John O'Connell is a former Senior Editor at Time Out and music columnist for The Face. He is now freelance writing mainly for The Times and The Guardian. He interviewed David Bowie in New York in 2002. He lives in south London.
"Entertaining and informative (and, perhaps, a template for your
book club picks for the next decade or so)."
--Vogue
"The author displays a breadth of knowledge not just about Bowie's
life and his music but also the authors and genres on the list...
His thoughts on how Bowie transformed practically everything he
consumed into his stage personae are insightful... With
illustrations and suggestions for read-alikes and Bowie songs to
listen to while reading each book, this is a fun peek at what
stirred and shaped a legend. For Bowie fans and devotees of offbeat
reading guides."
--Library Journal
"I encourage any fan of Bowie or fine literature to pick up Bowie's
Bookshelf ... Readers should be inspired to seek out the books on
this list, along with the musical suggestions for pairing and even
the links to other similar works... It feels good knowing that a
list like this exists and, in essence, keeps Bowie's spirit alive,
allowing all those who miss him to have another shared experience
with one of their heroes."
--Book Reporter
"If there's a Thin White Duke fan on your gift list this year,
check him or her off with Bowie's Bookshelf ... While not quite a
biography, nor quite a memoir, it's close enough to be categorized
as one. I'd like to think Bowie himself would admire the rather
unique effort."
--Bookgasm
"Providing thoughtful historical context and commentary...
O'Connell's brief essays on each book include anecdotes and trivia
that will interest both casual and ardent Bowie fans, or anyone
curious about ways art begets art... Bowie's Bookshelf is a quietly
electrifying collection, a tribute handled with reverence and
respect, celebrating the guiding stars that books can be."
-- Shelf Awareness
"While guiding readers through the book list, Bowie's Bookshelf
also acts as an unconventional biography of an artist who helped
define modern music and pop culture."
--Mental Floss
"O'Connell is gently witty, and clearly enjoys riffing on Bowie's
own playfulness... [Bowie's Bookshelf] is a handy, amusing and,
thankfully, light-touch precis, tracking the musician's high
modernist influences while remaining aware of his flightiness and
fondness for self-editing."
--The Guardian
"A revealing look at the artist."
--Furthermore
"If you're also a fan of David Bowie, you'll likely love this
insight into his mind."
--Book Riot
"O'Connell's diligently documented book on the literary influences
on David Bowie is a fantastic voyage... His introduction is
informative and crucial in framing Bowie's library; it's also very
entertaining... An exciting book."
--Booklist
"Okay, so not technically a memoir. But O'Connell works off and
analyzes material that Bowie himself provided late in his life: the
100 books that changed his life."
--Entertainment Weekly, "Biggest Music Memoirs Being Published this
Fall" round-up
"You can only truly know a pop star through his bookshelf. John
O'Connell's brilliant, gossipy book gives you a whole new secret
David Bowie: the reader. This is the unwritten Bowie book that
needed writing."
--Caitlin Moran, bestselling author of How to Be a Woman
"Former Time Out editor O'Connell does an outstanding job ... An
artful and wildly enthralling path for Bowie fans in particular and
book lovers in general."
--Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"O'Connell, a veteran music journalist, gamely delivers brief
essays on each title, with context on what influence Bowie might
have drawn from them... There are a few surprising anecdotes--e.g.,
Alberto Denti di Pirajno's obscure 1956 memoir, A Grave for a
Dolphin directly inspired Bowie's classic song 'Heroes'...
O'Connell's approach does underscore the range and playfulness in
Bowie's reading, from hefty tomes on the Russian Revolution to
laddish comic books like The Beano ... Enlightening."
--Kirkus
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