Comment

Bowie's Bookshelf

the Hundred Books That Changed David Bowie's Life
Dec 31, 2020
"Bowie's Bookshelf" is filled with short music essays based on the 100 books that influenced David Bowie. Music journalist and longtime Bowie fan, John O'Connell provides the initial list of books first published for the Albert and Victoria Museum's 2013 David Bowie Exhibit. O'Connell provides a synopsis as well as an analysis of how each book impacted Bowie's music and personal growth. Some Bowie fans were surprised to learn how voracious a reader he was and that he also wrote book reviews for Barnes & Noble (now if only someone would publish an anthology of those reviews). Each essay is complete with a Bowie song to listen to while reading and a recommendation if you liked the book. The list is fairly eclectic including novels, poetry, essays, and non-fiction titles as well. Highly recommend for Bowie fans who want to take a deep dive into the Bowie canon and explore the texts that were impactful on his life. However, even casual fans will glean a lot from the essays. I guarantee everyone will have a lot to add to their reading lists.