Here are 100 books that Shock Mount fans have personally recommended if you like
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Is there any better foreplay than great wordplay? Not in my book! After years of studying the romcom repartee gospel according to Nora Ephron and Nancy Meyers, I know this much is true: what’s said on the lips is first sparked in the hips! As a rom-com writer recently crowned “the Queen of Banter” by a reader (blush), I bow to the greats who taught me that witty banter is a symptom of unrealized or unsatisfied attraction. And as a lover of skillfully-written sparring, I squirm with delight whenever a sly remark, slick comeback, or sexy euphemism makes potential paramours pop. Want to enchant her? Use banter!
As someone who’s hooked on cooking reality TV shows, I was smitten with this spicy romcom with all the tantalizing ingredients for great banter. Peppery Gigi is a saucy-mouthed leading babe who goes toe to toe with any taker, whether she’s trading insults with her acidic-tongued celebrity chef or cooing seductive come-ons to the smooth-as-caramel southern charmer who’s whet her appetite. I loved that author Josie Juniper’s hilariously twisted love triangle definitely brings the heat, but it’s the sizzling banter that truly turns the flame up to 11.
A hot-mess TV personality with a wild reputation. An enigmatic country boy with secrets behind his Elvis smile. Unlikely friends… trying to avoid a collision into benefits.
Irrepressible “comedy cook” Gigi Becker finds herself far from the comforts of Los Angeles when her on-paper husband – world-famous loudmouth chef Gavin Yates – relocates her show. But the spiteful plans of “culinary empire ogre” Gavin backfire when Gigi trust-falls into the safety of fast friendship with captivating cameraman Leo and talented director Bennett.
As Gigi navigates a new life of dramatic change and culture clash – and endures repeated sabotage by…
I’m an author of over seventy romance books and have been a romance reader all my life. I think the first book I wrote (at the age of eight) featured a kiss. Yes, I was precocious, but in my defense, I was spying on my much older sister and her boyfriend at the time. Reading and writing romance is my passion, and I love spending my days creating independent, intelligent, and feisty heroines and hot, smart, modern men. I’m lucky enough to spend my days doing what I love. I hope you love the books on my list, and that they bring you as much pleasure (and an escape from reality) as they did me.
This is a seriously funny book full of great dialogue. It’s also a great premise…the hero who makes a bet with his friend to sleep with said friend’s very cranky ex-girlfriend.
Min has just been recently dumped by a man she didn’t love, but she’s not in the mood to deal with any man’s ****. Cal is stupidly handsome, successful, and charming, but he needs to be brought down a peg or ten. This is opposites attract romance with lots of heart!
Is there any better foreplay than great wordplay? Not in my book! After years of studying the romcom repartee gospel according to Nora Ephron and Nancy Meyers, I know this much is true: what’s said on the lips is first sparked in the hips! As a rom-com writer recently crowned “the Queen of Banter” by a reader (blush), I bow to the greats who taught me that witty banter is a symptom of unrealized or unsatisfied attraction. And as a lover of skillfully-written sparring, I squirm with delight whenever a sly remark, slick comeback, or sexy euphemism makes potential paramours pop. Want to enchant her? Use banter!
Irresistibly sharp, realistic dialogue between the leads makes this cowboy romance the most memorable I’ve read to date. Immediately, I wanted to saddle up and ride off into the sunset with them. Second chance romance is arguably the best trope for sparks to fly, and Jack and Everlea’s history is living proof, as their gorgeous natural banter conveys depth and shows their destined connection growing from frenemies to lovers. Greta Rose West is a one-click author for me thanks to her obvious gift for writing her characters’ gab.
From Internationally Bestselling Small-town Western Romance author, Greta Rose West...
Jack Cade already has enough on his shoulders with his four brothers, his struggling Wyoming horse ranch, and his adopted mama going through chemo again. He doesn’t have time for a woman, and he doesn’t trust them. But when Everlea Donovan falls into his life—literally—he can’t stop fantasizing about her.
Wanting her.
But Everlea’s hiding something, always looking over her shoulder, ready to run at any moment. She can’t risk putting Jack and his family in danger, but she’s never wanted anything—anyone—the way she wants him.
Is there any better foreplay than great wordplay? Not in my book! After years of studying the romcom repartee gospel according to Nora Ephron and Nancy Meyers, I know this much is true: what’s said on the lips is first sparked in the hips! As a rom-com writer recently crowned “the Queen of Banter” by a reader (blush), I bow to the greats who taught me that witty banter is a symptom of unrealized or unsatisfied attraction. And as a lover of skillfully-written sparring, I squirm with delight whenever a sly remark, slick comeback, or sexy euphemism makes potential paramours pop. Want to enchant her? Use banter!
My tender cheeks were so sore from smiling and laughing as I burned through this crazy funny rom-com, unable to put it down. I totally blame it on author Evie Alexander’s vividly hilarious and sexy banter. From the moment sassy Zoe and grumpy Rory (picture Thor in a kilt!) butt heads and battle over who’s the rightful owner of Scottish land, there are more slings and arrows flying than in Braveheart. I loved that the steamy inner monologues of this dual POV are as deliciously fun as the seductively playful dialogue behind this pair’s passionate slow burn.
A fiery redhead, a Scottish god, and enough heat to warm the coldest of winters…
Zoe’s done playing it safe and ready to follow her heart. Inheriting a cabin in a remote corner of Scotland, she ditches the city and heads for the Highlands. But reality shatters her dream. The roof leaks, there’s no front door, and her scorching hot neighbor wants her gone.
Rory's a grumpy man-bear with an impossible task. If he can’t drag Kinloch castle into the 21st century, he’s out of a job. All he wants is a quiet life in the cabin he loved as…
Julian David Stone is an author, screenwriter, photographer, and filmmaker. He shot dozens of the 1980s greatest acts by sneaking his photography equipment into concerts such as Prince, U2, the Police, David Bowie, R.E.M., the Ramones, Elvis Costello, the Talking Heads, the Grateful Dead, Joan Jett, and many, many more. Other work include screenplays for Disney, Paramount, Sony, and MGM. He is also the writer and director of the hit cult comedy feature film, Follow the Bitch, which has played to packed houses all around the country and received numerous awards.
I found this to be one fo the best of the never-evening parade of rockstar autobiographies. Townshend is very honest about his complex personality and his shortcomings, and reading this, you can easily trace how this informed so much of The Who’s amazing music — and the stories of all the craziness of the early days of The Who are a blast, to boot.
“Raw and unsparing...as intimate and as painful as a therapy session, while chronicling the history of the band as it took shape in the Mod scene in 1960s London and became the very embodiment of adolescent rebellion and loud, anarchic rock ‘n’ roll.” — Michiko Kakutani, New York Times
One of rock music's most intelligent and literary performers, Pete Townshend—guitarist, songwriter, editor—tells his closest-held stories about the origins of the preeminent twentieth-century band The Who, his own career as an artist and performer, and his restless life in and out of the public eye in this candid autobiography, Who I…
Peter Guralnick has been called "a national resource" by critic Nat Hentoff for work that has argued passionately and persuasively for the vitality of this country’s intertwined black and white musical traditions. His books include the prize-winning two-volume biography of Elvis Presley, Last Train to Memphis and Careless Love; Searching for Robert Johnson; Sweet Soul Music; and Dream Boogie: The Triumph of Sam Cooke. His 2015 biography, Sam Phillips: The Man Who Invented Rock ‘n’ Roll, was a finalist for the Plutarch Award for Best Biography of the Year, awarded by the Biographers International Organization. His most recent book is Looking to Get Lost: Adventures in Music and Writing.
Chuck Berry: The Autobiography is a primary clue to the Inner Chuck, if not the Facts of Chuck, an indisputable masterpiece, witty, elegant, and revealing, and (or perhaps but) ultimately elusive. Unlike so many music (and other) autobiographies, every word of this one was written by its author in a web of elegant, intricate connections that are both coded and transparent. Very much like the songs.
One of the original rock and rollers tells his own story, discussing his childhood in St. Louis, his first musical efforts and his subsequent stardom, and many of the controversial detours he has taken along the way
Crushed under writer’s block and a looming deadline, Mack escapes from New York to Seattle. She meets Charlie, a beautiful, generous, nearly bankrupt coffee shop owner recovering from heartbreak. For the first time, Mack has a muse. And then Mack starts using Charlie’s private stories in her novel…
I’ve always thought books with fake relationship storylines are incredibly interesting and entertaining. There’s so much nuance in creating a believable scenario in which two people agree that pretending to be enamored with each other is the easier/better option than telling the truth, and there is so much awkwardness that goes with pretending to be in love with someone you dislike or barely know. That fascination, along with an appreciation for humor, is what inspired me to write two different fake dating romantic comedies of my own, The Wedding Date Deal and The Gratitude Guarantee. It’s also why I can’t get enough of books like the ones on this list!
This book has such a unique storyline. I’ve never read another book that features a nurse who moonlights as a singer in a rock band! I loved watching Sami try to hide her costumes and whereabouts from her three roommates, who act more like sisters than friends. When Josh moves in next door, he’s immediately smitten with Sami and asks her out, but their first date doesn’t go great, which is why he’s surprised when she agrees to pose as his girlfriend to get his parents to stop pushing a family friend at him.
This book is full of witty banter and surprises as Josh and Sami somehow manage to challenge and accept each other at the same time.
"A delicious read that I loved from beginning to end. Melanie's witty banter and engaging writing style kept me hooked until the last, satisfying page." Becky Monson, bestselling author of The Accidental Text
Make one stupid bet and suddenly you’re fake dating your hot new neighbor...
There is nothing like hiding a secret identity from your roommate besties to complicate . . . everything. And when they decide I need a love life makeover, I can’t tell them why I don’t have time for their schemes.
Retirement home nurse by day, lead singer of a rock band by night. Not…
My Indiana singing group was transplanted and reformed into a popular rock band In mid-60s California. We survived San Francisco's East Bay dive bars, thrived in the City's North Beach topless clubs, appeared in several Hollywood rock clubs, opened a showroom/lounge at Caesars Palace, and performed for two years at the Flamingo Hotel. We were discovered by big-name managers, signed to a famous producer, recorded in the best studios, and released several records with a well-known record label. Though we didn't quite make it to the top rung, we checked all the boxes in our journey. In the 70s, I became a personal manager in Hollywood and eventually opened and operated a Sunset Boulevard recording studio. My two books are a passionate retelling of my musical journey. As I worked on them, I turned to memoirs of other musicians and singers for inspiration. These are a few of them.
Eric Clapton's early childhood was difficult. He'd been born illegitimately, complicating his relationship with his birth mother. His primary consolation came from playing the guitar. His fantastic talent as a young guitarist made him a cult favorite in the British nightclub scene until the entire world discovered him as a superstar in his first band, the short-lived, Cream. But his memberships in Blind Faith, Delaney and Bonnie, and Friends, and Derek and the Dominoes were also fleeting despite producing some of the most timeless songs in rock history.
All of his weaknesses rose to the top when he convinced Pattie Boyd to leave George Harrison and live with him in 1974. Pattie began traveling with Clapton as he began touring the U.S. In 1979, he and Pattie finally married, with Harrison present as an invited guest. While it seemed that Clapton had everything he had ever wanted, he was sinking…
Eric Clapton is far more than a rock star. Like Dylan and McCartney he is an icon and a living legend. He has sold tens of millions of records, played sell-out concerts all over the world and been central to the significant musical developments of his era. His guitar playing has seen him hailed as 'God'. Tracks such as "Layla", "Sunshine Of Your Love", "Wonderful Tonight" and "Tears In Heaven" have become anthems for generations of music fans. Now for the first time, Eric tells the story of his personal and professional journeys in this pungent, witty and painfully honest…
I’m an Australian author, staring down the barrel of middle age. I’ve been writing about music for the past 30 years. I’ve written 25 books; my subjects have included Keith Urban, the Bee Gees, Angus and Malcolm Young, Daniel Johns of Silverchair, among others. During my career, I’ve also had interesting encounters with such legends as Aretha Franklin, Patti Smith, Bob Dylan and Helen Reddy. I live (currently in lockdown, yet again) with my very tolerant wife, my two children, and a house full of animals. (Real animals, that is, not the kids.)
This was the book that inspired me to start writing. It’s a page-turning bio of the short life and very fast times of Jim Morrison from The Doors, and it made me realise you could write about music without resembling some giddy fanboy — Morrison comes off as a rock and roll poet and a drunken bozo. It rates with the best biographies I’ve read, regardless of topic or genre.
A portrait of Jim Morrison is based on seven years of research and tells the story behind his musical genius, worship of darkness, rejection of all forms of authority, and tragic death when his life spun out of control. Reissue.
In May 1941, Bartlesville, Oklahoma, hums with talk of spring flowers, fishing derbies, and the growing war in Europe. And for the residents of a quiet neighborhood boarding house, the winds of change are blowing.
Self-proclaimed spinster, Bessie Blackwell, is the reluctant owner of a new pair of glasses. The…
For more than 30 years I have been immersed in creative public relations and marketing from campaign development and activation to effectively engaging the primary consumer audiences. Me and my teams developed campaigns around such major sports and entertainment properties as the Olympic Games, Super Bowl, and The Rolling Stones. No matter your industry, inspiration for creativity, transformation, and innovation can come from many sources including the compelling storytelling featured in the books that I recommend.
Tom Petty is one of my favorite songwriters, musicians, and singers of all-time.
While I had the opportunity to see him in concert many times starting in the early 1980s, I never knew how he got there. This book shares Petty’s inspiring journey from his humble beginnings in Gainesville, Florida to becoming a rock & roll hall of fame.
His voice and looks may not have been immediately embraced by everyone when he first started, but his story of perseverance is inspiring as is his creative songwriting and storytelling.
*One of Rolling Stone's 10 Best Music Books of 2015*
An exhilarating and intimate account of the life of music legend Tom Petty, by an accomplished writer and musician who toured with Petty.
No one other than Warren Zanes, rocker and writer and friend, could author a book about Tom Petty that is as honest and evocative of Petty's music and the remarkable rock and roll history he and his band helped to write.
Born in Gainesville, Florida, with more than a little hillbilly in his blood, Tom Petty was a Southern shit kicker, a…
