Books Like the TV Show Nashville

I'm SO excited to debut my new occasional blog feature .... Bookalikes!

I used to participate in The Reclusive Bibilophile's "If You Liked" feature on Mondays. Then Melanie put her blog on hold :(

So, welcome to my new "Books Like" feature, in which I pick a topic  (a book, or TV show or some other pop culture phenomenon) and try to come up with YA books that I think will appeal to fans of that topic. Bloggers spend a lot of time focused on the latest and newest, and this is also a way for me to show the love for some different books.

Today, my inspiration will be .... Nashville!

Have you seen Nashville? It's on ABC on Wednesday nights. The show focuses on two singers, country legend Rayna James (Connie Britton) and scrappy young pop-country singer Juliette Barnes (Hayden Paniettiere.) Rayna has a stuffy husband and a broody ex-boyfriend. Juliette has a wild streak and a mother with addiction issues. Then there's too-sweet-to-last aspiring songwriter Scarlett, her aspiring musician boyfriend Avery, and Gunnar, the nice guy slash third wheel.

So, the show's formula is....

Country Music + 

Reigning Queen Bee vs. Ambitious Upstart +

Politician's Daughter and associated political intrigue +

Sweet Young Thing+

Unrequited Love 

Here are my YA book recommendations for fans of Nashville. Click on the covers to get to the book's Goodreads page!

Paradise by Jill Alexander (Macmillan, 2011)

Country music + Unrequited Love 

Paisley, a drummer in a country rock band, dreams of making it to the Texapalooza music festival. To do that they need a lead singer. Now. In strolls Paradise. Not only does he complete the band, he turns Paisley's head. Which is great, except that Cal, the band's quiet lead guitarist, is also secretly in love with Paisley. Each chapter from Paisley's point of view alternates with a song written by Cal. About his feelings for Paisley. 

This book!  I'm not even the world's biggest fan of country music, but this book just encapsulates all the heartbreak and longing of a country song.

Queen of Kentucky by Alecia Whitaker (Poppy, 2012)

Sweet young thing +Unrequited love

Ricki Jo is worried that the country club girls at her school will think she's a hick. She falls for the absolute wrong boy and doesn't realize it. She has the absolute right boy under her nose and doesn't realize it.

My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick (Dial, 2012)

Politician's daughter + associated political intrigue

Samantha Reed is the perfect politician's daughter: pretty, high-achieving and scandal-free. While her mother is all tied up with a political campaign, When Sam begins to fall for Jase Garrett, she keeps her new relationship secret from everyone in her well-ordered life. But then something terrible happens, and Sam has to choose between Jase and her family, between what's right and what's easy.

Okay, a book set in the Northeast might seem like a less obvious choice. But  part of Nashville's plot revolves around a political campaign. Rayna is the daughter of a powerful politician. Sam is the daughter of an aspiring politician. Both the show and the book deal with a political campaign and a lot of conniving and scandal.

Okay, what do you think? About the show, my new feature, and the books I chose? Do you have other books to suggest?