9 music memoirs for your summer reading list

“Crack open a book.” It’s a timelessly beneficial suggestion. And yes, we get that could mean cracking open your book-reading or listening app, rather than breaking the spine that binds word-filled pages together.

Sometimes, we need to fall into a book that gets us away from our own grind or puts some distance between us and the endless scrolls and swipes that can dominate our time. Here are seven music and music-related memoirs that offer looks at the writers’ lives, including deeply personal reflections, hilarious moments and struggles both inside and outside the entertainment industry.

‘Say Everything’

By Ione Skye
Simon and Schuster
Skye’s book is the least official music memoir on the list, as she isn’t a working musician. Skye, however, has been intrinsically linked to the music world since, well, birth — her dad is legendary Scottish folk singer, Donovan (Leitch), though as a child, she didn’t spend much time with him. That arc spans the book and is an interesting story in itself. Skye’s an actress who starred in the ’80s teen classic, “Say Anything,” at 16 alongside John Cusack, and launched her into the public eye. The book chronicles her own romantic relationships with predominantly musicians. Chili Pepper Anthony Kiedis and Beastie Boy Adam Horowitz, to name a couple. It’s as dishy as it sounds, but it’s her dinner to dish, and in between servings are honest reflections about tackling the ugly junk we learn along the way.

‘Rebel Girl: My Life as a Feminist Punk’

Kathleen Hanna
Ecco
What are the chances of two books coming out around the same time by people who married Adam Horowitz, aka Ad Rock from the Beastie Boys? Pretty good, ’cause it happened. However, just like Ione Skye’s memoir, the two women have volumes of life experiences before, during and after this one dude was part of either’s mix. The singer of bands Bikini Kill, Le Tigre and The Julie Ruin has spent her life making art and music, armed with the mission of empowering women, creating awareness and safe spaces, and changing the landscape of male-dominated scenes.

‘In the Jingle Jangle Jungle: Keeping Time with the Brian Jonestown Massacre’

Joel Gion
Rare Bird Books
It’s no secret that psych rockers Brian Jonestown Massacre are chaotic beyond their musical skills. A documentary called “Dig!” gets into all that noted turmoil and more. Joel Gion is the band’s tambourine player, and he has also done some solo projects where he tackles vocals and guitar. This book, though, is all about the BJM, and Gion doesn’t hold back. He relays his time with the group and its notorious founder, Anton Newcombe, from the first time he saw them to the present. And Gion is hilarious, armed with a wit so slick and barbed you hope to be on the good side of that blade.

‘Who’s That Girl?: A Memoir’

Eve with Kathy Iandoli
Hanover Square Press
Grammy Award-winning Eve Jihan Cooper, best known as just Eve, started releasing rap records in the late ’90s. She dropped unforgettable singles and did killer collabs with artists like Gwen Stefani and Ludacris. She dove into acting and made a splash there, too. In the book, she talks about the challenges of navigating being a woman rap artist in a male-dominated industry, how being in the spotlight took its toll and how she persevered and transcended.

‘Waiting on the Moon: Artists, Poets, Drifters, Grifters, and Goddesses’

Peter Wolf
Hachette Book Group
Wolf was the lead singer of the J. Geils Band, named for its guitarist John ‘J.’ Geils, and now he’s sharing a slew of stories from his career. The band started in 1968 and had a bunch of hits in the ’80s, like “Love Stinks,” “Freeze Frame” and “Centerfold.” This book is not one of the usual here’s how it started, followed by a career-spanning timeline of the band’s accomplishments and activities, ending with a where-they-are-now wrap-up. This is Peter Wolf’s storytelling time. He talks about meeting a variety of musicians and entertainment industry folks like Bob Dylan, Mick Jagger, Julia Child and David Lynch — with whom he once was roomies with. Funny and touching, it’s a refreshing take on reviewing one’s past.

'Farenheit-182'

Mark Hoppus
Dey Street Books
Blink-182 fans will inherently want to grab this origin story written by the band’s singer and bassist, but fan status isn’t required to thoroughly enjoy this read. It’s a classic Gen-X tale. Cracks in idyllic suburban walls, divorce and limited parental oversight lead to exploration to assuage the tedium and complex feelings. In many cases, an escape route ultimately led to the panacea for that emotional blend: music. From falling in love with songs on a mixtape to haircuts that make your dates’ parents uncomfortable to the realization that you don’t just want to be a listener, you want to be a maker. Before “going viral” could get you anywhere in the biz, here’s a look at the DIY path to becoming a known band told by someone who seems genuinely grateful for the entire ride.

‘Earth to Moon: A Memoir’

Moon Unit Zappa
Dey Street Books
Moon Zappa was born in the late 1960s to Gail and Frank Zappa. The latter, her pop, was a prolific guitarist known for experimenting with styles to create his own style of layered, complex, and very funny rock and roll. In her book, Moon outlines what living with the rocker was like for her and her siblings, who were steeped in a culture where the norms were mostly expected of other people in that scene. She got her own taste of fame when she appeared on her dad’s song “Valley Girl,” poking a stick at mall speak. The book looks at finding yourself amongst your respective family dynamics while offering a look at a specific slice of 20th-century rock.

'Brothers'

Alex Van Halen
Harper
Sibling relationships are complicated. Add a band, and it ups the emotions all around, good and bad. Here, drummer Alex Van Halen has written a loving letter to his brother, famed guitarist Eddie Van Halen. The letter tells their story of growing up before music entered the picture and continues to the end. Eddie’s former wife, Valerie Bertinelli, has given the book a lot of praise.

‘Sonic Life’

Thurston Moore
Penguin Random House
Thurston Moore likes to talk about music. He’s known to pop up in many music documentaries, weighing in with his takes. It makes sense that he wrote a book in which he unravels his own experiences creating music and setting the stage for musicians for years to come. He’s been playing for more than half a century, and his former band, Sonic Youth, was innovative and fearless in making their blend of noisy, experimental rock. Learn about how he discovered music and how it shaped his life.