Books about creativity

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Art.

*Contrapposto by David Eggers. A sweeping, six-decade novel about friendship, love, and the lifelong pursuit of art, framed by the concept of contrapposto—a physical stance of tension and balance between opposing forces.

Girl with a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier. A historical fiction reimagining the life of the young Dutch painter Vermeer 

The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt. A modern novel centered on a stolen painting and its impact on its owner’s life.

Theo of Golden. An elderly gentleman visits Golden, where he buys the portraits by a local artist, and then gives them to the people in the portraits who share their stories.

The Paris Novel by Ruth Reichel. A mother leaves her daughter a small inheritance to enjoy the art, books, food, fashion, and joie de vivre in Paris. Set in 1893.

 

Writing

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. A coming-of-age story with a strong female voice, showing the challenges and joys of writing and self-expression 

The Help by Kathryn Stockett. A novel about the power of storytelling in social change.

Mr. Penumbra's 24 Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan. An unemployed web designer takes a night job at a mysterious bookstore, leading him into a world of secrets, ancient codes, and a quest for immortality.

The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry: A Novel by Gabrielle Zevin.  A cynical and sad bookstore owner is saved when a two-year old is left in his car. The abandoned child is left with a note that the child should be left with "book" people.

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Nonfiction Selections

The Elements of Style by William Strunk Jr. A concise guide to clear, effective writing 

Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott. Some instructions on writing.

 

Dance

Swing Time by Zadie Smith. Two childhood friends dream of being dancers. One makes it to the chorus line but struggles with adult life, while her friend leaves the old neighborhood behind, traveling the world as an assistant to a famous singer, Aimee, observing close up how the one percent live. An ambitious, exuberant new novel moving from North West London to West Africa.

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Theater. 

Audition by Katie Kitamura. A psychological portrait of an actress navigating complex relationships with her scene partners, capturing the destabilizing nature of performance both on and off stage 

Tom Lake by Ann Patchett. A mother with three daughters reflects on her youth. She recalls being cast as Emily in the play "Our Town." When the role is delayed, the mother finds herself returning to Michigan to work with a summer stock theater company named Tom Lake, where she meets the then-unknown (now-famous) actor named Duke.

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Music

Bel Canto by Ann Patchett. A tense, emotional story set during a hostage situation in South America, where music becomes a lifeline between captors and hostages.

High Fidelity by Nick Hornby. A heartfelt, humorous look at love, loss, and the power of music through the life of a record store owner 

*Partita by Barbara Kingsolver. A novel centered on Livia Cable, once known as Livia Bohusz, a gifted conservatory student estranged from her family. The story alternates between her youth—marked by artistic ambition, class barriers, and a consuming romance—and her midlife in rural Tennessee, where she teaches music and lives a modest, stable life. 

*Music Against the Night by Yiyun Li. Two musical prodigies in the 18th century.

The Commitments by Roddy Doyle. A coming-of-age story about a group of friends forming a soul band in 1960s Ireland 

The Violin Conspiracy by Brendan Slocumb. A historical fiction novel about a violinist’s life and the secrets behind his music 

Reservation Blues by Sherman Alexie. A reimagining of Robert Johnson’s blues legend, set on the Spokane Indian reservation 

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Nonfiction Selections

Voice of a Century: The Life and Artistry of Marian Anderson by Anthony Tommasini and Henry Louis Gates Jr.  (Series Editor) Philadelphia opera singer Marian Anderson

Daylight Come: Harry Belafonte and the World He Made by Joshua Jelly-Schapiro (Author), Henry Louis Gates Jr. (Series Editor) Singer and civil rights icon Harry Bealafronte

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Comic Books.

The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Klay by Michael Chabon. A historical fiction novel follows the lives of two Jewish cousins, . Together, they create The Escapist, a fictional superhero inspired by Joe’s desire to fight fascism and his struggle to rescue his family from Europe. In the story, Kavalier and Clay become major figures in the comics industry during its Golden Age.

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