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3.92 AVERAGE
3.92 AVERAGE
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
sad
fast-paced
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
sad
medium-paced
Four stars is probably generous; I'd give 3.5 if I could. But overall, I really enjoyed this. I am a little too young and way too mainstream to get all of the musical references, but I loved the way he described music and the memories and people you associate with songs - that I definitely get.
I don't remember why I put this book on my TBR- I'm sure someone mentioned it somewhere and I thought it sounded cute or something, who knows. Lovely tribute from Rob Sheffield to his wife Renée, full of quotable moments and good tunes.
This is a love story. But this is also a love story about music, and with music, and because of music. If you are not of a certain age, from a certain time, or were not deeply into music in the 80s and 90s this may be too deep a dive for you.
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Yeah, I didn't really know a lot of this music... I am not up to date on the cool indy bands, and I never was. But I am sadly current when it comes to things like life and loss, and so found this to be moving and tragically real. There's kindness and moments of startling clarity and aimless, endless driving through the mountains, and I loved every page of it.
I continue to make mix tapes, and playlists, and mix CDs, because there are just songs that are just right for certain things. There are songs to hate by, songs to cry with, songs to sleep by, songs to be absorbed by... and music is as full of memories as any smell, any taste, any picture.
Just as an example of something that I really loved -
"It was bewildering and humbling to keep discovering how many brave things people can fail to talk themselves out of doing. There are a hundred excellent ways to talk yourself out of (writing a note like the one she sent me), and I've used them all."
Me too. I can talk myself out of just about anything... distract myself until it's too late to call, it's too far to go, all the stores are closed, and everyone else in the world who can still sleep is sleeping. And then I can spent the night berating myself for being a coward, cajoling & bribing myself into doing it 'first thing in the morning,' writing it on one to-do list after another. And I am constantly surprised that there are people in the world who just pick up the pen, or the phone, or the cookies they've just baked, and get it done: They just do the thing that seems impossible to me. I am in awe of those people ~ the ones who always remember to care.
Anyways... this book made me cry, which isn't fair, because now I have to make a new bookshelf, and go through my list again.
I continue to make mix tapes, and playlists, and mix CDs, because there are just songs that are just right for certain things. There are songs to hate by, songs to cry with, songs to sleep by, songs to be absorbed by... and music is as full of memories as any smell, any taste, any picture.
Just as an example of something that I really loved -
"It was bewildering and humbling to keep discovering how many brave things people can fail to talk themselves out of doing. There are a hundred excellent ways to talk yourself out of (writing a note like the one she sent me), and I've used them all."
Me too. I can talk myself out of just about anything... distract myself until it's too late to call, it's too far to go, all the stores are closed, and everyone else in the world who can still sleep is sleeping. And then I can spent the night berating myself for being a coward, cajoling & bribing myself into doing it 'first thing in the morning,' writing it on one to-do list after another. And I am constantly surprised that there are people in the world who just pick up the pen, or the phone, or the cookies they've just baked, and get it done: They just do the thing that seems impossible to me. I am in awe of those people ~ the ones who always remember to care.
Anyways... this book made me cry, which isn't fair, because now I have to make a new bookshelf, and go through my list again.
didn't expect it, but it was actually a fantastic read. in the beginning, i was dragging through it, kinda bored and not impressed but as i progressed everything got better and better. with words so simple, Rob Sheffield has managed to touch my heart in a way no other book ever has. i felt the emotional punch so many times and the impact and the thoughts that came with it were extremely powerful to a point where i actually felt the pain he was going through. a huge plus is that i made an exquisite playlist with all the songs mentioned and discovered a lot of amazing artists and i love that about this book. but the best of the best is, as i've said, how reading it made me feel. left a great taste.
