I never used to read books. I found it really hard to concentrate and would find myself reading sentences over and over again, just to get them to sink in. Now, I chew through them and I honestly have to say there is nothing like a good book to get stuck into. When I am in a second hand book store I am like a kid in a candy shop, and whilst on tour its usually the first thing I google map when we hit a new city.
If you’re like me, I find it hard to pick up fiction and enjoy more practical and resourceful books. In fact, the only fiction I ever finished was Harry Potter. For me, reading is like meditation, a sacred time in which I lose track of what’s going on around me. Books amaze me in general. The concept that someone can take the time to write pages and pages to pass on their knowledge on something they are passionate about or want to share, is really special.
Books offer many things, and my most favourite is the chance to focus in and go to another place all together. When I was travelling, I found that reading was helpful when I wanted a break from Netflix, didn’t have wi-fi or needed something to read before I went to bed on the bus to substitute YouTube binge watching and scrolling (I am guilty of both).
All my books are filled with highlighters and pens that mark sentences, quotes and words that stand out to me. When I was on tour last year, we had a couple of days in Tucson, Arizona. I found an old second-hand book store and bought a few small western tale books for $5-7 each. I went through them and highlighted key words to inspire me for future song writing. I would recommend this to anyone who needs a little nudge with inspiration for their songs (check out my post on creative block for more tips).
So, here are a list of suggestions of books to read whilst touring. I was going to try and limit it to 5 but dangnamit I just couldn’t.
FOR SONGWRITERS
“Writing Better Lyrics” by Pat Pattison and “The Complete Rhyming Dictionary” by Clement Wood.
Two great books to have in your backpack and two books that I have found EXTREMELY useful. Really, any collection of poetry is helpful to keep your brain buzzing, and my personal fav is “The Collective Verse of A.B Paterson”.
FOR INSPIRATION
“Big Magic” by Elizabeth Gilbert. This book was suggested to me by John Butler and now it’s one of my go-to books when I’m feeling like I’m not sure what I am doing. I highly recommend it. It talks about the nature of inspiration, creative living and honouring your authentic self to create. “And you have hidden treasures within you – extraordinary treasures – and so do I, and so does everyone around us. And bringing those treasures to light takes work and faith and focus and courage and hours of devotion, and the clock is ticking, and the world is spinning, and we simply do not have the time anymore to think so small”.
“Living with a Creative Mind” by Jeff & Julie Crabtree. This is a great book for understanding just what the fuck goes on in the mind of a creative person. This book is a survival guide for artists and for those who create to earn a living. And who better to write about this subject than a psychologist in the field of creativity and mental health AND a professional musician, composer and arts educator. This book is well formatted and easy to read. Topics it touches on include creative flow, well-being, emotional resilience and attitude, personality types and principles for long term success. You can order this book online.
"Effortless Mastery" by Kenny Werner. This book focuses on reasons why people play, why they stop playing, and why some are afraid of playing music. It includes the four steps to effortless playing.
PRACTICAL ADVICE
“Mindset” by DR. Carol S. Dweck. Ever wondered what growth and fixed mindset are? This book focuses on how the way we think shapes our success.
“Grit” by Angela Duckworth. "The secret to outstanding achievement is not talent, but a passionate persistence."
“First, we make the beast beautiful” by Sarah Wilson. A book for those who suffer from anxiety.
"Declutter Your Life" by Gill Hasson.
BIOGRAPHIES
What better time to read about one of your most loved bands or artists, than on the road? Some of my picks are: “Long Hard Road out of Hell” by Neil Strauss, “Waging Heavy Peace” by Neil Young, “She Bop – The Definitive History of Women in Popular Music” by Lucy O’Brian and "On the Road with Janis Joplin” by John Byrne Cooke.
SPIRITUALITY AND SHIT
“The Untethered Soul” by Michael Singer. Not sure about you but sometimes I look at my hands and wonder why I have them. How did they form, and how cool is it that I have fingers to hold a drum stick with? Weird right… but maybe getting philosophical while you’re sitting on a plane or waiting for soundcheck is a good distraction to soak up the time. This book is looks at the concept of your seat of self and our consciousness. It walks you through your relationship with your inner thoughts and emotions, and helps you uncover the source and fluctuations of your inner energy. As musicians, we spend a lot of time in our heads and this book really helped me organise it all. “To attain true inner freedom, you must be able to objectively watch your problems instead of being lost in them.”
“Anatomy of the Spirit” by Caroline Myss, Ph.D. This book presents a model of the body’s seven centres of spiritual and physical power. Symbolic light, emotional and physical power, belief patterns, energy field - any of those things resonate with you?
“Becoming Supernatural” by Dr. Joe Dispenza. What is your state of being? I like this book because it has great diagrams and graphics of brainwaves to show the power of meditation and using your creative energy to design a new destiny. It also talks about our electromagnetic field and that “to change our state of being, we have to change how we think and feel.”
“A Practical Guide to Vibrational Medicine” by Richard Gerber. M.D. If you are into alternate healing this book is your vibe. It touches on Chinese medicine, colour and light healing, homeopathy, describes the role of consciousness and ‘thought forms’.
FOR FINANCIAL ADVICE
Yes, I said financial advice. Read The “Barefoot Investor” by Scott Pape. I wish I read this when I was younger. It is the easiest concept on how to save efficiently and has other great tips if you are interested in this particular topic.
RELATIONSHIP ADVICE
“Attached” by Rachael Heller. I am not really into “relationship” books but holy shit this one changed my life. I never knew what attachment styles were before I read this book. Easy to read and understand, plus it has a quiz to find out if you are the anxious, avoidant or secure type.
“Mating in Captivity” by Esther Perel. "Today, we turn to one person to provide what an entire village once did; a sense of grounding, meaning and continuity. At the same time, we expect our committed relationships to be romantic as well as emotionally and sexually fulfilling. Is it any wonder that so many relationships crumble under the weight of it all? Its hard to generate excitement, anticipation, and lust with the same person you look to for comfort and stability, but its not impossible. I invite you to think about about ways you might introduce risk to safety, mystery to the familiar and novelty to the enduring”.
HEALTH
“Heal Your Gut” by Giulia Enders and “How Not To Die” by Michael Greger are both great reads.
FEMINISM
“Women Who Run With Wolves” by Clarissa Pinkola Estes. A worthwhile read on trusting your instincts, unleashing your wild woman and embracing who you really are. Requires attention and commitment.
“Boys Will be Boys” by Clementine Ford. Talks about gender roles, toxic masculinity and patriarchy.
“Feminist Fight Club” by Jessica Bennett. As a woman in a male dominated industry I feel this is essential reading. It’s basically a survival manual for working in a sexist workplace. Pretty hectic hey. It provides strategies and practical tips that you might use in the ‘office’ but this can extend to any situation or workplace (backstage, at a gig or rehearsal).
There are a billion books to read and this is just a small handful. I hope you can discover books you want to dive into! Happy reading y'all.
xoxo gossipbooknerd
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