This was such a great read- I feel like I just walked down the most intense of memory lanes with a thoughtful friend who knows a lot about music from This was such a great read- I feel like I just walked down the most intense of memory lanes with a thoughtful friend who knows a lot about music from the 90's.
Harvilla admits up front that everyone thinks the music they grew up with was the best music. But also communicates his belief that the music from the 90's was really, actually the best. I agree on both counts. This admission at the beginning lets you truly sit back and enjoy his grandiose and super detailed musings.
The structure was very essay-like, which I really enjoyed. The themes at the beginning of each section made the book fun and easy to read.
I listened to this as an audiobook and although there were a few clunky moments in the narration, I'm glad the author read it himself. The connections he has to these songs and to this era are so personal and deep, and it comes out in his passionate and conversational style.
This would be a great companion to The Nineties by Chuck Klosterman.
Full disclosure - I received a copy of this book from NetGalley, Hachette Audio, and Twelve Books in exchange for an honest review....more
Héctor Tobar, Pulitzer Prize–winning writer, and weekly columnist for the Los Angeles Times, demonstrates his astounding talent in this powerful colleHéctor Tobar, Pulitzer Prize–winning writer, and weekly columnist for the Los Angeles Times, demonstrates his astounding talent in this powerful collection of essays focused on the diverse experiences of the Latinx Diaspora in the U.S.
Each chapter is a deep dive on how Latinx identities intersect with images in popular culture, history, immigration, politics, and even literary genres. Embracing the spirit of Studs Terkel, Tobar weaves in personal narratives throughout- allowing these profoundly moving individual narratives to stand on their own, but also to tell a piece of a larger narrative that shapes the story of our nation.
The razor-sharp and nuanced critiques on empire, colonialism, racism, are thoughtful and thought provoking, yet easily accessible due to the book’s distinct topical essays.
The lyrical writing and soulful explorations will appeal to those who regularly enjoy non-fiction titles but also those who typically shy away from the genre. Furthermore, both newcomers and experts on this subject matter will enjoy this book. ...more
I thoroughly enjoyed this collection of essays. As someone who lived my formative years in the 90's- I was 19 in 1999-there were so many times when I I thoroughly enjoyed this collection of essays. As someone who lived my formative years in the 90's- I was 19 in 1999-there were so many times when I just had to put the book down and take a moment because Klosterman described perfectly what it was like living through the era- from small details to macro descriptions.
The mix of essays are on topics ranging from cultural, political, technological and economic, to more, making it a multidimensional and satisfying read.
Klosterman is smart, funny and dedicated to telling the story of a generation (X) and of a decade that was like no other. This is beyond nostalgia- although there is that. The cultural critiques are deep and illuminating. I don't purport to know how other age-groups might react to this book, but as a Genxer I very much related and was sad when the book was done.
As a librarian, I would pair this book with another great collection of essays I recently read by Rax King - 'Tacky: Love Letters to the Worst Culture We Have to Offer'. Although there are some key differences (King's book is about 10 years chronologically after Klosterman's, and King's incorporates a lot more personal memoir and the experience of being a woman), they are both witty, incisive essays based around critiquing cultural artefacts, and a delight to read.
Full disclosure - I received a copy of this book from Net Galley & Penguin Random House in exchange for an honest review....more
Told from the perspective of Mexican writers, this collections of essays is massively important to understand the so-called crisis at the border. EachTold from the perspective of Mexican writers, this collections of essays is massively important to understand the so-called crisis at the border. Each essay was a world of its own, tackling the subject from a different angle, but all of them explored the border deeply and asked readers to think critically about the border and to recognize the humanity of the migrants & refugees who are stuck on either side.
Highly recommended for anyone interested in Mexico/US relations, Central America, and human rights, or well done essay collections....more
The stories were good, but they all started to run into eachother after a while. I would recommend this if a) you're a 'true-blue' madonna fan, b) an The stories were good, but they all started to run into eachother after a while. I would recommend this if a) you're a 'true-blue' madonna fan, b) an anthology aficionado, or c) interested in exploring what it was like to grow up a catholic girl in the 80's/90's, the latter of which was very well presented in the book....more
Heyden writes insightfully and with humor about all kinds of musical rivalries and what they reveal about us.
This book was easy and fun to read becauHeyden writes insightfully and with humor about all kinds of musical rivalries and what they reveal about us.
This book was easy and fun to read because each chapter focused on a specific rivalry or set of rivalries (ex: stones vs. beatles, madonna vs. cyndi lauper, etc).
I enjoyed reading about cultural phenomena I had lived through like blur vs. oasis or nirvana vs. pearl jam and also learning about feuds I previously knew nothing about, like neil young vs. skynnard or toby keith vs. the dixie chicks.
Heyden does a great job telling these stories by combining his knowledge of music as a music historian and his own personal accounts and connections to these cultural episodes....more
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