Today I have a review of Daisy Jones and the Six by a beloved author of mine, Taylor Jenkins Reid, available on March 5, 2019 from Random House/Ballantine Books! I’m so excited to share my thoughts on this book with you!
My Thoughts:
I love rock music! As a child of the 80s and 90s there was plenty to choose from. Even though it was clear from the start that Daisy and the Six is a work of fiction, I found myself wishing it were historical fiction based on fact, and I legitimately googled them. I WANTED Daisy and the Six to be real because they felt so real.
I’m a huge fan of Taylor Jenkins Reid, and her books are always smart and passionate about her chosen topics. I knew when she wrote about 60s and 70s rock music, I would be transported to that time and place, and I could hear the music in my head.
The stars here are the characters- the actual rock stars. Their relationships with others, their nuanced personalities, their collective “band-ness;” it was all so well-executed- again, strengthening its authenticity. The internal struggles, the vices, the conflicts; we, as readers, are there for all of it.
The unique structure where we hear from each of the band members and those around them made for quick, breezy reading. The band is telling us what happened. How they came to be. Their rise to fame along with their pitfalls.
I can’t say much else for fear of giving it all away. I’ll leave you with this. Daisy and the Six is a page-turning tribute to the rise (and possible precarious fall) of the rock band. I enjoyed every page!
I received a complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
Synopsis:
Everyone knows Daisy Jones & The Six, but nobody knows the reason behind their split at the absolute height of their popularity . . . until now.
Daisy is a girl coming of age in L.A. in the late sixties, sneaking into clubs on the Sunset Strip, sleeping with rock stars, and dreaming of singing at the Whisky a Go Go. The sex and drugs are thrilling, but it’s the rock and roll she loves most. By the time she’s twenty, her voice is getting noticed, and she has the kind of heedless beauty that makes people do crazy things.
Also getting noticed is The Six, a band led by the brooding Billy Dunne. On the eve of their first tour, his girlfriend Camila finds out she’s pregnant, and with the pressure of impending fatherhood and fame, Billy goes a little wild on the road.
Daisy and Billy cross paths when a producer realizes that the key to supercharged success is to put the two together. What happens next will become the stuff of legend.
The making of that legend is chronicled in this riveting and unforgettable novel, written as an oral history of one of the biggest bands of the seventies. Taylor Jenkins Reid is a talented writer who takes her work to a new level with Daisy Jones & The Six, brilliantly capturing a place and time in an utterly distinctive voice.
Have you read Daisy Jones and the Six, or is it on your TBR? Are you a fan of TJR? Happy Reading! ~ Jennifer THR
This sounds great! 👍
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It was a great read, Carol!
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I’m so excited to read this one, I’ve got a Goldsboro Books edition arriving this month!
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I’m SO jealous of your special edition, Janel! I just ordered a copy from BOTM, but I still think I need that one from GB too!
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Yes, Waterstones have a special signed edition, with sprayed edges too 😉
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Awesome review!
Totes different from what i normally read, but i’m quite interested in this one. And love that cover a lot ❤ 🙂
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Thanks, Norrie! It’s such a different sort of read but engaging and wonderful storytelling. I hope you get a chance to read it. ♥️
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I love books about the 60s and I’ve never heard of this author before! I’ll check her out! Thanks x
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She has an amazing backlist, Sassy! A well-loved author here in the US! ♥️
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Great review as always! It’s always fun when an author does such a convincing job that you actually believe the characters might be real!
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Thanks, FF! So true! I also blame my sickness for my googling the band! 😂
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Fantastic review, Jen! I’ll be starting Daisy Jones this weekend and I can’t wait! I read and loved Evelyn Hugo last month so I have very high hopes this will be a great read for me too..
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Wonderful review and picture, Jennifer. I added this one to my tbr list. Happy Friday! 🌸❤️📚🌺
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Thanks, Virginia! I think you’d love this one! Happy Friday! Happy weekend! Xo 😘
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I can’t wait to read this book! I feel like I’ve been waiting forever for this to be published. I grew up listening to classic rock music from birth because my parents were music fans. (And readers thankfully! I got my love of reading from them as well.).
Happy Friday, Jennifer! Hope you’re feeling better!
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I love that Kris! You are in for such a treat with this book. I can’t wait to see what you think! Today is the first day I have felt better, and I am SOOOOO excited about that. Thanks so much and happy Friday to you! ♥️
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After reading KAS’s review on GR I knew I wanted to read this and your review makes me want to read it even more, Jen! Too many books and not enough time. 😂 Love your review, friend. ❤
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Thank you, favorite M! You absolutely MUST read this book! It’s not to be missed! TJR is such a special author anyway, but this book is in its own league and right up YOUR alley, my musical loving friend! I think your mom would enjoy it, too! Happy weekend! Xoxo 😘
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I was so happy to see your review of this book! You’ve cleared up one of my questions as I thought this was a real band. Your review is awesome, Jennifer! This doesn’t seem like your run-of-the-mill rock band story. I just might try this one out.
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Thanks, Jonetta! ♥️ It’s different for sure, even though it felt quite real to me! I still shake my head over it!
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Another one on my list of to reads. I am hoping my library takes the plunge and buys this one. Jan and I will being indulging in this one soon. Terrific review, Jennifer!
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Thanks, Marialyce! I hope your library buys it too! TJR is too special to overlook! I will be watching for your reviews!
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Happy news….they just did! Love my library.
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LOVE that news! Yay!
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This sounds really good!
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It was such a great story, Denise!
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Your review is wonderful. I generally don’t read books from this era but your review makes it sounds awesome!!
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Thanks, Mackey! Taylor Jenkins Reid is a really special author. She brings this band to life!
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Fantastic review, Jennifer! I LOVED this one so much and should have my review up on Monday (no later than Tues!). It was my first buddy read, so that made it interesting too! I loved the format and really thought it made this book. Did you know there’s a Spotify playlist for the book? We listened to it while reading it, and it was awesome (just go to Spotify and search for Daisy Jones & the Six). I hope they make it into a movie. xoxo ♥
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Thanks, Steph! I need to check out the playlist! Guess what though- it’s already going to be a Netflix series, I’m pretty sure?! A few episodes? I was just reading this somewhere. Happy you enjoyed this, too, but I knew you would! ♥️
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Yes, you do! I cannot wait to watch it even though I rarely, if ever, watch tv! It’s13 episodes, yay! Reese Witherspoon is producing it, which I wondered if she would when I saw her reading it! Oh gosh, yes! I’ve loved everything that TJR has read way before she ever wrote Evelyn, so I knew I would too. She could write me a list, and I’d love it. xoxo
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I preordered this and I’m so excited to read it! Lovely review😁
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Thanks, Tammy! I went ahead and bought the BOTM copy because it’s just one you want to hold in your hands, too! I hope you love it!
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I’ve been eagerly anticipating this book for ages and your review has me even more excited to read it. It sounds like an amazing read. 🙂
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Thanks, Hayley. I can’t wait for you to read it and to hear what you think. It’s so much fun!
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I haven’t heard of this author but I like the sound of it, out of my usual genres but I’m reviewing some nonfiction this week so you never know. Excellent review.
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I think you’d love this authors earlier books, Anne. She’s written some wonderful WF, smart romances. She keeps evolving, and I love every book she writes. Thank you so much. I hope you had a nice weekend!
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I have this one next to read and I’m very nervously excited about it. It’s not my usual ‘go to’ book but I found the blurb compelling and recently I’m discovering that when I branch out I’m finding books that I adore and didn’t expect to! I have high hopes.
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I really hope you connect with it, Gerry. It’s quite different, but for me, the structure worked. I hope I won’t miss your review. Give me a shout if I do, ok? I’d love to read your thoughts! ♥️
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I finished reading it over the weekend and hopefully will do the review tonight or tomorrow. I’m very conflicted I have to say.
I put it down thinking I would give it 2 stars and then I realised I was thinking that only because it made me feel strangely sad. Then I spent all day thinking about it and bumped it up from 2 to 4 stars because I could see its brilliance but then thought about it *again* and then decided to play safe and give it 3 because I wasn’t sure that I loved it.
It definitely made me think though! I did like it but it’s made me feel rather melancholy (and I didn’t connect fully with all characters). I thought the ending was bittersweet. It made sense but at the same time, it wasn’t what I wanted it to be.
I felt like I enjoyed Camilla as a character more than Daisy but could understand the conflict between two different types of love. The love that is solid and nourishing and may seem ‘boring’ to some (although I didn’t think so) and the love that is built on passions and could be considered from the soul but is destructive.
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Your last paragraph there is so beautifully written, Gerry. I understand your points. I am ok with unexpected endings- they tend to stir my emotions and let me know I was affected. I LOVED Camilla’s character and found Daisy super complex with SOME things I liked/mostly her vulnerability. I look forward to your full thoughts because you certainly have a way with words. ♥️
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Ah, thank you so much! I was supposed to write it up a couple of days ago but will try and get round to it today. I’ve been thinking on it and decided to give it 4 stars after all. I think your comment about being affected made me think. I may have been conflicted but the story obviously made an impact for me to be conflicted and to think about it at length. I’m the same as you I think, I can appreciate Daisy and her complexity as a character but I didn’t love her. Camilla I was 100% behind.
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Ahhh this sounds so good! I love music-based historical works (books & movies). Given how you’ve described this as sounding so authentic, I’m sure I’d like these even though it isn’t based on a real group.
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It had such a great feel, LP. It truly felt like a documentary by the band members. I loved it!
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Wow this one sounds perfect for me! How did I miss this one? Too darn busy getting to know my new hometown!💜☔Have a great weekend Jen. I hope you get some rest so you can feel better!💙😊
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I’ve been resting but not enough, Sus! This book IS perfect for you! You should try to read it. This author is fantastic if you haven’t read her? You would love her first three books, especially, I think. I’m so glad you are enjoying getting to know your new hometown. Here’s hoping you are there for a while! ♥️
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I’m a rock fan too, I love 70’s/ 80’s music and when I saw she was writing this I was super intrigued. Plus the other book I read by her I really liked. Glad to hear this was good!
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It was terrific, Greg, and if you like her style, I think you’ll love this, too, because of your interest in the music!
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I LOVE TJR! I love how she keeps reinventing herself.
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She truly does, Angela! She can do it all! ♥️
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Again, your thoughts are exactly the same as mine. I so wish this band was real. I found myself wishing I could hear the songs and the tone of Daisy’s voice.
This was such a cool book! Glad you enjoyed it also!
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Thanks, Ashley! ♥️ Yes, wouldn’t that be wonderful to hear? I am so excited about the Netflix show! I guess we’ll get to hear her voice eventually!
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Fab review, this sounds like a nostalgic read and I love the fact that it sounded so realistic.
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Thanks, Diana! The authenticity and nostalgia added so much connection to this one!
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Aaaagh need this and LOVE this Jenni 😍 Terrific review!!
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Thanks, Beth! You DO! I think a celebratory book buy is in order, and Janel told me there is a special edition and Goldsboro Books! I’m probably going to have to buy it too! 😂
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