THE LIFE MELODIC

Vanities/Books

A chorus of new books delves into the minds of musicians, from rappers and rockers to indiepop icons

1 Year of the Monkey by Patti Smith (Knopf)

"I could feel the gravitational pull of home, which when I'm home becomes the gravitational pull of somewhere else," writes the author and musician in her lyrical retelling of one nomadic year.

2 High School by Sara and Tegan Quin (MOD)

In alternating chapters, the twins, band members and queer activists, relive their entangled high school years.

3 Hurricanes by Rick Ross with Neil Martinez-Belkin (Hanover Square Press)

The rapper details comingofageina financially depleted Florida community, his run-ins with the law, and how he made music—and money—out of personal strife.

4 Janis:HerLife and Music by Holly George-Warren (Simon & Schuster)

This gripping biography charts the brilliant and troubled blues singer, from life in small-town Texas to discovering Kerouac, San Francisco, and her own musical self.

5 Horror Stories by Liz Phair (Random House)

The onetime '90s teen queen provides a backstage peek at her anxieties and triumphs over decades in the spotlight. "From the beginning, she writes, "my songs have been stories."

6 TheBeautiful Owes by Prince (Spiegel & Grau)

An intimate volume comprising previously unpublished photos of the singular performer and the unfinished memoir he was working on just before his death.

7 Me by Elton John (Henry Holt)

Following Rocketman, this summer's critically acclaimed biopic, the Elton show continues with the first and only autobiography from the outre glasses-loving Brit.

8Morning Glory on the Vine by Joni Mitchell (HMH)

A collection of handwritten lyrics and happy-hued illustrations, created by Mitchell in 1971 for a few close friends, is publicly available for the first time.

KEZIAH WEIR