Review: Songs for Other People's Weddings by David Levithan and Jens Lekman

Songs for Other People's Weddings by 

David Levithan and Jens Lekman

Blurb from Goodreads:

From award-winning, bestselling author David Levithan and beloved, acclaimed singer-songwriter Jens Lekman comes a charming, tender novel about an unlucky-in-love wedding singer trying to find the right words to save his relationship

J is an accidental wedding singer. Unlike most wedding singers, he writes an original song for every couple—his way of finding out about the small, strange things that brought them together and the hopeful, vulnerable feelings they’re experiencing.

J’s own love life is in a state of flux. His girlfriend is off to New York for work, and as her life grows bigger and busier without him in it, he finds it harder to stick to a happy tune. He doesn’t know whether to encourage the soon-to-be-wed couples or warn them.

When complications hit and love is tested, is there any way to sing through all the noise?

Combining David Levithan’s deeply observant storytelling and Jens Lekman’s inventive and touching original songs, Songs for Other People’s Weddings is a tender, honest novel that tracks love through all its chord changes, never forgetting that the best songs contain the bitter and the sweet, the despair of losing it all and the euphoria of being found.

 

This made me sad but it was a good journey.  It was very well written and the songs were, of course, beautiful.  The book was very true, and I appreciate that but I don't know that it what I was in the mood for when I began reading it.  Still, if you are Jens Lekman fan (like I am) and/or a David Leviathan fan (like I am), you will enjoy this immensely!

Songs for Other People's Wedings comes out next week on August 12 2025 and you can purchase HERE.  

J is a somewhat successful Swedish singer-songwriter. If you live outside of Sweden, it's unlikely you've heard any of his songs on the radio... unless you are one of the bookish, folkish sort who listen to bookish, folkish stations that play bookish, folkish ditties. Then you might know exactly who J is. 

The reason he's here tonight is not a longstanding friendship with Jun and Arthur. Until they emailed him out of the blue, J had never met them. This may seem like a strange thing to do, but for J, it is not that strange, because on his debut album there is a song called "If You Ever Need a Stranger (to Sing at Your Wedding)."