The most recommended punk rock books

Who picked these books? Meet our 43 experts.

43 authors created a book list connected to punk rock, and here are their favorite punk rock books.
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Rock music Dysfunctional family Punk subculture Ramones New York City Sex Pistols Woman musician Counterculture Great Britain Sonic Youth Russia Iggy Pop Utopia Los Angeles Post-punk
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I Slept With Joey Ramone

By Mickey Leigh, Legs McNeil,

Book cover of I Slept With Joey Ramone: A Punk Rock Family Memoir

Uli Hesse Author Of The Three Lives of the Kaiser

From my list on life in a dysfunctional family (i.e. The Ramones).

By Uli Hesse Author

Why am I passionate about this?

I've written about a dozen books, all about football (or soccer, depending on your denomination), but that was never the plan. The plan was always to write about music. The first piece I ever published in a proper magazine was a profile of Wayne Kramer, formerly of the MC5. It ran in the German edition of Rolling Stone. The honeymoon didn't last long, though, as I gradually ran out of ideas what to pitch to the magazine, until one day I asked: "Would you be interested in a non-music piece about how football has grown out of the Dark Eighties and become hip?" They said yes, and that was that.

Uli's book list on life in a dysfunctional family (i.e. The Ramones)

Book cover of I Know Better Now: My Life Before, During and After the Ramones Book cover of Hey Ho Let's Go: The Story of the Ramones Book cover of Punk Rock Blitzkrieg: My Life as a Ramone Book cover of On the Road with the Ramones Book cover of I Slept With Joey Ramone: A Punk Rock Family Memoir

Uli Hesse Why did Uli love this book?

When I got into the Ramones as a teenager in 1984, I already knew that despite seemingly sharing the same surname, they weren't actually brothers.

What I didn't know for a long time was how dysfunctional this ersatz family really was, as epitomised by the fact that the two most visible members – Joey and Johnny – couldn't have been any more different as people... and didn't even talk to each other.

This book adds another layer to an already incredible tale by also delving into the story of Joey's real-life family, as it was penned by Joey's brother Mickey, hence the title. It also adds something that is sorely missing from the books written by Johnny and Dee Dee: tenderness and warmth.

I Slept With Joey Ramone

By Mickey Leigh, Legs McNeil,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked I Slept With Joey Ramone as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

“A powerful story of punk-rock inspiration and a great rock bio” (Rolling Stone), now in paperback.

When the Ramones recorded their debut album in 1976, it heralded the true birth of punk rock. Unforgettable front man Joey Ramone gave voice to the disaffected youth of the seventies and eighties, and the band influenced the counterculture for decades to come. With honesty, humor, and grace, Joey’s brother, Mickey Leigh, shares a fascinating, intimate look at the turbulent life of one of America’s greatest—and unlikeliest—music icons. While the music lives on for new generations to discover, I Slept with Joey Ramone is…

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The First Rule of Punk

By Celia C. Pérez,

Book cover of The First Rule of Punk

Nicole Chen Author Of Lily Xiao Speaks Out

From my list on middle grade kids engaging in youth activism.

By Nicole Chen Author

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m a Taiwanese American children’s book author who was your classic, straight-A, Asian model minority stereotype student who did all the right things when I was a tween—yet I never really stuck my neck out to make change happen and fight for what I believed was right. I can’t rewrite my history, but I can—and hope to—inspire kids of today to do better than I did. And so I write books that feature strong, assertive kids who learn how to stand up and speak out against injustice to make the world a better place for everyone and anyone who’s ever been overlooked or misunderstood.

Nicole's book list on middle grade kids engaging in youth activism

Book cover of A Seed in the Sun Book cover of Hope in the Valley Book cover of Lupe Wong Won't Dance Book cover of On Air with Zoe Washington Book cover of The First Rule of Punk

Nicole Chen Why did Nicole love this book?

I absolutely fell in love with the spunk of Mexican American tween Malú when I first picked up this amazing book!

Her love of punk rock and her subsequent discovery of the genre’s connection to her Mexican roots, her desire to be accepted by her mother and her new schoolmates—just as she is, and her fight against her school to allow everyone there to express themselves as authentically as they can had me rooting for her at every page. Oh, and did I mention the super fun zine drawings?

The First Rule of Punk

By Celia C. Pérez,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked The First Rule of Punk as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 9, 10, 11, and 12.

What is this book about?

There are no shortcuts to surviving your first day at a new school - you can't fix it with duct tape like you would your Chuck Taylors. On Day One, twelve-year-old Malu inadvertently upsets Posada Middle School's queen bee, violates the school's dress code with her punk-rock look, and disappoints her college-professor mum in the process. Her dad, who now lives a thousand miles away, says things will get better as long as she remembers the first rule of punk: be yourself. The real Malu loves rock music, skateboarding, zines, and Soyrizo (hold the cilantro, please). And when she assembles…

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  • Coming soon!

Our Band Could Be Your Life

By Michael Azerrad,

Book cover of Our Band Could Be Your Life: Scenes from the American Indie Underground 1981-1991

Katherine Rye Jewell Author Of Live from the Underground: A History of College Radio

From my list on the political side of music scenes.

By Katherine Rye Jewell Author

Why am I passionate about this?

My interests as a historian involve examining how Americans organize to change policy or politics through affiliations beyond political parties and, by extension, thinking about how culture is made and supported through institutions and businesses. These messy networks and relationships ultimately define how we relate to one another in the U.S. Indie music scenes are one way to trace all of these relationships, from federal policy governing radio stations and what goes out over the airwaves to the contours of local music scenes, to the business of record labels, to ordinary DJs and music fans trying to access information and new sounds that they love.

Katherine's book list on the political side of music scenes

Book cover of Site and Sound: Understanding Independent Music Scenes Book cover of Our Band Could Be Your Life: Scenes from the American Indie Underground 1981-1991 Book cover of In the Shadow of the Ivory Tower: How Universities Are Plundering Our Cities Book cover of Hot Stuff: Disco and the Remaking of American Culture Book cover of Notes From Underground: Zines and the Politics of Alternative Culture

Katherine Rye Jewell Why did Katherine love this book?

No list of books on the indie music scenes of the 1980s is complete without this classic tale of the rise of commercial tensions regarding indie rock bands.

Music offered a form of rebellion against conformity – and punk challenged the corporate music industry of the 1970s with its DIY code and aesthetics. But in its wake, new forms of rebellion and alternative pathways to success emerged – at least for a time.

These bands that Azerrad chronicles became the giants of this alternative scene, and they were the sound of college radio. As Azerrad writes, corporate labels co-opted new wave in the early 1980s, “but they couldn’t co-opt punk’s infrastructure—the local underground scenes, labels, radio stations, fanzines, and stores. They, perhaps more so than any particular musical style, are punk’s most enduring legacy.” 

Our Band Could Be Your Life

By Michael Azerrad,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked Our Band Could Be Your Life as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Finally in paperback, the story of the musical revolution that happened right under the nose of the Reagan Eighties - when a small but sprawling network of bands, labels, fanzines, radio stations and other subversives re-energised American rock with punk rock's d-I-y credo and created music that was deeply personal, often brilliant, always challenging and immensely influential. OUR BAND COULD BE YOUR LIFE is a sweeping chronicle of music, politics, drugs, fear, loathing and faith that is already being recognized as an indie rock classic in its own right.

Among the legendary bands featured are: Black Flag, the Minutement, Mission…

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Fire in the Night Sky

By Chris J. Pike, M. D. Cooper,

Book cover of Fire in the Night Sky

AM Scott Author Of Lift Off

From my list on sci-fi adventures with strong teen heroines.

By AM Scott Author

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve published eleven classic-style space opera novels, a novella, and many short stories. Before becoming a writer, I spent twenty years in US Air Force in space operations; even though my books are light on science, I really was a rocket scientist! Plus, I’ve read science fiction since I was barely a teen, starting with Heinlein and McCaffery, and am always looking for my next favorite author!

AM's book list on sci-fi adventures with strong teen heroines

Book cover of Fledgling Book cover of Crazy Foolish Robots Book cover of Fire in the Night Sky Book cover of Star Compass Book cover of The Earth Concurrence

AM Scott Why did AM love this book?

Clair Johnson is determined to prove herself and find out what really happened to her mother. Neither of those things happen the way she expects. 

This is an easy read, with interesting world building, and a realistic set of characters. I enjoyed the setting, the friend group, and the intrigue a lot!

Fire in the Night Sky

By Chris J. Pike, M. D. Cooper,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Fire in the Night Sky as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

In a world of music videos on television, punk rock, and roller derby, the race for space is finally on in this young adult SF adventure!

The United Federation has set a goal of sending a manned rocket to the moon; but rival countries will stop at nothing to plant their flags first—no matter the cost.

For Claire Johnson, that cost might be her life.

The seventeen-year-old spunky waitress wants nothing more than to honor her mother's memory by gaining entrance to the United Federation Space Program and doing her part for the mission. Yet her father wants Claire as…

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  • Coming soon!

Is It My Body?

By Kim Gordon,

Book cover of Is It My Body?: Selected Texts

Kevin Mattson Author Of We're Not Here to Entertain: Punk Rock, Ronald Reagan, and the Real Culture War of 1980s America

From my list on 1980s punk and politics.

By Kevin Mattson Author

Why am I passionate about this?

I was a participant in the D.C. punk scene during the 1980s and helped start an organization known as Positive Force. I remember hearing about the group “Parents of Punkers,” the head of which compared punk to a violent cult. They would go on television and scare watchers about what their kids might be doing. I remember at the time that this missed the realities of my own experiences and made me want to protest this moral panic. But I knew this required some distance from the “punk rock world” I had inhabited. I kept thinking about writing this book and the timing was right.

Kevin's book list on 1980s punk and politics

Book cover of Our Band Could Be Your Life: Scenes from the American Indie Underground 1981-1991 Book cover of Is It My Body?: Selected Texts Book cover of The Aesthetic of Our Anger Book cover of The Minutemen's Double Nickels on the Dime Book cover of The Other Eighties

Kevin Mattson Why did Kevin love this book?

Known mostly as the bassist for the noise band, Sonic Youth, Gordon was also a sophisticated critic and supporter of the growing punk movement in America during the 1980s. In this collection of essays (many of them originally published in art magazines), she explains one of the most distinct movements within 1980s punk – “straight edge,” refusing drugs and alcohol, thereby disassociating the classic mantra of sex, drugs, and rock n roll. With a sharp eye, she explains, “These kids are antidrugs, antidrinking, anti-Reagan, and antisex – not so much out of puritanism as from a desire to be in control, and to avoid being manipulated by the consumerist system.” She praises the Do it Yourself (DIY) spirit of 1980s punk, enjoying watching bands “jam econo” (that’s a Minutemen term). She also holds this sort of activity in contrast with the blasé spirit she gets from observing new wave nightclubs…

Is It My Body?

By Kim Gordon,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Is It My Body? as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Throughout the 1980s and early '90s, Kim Gordon—widely known as a founding member of the influential band Sonic Youth—produced a series of writings on art and music. Ranging from neo-Conceptual artworks to broader forms of cultural criticism, these rare texts are brought together in this volume for the first time, placing Gordon's writing within the context of the artist-critics of her generation, including Mike Kelley, John Miller, and Dan Graham. In addressing key stakes within contemporary art, architecture, music, and the performance of male and female gender roles, Gordon provides a prescient analysis of such figures as Kelley, Glenn Branca,…

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  • Coming soon!

Please Kill Me

By Legs McNeil, Gillian McCain,

Book cover of Please Kill Me: The Uncensored Oral History of Punk

Elyssa Goodman Author Of Glitter and Concrete: A Cultural History of Drag in New York City

From my list on living a glittering life in New York City.

By Elyssa Goodman Author

Why am I passionate about this?

My love of New York City began at a young age–my parents were from Queens and the Bronx, and they always spoke about it with such adoration. As a young person in high school, I ached to get out of South Florida and find my way to the city they described in such loving detail. I began reading about it within the topics that interested me–music, art, fashion, performance, and more–and this beautiful world opened up, full of creative possibilities. I moved to New York in 2010 and have been writing about it and photographing it ever since for a host of publications.

Elyssa's book list on living a glittering life in New York City

Book cover of Please Kill Me: The Uncensored Oral History of Punk Book cover of Flapper: A Madcap Story of Sex, Style, Celebrity, and the Women Who Made America Modern Book cover of Love Goes to Buildings on Fire: Five Years in New York That Changed Music Forever Book cover of St. Marks Is Dead: The Many Lives of America's Hippest Street Book cover of Hypocrite in a Pouffy White Dress

Elyssa Goodman Why did Elyssa love this book?

This book became a bible for me as a young person deciding what my future would look like, and I never forgot, as a suburban high school student, how magical New York felt on the page and how much I wanted to be there with this cast of characters.

The New York that lives on these pages, all guts and grunge and glitter, is the New York I see in my dreams and was delighted to cite in my book as well. 

Please Kill Me

By Legs McNeil, Gillian McCain,

Why should I read it?

6 authors picked Please Kill Me as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

This is the true story of a misunderstood culture phenomenon, one embracing Andy Warhol, Jim Morrison, Lou Reed, David Bowie, Patti Smith, The Sex Pistols, Iggy Pop, The New York Dolls, The Clash and The Damned. It is a story of sex, drugs and rock and roll, documenting a time of glorious self-destruction and perverse innocence - punk was possibly the last time so many people will have had so much fun killing themselves. Legs McNeil, founder of "Punk" magazine has interviewed those who were members of the punk scene, from the brightest stars to the most observant groupies.

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Riot Days

By Maria Alyokhina,

Book cover of Riot Days

Henry Virgin Author Of Exit Rostov

From my list on psychological enquiry in alternative formats.

By Henry Virgin Author

Why am I passionate about this?

Certain books have the ability to inspire you or help you go beyond the boundaries of your understanding, to teach you something new or to show you how to look at things differently, to alter and enhance your perception. Each of these texts have encouraged and enchanted me, with hard-won truths. I appreciate the style of writing which draws you further and further into the author's psyche, and thus into your own, like deep diving into uncharted depths. Also, as someone who tries to write poetry and prose, I find each of these writers have a refreshing and interesting technique and method of communicating their thoughts and ideas.

Henry's book list on psychological enquiry in alternative formats

Book cover of The Unquiet Grave: A Word Cycle by Palinurus Book cover of The Idiot Book cover of Riot Days Book cover of Speak, Memory: An Autobiography Revisited Book cover of Secondhand Time: The Last of the Soviets

Henry Virgin Why did Henry love this book?

The book describes the performance, arrest, and prison term, of Maria Alyokhina, in deft, immediate, and succinct ‘beat’ style lingo, illustrated with her drawings. The text is refreshing on the open page, well spaced out. As one of the key members of Pussy Riot, her bravery shines out for her courageous activism which continues to this day. On 21 February 2012 the band performed their anti-Putin, anti-patriarchy Punk Prayer, called "Holy Shit", on the altar at Moscow’s Cathedral of Christ the Saviour. Critical of the relationship between the orthodox Church and Putin, with lines including “Virgin Mary, Mother of God, chase Putin out”, or “Virgin Mary, Mother of God, Be a feminist! Be a feminist!” the band managed to escape after the performance, but the video went viral, leading to their arrest and imprisonment. Testament to her punk character and iron resolve, the book describes the terrible prison conditions, and…

Riot Days

By Maria Alyokhina,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Riot Days as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

From activist, Pussy Riot member and freedom fighter Maria Alyokhina, a raw, hallucinatory, passionate account of her arrest, trial and imprisonment in a penal colony in the Urals for standing up for what she believed in.

'One of the most brilliant and inspiring things I've read in years. Couldn't put it down. This book is freedom' Chris Kraus, author of I Love Dick

'Reading: RIOT DAYS, by PussyRiot member MariaAlyokhina. A women's prison memoir like no other! One tough cookie!' @MargaretAtwood

'In oppressive political systems, some of the most effective weapons are sarcasm and dark humour. It is exactly these…

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England's Dreaming

By Jon Savage,

Book cover of England's Dreaming: Anarchy, Sex Pistols, Punk Rock, and Beyond

Geoff Turner Author Of Archie's Mirror

From my list on magic, heroes, and rock ‘n’ roll.

By Geoff Turner Author

Why am I passionate about this?

As a writer of children’s books, I’ve always been fascinated – not merely by the narrative, characters, and plot that form a story – but how ideas themselves spring to life and cross-pollinate to form some kind of creative endeavor, whether that’s a song, a poem, a book or anything else that provokes an emotional response. Rather than shying away from the question: "Where do you get your ideas?" I like to embrace it and search for answers myself. These books all set contexts through which the nature of imagination and ideas are explored alongside the tales they tell, and they remain an influence on the ideas I have, and the words I write.

Geoff's book list on magic, heroes, and rock ‘n’ roll

Book cover of Where the Wild Things Are Book cover of England's Dreaming: Anarchy, Sex Pistols, Punk Rock, and Beyond Book cover of American Gods Book cover of The KLF: Chaos, Magic and the Band who Burned a Million Pounds Book cover of The Weirdstone of Brisingamen

Geoff Turner Why did Geoff love this book?

The birth of punk rock was never really about the music – or at least not just about the music – and England’s Dreaming sets the context for probably the most volatile genre to assault the senses. Jon Savage’s book explores the historical and social setting that led to this – albeit brief – explosion in youth culture. He links together the birth of anarchism with the Situationist art movement alongside the eventual do-it-yourself attitude of punk fashion and music to create a narrative that’s both fascinating and incredibly relevant to the world today. As the legendary contemporaneous fanzine, Sniffing Glue once put it: Here’s a guitar chord, here’s another, here’s another…now go form a band!

England's Dreaming

By Jon Savage,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked England's Dreaming as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The influence of The Sex Pistols has stretched way beyond their short, violent and notorious career - not only did they define punk, through the vision of their manager Malcolm McLaren and lead singer Johnny Rotten, but by the time of the Jubilee in 1977, they had initiated an explosion of angry music, graphics, fashion and media. This book is full of research, interviews plus a discography of The Sex Pistols that provides a historical perspective of the group. It follows the group's development over the course of a decade that began with a small shop in the King's Road…

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Kachka

By Bonnie Frumkin Morales, Deena Prichep,

Book cover of Kachka: A Return to Russian Cooking

Felicia Campbell Author Of The Food of Oman: Recipes and Stories from the Gateway to Arabia

From my list on best international cookbooks for both culture and food.

By Felicia Campbell Author

Why am I passionate about this?

Felicia Campbell is a food writer, editor, and author of The Food of Oman: Stories and Recipes from the Gateway to Arabia, the first English-language cookbook on Omani cuisine. She earned her masters degree in culinary anthropology from New York University with a specialization in Middle Eastern foodways. She has lectured on Omani food and food in zones of conflict at the Smithsonian Institute, Leiden University, New York University, and Arizona State University. She is currently developing a documentary series about endangered cuisines around the world. 

Felicia's book list on best international cookbooks for both culture and food

Book cover of Kachka: A Return to Russian Cooking Book cover of Bangkok: Recipes and Stories from the Heart of Thailand Book cover of Delights from the Garden of Eden: A Cookbook and History of the Iraqi Cuisine Book cover of Ethiopia: Recipes and Traditions from the Horn of Africa Book cover of Food of Life: Ancient Persian and Modern Iranian Cooking and Ceremonies

Felicia Campbell Why did Felicia love this book?

Want a visual primer to all things Russian from the items found at the cured meat and fish counter to helpful phrases when grocery shopping? How about recipes for infused vodkas ranging from tarragon to cranberry and an entire chapter devoted to dishes wrapped in dough? Kachka is a cookbook that will not only teach you to cook Russian food, it will teach you how to eat, drink, and entertain like a Russian in a way that’s quirky, highly visual, and as fun as it is authoritative.

Kachka

By Bonnie Frumkin Morales, Deena Prichep,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Kachka as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Celebrated Portland chef Bonnie Frumkin Morales brings her acclaimed Portland restaurant Kachka into your home kitchen with a debut cookbook enlivening Russian cuisine with an emphasis on vibrant, locally sourced ingredients.

"With Kachka, Bonnie Morales has done something amazing: thoroughly update and modernize Russian cuisine while steadfastly holding to its traditions and spirit. Thank you comrade!"
-Alton Brown

From bright pickles to pillowy dumplings, ingenious vodka infusions to traditional homestyle dishes, and varied zakuski to satisfying sweets, Kachka the cookbook covers the vivid world of Russian cuisine. More than 100 recipes show how easy it is to eat, drink, and…

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The Littlest Viking

By Alexandra Penfold, Isabel Roxas (illustrator),

Book cover of The Littlest Viking

Charlotte Offsay Author Of How to Return a Monster

From my list on picture books for expanding families.

By Charlotte Offsay Author

Why am I passionate about this?

I am a picture book author living in Los Angeles with my husband and two small children. Through my work, I hope to make children laugh, to inspire curiosity, and to create a magical world readers can lose themselves in time and time again.

Charlotte's book list on picture books for expanding families

Book cover of The Bossier Baby Book cover of The New Small Person Book cover of His Royal Highness, King Baby: A Terrible True Story Book cover of Mia Moves Out Book cover of The Littlest Viking

Charlotte Offsay Why did Charlotte love this book?

Sven is the littlest and loudest attention-demanding Viking until a new warrior princess arrives. Sven’s baby sister is even louder and more attention-demanding than Sven and no one has time for his stories anymore… that is until Sven dreams up the perfect solution for all. Filled with heart and humor this book celebrates imagination, Vikings, storytelling, and new siblings.

The Littlest Viking

By Alexandra Penfold, Isabel Roxas (illustrator),

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Littlest Viking as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 4, 5, 6, and 7.

What is this book about?

A hilarious story about what happens to the littlest and loudest Viking when an even littler and louder Viking arrives, perfect for fans of The Princess and the Pony and I Don't Want to Be a Frog.

Sven might be the littlest Viking, but he has no trouble making himself known. He has the loudest warrior cry and the fiercest set of teeth. He loves to pillage and plunder. But there's a new kid in town--a warrior princess, who is smaller than Sven and even louder. What's a little Viking to do?

"Penfold folds in fun ancient analogues to tried-and-true…

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