You know that feeling when a book is so good the only thing that could possibly make it better would be an epic soundtrack? Well, readers, your wish has been granted. We discovered that David Arnold, author of Mosquitoland and  Kids of Appetite, wrote a whole album inspired by his books. And the best part? They rock. They’re atmospheric and beautiful and they make you feel the beat of your heart –– just like his books do. Read on to get the background on Mosquitoland and Kids of Appetite and then listen to all of the songs from Say it Out Loud, David’s album inspired by them!

First, here’s what the books are about.

About Mosquitoland: After the sudden collapse of her family, Mim Malone is dragged from her home in northern Ohio to the “wastelands” of Mississippi, where she lives in a medicated milieu with her dad and new stepmom. Before the dust has a chance to settle, she learns her mother is sick back in Cleveland.
So she ditches her new life and hops aboard a northbound Greyhound bus to her real home and her real mother, meeting a quirky cast of fellow travelers along the way. But when her thousand-mile journey takes a few turns she could never see coming, Mim must confront her own demons, redefining her notions of love, loyalty, and what it means to be sane.

About Kids of Appetite: Victor Benucci and Madeline Falco have a story to tell.
It begins with the death of Vic’s father.
It ends with the murder of Mad’s uncle.
The Hackensack Police Department would very much like to hear it.
But in order to tell their story, Vic and Mad must focus on all the chapters in between.

This is a story about:

1. A coded mission to scatter ashes across New Jersey.

2. The momentous nature of the Palisades in winter.

3. One dormant submarine.

4. Two songs about flowers.

5. Being cool in the traditional sense.

6. Sunsets & ice cream & orchards & graveyards.

7. Simultaneous extreme opposites.

8. A narrow escape from a war-torn country.

9. A story collector.

10. How to listen to someone who does not talk.

11. Falling in love with a painting.

12. Falling in love with a song.

13. Falling in love.

Now on to the soundtrack!

Song #1: Say it Out Loud

Song #2: Kids of Appetite

Song #3: Noble Husbands

Song #4: Too Bad

Song #5: Sing It

Song #6: Great Lakes

Song #7: Thunderous Love

Song #8: This Can Only Get Better

Song #9: Uncomfortable Nearness

Ready to start reading?

Get your copy of Mosquitoland!

Get your copy of Kids of Appetite!