Love is a Mix Tape

I just finished this book, Love is a Mix Tape by Rob Sheffield. I'm in that dangerous position, you know the one, where you've just finished a terrific book and you really want to immediately jump into another one, but you have to pick just the right book, the perfect book, because anything less than perfection will be a disappointment compared to the book you just finished. Yeah, that's where I am. My next read is Holidays on Ice by David Sedaris, which I have mixed feelings about. I love Mr. Sedaris immensely, but I've heard Holidays isn't as rip-roaring as, say, Me Talk Pretty One Day.

But. Let's get down to love and mix tapes. First off, it's a memoir. I really need to read more memoirs, I think. A fiction book with the most fabulous plot just doesn't hit as close as when it's a true story, when it really happened. And Love is a Mix Tape is a beautiful story. It's your good old-fashioned guy meets girl, girl tragically dies kinda story, with the added bonus of being chock-full of music.

Seriously, if you like music at all, indie/pop/rock/whatever, this book is great. Each chapter starts with a mix tape full of songs that were important to his life at the time. Reading it made me want to make playlists upon playlists of songs for every occasion! I'm toying with the idea of buying a copy of this book for my boyfriend and giving it to him along with an I-Lurve-You! mix tape.

And so here for you, dear readers, is a playlist. I started making it with a blogging/writing/creativity theme in mind, but all my playlists quickly turn into random songs I think are rad. So here you go. Listen to it.

All-Time Top Five Songs About Death

1. Chemo Limo by Regina Spektor
2. In Case We Die - Architecture in Helsinki
3. No Children - The Mountain Goats
4. I Can't Decide - The Scissor Sisters
5. Angels Hung Around - Rilo Kiley

Inspired by the movie I watched last night, High Fidelity. I was looking for something to watch before bed, and my boyfriend suggested it - it's one of his favorite movies (and based on one of his favorite books).

Well, let me tell you: I was smitten. First of all, this guy compulsively makes lists. Just on the basis of that alone it's a match made in heaven! There's no one who enjoys a good list more than I do. In fact, the title list (death songs) is one of the lists in the movie.

And then there's the whole - obsessed with obscure music thing. I'm not so much into that, but my boyfriend is, a whole lot, so I could get into it.

And the whole - making yourself miserable, not happy with what you have, even though it's the best you could have - I've been there. Not so much anymore, thankfully, but I could relate.

But, yeah. The lists! Watching this movie made me inspired to revive and make more use of my listography account. Because lists just make me so happy.

And I love the part where Jack Black makes fun of John Cusack's sweater for being a "Cosby Sweater!" Too true, too true.