27 May, 2007

Book Review: Jumping Someone Else's Train

Nights when you're home sick are a good time to catch up on reading and listening to music. Tonight I finished "Love is a Mix Tape" by Rob Sheffield, a book I've been putting off for some time, and not because it wasn't engaging, but because I knew how it would end. I don't want to ruin it for anybody, but you know the minute you read the book jacket, or even the second page. It's actually pretty amazing, and maybe it's because I'm a sucker for mix tapes, but as the author tells the story of his relationship with Renee (through the mix tapes they made), I think I fell in love, too. As I read, I smiled along with Rob and even giggled a bit, and then kept putting the book down, not quite ready for the inevitable. And then somehow, just as I picked up the book to finish it tonight, the Replacements came on- "Unsatisfied". It seemed so appropriate, so I put it on repeat while I read the part I was dreading. And then, there it was, on page 205, just as Rob and I were beginning to move on. I'm not sure how, but I think that somehow proves a point this book is trying to make about music bringing people together.

Ultimately, wouldn't put this on my list of favorite books, but it is rare that I am so moved by something in print. And who knows- maybe like some really great songs, I will have to think about it for a while before it becomes a classic. In any case, now that I've finished it, I feel like I've suffered my own loss.

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