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stuti_is_dumb's review against another edition
5.0
Absolutely love the way music flows with life. How it never leaves you even when you're deaf with grief.
sarahhope's review against another edition
5.0
you know that kind of cry when tears are just silently pouring out of your eyes and you can’t stop it? this book made me that kind of cry. it also reinforces the idea that music can be incredibly powerful and has the ability to tie songs together with people, memories and emotions. definitely left me with a greater appreciation for music
missecat's review against another edition
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
3.25
"When we die, we will turn into songs, and we will hear each other and remember each other."
This line killed me and is half the reason I rated the book well.
The author has a lot of beautiful written lines and I love the sentiment, but at times when describing his wife it came off like she was the Maniac Pixie Dream Girl of his life and wasn't at all sweet or romantic. You could tell he loved her dearly, but sometimes it just rubbed me wrong.
This line killed me and is half the reason I rated the book well.
The author has a lot of beautiful written lines and I love the sentiment, but at times when describing his wife it came off like she was the Maniac Pixie Dream Girl of his life and wasn't at all sweet or romantic. You could tell he loved her dearly, but sometimes it just rubbed me wrong.
iris_in_bloom's review against another edition
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
3.0
somanybookstoread's review against another edition
5.0
I LOVED this book! It was like High Fidelity of the 2000's discussing better music with a larger range of emotion. Granted, I'm obsessed with mixtapes, but I thought of this book on the treadmill, in my sleep, and when I was supposed to be working... I give it my highest recommendation!
jgintrovertedreader's review against another edition
4.0
Rob Sheffield and his wife Renee, met because of music. They shared a passion for music, loved writing about it, discussing it, and watching live shows. They also loved the lost art of the mix tape. They apparently had mix tapes for everything. Washing dishes, road trips, school dances--the moments of their lives are inextricably linked to the songs they love. After Renee's tragic death after only five years of marriage, Rob writes essays reflecting on their life together, his youth, and the years of his grief.
I'm not the most knowledgeable person when it comes to pop culture. I've always preferred to have my nose in a book, instead of going to school dances, watching TV, or reading pop magazines. But I've made my share of mix tapes (and later, mix CDs). So this title caught my eye.
Rob is about a decade older than I am but I still knew some of his cultural touchstones. The first playlist had me worried. I wasn't familiar with any of the songs. Were these going to be exclusively musicians from independent labels that only the true music lovers--the initiated--were familiar with? No. To my relief, he also mentions Nirvana, Pearl Jam, even Hanson. So this mix tape is truly mixed.
The essays are reflective. I almost felt that I was listening to the author read his journal to me. He truly loves Renee, an Appalachian girl like me. His shock, grief, and loss resonate from the book. But he's also got enough perspective at the time of writing to appreciate and dwell on the good times. He writes about her family, which resonated with me. There's a lot of musical talent in the Southern Appalachians, and my family has its share. He writes about the painful reality of middle school dances. He writes about watching couples together in Walmart late at night and missing being a part of a couple of himself.
Sheffield reads the audiobook and I was happy with that. I don't know that I would actively seek out another book read by him, but it's only fitting that such a personal journey through love and grief should be shared in his own voice.
Music aficionados will enjoy this a bit more than I did, but I do recommend it to anyone who's looking for a quiet reflection on love and loss.
I'm not the most knowledgeable person when it comes to pop culture. I've always preferred to have my nose in a book, instead of going to school dances, watching TV, or reading pop magazines. But I've made my share of mix tapes (and later, mix CDs). So this title caught my eye.
Rob is about a decade older than I am but I still knew some of his cultural touchstones. The first playlist had me worried. I wasn't familiar with any of the songs. Were these going to be exclusively musicians from independent labels that only the true music lovers--the initiated--were familiar with? No. To my relief, he also mentions Nirvana, Pearl Jam, even Hanson. So this mix tape is truly mixed.
The essays are reflective. I almost felt that I was listening to the author read his journal to me. He truly loves Renee, an Appalachian girl like me. His shock, grief, and loss resonate from the book. But he's also got enough perspective at the time of writing to appreciate and dwell on the good times. He writes about her family, which resonated with me. There's a lot of musical talent in the Southern Appalachians, and my family has its share. He writes about the painful reality of middle school dances. He writes about watching couples together in Walmart late at night and missing being a part of a couple of himself.
Sheffield reads the audiobook and I was happy with that. I don't know that I would actively seek out another book read by him, but it's only fitting that such a personal journey through love and grief should be shared in his own voice.
Music aficionados will enjoy this a bit more than I did, but I do recommend it to anyone who's looking for a quiet reflection on love and loss.