I love the twang of country music, the songs about trucks, independence, and falling in love. I think I fell in love with country music because most of the songs seem to tell a story, and being a bookish nerd, I loved that.
Here’s a video from Trace Atkins explaining why he sings Country in Songs About Me.
July 4th was National County Music Day and in celebration, I’ve created a list of YA books featuring country music.
Wildflower by Alicia Whitaker
Bird’s family play together with her Dad as the front man, but when he’s sick, he asks Bird to step in a lead the band. At first, Bird’s nervous, but then she finds her groove and starts to shine in the spotlight. There’s a talent scout in the crowd and he requests a meeting with her father. Everyone’s excited about the possibility of being signed – but it turns out he just wants Bird. It’s too good of an opportunity for her to pass up, but is she ready for the hard work and fame?
Somebody Everybody Listens To by Suzanne Supplee (2011 Best Fiction for Young Adults)
Retta Lee Jones takes the advice from her best friend and, after high school graduation, leaves her small town behind in hopes of making it in Nashville. After a string of bad luck, she meets a friend who helps her out. Can she survive and strike it big?
Paradise by Jill S. Alexander
Paisley Tillery lives and breathes drums. They could be her ticket out of small town Texas. Her dreams might be able to come true now that the band has a hot new lead singer. When Paisley falls for him, she can’t help wondering if he could help her soar or hold her back. Paisley’s mother doesn’t know about the band because she wouldn’t approve. How can her dreams come true if she can’t tell her family and have their support?
Open Road Summer by Emery Lord
Reagan lives life on the edge, while her BFF maintains a clean image. Lilah’s a country music star and when her long term relationship ends, she invites Reagan on tour. When a scandal erupts about Lilah, her management brings in a star for the opening act that can help with damage control. Only Regan falls for Matt and he seems to like her too.
Love Struck Summer by Melissa Walker
Quinn just graduated high school. Since she lives for music, she decides to call up her favorite record label and ask for an internship. She’s surprised enough to have someone answer the phone at 3 a.m., let alone an affirmative answer to her question. She heads for Texas to stay with her cousin where she’s excited about her job and can’t wait to find the perfect boyfriend. Her summer doesn’t go exactly as planned.
~ Jennifer Rummel Currently Reading: The Year of Luminous Love by Lurlene McDaniel
Country music is so NOT my thing, but I really enjoyed DIRTY LITTLE SECRET by Jennifer Echols, another YA book about the country music scene. The main character is a fiddle player and was in a band with her sister, the singer. But a record label signed her sister without her, and she’s not supposed to play publicly while she’s on her first tour. Still, she loves music, meets a guy who needs a fiddle player for his band, and they start playing clubs in Nashville. The setting was so vibrant, the romance was fun, and it was also about family and following your dreams. Definitely a great summer read.