David Bowie Book Club

Kerouac was considered a pioneer of the Beat Generation, and has remained an iconoclast for his free spirited yet politically radical thoughts. On The Road remains one of modern literature's best books, thanks to Kerouac's love of America, his compassion for humanity, and his unrelenting spirit of curiosity. Truly a must read for anyone who's dying to break out of the mould.

It's a world of perpetual war, omnipresent government surveillance and public manipulation. Because total individualistic freedom is the poison to a well-functioning society, and the Big Brother must stave that desire.

Prolific American author Richard Wright details his youth, writing career and ties with the Comunist Party in this riveting memoir. Growing from innocence to experience, the deeply personal memoir is textbook reading for what's it like to be a Southern, black man in America.

A brilliant singer/songwriter like David Bowie would definitely poured over the history and theory of music. Silence is a collection of essays and lectures Cage wrote during the period from 1939 to 1961, where he features several unorthodox and unique ways of presenting and composing music. A must-read for any budding composers or music arrangers.

Seems like David Bowie himself didn't just constrain himself to fictional titles and music books. Political history features like this one took a major place on his must-reads. The examination of alleged war crimes of Henry Kissinger is riveting, exciting and will be a ride, even if you were to young to barely remember what happened at that time.

This is a must-have for any rock and roll fan (and if you wanted to understand Bowie's place and influence in the music scene). Charlie Gillett does a comprehensive study of the rise of rock and roll from 1954 to 1971 in great detail. It's not just the music - it's the culture, the economy, and the vibe.

Published in 1924, Zanoni is a story of how one man cannot fall in love, lest he loses his powers of immortality. But what is life forever without love? Zanoni eventually falls in love with a opera singer, and he sees the consequences of love. But will an increase in humanity bear any impact on his now-mortal life?

This book has caused many a controversy and for good reasons. At that time, D.H. Lawrence was accused of using foul language, and this book has been banned and censored time and time again in various countries. This novel is one of sexual revolution, and remains very much a celebrated classic.

First published in 1989, McTeague is a story of a couple's courtship and marriage, and their subsequent descent into poverty, violence and finally murder as the result of jealousy and greed. Frank Norris is a master at using words to evoke emotion, making this one of the best novels to study the ugliness of the human condition.

Widely regarded as one of the most important poems in the 20th century, The Waste Land is a long form poem that loosely follows the legend of the Holy Grail and the Fisher King. T.S. Eliot's mastery of the language lets you shift between voices, places and time, and is most certainly a journey in itself if you would wholly immerse yourself in it.

Everyone loves a good American dream, but The Great Gatsby pulls down the veil behind it - making it perhaps one of the best novels in 1920s Americas.

This one is a comprehensive guide to the Western occultism and David Bowie possibly read it out of curiosity - who wouldn't be fascinated by the occults? this is definitely not a spell book that lets you conjure up the dead, but rather an understanding about the history, philosophy and foundations of the folklore and mysticism surrounding the dark arts.

Wallace Thurman's novel is a satrical peephole and a powerful insight into the Harlem Renaissance at that time. Written as a retort against an idealised Harlem community, this book can also be viewed as a great historical and cultural lesson of the arts and the changing movement.

Possibly the classic of all classics. The Iliad is one of the greatest pieces of literary history touching on revenge, religion, family, war and pride.

Primarily set in Harlem, Passing fixtures quite squarely on racism and the complex relationship between gender, race and sexuality. It centers around Clare Kendry and Irene Redfield, two childhood friends who are fascinated with each other's life, come to realise they're both white-passing - a situation most unfavourable to their circumstance at that time.

This 1929 novel is considered one of the most important pieces of literature of the Weimar Republic (then Germany). The novel revolves around protaganist Alexanderplatz, an ex-convict who circles life in misery, poverty, crime, lack of opportunities and the imminent loom of Nazisim in the 20s. It's a stark portrayal of Germany at that time and one that will make you recognise the harshness of life.

This 14th century epic poem follows the journey of Dante through hell, guided by Roman poet Virgil. The writing is exquisite, and the metaphors of the rejection of sin and a journey to God is excellently laid out. It's not the easiest read, but if it's one of David Bowie's must-read books, you know you have to.

A visit from the devil to the Soviet Union shakes things up -- they wreak havoc to the bureaucrats and mistresses. What this book is is a bitter satire of the dire state of the Soviet Union and the absurdity of it all. Bulgakov's sharp irony and wit keeps the novel moving quickly yet hilariously.