Ursina's Shelf - Musical reads

Issue 88

Dear readers,

Fall is here. The smell of fallen leaves always reminds me of fall cross-country practices. And after every run, you need to rest with a tea and a good book and maybe some music too. Today I’d like to share some musical books, each with a song or album pairing.

The Cello Suites: J. S. Bach, Pablo Casals, and the Search for a Baroque Masterpiece by Eric Siblin (2011)

Description: Journalist Siblin weaves together the story of Bach’s life and how he composed the now-famous cello suites before they were lost with Catalan Cellist Pablo Casals’ journey to rediscover and popularize the music last century and also with Siblin’s own journey and infatuation with the music. (Buy here).

My take: A treat for all classical music fans. I stumbled on this book in a store, thrilled to find an entire book about a piece of music I already adored.

Pair with: Bach: Unaccompanied Cello Suites performed by Yo-Yo Ma in 1983 (Spotify link).

Beginners Mind (an Audible original) by Yo-Yo Ma

Description: Speaking of Yo-Yo Ma he has a great short Audible original on the joys of trying and practicing a new skill. This is available for free for any Audible subscribers.

My take: I was creatively inspired by this, while also learning more about a cellist I admire. And it’s less than 2 hours, so it is great for when you are looking for a short bit of engaging content.

Living Legend (an Audible original) by John Legend

Description: And another great Audible Original is a recording of John Legend recounting his own story at an intimate performance interspersed with songs that influenced him and his own music.

My take: I listened to this while in traffic in LA last year and it was the calmest I have ever been in a traffic jam. A wonderful activity for a rainy afternoon or chilly evening.

Pair with: You’ll want more John Legend afterward, my favorite is “Ordinary People” (Spotify link).

Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid (2019) (previously featured in issue 1)

My Description: A novel storytelling mechanism lends this fictional story of a band, its members, and their rise and demise a real life feel. This book feels like Rock ‘n’ Roll with all the grit, glamour, and guitars.

My Take: The book chronologically tells the tale of this band through interspersed snippets of interview responses of each the main characters. I was hooked right away. Readers experience several perspectives and get a close-up look at how we all remember and even experience the same moments differently. I felt like a total groupie, cheering for the band and wishing for each member’s happiness and success.

Bonus Tip: Read all the lyrics at the end of the book. They are pure magic.

Pair with: Fleetwood Mac’s Rumors (Spotify Link).

Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner (2018) (previously featured in issue 72)

Description: Michelle Zauner tells the story of her mother‘s illness and death and her own confrontation with grief, care work, identity, and more in Crying in H Mart. Cooking the recipes of her mother‘s native Korea, finding the ingredients, and learning their significance plays a role throughout her journey. So does music, which is both the author’s profession and a coping mechanism.

My take: I appreciated listening to this book, read by the author, especially hearing the names of the dishes and ingredients, but also the gravity of her grief as heard in her voice. I have also been listening to her music with the band Japanese Breakfast. And as a bonus, Philadelphia features in this book too (Buy here).

Pair with: the Author’s band Japanese Breakfast (Spotify Link).

Currently reading: The God of the Woods by Liz Moore (buy here). I previously read her book Long Bright River and reviewed it in my 2022 Gift Guide.

Do you listen to music while reading? Let me know in the comments (comments also help increase this newsletters visibility on substack and are much appreciated).

Have a great weekend.