It’s September, a month filled with fun celebrations like Hispanic Heritage Month, the start of a new school year, and the return of fall beverages to coffee shops everywhere. But this year, there is another great reason to celebrate. Phoebe Bridgers starts her new tour, The Lost Tour, to celebrate the release of her latest album, Lost Weekend. If you were lucky enough to get tickets, congratulations! Bridgers’ show is sure to be a treat. This is a great time to let your patrons know about the connection between rock music and librarianship. Here are some young adult novels to read to celebrate this new album and tour.
Dungeons and Drama by Kristy Boyce (Delacorte Press, 2024)
Riley Morris wants to be on Broadway, but is unfortunately stuck somewhere else: her dad’s gaming store. Boring! If she wants to get out, she’ll need to strike a deal with Nathan Wheeler. All she needs to do is pretend to be his girlfriend and join his Dungeons and Dragons campaign. As they spend more time together, can this pretend couple stay pretend? The music video for Lost Weekend’s lead single, “Lost Boys”, featured Phoebe Bridgers and her friends in a live action role playing game. Fans of the music video will fall head over heals for this gaming romance.
Gather by Kenneth M. Cadow (Candlewick Press, 2023)
Things are not going super well for Ian. His mom has developed an opioid addiction, which means Ian has to quit the basketball team and get a job. It may not seem like the best time to get a dog, but when he adopts Gather, things finally start looking up. But when Ian and Gather find themselves on the run, he may need to come together with his town to heal. Bridgers’ late father struggled with addiction throughout his life, and that struggle appears all over Lost Weekend. Fans who connect to that message will also resonate with Ian’s journey to support his mom in Gather.
The Romance Rewind by Sarah Everett (G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 2026)
Things are going pretty well for Zadie. She plans to graduate as valedictorian, be the vice president of her class, and be with her boyfriend Jason forever. But on what is supposed to be their one year anniversary, Jason breaks up with her out of nowhere. Even worse, they are immediately in a car accident that lands Jason in a coma. The only other person who knows they broke up is Jason’s cousin Marcus, so when Zadie and Marcus end up stuck in a time loop reliving her and Jason’s relationship, Zadie knows she needs to figure out a way to stop the breakup. Or does she? One of the highlights of Lost Weekend is the song “The Governor’s Waltz”, a beautiful breakup song about a relationship falling apart. Breakups can be tricky, but sometimes are for the best. Fans who like that song will love this sweet romcom about breaking up and moving on to something better.
XOXO by Axie Oh (HarperTeen, 2021)
Some of the most beautiful songs on Lost Weekend are love songs about Bridgers’ relationship with musician and actor Bo Burnham. Fans of songs like “Bobby” and “Liberty Tree” will want books about musicians falling in love, making XOXO by Axie Oh an excellent choice. Jenny’s goal is to be a professional cellist, which doesn’t leave much time for fun. She has a wonderful night around LA with the mysterious Jaewoo, only for him to fly to South Korea. But when Jenny ends up moving to South Korea, too, she discover Jaewoo not only attends her school, but is a world famous K-pop idol and not allowed to date. Can Jenny and Jaewoo find a way to make their relationship work? Or will their careers pull them in different directions?
The Summer of Lost Things by Chantele Sedgwick (Sky Pony Press, 2019)
Lucy and her mom are ready for a fresh start. With Lucy’s dad in prison, they decide to move back to the small farm town where her mom grew up. There, Lucy discovers her mom’s old childhood books and a bucket list. If she wants to complete the List, though, Lucy will need to learn to trust her two new friends, to better understand her mom, and maybe, just maybe, find a way to forgive her dad? Phoebe Bridgers uses the word “lost” a lot this album cycle, including Lost Weekend, the songs “Lost Boys”, “Lost Weekend”, and “Lost Parade”, and The Lost Tour. I knew I had to include at least one book that had the word lost in the title. But what makes this book such a perfect choice is that it echoes the journey we take sometimes to forgive someone. Parental relationships can be complicated, and both Lost Weekend and The Summer of Lost Things explore that this complexity can also lead to healing and growth.
How are you celebrating Lost Weekend and the Lost Tour with your patrons?
Ann Baillie (she/her/hers) is the Youth Services Assistant Manager at the Alsip-Merrionette Park Public Library in Alsip, Illinois. She serves on the Illinois Youth Services Institute Planning Committee. Her main interests are the connection between Readers’ Advisory and technology, and how libraries can use technology to better reach patrons.
This post addresses ALSC Core Competency IV: Collection Knowledge and Management.
The post The Perfect Books for Phoebe Bridgers’ Lost Weekend appeared first on ALSC Blog.
Discover more from DrWeb's Domain
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
