Ann Patchett Recommends Books That Capture the Magic of Music
Joan Didion, Percival Everett and even a pair of her own novels hit all the right notes
Key Takeaways
- Ann Patchett loves books that are so poetic and lyrical, they could be sung.
- Singing on an audiobook needs special rights, Patchett revealed about recording ‘Whistler.’
- Two Patchett audiobooks, read by Tom Hanks and Meryl Streep, earned Grammy nominations.
There are few things that can lift a mood as instantly as getting lost in a good book or listening to a favorite song. So why not combine those two themes? We consulted our favorite book recommender—bestselling author and independent bookstore owner Ann Patchett—to learn her go-to books that evoke music and melody. Here are the great titles to add to your reading list today! And don’t miss all the hidden tidbits about Patchett’s personal connections to music. One thing is crystal clear: this lyrical novelist lets books bring harmony into her life. Let these stories sing for you too!
Does Ann Patchett even like music?
Yes! The brilliant author famously doesn’t have social media and doesn’t watch TV, but she does enjoy music, including well-written Joni Mitchell songs. She told Woman’s World some music is so integral to her youth she can’t revisit it. She compared it to the book Charlotte’s Web, which she can’t reread now as an adult because it brings up too much raw emotion from her childhood. “It’s like certain Joni Mitchell albums. I just think, ‘oh, I can’t go back there!’”
And from the National Writers Series (NWS) stage in 2026, she answered this provocative music question from the audience: “I’m wondering what your favorite Beatles song is?”
Patchett responded with a two-part answer. “I’m going to tell you what popped into my mind the second you said that: It was Eleanor Rigby. Now I don’t know, if I really sat down and thought about it, maybe it would be something else. But that’s it.” Then Patchett added, “The question that we used to always ask each other in graduate school: Beatles or Stones?” She went on, “I hate to tell you this: Stones!”
And let’s not forget that Patchett is a Grammy-adjacent superstar. Two audiobooks for her novels have been nominated for Grammy Awards: The Dutch House, performed by Tom Hanks, and Tom Lake, narrated by Meryl Streep.
6 books that sing, thanks to their musical connections
Okay, without further delay, Ann Patchett, the bestselling author, recommends these books connected by the life-affirming theme of music. She’s drawn to writing—like Jacqueline Woodson’s poetry—that’s so beautiful it could be sung straight from the page. (And we couldn’t help but include two of her own novels with a musical connection!)
A book with playlists: ‘Little Pieces of Hope’ by Todd Doughty
On a reel for her store Parnassus Books, Patchett recommends Little Pieces of Hope: Happy-Making Things in a Difficult World, which is a “set of lists of all of the things that spark joy.” And yes, that includes inspiring song playlists. Patchett says the book is like a feel-good scavenger hunt. “You keep stopping and looking things up, so you can see that photograph, or hear that piece of music” included in one of the various lists.
One reader shares, “You will discover songs you didn’t know that are now part of your everyday playlists. Todd does a heartwarming job of reminding you of what’s important.”
A book that references musical history: ‘The White Album’ by Joan Didion
Patchett said in another reel, “I have read all of Joan Didion’s books, and I have loved most of Joan Didion’s books.” She recommends the 1979 collection of essays called The White Album about the late 60s and their aftermath. And yes, the title is a direct nod to The Beatles’ famous double album, as well as the blank slate of the decade following the turmoil of the 60s. She shares, “This is why it’s so important to read history and to read things that came before us because it helps us see ourselves in context.”
One reader called this “a literary record of a tumultuous time” and another shared, this book “made me feel like I stepped backwards in her life.” The New York Times book review called this collection “subtly musical in its phrasing and exact.”
A book about musicians: ‘Music Against the Night’ by Yiyun Li
Patchett has called this sweeping historical fiction book her favorite of 2026 and offered an official blurb, saying “Music Against The Night may well be the most perfectly constructed, moving and beautiful novel I’ve ever read.” The epic story centers on two people who use music in different ways in life: John, an Irish piano prodigy who composed real-life nocturnes, and orphan Adelaide, who utilizes music to escape past traumas.
One reader gushed that Li “doesn’t just craft a compelling world of two artists learning the vocabulary and instrumentation of their art, but rather orchestrates a world where these two characters’ stories converge.” She added, “Readers are able to inhabit this world that Li composes much like they were immersed in a symphony hall, beset by the emotional timbres of the various sections.”
A book about the power of music: ‘Bel Canto’ by Ann Patchett
Patchett goes out of her way to recommend other authors’ work. But no Ann Patchett musical book roundup would be complete without mentioning her own award-winning story Bel Canto from 2001. In her most lyrical novel, a group of party goers are taken hostage in a mansion. During the ordeal, an opera singer performs to pass the time and bridge the gap between captives and captors. It’s a story where music is literally the only common language some people in a broken world share.
One reader explained, “’Bel Canto’, the title of this novel, means ‘beautiful singing’ and this book truly sings. It is a lovely story packed with magical realism.” Of the opera-singing character, it is said, “Roxanne has the voice of an angel, one that turns men and women’s hearts and souls toward her.”
An upcoming book to have on your radar: ‘Serious Music’ by Percival Everett
During her recent fall fiction roundup at the National Book Festival, Patchett shared that she was looking forward to the novel Serious Music, which comes out in March 2027. What is it about? In this dark comedy, readers follow Arthur for a decade, from his life as a student at Oberlin Conservatory of Music, to the army, then to the jazz clubs of Harlem and finally working in the White House under Woodrow Wilson in the early part of the 20th century. It’s described as a “high octane” read that explores “racism and ownership in art.” And while Patchett hasn’t gotten her hands on a copy yet, she has high hopes given the gripping stories that have come from this Pulitzer-Prize winning writer before.
A book that features singing: ‘Whistler’ by Ann Patchett
If you listen to the audiobook version of her latest book Whistler, which she narrates herself, you’ll notice she sings in a child’s voice the old advertising jingle: “See the U.S.A. / in your Chevrolet!”
In an exclusive interview with Woman’s World, Patchett talked about this musical turn in her career. She revealed that if you sing a song—”even a tiny bit” in an audiobook, it changes the rights structure of the project, legally. She explains, “You have to then get permission for the tune—you’re not just getting permission for the words.” She added, “So when I was recording it, every time we would get to a song, my director would say, ‘Well, read it tunefully, and then sing it, and then we’ll find out where the rights are, and we’ll splice in whichever one.’” But when all was said and done, she didn’t get permission to use the tune. Pacthett’s workaround: She sang the jingle “wrong tonally” so the words, not the music, were there. But it worked for the story since it was coming from the mouth of a playful young character.
The final word from Patchett on books: They give us faith in the future
Patchett knows art has a way of educating us and teaching us empathy to create a more harmonious world. She shared a personal story at NWS while on book tour in 2026 about the difference between books and songs. “The guy we bought our house from was a songwriter,” Patchett revealed about her Nashville home. “He said, ‘I don’t know how you can write a novel. If I write a song and it’s bad and it doesn’t work out, 30 minutes of my life are gone. If you write a novel that’s bad and it doesn’t work out, what is it, like, two or three years, just down the tubes?’” And to that Patchett said, “Yeah, it takes a lot of faith in the system.” So put your faith in books to make you feel more joy and harmony in your future!
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