup.
Sometimes he is incredibly selfish. But he is too are realmaking questionable decisions and refusing to grow until you have to.
Music is an integral part of this story, not only because Rob works in a record store, but also because his passion for music extends to all areas of his life.
This is a funny, witty and touching novel about friendship, love and adulthood.
Buy High Fidelity: Amazon | Book storage | Verbosity | The Blackwells | Water stones
Songs in Big Dipper by Emma Brody
The action takes place in the late 60s – early 70s, Songs on the Great Bear it’s a story about fame, ambition and the dark side of partying and glamour.
Jesse Reid is a famous folk musician ready to headline a folk fest until a motorcycle accident leaves him unable to play. He is replaced by local musician Jane Quinn.
What follows is a multi-threaded story. Jane and Jesse’s intense relationship, Jane’s intoxication with the dark side of fame and fortune, sexism in the music industry and hidden secrets.
I like it Daisy Joneshe paints a picture of the folk music scene so vividly that you can almost hear the music as you read it.
Based on James Taylor and Joni Mitchell, this is a warm, funny and passionate romance that you won’t be able to put down once you start.
Buy songs on Big Dipper: Amazon | Book storage | Verbosity | The Blackwells | Water stones
How to Kill a Rock Star by Tiffany DeBartolo.
A love story set in the world of rock ‘n’ roll roller coasters, How to kill Rockstar follows Eliza, a young music journalist, who falls in love with up-and-coming musician Paul Hudson.
The story takes a turn when Paul disappears shortly after signing a contract with a major music label.
How to kill Rockstar hits all the right notes: it’s mysterious, touching, funny, and tells a heartfelt love story without the gloss of perfection you sometimes find in romance novels. That’s great summer to read.
Buy How to Kill a Rock Star: Amazon
Let me hear a rhyme by Tiffany D. Jackson
Let me hear the rhyme it’s a surprising and satisfying mystery that falls into place beautifully, keeping you enthralled from the first page to the last.
Filled with old school hip-hop references, this is a great YA novel that adults can enjoy as well.
The story follows three friends who try to turn their friend into a rap star. The twist is that their friend has died. Their quest to get his music heard is fraught with ups and downs, and keeping the secret becomes that much more difficult.
Set in the late 90s, this is a good read for hip hop fans if you want some nostalgia.
Buy Let Me Hear a Rhyme: Amazon | Book storage | Verbosity | The Blackwells | Water stones
Hunger Makes Me a Modern Carrie Brownstein Girl
If you like realism Daisy Jones, why not try a real memoir? Written by feminist punk legend Carrie Brownstein, Hunger makes me a modern girl documents the rise of her band Sleater-Kinney and provides an honest and touching account of the punk music scene.
If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to be a female guitarist in a rock band, this is the book for you. Brownstein is a beautiful writer and her observations are thought provoking.
As a side note, Brownstein went on to co-star in the hit TV comedy Portlandia, but if you’re looking for behind-the-scenes gossip on that, you won’t find it here. Hunger makes me a modern girl focuses on Brownstein’s musical career and how it shaped her as a person.
Buy Hunger Makes Me A Modern Girl: Amazon | Book storage | Verbosity | The Blackwells | Water stones
Mary Jane Jessica Annie Blau
Mary Jane is a sweet, kind fourteen-year-old girl growing up in Baltimore in the 1970s. She gets a job as a babysitter for the local doctor’s daughter, but runs into a famous rock star and his movie star wife.
This is the story of a girl caught between two worlds: her straight-laced, strict and proper family and the famous couple she soon meets.
This is a story for all the “good girls” who grew up in a rebellious period. This is a book for all girls who are torn between family loyalty and becoming an independent person.
It’s a coming-of-age story accelerated by sex, drugs and celebrity. It’s also an engaging, engrossing and intelligent read.
Buy Mary Jane: Amazon | Book storage | Verbosity | The Blackwells | Water stones
Taylor Jenkins Reed: Malibu Rebellion
Of course, if he loved Daisy Jones and Sixit would be good to see Jenkins Reid’s other books. Malibu Rebellion this is one of her last novels.
It tells the story of Riva’s siblings: surfer and supermodel Nina, surfing champion Jay, talented photographer Hud, and younger sister Keith. Handsome and confident, the siblings seem to have it all.
As the story unfolds, you begin to learn the truth about their upbringing. Abandoned by their rock star father Mick Riva, they were forced to fend for themselves. It’s a story about family ties, the pressures of fame and fortune, and long-held secrets that finally come out.
I like it Daisy Jonesit’s a book you can’t put down, full of twists and turns, and it’s one of my favorite Jenkins Reid books.
Buy Malibu Rising: Amazon | Book storage | Verbosity | The Blackwells | Water stones
I hope this has helped you find your next addictive read. If you like Daisy Jones and Six and you have a gap in your life for a story fueled by music, why not try one of these books?
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Megan Bidmead
Guest writer
Megan is a freelance writer from Somerset, England. When she’s not writing about books, video games, and pop culture, she’s chasing after her two kids and trying to take the occasional walk in the countryside.
