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3.92 AVERAGE
3.92 AVERAGE
emotional
reflective
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
Love Is a Mix Tape is a lot like the mix tape itself. It's not for everyone, but when it meets the right listener (or in this case, reader), it's magic. Lucky for me, it was a match made in heaven. Filled with random pop culture bits, this book is about everything and nothing all at the same time. The premise is so simple, it makes you wonder why someone else didn't think of it first.
Take one music/pop culture critic, add a dash of experience, a ton of tunes and voila! This book was based on real writer Rob Sheffield's experiences with love and loss, complete with soundtrack. As any music lover will know, the right song can really make or break a moment. It takes you back to a time you may have forgotten, or maybe even one you want to forget. Music evokes feelings, be them good or bad.
The majority of the novel revolves around Sheffield's relationship with his first true love, fellow rock connoisseur Renee Crist. Connected for their love of all things pop culture, I related to Sheffield's and Crist's relationship as many of monumental memories are music related. Sure, a lot of people like music, but it's people who LOVE music (even if it's not the same music) who I think really connect most with novel.
Sheffield often goes on random pop culture tangents that are mostly relatable and nothing if not entertaining. There were a few chapters that seemed to rehash previously covered material, but nothing that distracted from the writer's message. Not only was it sad to read the story of Sheffield and Crist, knowing that it would a tragic and early demise, but it was also a bit bittersweet thinking of the ghosts of mix tapes past. I agree with Sheffield, CD's and now "playlists" just aren't the same. There was just something about the making, giving, and receiving of the carefully crafted mix tape. It was like letting someone see a little piece of you. When done right, it was a great stress release and very therapeutic.
It was great for a few hundred pages to press rewind on those days and relive the magic.
Take one music/pop culture critic, add a dash of experience, a ton of tunes and voila! This book was based on real writer Rob Sheffield's experiences with love and loss, complete with soundtrack. As any music lover will know, the right song can really make or break a moment. It takes you back to a time you may have forgotten, or maybe even one you want to forget. Music evokes feelings, be them good or bad.
The majority of the novel revolves around Sheffield's relationship with his first true love, fellow rock connoisseur Renee Crist. Connected for their love of all things pop culture, I related to Sheffield's and Crist's relationship as many of monumental memories are music related. Sure, a lot of people like music, but it's people who LOVE music (even if it's not the same music) who I think really connect most with novel.
Sheffield often goes on random pop culture tangents that are mostly relatable and nothing if not entertaining. There were a few chapters that seemed to rehash previously covered material, but nothing that distracted from the writer's message. Not only was it sad to read the story of Sheffield and Crist, knowing that it would a tragic and early demise, but it was also a bit bittersweet thinking of the ghosts of mix tapes past. I agree with Sheffield, CD's and now "playlists" just aren't the same. There was just something about the making, giving, and receiving of the carefully crafted mix tape. It was like letting someone see a little piece of you. When done right, it was a great stress release and very therapeutic.
It was great for a few hundred pages to press rewind on those days and relive the magic.
Some good musical nostalgia and some good thoughts on love and loss. But BOO to the author for getting it wrong - it is CLAIREMONT High, not Claremont.
This was an amazing story that touched me deeply. For anyone who's grieving from unexpected loss, this will bring up real raw emotion but will touch your heart and give you strength.
A little book for any music lover.
Sheffied is the editor of the Rolling Stones. Renee was his wife until she passed in 1997. This book is about how much he loves music, how rock and roll moved him, how it drowned him and how it saved him.
This book is an intimate lens looking into somebody's past. The sorrow following Renee's death is so palpable, so real. So is Sheffield's love for mix tapes, despite how advanced technology is nowadays and how much the music industry has changed. I do wish I had been born in an era when people still make each other tapes.
Sheffied is the editor of the Rolling Stones. Renee was his wife until she passed in 1997. This book is about how much he loves music, how rock and roll moved him, how it drowned him and how it saved him.
This book is an intimate lens looking into somebody's past. The sorrow following Renee's death is so palpable, so real. So is Sheffield's love for mix tapes, despite how advanced technology is nowadays and how much the music industry has changed. I do wish I had been born in an era when people still make each other tapes.
OK book. I enjoyed reading about the songs that the author related to different times in his life.
This is another one I read because Harry Styles likes it, and I gotta ask - Harry, you good??? I don't usually write very negative reviews but I have thoughts on this.
I'm giving it a 2 because there were parts I liked: discussion of how music exists in mixes vs albums, the role music plays in human relationships, discussion of big and complex grief, talk about Pavement in the 90s because I love them.
But there are also problems. Firstly, the way he writes about women, JESUS. Quite a lot of sexism, veiled and obvious.
Glaring example: "Like all girl bands, they spent all their time thinking up cool band names and cool song titles and cool ideas for matching outfits, with only occasional efforts to actually play songs. When Cindy and Katherine had their big falling out over a b-o-y (what else?)" excuse me what? if that's meant to be tongue-in-cheek, it doesn't hit. and this was published in 2007!!!
Implicit examples: theme of the manic pixie dream girl, talks a lot about crushing on women and their appearance/'image' more than anything else, calls feminism a fad, writes a page about Renée getting fat, suggestion that women in bands are the image and the men are the real musicians/writers. It's a bit odd to be honest, very unexpected.
Also found that the talk about music wasn't really detailed to have any meaning if you didn't already know the music which is a shame. And I didn't really get the emotional hit which. I don't feel like it does justice to either Renée or Rob as a memoir, and could have maybe been a longread rather than a book and covered all the important things he wants to talk about.
Disappointed really as I thought I'd really like this, but it's not for me.
I'm giving it a 2 because there were parts I liked: discussion of how music exists in mixes vs albums, the role music plays in human relationships, discussion of big and complex grief, talk about Pavement in the 90s because I love them.
But there are also problems. Firstly, the way he writes about women, JESUS. Quite a lot of sexism, veiled and obvious.
Glaring example: "Like all girl bands, they spent all their time thinking up cool band names and cool song titles and cool ideas for matching outfits, with only occasional efforts to actually play songs. When Cindy and Katherine had their big falling out over a b-o-y (what else?)" excuse me what? if that's meant to be tongue-in-cheek, it doesn't hit. and this was published in 2007!!!
Implicit examples: theme of the manic pixie dream girl, talks a lot about crushing on women and their appearance/'image' more than anything else, calls feminism a fad, writes a page about Renée getting fat, suggestion that women in bands are the image and the men are the real musicians/writers. It's a bit odd to be honest, very unexpected.
Also found that the talk about music wasn't really detailed to have any meaning if you didn't already know the music which is a shame. And I didn't really get the emotional hit which. I don't feel like it does justice to either Renée or Rob as a memoir, and could have maybe been a longread rather than a book and covered all the important things he wants to talk about.
Disappointed really as I thought I'd really like this, but it's not for me.
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
slow-paced