Book Review: Long Players
Katie 
Long Players is a love story in 18 songs. This book was not at all what I was expecting it to be and in fact I didn’t quite finish it.
I received a free e-copy of this book in order to write this review, I was not otherwise compensated.
About the Book
A story of heartbreak, (ex)stepparenthood, and the limitless grace of pop songs
Have you ever fallen in love—exalting, wracking, hilarious love—with a song? Long Players is a book about that everyday kind of besottedness—and, also, about those other, more entangling sorts of love that songs can propel us into. We follow Peter Coviello through his happy marriage, his blindsiding divorce, and his fumbling post marital forays into sex and romance. Above all we travel with him as he calibrates, mix by mix and song by song, his place in the lives of two little girls, his suddenly ex-stepdaughters. In his grief, he considers what keeps us alive (sex, talk, dancing) and our many interwoven ways of falling in love: with books and bands and records, with friends, with lovers, with the families we make.
The Badass Babe Workbook includes creative exercises, drawing activities, empowering stories, and fuel for your personal revolution that have been inspired by over 100 trailblazing women. The great thing about these workbooks is that you can go in any order. From front to back or jump around to each activity that you most feel like doing that day. In between activities there are quotes and information on other badass babes, so you always know that you are in good company!
I love boardwalks and while I have not yet been to Ocean City, NJ – after reading this book I certainly want to check it out. The book is mostly photos – which is perfect because then I don’t have to think and can just daydream about being there. The boardwalk is 2.5 miles of summer. I liked that this book covered the history of the boardwalk all the way to present day. Definitely something to add to a potential vacation destination list!
Everything You Need to Know to become a Hardball Know-It-All can be found in The Baseball Fan Book. It can be debated that I already am a hardball know-it-all, but I had to check out this book just to be sure! The book includes stats you should know, homeruns by players, games, etc. I probably don’t know most of these stats off the top of my head, so maybe I don’t know as much as I think I do… 😉 There are also all sorts of obscure facts included like who was a switch pitcher? (Pat Venditte) – what player got 2 hits for 2 teams in 1 day in 2 cities? (Joel Youngblood) There are skills that you need to obtain such as how to get an autograph to how to score a game. And of course, my favorite section, HOTDOGS. There’s a section on new players that might remind you of some old school players, tidbits on ALLLLLLL the teams in the majors, what “greats” would be on a team Mt Rushmore and of course, all the baseball lingo you need to know to be a true know-it-all!
Reckless Daughter is the Portrait of Joni Mitchell. There were a lot of things that I didn’t know about her that I learned after reading this book – that she survived polio, she had a bad 1st marriage, Graham Nash proposed to her. Her mother said to her, “Don’t have kids when you get grown” (solid advice, I think, but it kind of showed how her mother felt about having her) Crosby, Stills, & Nash were formed in her LIVING ROOM. (How awesome is THAT!?). She was rumored to be suicidal after she broke up with Jackson Browne. (She wasn’t.) In addition to being a musician, Joni is also an artist – and in her eyes she is an artist first, then musician. This book really makes you feel like you are really, really getting to know Joni and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.
You’re Gonna Make It After All is a book about the Life, Times & Influence of Mary Tyler Moore. There were already 2 memoirs written by Mary Tyler Moore herself and she was very up front about her life and her fight for women’s rights so the author had to figure out how to tell a story in a way that it hadn’t already been told before. I didn’t realize how much she did for Women’s Rights – she wanted to wear pants on the Dick Van Dyke show and initially they only allowed for her to have pants on in one scene per episode! That’s so crazy. Mary Tyler Moore loved the spotlight and after her son was a bit older she dipped her toes back in. She gave up on going to college in order to be a star. I didn’t realize that her final resting place is here in CT! At the end of the book there is some trivia and details on the awards that MTM had won which was really cool to look at.
Higher is Waiting is a memoir by Tyler Perry (who you may know as Madea). It is composed of over 10 years of connections of insight, inspirations and life lessons. At the end of each chapter is a box with key points and questions to think about what Tyler talked about in that chapter in reference to your own life. The book is very religious and there are bible verses included as well related to the chapters. While I am not super religious, the book certainly was inspiring and really made me think and reflect on myself and my life.
Uncommon People notes the rise and fall of rock stars. The book focuses on rock stars from 1955-1995 and includes yearly playlists. It talks about the first Rockstar – Little Richard. The first Rock Idol – Elvis Presley. The Bad Boy – Jerry Lee Lewis. The Good Boy – Buddy Holly. Also included are bios on Ringo Starr, Mick Jagger, Kurt Cobain, Elton John and Michael Jackson – to name a few. Each of the artists/rockstars has a story about their life and career and was a lot of fun to read about these “uncommon” people who became Rock Stars and have solidified such a place in Pop Culture.
Behind the Song is 14 short stories / essays that are inspired by music. How music can transport us. How music can inspire us. The short stories that were based on songs I found to be really cool – I’ve never really been inspired to write a story after listening to a song but I definitely can see how many can. Maybe I can use that idea as a future writing prompt for myself when I am stumped. There is also an essay from G.Love – who was one of the few names I recognized – that was about a song he wrote which I really found to be interesting.
I needed a good book to read for my plane ride to Vegas to see the BSB residency so obviously I picked the one with the NSYNC lyric in the title – All I Ever Wanted – but was amused to find that most of the chapters were named after BSB songs and I was 85% done with the book before NSYNC popped up again! haha. This book is about a boyband made up of brothers called Hearbeat. They had broken up and were putting on a reunion show in their hometown. This book focuses mostly on band member Grant and his ex girlfriend Arabella who was the band’s choreographer. They used to date, but broke up when she thought he cheated on her. The book follows the band through setting up for their reunion show, the brothers trying to set up a reunion for Arabella and Grant and everyone dealing with their issues based on the band’s parents no longer being with them. The reunion show ends up a great success and while they said it was going to be a one-off… are there more shows in their future? Arabella seems like she is all-in on being with Grant, but was selling her business a mistake? I guess we will find out in the next 3 books… all with BSB titles.