A Different Type of Classical Literature

 

Thirty years ago, President Bill Clinton, declared September to be Classical Music Month saying: "Classical music is a celebration of artistic excellence. Great art endures through the ages, and in the United States, we have embraced that great music and incorporated it into the American experience. Our best art reflects our Nation's spirit—that mixture of discipline and improvisation, the combination of strong individual voices working together at the same time, the bravado, the inventiveness, the dynamism of the American character. Classical music plays in harmony with that energy and spirit to become reinvigorated and reinvented with each new orchestra or chamber group, with every performance that rings out new and fresh.”  (September is National Classical Music Month! WCRB | By Laura Carlo). Various studies over the years have shown several benefits to listening to classical music.  These benefits include stress reduction, improved memory, and pain relief (https://www.classicfm.com/discover-music/benefits-listening-to-classical-music/). 

To help you celebrate the occasion, the books listed all have classical music as an element of the story and can even be paired with a "classical music for reading" playlist.

A Very Nice Girl: a novel by Crimp, Imogen

• Anna doesn’t fit in. Not with her wealthy classmates at the selective London Conservatory where she unexpectedly wins a place after university, not with the family she left behind, and definitely not with Max, a man she meets in the bar where she sings for cash. He’s everything she’s not—rich, tailored to precision, impossible to read—and before long Anna is hooked, desperate to hold his attention, and determined to ignore the warning signs that this might be a toxic relationship. As Anna shuttles from grueling rehearsals to brutal auditions, she finds herself torn between two conflicting desires: the drive to nurture her fledgling singing career, which requires her undivided attention, and the longing for human connection. When the stakes increase, and the roles she’s playing—both on stage and off—begin to feel all-consuming, Anna must reckon with the fact that, in carefully performing what’s expected of her as a woman, she risks losing sight of herself completely. Provided by publisher.

The Great Passion: a novel by Runcie, James

• "In 1727, Stefan Silbermann is a grief-stricken thirteen-year-old, struggling with the death of his mother and his removal to a school in distant Leipzig. Despite his father's insistence that he try not to think of his mother too much, Stefan is haunted by her absence, and, to make matters worse, he's bullied by his new classmates. But when the school's cantor, Johann Sebastian Bach, takes notice of his new pupil's beautiful singing voice and draws him from the choir to be a soloist, Stefan's life is permanently changed. Over the course of the next several months, and under Bach's careful tutelage, Stefan's musical skill progresses, and he is allowed to work as a copyist for Bach's many musical compositions. But mainly, drawn into Bach's family life and away from the cruelty in the dorms and the lonely hours of his mourning, Stefan begins to feel at home. When another tragedy strikes, this time in the Bach family, Stefan bears witness to the depths of grief, the horrors of death, the solace of religion, and the beauty that can spring from even the most profound losses"--Dust jacket flap.

Into the Starlight by Cabot, Amanda

"With her career as a concert pianist at an end, Joanna Vaughn comes home to Sweetwater Crossing, widowed and unsure what the future holds when the arrival of a pair of newcomers stirs up a decades-old mystery, a shocking revelation, and the chance for true love"--. Provided by publisher.

The Music Shop: a novel by Joyce, Rachel

"It's 1988. The CD has arrived. Sales of the shiny new disks are soaring on high streets in cities across the country. Meanwhile, down a dead-end street, Frank's music shop stands small and brightly lit, jam-packed with records of every kind. It attracts the lonely, the sleepless, the adrift. There is room for everyone. Frank has a gift for finding his customers the music they need. Into this shop arrives Ilse Brauchmann - practical, brave, well-heeled. Frank falls for this curious woman who always dresses in green. But Ilse's reasons for visiting the shop are not what they seem. Frank's passion for Ilse seems as misguided as his determination to save vinyl. How can a man so in tune with other people's needs be so incapable of helping himself? And what will it take to show he loves her? The Music Shop is a story about good, ordinary people who take on forces too big for them. It's about falling in love and how hard it can be. And it's about music - how it can bring us together when we are divided and save us when all seems lost"-- Provided by publisher.

The Great Passion: a novel by Runcie, James

"In 1727, Stefan Silbermann is a grief-stricken thirteen-year-old, struggling with the death of his mother and his removal to a school in distant Leipzig. Despite his father's insistence that he try not to think of his mother too much, Stefan is haunted by her absence, and, to make matters worse, he's bullied by his new classmates. But when the school's cantor, Johann Sebastian Bach, takes notice of his new pupil's beautiful singing voice and draws him from the choir to be a soloist, Stefan's life is permanently changed. Over the course of the next several months, and under Bach's careful tutelage, Stefan's musical skill progresses, and he is allowed to work as a copyist for Bach's many musical compositions. But mainly, drawn into Bach's family life and away from the cruelty in the dorms and the lonely hours of his mourning, Stefan begins to feel at home. When another tragedy strikes, this time in the Bach family, Stefan bears witness to the depths of grief, the horrors of death, the solace of religion, and the beauty that can spring from even the most profound losses"--Dust jacket flap.

Bel Canto: a novel by Patchett, Ann

Somewhere in South America, at the home of the country's vice president, a lavish birthday party is being held in honor of Mr. Hosokawa, a powerful Japanese businessman. Roxanne Coss, opera's most revered soprano, has mesmerized the international guests with her singing. It is a perfect evening -- until a band of gun-wielding terrorists breaks in through the air-conditioning vents and takes the entire party hostage. But what begins as a panicked, life-threatening scenario slowly evolves into something quite different, as terrorists and hostages forge unexpected bonds and people from different countries and continents become compatriots. Friendship, compassion, and the chance for great love lead the characters to forget the real danger that has been set in motion and cannot be stopped.

Do Not Say We Have Nothing: a novel by Thien, Madeleine

"In a single year, my father left us twice. The first time, to end his marriage, and the second, when he took his own life. I was ten years old."Master storyteller Madeleine Thien takes us inside an extended family in China, showing us the lives of two successive generations--those who lived through Mao's Cultural Revolution and their children, who became the students protesting in Tiananmen Square. At the center of this epic story are two young women, Marie and Ai-Ming. Through their relationship Marie strives to piece together the tale of her fractured family in present-day Vancouver, seeking answers in the fragile layers of their collective story. Her quest will unveil how Kai, her enigmatic father, a talented pianist, and Ai-Ming's father, the shy and brilliant composer, Sparrow, along with the violin prodigy Zhuli, were forced to reimagine their artistic and private selves during China's political campaigns and how their fates reverberate through the years with lasting consequences.

Gone: A Girl, A Violin, A Life Unstrung by Kym, Min

At seven years old Min Kym was a prodigy, the youngest ever student at the famed Purcell School of Music. At eleven she won her first international prize. And at twenty-one, she found “the one,” the violin that would transform her life: a rare 1696 Stradivarius. Her career soared. She recorded the Brahms concerto and a world tour was planned.

The Ensemble by Gabel, Aja

Four friends navigate the cutthroat world of classical music and their complex relationships as ambition, passion, and love intertwine over the course of their lives.

Every Note Played: a novel by Genova, Lisa

A once accomplished concert pianist, Richard now has ALS. As he becomes increasingly paralyzed and is no longer able to live on his own, Karina becomes his reluctant caretaker. As Richard's muscles, voice, and breath fade, both he and Karina try to reconcile their past before it's too late. This is a masterful exploration of redemption and what it means to find peace inside of forgiveness.--Amazon.com

Pop Culture

 

Somewhere, likely in the depths of my parent's basement, nestled amongst the discarded Furbies, random Tamagotchis, Pokémon Cards, plastic Smurfs, naked Troll dolls, and random VHS, (and possibly Beta) tapes, should be my 90's Time Capsule Trivial Pursuit.  I had asked for this game with the hopes that people would actually play with me; this only happened a couple of times.  I haven't played Trivial Pursuit in years. All of that pop-culture knowledge I've acquired is collecting dust in my mindscape as I await perfect opportunities to share a quip, quote, song lyric, or movie line with an unsuspecting audience.  The disappointment that comes from that audience giving me a blank look afterward is profound.  This tends to happen when the audience is younger than me. 

I am thrown off by those lacking pop-culture knowledge from any era that pre-dates their formative years.  I, being a child of the '80s, existed on a diet of Cheerios and re-runs.  I started my mornings with Gilligan and ended my day with Mr. Ed.  I sang along with The Monkees, until my brothers took over the television, (Once upon a time the M in MTV was Music).  My oldest brother played guitar, loved heavy metal, and rocked Slash's hair.  When he would ask if there was anything I wanted him to play, the answer was always the same: The Munsters theme.  

I remember being highly excited when I realized the Judge from My Cousin Vinny was Herman Munster.  I was ecstatic when Grandpa Munster showed up in Gremlins 2.   "Where do I know this Celebrity from" is one of my favorite games, it also causes a lot of blank looks.  Murder She Wrote reruns are a treasure trove of guest appearances, by celebrities long gone and who my children have no appreciation for.  When the teenager was drawing a blank as I shouted "Leslie Neilson!"  I felt like a failure.

That said, I am absolutely behind on current pop culture.  Some I have absorbed from having to suss out what my kids actually mean when they say suss or any other current or recent slang.  My kids are kind enough to tolerate my responding to them with phrases such as "totally awesome", "CHILLAX", "wiggity wiggity wack", and the occasional "BACK OF MY GRILL SON!"  I do get some dead-pan stares at times though.  

Historically, popular culture has its roots in the Industrial Revolution.  A new socio-economic class, i.e. the middle class, and urban population growth led to the creation of new trends and traditions. Transportation became more developed.  Advancements allowing for the mass production of newspapers, and magazines,  better education opportunities and standards, led to a higher rate of literacy.  The ingredients: 1. Industrial means to mass-market goods 2. Mass-marketing of newspapers and magazines means advertisements. 3. A rise in literacy rates means that the gross population is now a target audience for advertisements of goods and services. Now add the technological advancements that brought about radio, film, and television, and pop-culture is born.  

When it comes to the definition of pop-culture, we are looking at what is popular amongst the general population. Broadly shared ideas values and beliefs found in books, art, television, movies, music, fashion, and language, make popular culture. 

Book descriptions featured are provided by the publishers.

The He-Man Effect: How American Toymakers Sold You Your Childhood by Brown, Box

"Powered by the advent of television and super-charged by the deregulation era of the 1980s, media companies and toy manufacturers joined forces to dominate the psyches of American children. But what are the consequences when a developing brain is saturated with the same kind of marketing bombardment found in Red Scare propaganda? Brian "Box" Brown's The He-Man Effect shows how corporate manipulation brought muscular, accessory-stuffed action figures to dizzying heights in the 1980s and beyond. Bringing beloved brands like He-Man, Transformers, My Little Pony, and even Mickey Mouse himself into the spotlight, this graphic history exposes a world with no rules and no concern for results beyond profit."--Amazon.

Freaks, Gleeks, and Dawson's Creek: How Seven Teen Shows Transformed Television by Glassman, Thea

An entertainment journalist examines how seven revolutionary teen shows--The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, My So-Called Life, Dawson's Creek, Freaks and Geeks, The O.C., Friday Night Lights, and Glee--transformed television and our culture.

Glassman believes that revolutionary teen shows shaped the course of modern television and the pop cultural landscape forever. These hormone-soaked shows, happening inside the fictional hallways of high schools across America, redefined comedy and pushed genre boundraries. Here Glassman goes behind the scenes of seven of the most culturally significant series of the last three decades, showing how they launched the careers of superstars, took young people seriously-- and remained firmly entrenched in our culture long after they finished airing. -- adapted from jacket

Fashion Killa: How Hip-Hop Revolutionized High Fashion by Krishnamurthy, Sowmya

"A cinematic narrative of glamour, grit, luxury, and luck, Fashion Killa draws on exclusive interviews with the leaders of the fashion world to tell the story of the hip-hop artists, designers, stylists, and unsung heroes who fought the power and reinvented style around the world over the last fifty years. Set in the sartorial scenes of New York, Paris, and Milan, journalist Sowmya Krishnamurthy's reporting on the intersecting histories of hip-hop and contemporary fashion focuses on the risk takers and rebels--the artists, designers, stylists, models, and tastemakers--who challenged a systemic power structure and historically reinvented the world of haute couture. Fashion Killa is a classic tale of a modern renaissance; of an exclusionary industry gate-crashed by innovators; of impresarios--Sean "Diddy" Combs, Dapper Dan, Virgil Abloh--hoisting hip-hop from the streets to the stratosphere; of supernovas--Lil' Kim, Cardi B, and Megan Thee Stallion--allying with kingmakers--Anna Wintour, Donatella Versace, and Ralph Lauren; of traditionalist fashion houses--Louis Vuitton, Fendi, and Saint Laurent--transformed into temples of rap gods like Kanye West, Nicki Minaj, and Travis Scott. Krishnamurthy explores the connections between the DIY hip-hop scene and the exclusive upper-echelons of high fashion. She tracks the influence of music and streetwear on the most exclusive (and exclusionary) luxury brands. At the intersection of cultural commentary and oral history, Fashion Killa commemorates the contributions of hip-hop to music, fashion, and our culture at large"--. Provided by publisher.

60 Songs That Explain the '90s by Harvilla, Rob

"A companion to the #1 music podcast on Spotify, 60 SONGS THAT EXPLAIN THE '90s takes readers through the greatest hits that define a weirdly undefinable decade. The 1990s were a chaotic and gritty and utterly magical time for music, a confounding barrage of genres and lifestyles and superstars, from grunge to hip-hop, from sumptuous RB to rambunctious ska-punk, from Axl to Kurt to Missy to Santana to Tupac to Britney. In 60 SONGS THAT EXPLAIN THE '90s, Ringer music critic Rob Harvilla reimagines all the earwormy, iconic hits Gen Xers pine for with vivid historical storytelling, sharp critical analysis, rampant loopiness, and wryly personal ruminations on the most bizarre, joyous, and inescapable songs from a decade we both regret entirely and miss desperately"--. Provided by publisher.

The Nineties: A Book by Klosterman, Chuck

In The Nineties, cult author Chuck Klosterman makes a home in every element of 90s culture: the film, the music, the sports, the TV, the politics, the changes regarding race and class and sexuality, the yin/yang of Oprah and Alan Greenspan. In perhaps no other book ever written could the sentence, 'The video for 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' was not more consequential than the reunification of Germany' make complete sense. Chuck Klosterman has written a multi-dimensional masterpiece, a work of synthesis that's equal parts smart and delightful.

Paperback Crush: The Totally Radical History of '80s and '90s Teen Fiction by Moss, Gabrielle

"Every twenty- or thirty-something woman knows these books. The pink covers, the flimsy paper, the zillion volumes in the series that kept you reading for your entire adolescence. Spurred by the commercial success of Sweet Valley High and The Babysitters Club, these were not the serious-issue YA novels of the 1970s, nor were they the blockbuster books of the Harry Potter and Twilight ilk. They were cheap, short, and utterly beloved. Paperback crush dives in deep to this golden age with affection, history, and a little bit of snark"-- Publisher's description.

Let's Get Physical: How Women Discovered Exercise and Reshaped the World by Friedman, Danielle

For much of the twentieth century, sweating was considered unladylike and girls grew up believing physical exertion would cause their uterus to literally fall out. It was only in the sixties that women began to move en masse. Friedman reveals the hidden history of contemporary women's fitness culture and shows how exercise evolved from a beauty tool pitched almost exclusively as a way to "reduce" into a path to mental, emotional, and physical well-being. Each chapter uncovers the birth of a fitness movement that laid the foundation for working out today-- and how fitness can create a more powerful sisterhood. -- adapted from jacket

Don't Make Me Pull Over! : An Informal History of the Family Road Trip by Ratay, Richard

Explores the history of the family road trip, how its evolution mirrored the evolution of the United States, and why road trips have largely disappeared.

Game on! : Video Game History from Pong and Pac-man to Mario, Minecraft, and More by Hansen, Dustin

Find out about the fast and furious growth and evolution of video games (including how they are quickly taking over the world!) by looking at some of the most popular, innovative, and influential games ever, from Pong, the very first arcade game ever, to modern hits like Uncharted.

Learn about the creators and inspiration (Mario was named after Nintendo's landlord after he barged into a staff meeting demanding rent), discover historical trivia and Easter eggs (The developers of Halo 2 drank over 24,000 gallons of soda while making the game), and explore the innovations that make each game special (The ghosts in Pac-Man are the first example of AI in a video game).

Whether you consider yourself a hard-core gamer or are just curious to see what everyone is talking about, Game On! is the book for you!

It's All A Game: The History of Board Games from Monopoly to Settlers of Catan by Donovan, Tristan

"Board games have been with us longer than even the written word. But what is it about this pastime that continues to captivate us well into the age of smartphones and instant gratification? In It's All a Game, British journalist and renowned games expert Tristan Donovan opens the box on the incredible and often surprising history and psychology of board games. He traces the evolution of the game across cultures, time periods, and continents, from the paranoid Chicago toy genius behind classics like Operation and Mouse Trap, to the role of Monopoly in helping prisoners of war escape the Nazis, and even the scientific use of board games today to teach artificial intelligence how to reason and how to win. With these compelling stories and characters, Donovan ultimately reveals why board games have captured hearts and minds all over the world for generations"-- Provided by publisher.

RELAX

 

Stress can feel like it is lurking around every corner just waiting to jump out at you.  Other times it acts like a fog that rolls in and obscures everything else.  However, it may present itself; one thing stress is notorious for is making it harder for people to not just relax, but even focus long enough to consider how to relax to begin with.  

Sometimes, what is needed in order to relax is just to step out. Remove yourself from your immediate environment and take a walk, a nice LOOOOONNNGGGG walk... This was a decision made by Harold Fry in the book The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce and Allan Karlsson in The 100-year-old Man Who Climbed out the Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson. These men were determined to carry out their walks, regardless of any chaos their sudden departures may have stirred, with rather rejuvenating effects.

 

Another way to relax is to get all those pesky thoughts swirling around your head down on some paper, (or computer if you prefer to type). Either way, write it out. Fawn Birchill in Confessions of a Curious Bookseller by Elizabeth Green is quite proficient at expressing herself in writing, whether it be journal entries, fact-bending letters to a pen-pal, notes to her staff, or combative online reviews and replies. Although, one should remember that the catharsis of passive-aggressive note-writing is fleeting and can lead to further stress.

Breathing is also another great way to relax. Luckily if you are feeling like you need to strengthen those skills, Breathe: the simple, revolutionary 14-day program to improve your mental and physical health by Belisa Vranich will, (according to the publisher), help you  "delve{s} into the ins and outs of breathing".    Once you master breathing, you can further your relaxation journey by trying some Yoga.  This is a topic for which we have an abundance of materials, such as. Unicorn Yoga by Gina Cascone, (because everything is better when it's taught by a unicorn).  

Art is a great option for relaxation and coloring is an easy enough way to go about it.   However, I must impress upon you, dear readers: 'Please, Please, DO NOT COLOR IN YOUR LIBRARY BOOKS!!!!'  If you are looking for something to color, crayola.com has plenty of free coloring pages to choose from.

  In order to further your relaxation, play some music.  Sometimes mood elevation can come from certain soundtracks, such as Trolls,  The Big Chill, and Guardians of the Galaxy

The Happy Ever After Playlist by Abby Jimenez begins each chapter with the names of a song and artist thus giving the book a soundtrack of its very own.  

Sometimes you need some support to help you find a solution to everyday stress, The characters in

Murder your employer: the McMasters Guide to Homicide

by Rupert Holmes found support from faculty and (some) fellow students as they strove to permanently remove some of their stress.  The stress relief used in this book however, should not be a solution implemented in real life.   Seeking support from friends and family in order to gain legal and non-murdery solutions to your stress would be best.  Instead, the book in question can offer relaxation via one of the most enjoyable tasks there is: Reading!

GLOBAL BEATLES DAY

Since 2009, June 25th has officially been Global Beatles Day. Created by Faith Cohen as "a thank you or love letter to the Beatles." This day was selected because it is the anniversary of The Beatles performing on the BBC program Our World, in the first-ever live global television event. The show was broadcast to 26 countries, and 400 million watched the Beatles perform "All You Need is Love" for the first time. (https://nationaldaycalendar.com/global-beatles-day-june-25/ .https://www.globalbeatlesday.com/)

The impact the Beatles had was profound. They advanced sound technology and recording, turned album covers into marketing tools, and helped give identity to an entire generation looking to separate themselves from the older generations. The Beatles created music that has influenced several generations since then and has had a lasting influence on society. (6 WAYS THE BEATLES CHANGED THE WORLD OF MUSIC FOREVER)According to bestsellingalbums.org, the Beatles have sold over 236,387,564 albums, with Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band leading the way with over 32,000,000 copies sold.

Copy describing the books listed below is provided by the publishers.

The Beatles: The Biography by Spitz, Bob

Even before the Beatles hit the big time, a myth was created. The Beatles legend smoothed the rough edges and filled in the fault lines, and for more than forty years this manicured version of the Beatles story has sustained as truth--until now. This biography is the product of almost a decade of research, hundreds of unprecedented interviews, and the discovery of scores of never-before-revealed documents.--From publisher description.

Ticket To Ride : inside the Beatles' 1964 Tour that Changed the World by Kane, Larry

It was 40 years ago -- more or less -- that a 22year-old broadcast journalist from Florida was invited by manager Brian Epstein to travel with the Beatles to every stop on their first North American tours. The only American reporter in the official press party, Larry Kane obtained exclusive, revealing interviews with John, Paul, George, and Ringo. Fortunately, Kane saved his original notes and tapes, and shares them here for the first time. That material provides the basis for his intimate look back at the phenomenon of the Fab Four, and insights into the humor and personality of each group member. Ticket to Ride, illustrated with more than 30 photographs, captures a rare time in history, gracefully melding the story of the Beatles revolution with the changing tenor of the country. Hear John Lennon's early public criticism of the Vietnam War, and learn about the night the Beatles met Bob Dylan. "We had a crazy party the night we met [Dylan]," Paul recounts. I thought I got the meaning to life that night. Ticket to Ride includes a 60minute audio CD featuring rare interviews.

Beatles '66: The Revolutionary Year by Turner, Steve

A riveting look at the transformative year in the lives and careers of the legendary group whose groundbreaking legacy would forever change music and popular culture.

The Beatles by Venezia, Mike

Meet the Beatles!Getting to Know the World's Greatest Composers series combines a delightful mix of full-color historical reproductions, photos, and hilarious cartoon-style illustrations that bring to life the works of renowned composers, combining poignant anecdotes with important factual information for readers (Ages 8-9).

The Beatles Lyrics: The Stories Behind the Music, Including the Handwritten Drafts of More than 100 Classic Beatles Songs by Davies, Hunter

The definitive book of Beatles songs, shown as first written by their own hands and put into authoritative context, for the 50th anniversary of the Beatles coming to America. For the Beatles, writing songs was a process that could happen anytime -- songs we all know by heart often began as a scribble on the back of an envelope or on hotel stationery. These original documents have ended up scattered across the world at museums and universities and with collectors and friends. Many have never been published before. More than 100 songs and lyrics are reproduced in THE BEATLES LYRICS, providing Hunter Davies a unique platform to tell the story of the music. The intimacy of these reproductions -- there are sections crossed out and rewritten, and words tossed into the final recordings that were never written down -- ensures that THE BEATLES LYRICS will be a treasure for musicians, scholars, and fans everywhere.

We Are the Beatles by Tucker, Zoë

"In 1957, a boy named Paul met a boy named John. John was funny and confident, while Paul was quiet and steady, but one thing they had in common was a love and talent for songwriting. When they were joined by George and Ringo, they formed the band whose name would soon be known across the world: The Beatles. Together, the Fab Four became the world's best-loved band, drawing huge crowds to packed-out stadiums. But even they got nervous sometimes, and in those times they knew they could rely on each other. Through the power of friendship, The Beatles made their biggest dreams come true and still bring joy to the lives of millions." --Amazon.com.

Yesterday -DVD

Jack Malik is a struggling singer-songwriter in a tiny English seaside town whose dreams of fame are rapidly fading, despite the fierce devotion and support of his childhood best friend, Ellie. Then, after a freak bus accident during a mysterious global blackout, Jack wakes up to discover that the Beatles have never existed. And he finds himself with a very complicated problem, indeed.

Lennon on Lennon : Conversations with John Lennon by Lennon, John

"John Lennon was a highly opinionated and controversial figure with a commanding personality and quick wit. He spoke candidly about his intense, sometimes tumultuous relationship with Yoko Ono, his split with the Beatles, his squabbles with Paul McCartney, and just about everything else, baring his emotional ups and downs for all to see. By the time he granted his-- and this book's-- final interview, only hours before his death, he had become one of the most famous people on the planet. Lennon on Lennon is an authoritative anthology of some of Lennon's most illuminating interviews. The majority have not been previously available in print, and several of the most important have not been widely available in any format. This material paints a revealing picture of the artist in his own words and offers a window into the cultural atmosphere of the sixties and seventies"-- Baker & Taylor.

"John Lennon was one of the world's most influential people. Mark David Chapman was one of the most invisible. By the end of 1980, the Beatles had been broken up for a decade -- a decade John Lennon had spent in search of his true identity: singer, songwriter, activist, burn out. "It's the perfect time to be coming back," he declared. Except that Lennon was a marked man. As early as the Beatles' controversial 1966 American tour, the band had feared for their safety. "You might as well put a target on me," Lennon said, and the Nixon administration complied by opening an FBI file. If only the agents hadn't been so intently focused on the star himself, they might have detected Mark David Chapman's powerful, ever-growing obsession with his onetime idol. Chapman, himself a tragic nowhere man, ultimately achieved the notoriety he craved by actualizing the target on Lennon -- single-handedly wounding the spirit of a generation."--Publisher's description.

Paul McCartney: The Life by Norman, Philip

"Since the age of twenty-one, Paul McCartney has lived one of the ultimate rock-n-roll lives played out on the most public of stages. Now, Paul's story is told by rock music's foremost biographer, with McCartney's consent and access to family members and close friends who have never spoken on the record before. PAUL McCARTNEY reveals the complex character behind the façade and sheds new light on his childhood--blighted by his mother's death but redeemed by the father who introduced him to music. This is the first definitive account of Paul's often troubled partnership with John Lennon, his personal trauma after the Beatles' breakup, and his subsequent struggle to get back to the top with Wings--which nearly got him murdered in Africa and brought him nine days in a Tokyo jail. Readers will learn about his marriage to Linda, including their much-criticized musical collaboration, and a moving account of her death. Packed with new information and critical insights, PAUL MCCARTNEY will be the definitive biography of a musical legend,"--Amazon.com.

Grandude's Green Submarine by McCartney, Paul

"Celebrate the fun that grandparents and grandkids can get up to in this action-packed undersea adventure--a companion picture book to Paul McCartney's bestseller Hey Grandude"--. Provided by publisher.

I, Me, Mine by Harrison, George

"Cherished by fans and collectors since its first publication in 1980, I, Me, Mine is now available in paperback. The closest we will come to George Harrison's autobiography, it features George in conversation with The Beatles' spokesperson Derek Taylor, discussing everything from early Beatlemania to his love of gardening. The lyrics to over 80 of his songs, many in his own hand, are accompanied by his uniquely intimate and humorous commentary. Fifty archival photographs of George with The Beatles and solo capture a journey of creative and spiritual transformation. Brimming with the wit, warmth, and grace that characterized his life, and with an introduction by his wife, Olivia, I, Me, Mine is a treasured portrait of George Harrison and his music." --Publisher description.

Behind Sad Eyes : The Life of George Harrison by Shapiro, Marc

Shrouded in a sea of mystery, the elusive George Harrison has long been the most private and enigmatic member of the Beatles. From his hard knock childhood in Liverpool to his ascendance into rock infamy, George Harrison's life has been a torpid ride filled with legendary success and heart crushing defeat. New York Times bestselling author Marc Shapiro sheds new light on this paradoxical rocker, whose reputation for unusual religious practices and drug abuse often rivaled his musical notoriety.A man whose desire was to be free rather than be famous, Harrison's battle against conformity lead him to music making, a soulful and creative expression that would be his ticket to success and the bane of his existence. Behind Sad Eyes is the compelling account of a man who gave the Beatles their lyrical playing style and brought solace to a generation during turbulent times.

If you are wondering where the book specific to Ringo Starr may be, an exert from the May 21, 2023

article Ringo Starr explains why he refuses to write a memoir by Arun Starkey:

'The drummer maintains that the idea bores him because he’d be expected to focus on a specific period, starting with him joining the Liverpool group in 1962.

“That’s all they want to know,” Starr told USA Today. “That’s why I got fed up. They offered me lots of money over the last many years, and I said, ‘I’m not doing a book because it’d be three volumes before I get to that year.’… I have just never found interest in it. I don’t want to do Ringo the drummer, because we’re all a bit more than that.'”