It’s a new year, which means new opportunities to find your next favorite book. If you’re new to the Service95 Book Club, welcome! If you’re a loyal member, welcome back!
Each month, Dua Lipa’s Service95 Book Club features an exciting read for its members—from unbelievable true stories to moving works of fiction. Each selection is chosen with purpose, and the team at Service95 brings this purpose out with exclusive materials shared on the book club’s website. Dua Lipa also shares her own views on the books and conducts a Q&A with the authors on her Service95 Book Club With Dua Lipa podcast. For January, the book club has chosen Night People: How to Be a DJ in ’90s New York City by Mark Ronson.
We have been listening to the music of Mark Ronson for decades, as the 9x Grammy, Academy Award, and Golden Globe-winning producer and songwriter has crafted some of the biggest singles, albums, and soundtracks for many recognizable artists and movies in the entertainment industry. To name a few of Ronson’s projects, there’s Amy Winehouse’s Back to Black; 2014’s “Uptown Funk” with Bruno Mars; the sweeping Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper duet “Shallow” from 2018’s A Star is Born; 2023’s Barbie: The Album; and 2025’s SNL50: The Homecoming Concert, which he executively produced. Most recently, he co-wrote and produced “Dream As One” for the end credits to Avatar: Fire & Ash with Miley Cyrus, Andrew Wyatt, and Simon Franglen.
In September of last year, Ronson released Night People: How to Be a DJ in ’90s New York City, which recounted his early days as a DJ in this bustling, thriving city. It made its way onto the New York Times Bestseller’s list and the Sunday Times Top 10 Bestseller’s list. It is currently being adapted into a film.
About Night People, Dua shared,
“As a self-confessed night person, I can’t think of a better way to start the new year than a book that celebrates the energy and joy of the dance floor. I’m lucky to call Mark a friend, but there were still so many stories in this book that surprised me, made me laugh, made me cry, and definitely made me want to hit a club.
“Mark is legendary within the industry for his encyclopedic knowledge of music. It elevates every studio session, and this book takes you on a journey of each club, artist, and record store where that knowledge was built. There’s so much grind, from lugging crate loads of vinyl up and down stairs, to all the push backs and confidence knocks. It perfectly captures the messy reality of building a career at such a young age.
“For me, ‘Night People’ completes a Service95 Book Club trilogy of sorts. ‘Just Kids’ by Patti Smith gave us possibly the most spellbinding account of New York in the ‘70s ever written. ‘Widow Basquiat’ by Jennifer Clement gave us a who’s who of New York’s early 1980s creative scene. ‘Night People’ gives us the joy and euphoria of a 1990s New York Club night. Be sure to cue up the playlist and wait to be transported as you turn the first page.”
Last month, Dua Lipa met with Mark Ronson at The Hotel Chelsea in New York, where they recorded her latest episode of the book club podcast. In the episode, Ronson expands on what it was like to step into a DJ role, touches on his role as an author, and highlights key stories mentioned in the book. You can check out the episode here.
Book club members will also find a list of books that inspired Ronson to write Night People, a five-track playlist of songs that “changed Mark Ronson’s life,” and a playlist to accompany Night People. Both playlists can be found here.
On January 13, the book club will release a video of Ronson reading an excerpt from Night People, and on January 20, Dua Lipa and Mark Ronson will answer questions in a special episode of the podcast. Later in the month, Service95 will release content from legendary New York DJ Belinda Becker, which will include her list of notable DJs and a list of her favorite listening bars in New York City.
All of this and more can be found here.
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