Rob Sheffield

"In the 1990s, "alternative" was suddenly mainstream, and bands like Pearl Jam and Pavement, Nirvana and R.E.M.--bands that a year before would have been too weird for MTV--were MTV. The boundaries of American culture were exploding, and music was leading

Life, Loss, And What I Listened to

Love Is a Mix Tape

Fabi Villarreal

I was reading a poem by my idol, Wallace Stevens, in which he said, ‘The self is a cloister of remembered sounds.’ My first response was, Yesss! How did he know that? It’s like he’s reading my mind. But my second response was, I need some new sounds to remember. I’ve been stuck in my little isolation chamber for so long I’m spinning through the same sounds I’ve been hearing in my head all my life. If I go on this way, I’ll get old too fast, without remembering any more sounds than I already know now. The only one who remembers any of my sounds is me. How do you turn down the volume on your personal-drama earphones and learn how to listen to other people? How do you jump off one moving train, marked Yourself, and jump onto a train moving in the opposite direction, marked Everybody Else? I loved a modern love song called “Don’t Let Our Youth Go To Waste” and I didn’t want to waste mine.

Ausrine Blazyte

What doesn't kill you maims you, cripples you, leaves you weak, makes you whiny and full of yourself at the same time. The more pain, the more pompous you get. Whatever doesn't kill you makes you incredibly annoying.

There is nowhere else I could imagine wanting to be besides here in this car, with this girl, on this road, listening to this song. If she breaks my heart, no matter what hell she puts me through, I can say it was worth it, just because of right now. Out the window is a blur and all I can really hear is this girl's hair flapping in the wind, and maybe if we drive fast enough the universe will lose track of us and forget to stick us somewhere else.

I went into this book hoping to be pleasantly surprised, despite my lukewarm feelings toward Sheffield's work in Rolling Stone. The premise is undeniably poignant—navigating the unthinkable loss of a spouse far too soon—but the execution left me wanting. For such a deeply personal story, I expected a level of introspection and depth that never quite materialized. At just one sitting’s worth of reading, it felt more like a fleeting glimpse than a meaningful dive.

Liana

I went into this book hoping to be pleasantly surprised, despite my lukewarm feelings toward Sheffield's work in Rolling Stone. The premise is undeniably poignant—navigating the unthinkable loss of a spouse far too soon—but the execution left me wanting. For such a deeply personal story, I expected a level of introspection and depth that never quite materialized. At just one sitting’s worth of reading, it felt more like a fleeting glimpse than a meaningful dive.



carolreadabook

This is the only memoir I stand and defeat.

I love the way how Rob connects everything to music and I constantly see myself doing it. I loved to see how Rob's love for Ally grows because they genuine connection with music. 

I recommend this book if you like real stories-some sad, some cute, some lovely-but mainly if you love music.

Amelia 

This was the first non-fiction book I’ve ever read and let me tell you I was not disappointed. Thank you Harry Styles for the recommendation ;)

Rob Sheffield captured music beautifully. Music is in the background of our lives more than we know it. It makes us feel multiple emotions and helps us connect songs to memories. 

I adored all of the little playlists at the beginning of each chapters that connected with that time in his life. He could explain what each song meant to him and what memory it connected to. It also showed you the heartbreak that comes after losing the love of your life at such an early age. 

This book was emotional and life changing for me. Honestly a new favourite. If you love music, then you will love this.

Eine Geschichte von Liebe, Leid und lauter Musik

Love is a Mix Tape

Miha

Es geht um Popkultur, Musik, Liebe, Ehe, Tod, Trauer, was es bedeutet ein Ehemann zu sein und was passiert, wenn aus einem Ehemann ein Witwer wird.
Sheffield nutzt Mixtapes, um den Lesenden eine Phase aus seinem Leben zu erzählen. 
Schreibstil ist fantastisch und man hat das Gefühl, einen langen Kneipenabend mit einem Kumpel zu verbringen.

In a poignant memoir of love, loss, and music, a rock and pop culture critic shares the story of his romance and marriage to Renée, a young woman with whom he had little in common except for the music that brought them together, and Renée's tragic early death, all viewed from the perspective of the mix tapes that the couple had compiled. Reprint. 50,000 first printing.

Life and Loss, One Song at a Time

Lara

4.5/5

This is only the second memoir I’ve read–ever. And I immediately wanted to go find others to read, to look into the small window of life that authors are willing to share with an audience. Rob Sheffield’s writing was captivating, and my heart ached while reading about Renée, about him and Renée, about the connection they shared over music. She seems like an incredible person, someone you could get drunk off of and live your life in bliss just being around.

This was a really moving piece of writing. I hope to never forget reading it. Music plays such a massive role in our daily lives, and it really made me think about how important the songs I listen to could one day become to me– no longer focusing on the beat or lyrics, but rather the memories they leave behind.

Shameera Nair Lin

A beautifully written true story about coping with love, loss, and revelations through mixtapes. Extremely glad I picked this up randomly.

Victoria Bartlett

Julia Briganti

This book will have you longing to make mixtapes for someone you love. Music = the best love language

Fernando Andrade

Heartbreaking. Rob Sheffield perfectly describes the complex relationship that some of us have with music, in a way that most of us aren't able to. Wanna re-read right away.

“Not changing isn’t an option. And even though I’ve changed in so many ways—I’m a different person with a different life—the past is still with me every minute.”

A beautiful and heartbreaking look at how music shapes our lives and our loves.

Benjamin Harlow

“The happiest, saddest, sweetest book about rock ‘n’ roll that I’ve ever experienced.”—Chuck Klosterman Mix tapes: We all have our favorites. Stick one into a deck, press play, and you’re instantly transported to another time in your life. For Rob Sheffield, that time was one of miraculous love and unbearable grief. A time that spanned seven years, it started when he met the girl of his dreams, and ended when he watched her die in his arms. Using the listings of fifteen of his favorite mix tapes, Rob shows that the power of music to build a bridge between people is stronger than death. You’ll read these words, perhaps surprisingly, with joy in your heart and a song in your head—the one that comes to mind when you think of the love of your life. Praise for Love is a Mixtape “A memoir that manages, no small feat, to be funny and beautifully forlorn at the same time.”—The New York Times Book Review “Humorous, heartbreaking, and heroic.”—Entertainment Weekly “The finest lines ever written about rock ‘n’ roll . . . Like that song on the radio, every word of Rob’s book is true. Love is a mix tape.”—Rolling Stone “Many of us use pop culture as a mirror of our emotional lives, but Sheffield happily walks right through the looking glass.”—Los Angeles Times “Sheffield writes with such aching remembering, you feel like you are invading his privacy . . . and it’s the truth of those details that make this memoir so touching.”—Newsweek

Love Is a Mix Tape Life, Loss, And What I Listened to

Reviews

Highlights