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3.92 AVERAGE
3.92 AVERAGE
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
I loved the beginning of each chapter - the mix tape was always a treasure hunt for me. The writing was light enough to take the edge off of a terrible loss, but added enough levity that you could feel Scheffield's grief.
If you love 90s music, cassette tapes, and an honest, tender account of love and grief, you will adore this book. I want to be Rob Sheffield's friend, if only so he would make me a mix tape.
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
this book brought tears to my eyes several times (in a good way). as someone who has a song associated with most of my memories, i loved reading someone else’s experiences with that
I loved "Talking to Girls About Duran Duran," and so I decided to pick up this earlier memoir by the same author. It really is a 2.5, or maybe parts are 2 and parts are 3. This book is the story of his life with his wife, Renee, who died and left him a widow (he eschews "widower") in his early 30s. This is not a spoiler; it is on the jacket and in the first few pages of the book. A music lover, writer and critic, Sheffield begins each chapter with a playlist from a mix tape, and charts his relationship with Renee, her death and the aftermath.
A few of the sections are repeated in "Talking to Girls...," so I recognized them. I found the middle part of the book a bit repetitious, but I enjoyed reading about how they met, and he writes about her death and his grief in lovely and sad prose.
"I always had thought of the widow's veil as a degrading medieval tradition, but now I realized it had a practical purpose because when you cry all day, your eyes become sticky and dust gets in them constantly."
I'd recommend reading "Talking to Girls..." first, and then if you like it and want to know more of the backstory, read this one.
A few of the sections are repeated in "Talking to Girls...," so I recognized them. I found the middle part of the book a bit repetitious, but I enjoyed reading about how they met, and he writes about her death and his grief in lovely and sad prose.
"I always had thought of the widow's veil as a degrading medieval tradition, but now I realized it had a practical purpose because when you cry all day, your eyes become sticky and dust gets in them constantly."
I'd recommend reading "Talking to Girls..." first, and then if you like it and want to know more of the backstory, read this one.
So heartwarming and unique. Beautiful tribute to his wife.
I can't remember the last time I really LOVED a book. I like portions or bits and pieces, but I thoroughly enjoyed this one. five stars worthy! It walked a fine line of emotion and used music of almost every genre to keep it from sinking too low. If you love music, this is a heartfelt tug at the strings on how important songs/bands are in every aspect of our lives. This line stuck with me like an ear worm."When we die, we will turn into songs, and we will hear each other and remember each other."- Rob Sheffield