This week’s Top Ten Tuesday topic (hosted as always by The Broke and The Bookish) is all about music. There are any number of ways to go about this, but I decided to talk about books that make me think of music. Whether it’s the theme of the book or just its title, these ten eleven books fill my heart (and sometimes my lips) with a song.
Book: The Hesitant Heiress by Dawn Crandall (August 2014, Whitaker House)
Makes Me Think of: Music in General. The story begins with the main character, Amaryllis Brigham, unjustly expelled from the Boston Conservatory of Music. The only way for her to achieve her dream of founding a music academy in her hometown of Seattle seems to be a price she never wanted to pay – marriage within the year in order to inherit. Music is Amaryllis’ life, her dream, her future. So when I think of The Hesitant Heiress, I think of music…. ok and yummy brooding Nathan Everstone and his kisses.
There are Goodreads Giveaways going on right now for each of the currently released books in The Everstone Chronicles. Click on the links below to enter!
Book: Song of Silence by Cynthia Ruchti (April 2016, Abingdon Press)
Makes Me Think of: Again, music in general. Lucy Tuttle is forced to retire – long before she’s ready – from her job as a music teacher. Set adrift by the stunning demolition of her plans as well as of the music program her father built and she nurtured, Lucy’s passion for music fades. When her life intersects with that of a young boy and his mother who both experience the world differently than Lucy, she begins to learn that a song can be found in the silence too. (I had the privilege to read this for endorsement & y’all are in for such a treat when it comes out!! Cynthia’s delightful humor and her ability to gently show tough truth make this one of the best books I’ve read so far this year!)
Book: Like a Love Song by Camille Eide (April 2015, Ashberry Lane)
Makes Me Think of: love songs. Duh. 😉 This is actually a book I haven’t read yet (I’m scheduled to review it in March) but every time I see the title my romantical heart starts humming a love song. The premise of the book is that Susan Quinn, a social worker turned surrogate mom to foster teens, has one hope to save the group home she’s worked hard to build. That hope? The last person she’d ever turn to otherwise – “a brawny handyman with a guitar, a questionable past, and a God he keeps calling Father.”
Book: Crazy Little Thing Called Love by Beth K. Vogt (June 2015, Howard Books)
Makes Me Think of: this song. “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” by Queen trying to be Elvis. I reviewed this book last summer and, while it has very little to do with music in actuality, it’s a far-from-fluffy love story of the best kind. Vanessa is planning her destination wedding in Destin, Florida, when the sudden reappearance of her first husband and the landfall of a powerful hurricane kick up some feelings she thought were far behind her.
Book: Sweet Caroline by Rachel Hauck (February 2008, Thomas Nelson)
Makes Me Think of: this song. “Sweet Caroline” by Neil Diamond…0r (my personal favorite) Amy & Howard 😉 Caroline Sweeny’s plans for a great adventure in Spain are put on the back burner when she suddenly finds herself the new owner of the Frogmore Café. Forced to choose between her friends and her future, Caroline finds encouragement in an unlikely source – her first love, Mitch O’Neal.
Book: Let. It. Go. by Karen Ehman (November 2012, Zondervan)
Makes Me Think of: really? Do I even have to explain this one? Well, if you insist – click at your own risk. (May lead to incessant singing of this particular Disney song for the rest of the day… perhaps the week. I did warn you.) This is another book that I haven’t read yet, but it’s been on my TBR list for a while now. As the book description states, “Trying to control everything can be exhausting.” I’m very interested in reading what is promised to be a humorous yet thought-provoking guide out of the land of over-control.
Book: Sweeter Than Birdsong by Rosslyn Elliott (February 2012, Thomas Nelson)
Makes Me Think of: music in general. Ben Hanby is Otterbein College’s resident musical genius but, when he hears Kate Winter sing, her voice moves him like never before. While Kate is looking for a way to escape her family, Ben is hiding a secret of his own – he works for the Underground Railroad. One thing I loved so much about this whole series is that it’s all based on actual events but never feels like a textbook.
Book: Sing by Lisa T. Bergren (April 2010, David C. Cook)
Makes Me Think of: this song. “Sing” by Josh Wilson. It’s 1866 and the St. Clair siblings are living out their dreams in three very separate parts of the world – Paris, Brazil, and Colorado. Moira St. Clair has made a name for herself singing on the stage, but as her fame increases, so does her vulnerability. When I read The Homeward Trilogy a couple of years ago, I really enjoyed that – throughout the series – we get to see each story from the alternating perspective of each sibling. Though Moira is the main focus of Sing, we are never very far away from Dominic and Odessa either.
Book: Then Sings My Soul by Amy Sorrells (March 2015, David C. Cook)
Makes Me Think of: the wonderful hymn, “How Great Thou Art”. There are many recorded versions (countless thousands, no doubt) of this hymn but perhaps my very favorite is this one. Then Sings My Soul is another book still on my TBR tower, but the cover draws me to it every time I see it. Plus the description on Goodreads is just really intriguing.
Book: Love Without End (November 2014), Whenever You Come Around (May 2015), I Hope You Dance (June 2015), Keeper of the Stars (January 2016, Thomas Nelson) by Robin Lee Hatcher
Makes Me Think of: all the songs. lol. Okay, not all the songs, but with each book title based off a song it’s easy to get a lyric or four stuck in your head with this series. All set in the Idaho town of Kings Meadow, these books are full of sweet romance and emotional depth. So far, I’ve read two of the books – and still need to read the first book and the novella, as well as the prequel to the series, A Promise Kept.
My Review – Whenever You Come Around
My Review – Keeper of the Stars
Book: Take a Chance on Me (January 2013), It Had to be You (January 2014), When I Fall in Love (July 2014), Always on my Mind (December 2014), The Wonder of You (June 2015), You’re the One that I Want (February 2016, Tyndale House) by Susan May Warren
Makes Me Think of: again, all the songs lol. Like the Kings Meadow series, Susan May Warren’s Christiansen Family series’ titles are based off of songs. And some of them (It Had to be You, When I Fall in Love, You’re the One That I Want) get notoriously stuck in my head whenever one of these books comes across my radar. 🙂
My Review of The Wonder of You
Are y’all singing now? At least humming a tune? Because I certainly am. What books make you think of music? Let me know in the comments!
COMING SOON:
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Great list. Thanks for linking the giveaways.
I love your take on this week’s topic! I had no idea there were so many song related titles!
Here’s my TTT
me either – until I started thinking about it … and perusing my Goodreads list haha! 🙂
Love these! I wouldn’t have thought about titles that were also song titles. Here’s my TTT.
thanks, Erika! 🙂
What a wonderful approach to this theme, Carrie, and I love your treble staff graphic. I should go back and tag books related to music on my Goodreads list and take this approach the next time a music theme comes up. I went the opposite way this time, with lyrics that would make for an interesting book. Since I don’t care for most contemporary music, I drew from ballads that I loved as a teenager – and still do, for that matter! I’m just a traditionalist at heart. Here’s my post: http://bit.ly/247tf4U
Your post was excellent, Carole! I’m still humming Long Black Train 😉
Looking at him is fun too! Thanks for visiting my blog, Carrie. I think we were commenting at the same time again.
mmmhmmm you are right about the looking lol!
Great list, Carrie – and of course, I’m glad to see the Christiansen series! SO many of the titles are songs, so that’s fun. Susan definitely knew what she was doing when she (or the publisher) titled these books. 🙂
agreed! 🙂
Great list! What a creative take on the prompt.
thanks!
I really love your spin on the topic! The Hesitant Heiress and Susan May Warren’s series are both ones that remind me of music every time! Now that I’m thinking about it, I’d also include Kristy Cambron’s The Butterfly and the Violin because music was prominent and important to the story.
My TTT
ahhhhh yes!! How could I have forgotten that one?!?
Wow! So many song related book titles out there already! Great topic choice!
thanks! 🙂
Great take on the topic this week!!!
thanks!
I love this TTT! All these books look amazing and I see musical influences in them all! ❤❤
thanks! 🙂
Love it! Books with a music connection! Good job.
thanks!
I really love what you did with your list! Also, I really love quite a few books you mentioned, such as the Kings Meadow Romance and Christiansen Family series! I loved all of those novels, and really liked the way they are song titles. There were also a few books on this list that I hadn’t heard of before, but I will definitely be looking out for in the future!
thanks Mackenzie! 🙂
These look like such cute reads, especially Sweet Caroline. I love your take on this week’s post!
thanks!
Interesting take on this week’s topic! How Great Thou Art is my favorite hymn. Wish I was a better singer, I’d belt it out all the time.
I don’t let my lack of singing ability stop me from belting 😉
I really must read Dawn’s stories, since I keep eyeing them.;)
I’m surprised by how many of these I have not read. *gasp* I do like the King Meadows and Christiansen Family series.;)
Yes you really must 🙂
You did a great job on these, I had to give up on this TTT this week because I could not think of anything – I clearly need to listen to more music and less audiobook.
lol thanks 🙂
Oh my God, I LOVE your blog name!!!!
I never knew there were so many music-related novels! I kind of want to read Let It Go now…
haha! thanks 🙂
I love how you paired each song with a book! so creative! great post this week Carrie!
thanks, Emily! 🙂
Great list and take on the topic! Its really interesting to see so many books that relate to music in some way!
thanks! 🙂
Carrie, thank you for the fun post! Music is so inspiring. Today I’ll begin reading Prelude for a Lord by Camille Elliot. 🙂
oooo another great music-y book!
Love your take on this theme! I’m humming a few songs now 🙂 And congrats on the new URL! That’s exciting!
thanks, Jane! 🙂
There is one here that at first made me think of the Beatles’ “Let it Be” (which, by the way, I should’ve just listed a bunch of Beatles songs – they’d make great books!). Then I re-read the actual title of the book. 🙁 Disney song stuck in my head!
ha! sorry 🙂 But yes, the Beatles have a wealth of songs that would make great books!!
*Click at own risk* Oh, Frozen.
LOL. sorry 🙂
I love this list!! And what a title – They’re reading our song. Love it. Confession: the first thing that went through my mind was Frozen’s Let it Go. I admit it; I love that song. It’s in my head constantly whenever I hear (or read) those words. You’ve set my mind on replay now for the night. I don’t know whether to thank you or not. lol
LOL sorry 😉
Wow. I’m so amazed by the books with titles that match song titles. Good finds! Good luck with your URL change.
Thanks 🙂
I love the way you’ve tackled the list this week Carrie! 🙂
Thanks, Chrissi!!
I’ve been looking at The Hesitant Heiress for awhile now – mostly because of the cover, because that cover is just gorgeous – and been interested in it. I just had no idea that music played any part in it. Now I think it’s got to move up my TBR. Also, Sweeter than Birdsong sounds great. And Sing, though I’m going to have to read a little more about it as I’m not fully convinced it’s my kind of book.
THH definitely needs to be at the top of your TBR list! Make sure you enter those giveaways too!
Great list I liked out how you approached the topic!
Thanks!
Awesome list! I loved your idea of books that made you think of songs, really cool. .The Hesitant Heiress sounds really good. And I loved that you had the Christiansen Family Series on here too!
The Hesitant Heiress is incredible!
I really enjoyed your take on this topic. I am in awe, because I found this to be such a difficult one to do. You have made such an amazing list. Great job!
Thanks! I thought this was a difficult topic too. I wimped out & went this direction lol
Wimped out? You did a fantastic job. 🙂
haha! thanks 🙂
I like how you changed up the list 🙂
thanks!
What a fun post! Thanks for including SING!
My pleasure!