If you like both books and music, you will absolutely love the new novel "The Song Is You" by Arthur Phillips. This book about the power of music is itself both powerful and musical. I'm only about halfway through it, so I suppose there's a chance that Phillips will let me down, but I find that difficult, if not impossible, to believe, considering how jaw-droppingly, un-put-down-able, oh-my-god, this-book-will-save-your-life incredible it's been so far. I haven't been this entranced by a novel since Michael Chabon's "The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay." Read it now, or add it to your queue.

Seriously. Do it. What are you waiting for?

"But Matt, what's it about?" you're asking. Good question.

"Music," I answer, "and everything it means to the singer who sings it, the guitarist who writes it, and especially the aging fan who is so shocked to discover a new favorite sound that he pseudo-stalks the singer in a way that is only cute and charming in fiction and would possibly get him arrested in real life. It's also about love, loss, lust, envy, aging, beauty, creativity, commercialism, sadness, joy, and everything else that's good and important. Maybe not much happens, sure, but the stuff that does will floor you.

"If you've ever spent a weekend making the perfect mixtape, this is the perfect book for you."

I can't wait to finish, but I also want to savor it.