Books Like the TV Show Nashville

ByJen
38 Comments

I’m SO excited to debut my new occasional blog feature …. Bookalikes!

I used to participate in The Reclusive Bibilophile’s “If You Liked” feature on Mondays. Then Melanie put her blog on hold 🙁

So, welcome to my new “Books Like” feature, in which I pick a topic  (a book, or TV show or some other pop culture phenomenon) and try to come up with YA books that I think will appeal to fans of that topic. Bloggers spend a lot of time focused on the latest and newest, and this is also a way for me to show the love for some different books.

Today, my inspiration will be …. Nashville!

Have you seen Nashville? It’s on ABC on Wednesday nights. The show focuses on two singers, country legend Rayna James (Connie Britton) and scrappy young pop-country singer Juliette Barnes (Hayden Paniettiere.) Rayna has a stuffy husband and a broody ex-boyfriend. Juliette has a wild streak and a mother with addiction issues. Then there’s too-sweet-to-last aspiring songwriter Scarlett, her aspiring musician boyfriend Avery, and Gunnar, the nice guy slash third wheel.
So, the show’s formula is….
Country Music + 
Reigning Queen Bee vs. Ambitious Upstart +
Politician’s Daughter and associated political intrigue +
Sweet Young Thing+
Unrequited Love 

Here are my YA book recommendations for fans of Nashville. Click on the covers to get to the book’s Goodreads page!

Paradise by Jill Alexander (Macmillan, 2011)
Country music + Unrequited Love 
Paisley, a drummer in a country rock band, dreams of making it to the Texapalooza music festival. To do that they need a lead singer. Now. In strolls Paradise. Not only does he complete the band, he turns Paisley’s head. Which is great, except that Cal, the band’s quiet lead guitarist, is also secretly in love with Paisley. Each chapter from Paisley’s point of view alternates with a song written by Cal. About his feelings for Paisley. 
This book!  I’m not even the world’s biggest fan of country music, but this book just encapsulates all the heartbreak and longing of a country song.
Queen of Kentucky by Alecia Whitaker (Poppy, 2012)
Sweet young thing +Unrequited love
Ricki Jo is worried that the country club girls at her school will think she’s a hick. She falls for the absolute wrong boy and doesn’t realize it. She has the absolute right boy under her nose and doesn’t realize it.


My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick (Dial, 2012)
Politician’s daughter + associated political intrigue
Samantha Reed is the perfect politician’s daughter: pretty, high-achieving and scandal-free. While her mother is all tied up with a political campaign, When Sam begins to fall for Jase Garrett, she keeps her new relationship secret from everyone in her well-ordered life. But then something terrible happens, and Sam has to choose between Jase and her family, between what’s right and what’s easy.
Okay, a book set in the Northeast might seem like a less obvious choice. But  part of Nashville’s plot revolves around a political campaign. Rayna is the daughter of a powerful politician. Sam is the daughter of an aspiring politician. Both the show and the book deal with a political campaign and a lot of conniving and scandal.

Okay, what do you think? About the show, my new feature, and the books I chose? Do you have other books to suggest?

Jen has been blogging about books since 2011. In that time, she has read and reviewed over 1500 books. She loves helping readers find their perfect next read and helping books find their audience.

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38 Comments

  1. Thanks for the recs-I think this is a really fun idea. I actually already had Paradise on my to-read list but I'm not sure I knew what it was about so now I have a better idea. I really like Nashville so this was a perfect start to the feature for me. Trying to think of some other ideas for you!

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  6. First of all: Why am I not watching Nashville?! I think I wasn't interested b/c I'm not into country music at all. But I do looove me some drama.
    Thanks for this great feature! Paradise sounds awesome. I'll probably buy it if I don't win. And this makes me more excited to read MLND.

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  8. Great feature! I haven't read any of those books, but they all sound fabulous. I have been wanting to watch Nashville, but I really watch way too many shows already.

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  10. This is an awesome feature for your blog!! And I LOVED My Life Next Door. It was one of my favorites:)

    I'd love to be entered in the giveaway – Paradise sounds awesome:)

    Thank you:)

    ccfioriole at gmail dot com

    Reply

  12. What a great new feature! I know I have talked about my love of fanfiction before but I love it for its ability to expand upon the material provided in a 30-60 minute show (less obviously with commercial). To me it's even better than reading books that have similar themes because then I have the ability to expand on the possibilities of the TV characters and their realities. I think I just nerded out.

    I'd like to be entered in the giveaway. Paradise is on my TBR list! smann81@gmail.com

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  14. I love this new feature. I have only seen a few episodes of the show, because school has kept me busy. I love your selections for this post. I think you should definitely do another post like this one :D!

    I would like to be entered for the giveaway as well :).

    ssweett_rebelde@hotmail.com

    Reply

  15. This is a great idea! I almost started watching Nashville but I chose Chicago Fire, on at the same time, instead. Kind of a bummer since Jonathan Jackson is on Nashville and I am a big General Hospital fan. Anyways… I have been wanting to read My Life Next Door for months and still haven't had the chance. *sigh* Soon, I swear! I look forward to more of these posts! 🙂

    Reply

    1. LOVE Audrey, Wait! And I agree, there are some parallels. The songwriter boyfriend and the sudden fame. I haven't read Born To Rock, but have heard of the author.

      Thanks so much for stopping by with suggestions 🙂

      Reply