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Don't Sleep With Your Drummer
At twenty-eight, Jenny Troanni has decided to become the rock goddess she was always meant to be. Items on her new to-do list 1) Quit going-somewhere copywriting job and get going-to-band-practice job. 2) Break up with Hootie and the Blowfish-lovin' boyfriend. 3) Hang out in skanky bars. Meet musicians. 4) Cash in pension and buy kickass guitar amp. 5) Team up with sex-crazed guitar genius/best friend Lucy Stover Hanover II. After auditioning every musician in the greater Los Angeles area---including the deluded, deranged, and underaged---Jenny finds the perfect lineup, and 60-Foot Queenie is born. But while reveling in free tequila shots, autograph hunters, and other perks of minor stardom, Jenny realizes with a shock that 60-Foot Queenie is poised to become even bigger than she imagined. Suddenly, she's learning the real lessons of Rock and Roll High School, including the danger of trusting a record company executive who ties a ponytail in his goatee, and the ten telltale signs your bass player is living in your practice space. Part diary, part crash course in rock stardom, Don't Sleep with Your Drummer is a hilarious, no-holds-barred guide through the pleasures and pitfalls of the music industry---from the beginning to the bitter end, and back again.
374 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 30, 2002
13 people are currently reading
1044 people want to read
About the author
Jen Sincero
167 books3,750 followersJen Sincero is a #1 New York Times Bestselling author, speaker and success coach who has helped countless people transform their personal and professional lives via her public appearances, private sessions, coaching seminars and, most recently, her latest #1 NY Times Bestselling book, "You Are a Badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life".
She’s spoken on stages all over the world and has coached full-on super heroes, helping them build their dream businesses, become NY Times Bestselling authors, navigate million dollar business deals, find their soul mates and forgive their bitchy mothers who they now realize were just doing the best they could.
Before becoming a coach, Jen played in several rock bands and eventually wrote her first book, a semi-autobiographical novel called, "Don’t Sleep With Your Drummer." When her plans to become a world-famous rockstar didn’t pan out, she decided to try being a lesbian instead, didn’t pull that off either, and wrote her second book, the National Bestseller, "The Straight Girl’s Guide to Sleeping With Chicks." Jen currently lives in New Mexico, and can be found on the web at JenSincero.Com.
She’s spoken on stages all over the world and has coached full-on super heroes, helping them build their dream businesses, become NY Times Bestselling authors, navigate million dollar business deals, find their soul mates and forgive their bitchy mothers who they now realize were just doing the best they could.
Before becoming a coach, Jen played in several rock bands and eventually wrote her first book, a semi-autobiographical novel called, "Don’t Sleep With Your Drummer." When her plans to become a world-famous rockstar didn’t pan out, she decided to try being a lesbian instead, didn’t pull that off either, and wrote her second book, the National Bestseller, "The Straight Girl’s Guide to Sleeping With Chicks." Jen currently lives in New Mexico, and can be found on the web at JenSincero.Com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews
October 7, 2011
I really wanted to love it, but couldn't
When I bought the book I thought I was going to read a fiction work about a girl who wanted to be a rockstar. Instead I ended up with a diary of a 28 years old who thinks, acts, and writes like a 13 years old.
When I bought the book I thought I was going to read a fiction work about a girl who wanted to be a rockstar. Instead I ended up with a diary of a 28 years old who thinks, acts, and writes like a 13 years old.
July 27, 2012
This book is laugh-out-loud hilarious! That is all you need to know about this debut novel by Jen Sincero. Anyone who has spent their life and time in the music industry, no matter how big or small, can really relate to this story. The good thing is, even if you know nothing about the latest in the music scene, you will still surely love how the author relates this novel to the ups and downs of the music and recording world.
Written as a journal with additional 'notes to self', Don't Sleep With Your Drummer's main character is an almost thirty-year-old punk rock chick named Jenny Troanni. Witness as we follow her path to stardom, from quitting her job in hopes of becoming a rock star up to her frustrations in finding others who share the same dreams and ideas.
Despite being a book about becoming a rock star, it is very relatable. The characters were very well-developed and the writing style of the author made it a fun and modern read. Another good point is that even if you have only a little knowledge about rock music, most of the time you'll find yourself comparing aspects of Jenny's life and memories to your own.
All in all, Don't Sleep With Your Drummer is funny, intelligent and a true adventure. It also provides a great satirical look in the music industry. I would definitely recommend this book not just to anyone who loves music, but also to those who ever wished of being a rock star, of having a rock band or trying to start a band, and for those who are new to rock-and-roll lifestyle.
Rock on! \m/
Written as a journal with additional 'notes to self', Don't Sleep With Your Drummer's main character is an almost thirty-year-old punk rock chick named Jenny Troanni. Witness as we follow her path to stardom, from quitting her job in hopes of becoming a rock star up to her frustrations in finding others who share the same dreams and ideas.
Despite being a book about becoming a rock star, it is very relatable. The characters were very well-developed and the writing style of the author made it a fun and modern read. Another good point is that even if you have only a little knowledge about rock music, most of the time you'll find yourself comparing aspects of Jenny's life and memories to your own.
All in all, Don't Sleep With Your Drummer is funny, intelligent and a true adventure. It also provides a great satirical look in the music industry. I would definitely recommend this book not just to anyone who loves music, but also to those who ever wished of being a rock star, of having a rock band or trying to start a band, and for those who are new to rock-and-roll lifestyle.
Rock on! \m/
January 2, 2011
The tone is amusing, and the story moves along. But the formatting was really annoying. I want to feel like I'm reading a novel, not an owner's manual. The ending seemed abrupt.
August 22, 2009
Would give this zero stars if I could. Awful.
August 23, 2022
Greetings and hello!
I am an interstellar talent scout of the Castor Moving
Group Network. You may call me Glorbalorbl. My
home is in the Zubenelgenubi system, a multi-star
neighborhood which lies conveniently close to your
home system's ecliptic plane. As a result of this
geometric convenience, us Zubenelgenubians have
long been capable of analyzing your home planet
using techniques like the TTV method familiar to
you, and we are even fully capable of direct
spectroscopic analysis of your atmosphere, but even
if we were limited to your primitive methods, or
limited to one star system, we would still have
known about your biosphere since long before your
particular species showed up on the scene, because
we are a much older civilization that has migrated
into the area from elsewhere in the galaxy.
We have occasionally glanced your way in curiosity
since before the first campfires began dotting the
dark side of your planet. Upon observing your
behaviors as you developed your unique identity
among the lifeforms of your world, we quickly knew
that you showed a lot of promise, but also
possessed many problematic qualities. As for these
troublesome characteristics, you seemed apparently
unable or unwilling to recognize and remedy them in
as timely of a manner as we have come to expect
from most species that we consider to be developing
toward true intelligence.
We have long wanted to give you the benefit of the
doubt, noting that your home planet is as dynamic
as it is beautiful. The challenges faced by the
evolution of life on your world presented you with
many harsh realities and many long threads of
intergenerational trauma. We get it, you grew up in a
tough neighborhood. You did not have the benefit of
growing up slowly on a fully-stable paradise planet
orbiting neatly in a flare-free band of space around a
fully-convective star with an extremely long main-
sequence lifespan, like my species originally did... or,
in fact, like most of the intelligent species in the
galaxy did.
Nonetheless, it was frustrating enough watching the
constant setbacks that resulted from your
stubbornly persistent myopia that we decided to
stop paying much attention to what was going on
over here. The last time anyone in our network took a
serious peek must have been a few hundred Earth
orbits ago. Upon reflection, I must say this appears
to have been a significant oversight on our behalf,
as you have experienced a surprising amount of
change in that time interval.
During a normal shift break on a routine research
mission through the local void, my colleagues and I
were recreationally surfing the plasma veil on the
edge of your Sun's magnetic field when we
happened upon a small craft of yours containing
some cute cartoons and a record that appears to be
titled "THE SOUNDS OF EARTH THE UNITED STATES
OF AMERICA PLANET EARTH" - as lovers of music
and recording arts ourselves, we immediately threw
that shit onto the decks and put the needle down.
While the sound was a little bit primitive and mostly
contained what seemed to our sensibilities like under
-produced source material captured from a single
linear timeline, we had to admit it had some pretty
good tracks on it. Even Greglorbalor the Horrible was
delightedly clapping his digits at times.
As the resident talent scout on our mission, it was
incumbent upon me to reach out to you. Our team
quickly analyzed the current state of your common
languages and colloquialisms, as well as the state
of your science. Using that information I was able to
write you this message, and even select a few
anthems of my alien nation to share with you, which
I hope you will enjoy. My home system, after all, is
renowned for pumping out the phattest beats in the
Orion Arm.
Now, to get more serious. Some of the things I say
may feel to you like harsh criticisms, but I want you
to keep in mind that if I didn't see potential in you, I
would not bother to send you this message. With
that in mind, there are some things I would like you
to consider. In order to apply for galactic citizenship
and be liberated from your current state of
quarantined containment, you are going to need to
meet the following requirements:
1) You must cease your habitual engagement in
avoidable conflict. This includes conflict within your
own species as well as conflict between your
civilization and its environment. Amongst nearly all
enlightened interstellar civilizations, this is the
primary measure by which the relative intelligence of
a life form is established. Any civilization with a
tendency toward violence, duplicity, sabotage, and ill
-will is simply not considered mature enough to
populate beyond their native star system. As long as
you avoid making the breathtakingly obvious
decision to work in harmony with the world you are a
part of, then I must woefully inform you that you and
your music will not be welcome at any of our public
parks, or on any of our relativistic highways, or in
any of our universally-acclaimed utopian garden-
metropolis sanctuaries, or at any of our Galactic
Music Awards ceremonies.
2) You must eliminate poverty. Mismanagement of
resources is generally considered a bad sign when
analyzing the inhabitants of any world. By our
standards, as long as any one member of your
civilization is involuntarily unable to meet their basic
needs, including access to food, shelter, information,
and care, the title of "intelligent" will continue to
elude your species.
3) You must transmit a new collection of your best
music in the direction of my home system, the star
system you know as Alpha Librae, from between the
longitude you call 100°W and 110°W, at the time you
call 12:08 AM, on the date you call June 21, 2038. I
repeat: new mixtape, right ascension 14h 52m 07.6s,
declination 16°08'06.0", at the moment of the
solstice closest to your aphelion, sixteen orbits from
the time of this message, and from the part of your
planet facing most directly away from your Sun at
the time. This isn't an intelligence test like the other
two items I have listed, I simply want a more up-to-
date demo from you. We will have a
receiver/transmitter in position to then distribute
your message rapidly to the Zubenelgenubi system
and, from there, to my colleagues in the Castor
Moving Group Network.
To put it lightly, a good demo is a great first step
toward building your rapport with the rest of us, and
would make your application for galactic citizenship
much more likely to be approved. If your demo is
good, and you've met the other two requirements I
mentioned, then we might be able to finally invite
you to the party. If your application is indeed
approved, you will then have access to the collective
knowledge of the various networks tangling their
way around the Milky Way. That includes an
abundance of helpful information about travel,
communication, computation, longevity, and
spacetime itself, to name a few points of interest.
Good luck, Earth People.
Kindest regards,
Glorbalorblorlbrrgkjegrlkust6;l9[-t67/0
I am an interstellar talent scout of the Castor Moving
Group Network. You may call me Glorbalorbl. My
home is in the Zubenelgenubi system, a multi-star
neighborhood which lies conveniently close to your
home system's ecliptic plane. As a result of this
geometric convenience, us Zubenelgenubians have
long been capable of analyzing your home planet
using techniques like the TTV method familiar to
you, and we are even fully capable of direct
spectroscopic analysis of your atmosphere, but even
if we were limited to your primitive methods, or
limited to one star system, we would still have
known about your biosphere since long before your
particular species showed up on the scene, because
we are a much older civilization that has migrated
into the area from elsewhere in the galaxy.
We have occasionally glanced your way in curiosity
since before the first campfires began dotting the
dark side of your planet. Upon observing your
behaviors as you developed your unique identity
among the lifeforms of your world, we quickly knew
that you showed a lot of promise, but also
possessed many problematic qualities. As for these
troublesome characteristics, you seemed apparently
unable or unwilling to recognize and remedy them in
as timely of a manner as we have come to expect
from most species that we consider to be developing
toward true intelligence.
We have long wanted to give you the benefit of the
doubt, noting that your home planet is as dynamic
as it is beautiful. The challenges faced by the
evolution of life on your world presented you with
many harsh realities and many long threads of
intergenerational trauma. We get it, you grew up in a
tough neighborhood. You did not have the benefit of
growing up slowly on a fully-stable paradise planet
orbiting neatly in a flare-free band of space around a
fully-convective star with an extremely long main-
sequence lifespan, like my species originally did... or,
in fact, like most of the intelligent species in the
galaxy did.
Nonetheless, it was frustrating enough watching the
constant setbacks that resulted from your
stubbornly persistent myopia that we decided to
stop paying much attention to what was going on
over here. The last time anyone in our network took a
serious peek must have been a few hundred Earth
orbits ago. Upon reflection, I must say this appears
to have been a significant oversight on our behalf,
as you have experienced a surprising amount of
change in that time interval.
During a normal shift break on a routine research
mission through the local void, my colleagues and I
were recreationally surfing the plasma veil on the
edge of your Sun's magnetic field when we
happened upon a small craft of yours containing
some cute cartoons and a record that appears to be
titled "THE SOUNDS OF EARTH THE UNITED STATES
OF AMERICA PLANET EARTH" - as lovers of music
and recording arts ourselves, we immediately threw
that shit onto the decks and put the needle down.
While the sound was a little bit primitive and mostly
contained what seemed to our sensibilities like under
-produced source material captured from a single
linear timeline, we had to admit it had some pretty
good tracks on it. Even Greglorbalor the Horrible was
delightedly clapping his digits at times.
As the resident talent scout on our mission, it was
incumbent upon me to reach out to you. Our team
quickly analyzed the current state of your common
languages and colloquialisms, as well as the state
of your science. Using that information I was able to
write you this message, and even select a few
anthems of my alien nation to share with you, which
I hope you will enjoy. My home system, after all, is
renowned for pumping out the phattest beats in the
Orion Arm.
Now, to get more serious. Some of the things I say
may feel to you like harsh criticisms, but I want you
to keep in mind that if I didn't see potential in you, I
would not bother to send you this message. With
that in mind, there are some things I would like you
to consider. In order to apply for galactic citizenship
and be liberated from your current state of
quarantined containment, you are going to need to
meet the following requirements:
1) You must cease your habitual engagement in
avoidable conflict. This includes conflict within your
own species as well as conflict between your
civilization and its environment. Amongst nearly all
enlightened interstellar civilizations, this is the
primary measure by which the relative intelligence of
a life form is established. Any civilization with a
tendency toward violence, duplicity, sabotage, and ill
-will is simply not considered mature enough to
populate beyond their native star system. As long as
you avoid making the breathtakingly obvious
decision to work in harmony with the world you are a
part of, then I must woefully inform you that you and
your music will not be welcome at any of our public
parks, or on any of our relativistic highways, or in
any of our universally-acclaimed utopian garden-
metropolis sanctuaries, or at any of our Galactic
Music Awards ceremonies.
2) You must eliminate poverty. Mismanagement of
resources is generally considered a bad sign when
analyzing the inhabitants of any world. By our
standards, as long as any one member of your
civilization is involuntarily unable to meet their basic
needs, including access to food, shelter, information,
and care, the title of "intelligent" will continue to
elude your species.
3) You must transmit a new collection of your best
music in the direction of my home system, the star
system you know as Alpha Librae, from between the
longitude you call 100°W and 110°W, at the time you
call 12:08 AM, on the date you call June 21, 2038. I
repeat: new mixtape, right ascension 14h 52m 07.6s,
declination 16°08'06.0", at the moment of the
solstice closest to your aphelion, sixteen orbits from
the time of this message, and from the part of your
planet facing most directly away from your Sun at
the time. This isn't an intelligence test like the other
two items I have listed, I simply want a more up-to-
date demo from you. We will have a
receiver/transmitter in position to then distribute
your message rapidly to the Zubenelgenubi system
and, from there, to my colleagues in the Castor
Moving Group Network.
To put it lightly, a good demo is a great first step
toward building your rapport with the rest of us, and
would make your application for galactic citizenship
much more likely to be approved. If your demo is
good, and you've met the other two requirements I
mentioned, then we might be able to finally invite
you to the party. If your application is indeed
approved, you will then have access to the collective
knowledge of the various networks tangling their
way around the Milky Way. That includes an
abundance of helpful information about travel,
communication, computation, longevity, and
spacetime itself, to name a few points of interest.
Good luck, Earth People.
Kindest regards,
Glorbalorblorlbrrgkjegrlkust6;l9[-t67/0
September 22, 2009
This book was way better than I thought it was going to be. It was one of those: "I have low expectations for you, prove me wrong Sincero!" At first, the journal entry format put me off- thinking "I'm never going to be able to get anything out of this" but within fifteen pages, I was laughing and identifying with the ease and flow of the format. It was truly like reading someone's journal and discovering things along with them.
The narrator is obnoxious, but in a sincere yet innocent way. She is trying to piece her life together after being dragged down by "the man" for twenty-eight, nearing twenty-nine years. She finally decides "That's enough!" and quits her numerous suit-stuffed jobs and starts her band.
It is very inspiring to watch someone as "old" (cuz 29 isn't OLD, per se, but it is a little LATE to get started in the game) as she is grab hold of her dream and say "I'm not letting go! Even if it kills me!" Too many times I've seen the mundane life take hold of my friends with those admirable dreams, and smother the crap out of them. Too many times I've seen the amazing and gifted and fearless person get washed up and taken down by so-called "life". We are here ONCE- make of it what you can.
By the end of the book, I was definitely cheering her on- and though she made some stupid mistakes (who DOESN'T?) they made for a very funny, breakthrough backdrop to her life.
It was a very enjoyable read. I am hoping Sincero's next will be too.
The narrator is obnoxious, but in a sincere yet innocent way. She is trying to piece her life together after being dragged down by "the man" for twenty-eight, nearing twenty-nine years. She finally decides "That's enough!" and quits her numerous suit-stuffed jobs and starts her band.
It is very inspiring to watch someone as "old" (cuz 29 isn't OLD, per se, but it is a little LATE to get started in the game) as she is grab hold of her dream and say "I'm not letting go! Even if it kills me!" Too many times I've seen the mundane life take hold of my friends with those admirable dreams, and smother the crap out of them. Too many times I've seen the amazing and gifted and fearless person get washed up and taken down by so-called "life". We are here ONCE- make of it what you can.
By the end of the book, I was definitely cheering her on- and though she made some stupid mistakes (who DOESN'T?) they made for a very funny, breakthrough backdrop to her life.
It was a very enjoyable read. I am hoping Sincero's next will be too.
March 26, 2012
This was one of the best books I've read in a long time. Jenny left her job in advertising, that she hated, to start a rock band. In the process, she makes some good decisions, makes some bad ones, makes some friends, loses some friends, and finds herself. The characters in this book were very well developed and realistic. I liked most of them, especially Jenny. The ones I hated, I really hated. Although the book is definitely set in an urban setting with a lot of bar/club scenes and drinking, Sincero manages not to make the partying the focus of the book. The focus is how difficult it is to keep your mind on business in the midst of all the distraction. Jen learns through the whole process of becoming a rock star - she learns who her real friends are, how to stand up for herself,and how to hang on to her self esteem. You sort of know how this story will end, yet you can't help hoping for something different. This is the second book I've read that was published by MTV, and I liked the other one as well.
May 1, 2018
This was great. Really engrossing and I found it very hard to put down. The characters are likeable and believable and you so want everything to go right for them!
Jenny quits her job that she hates to start the band that she has always wanted to start.
It is a wonderful whirlwind of rock and roll. A fast paced and energetic read that I would recommend to everyone.
Grace
Jenny quits her job that she hates to start the band that she has always wanted to start.
It is a wonderful whirlwind of rock and roll. A fast paced and energetic read that I would recommend to everyone.
Grace
July 31, 2009
An o.k. book. It had it moments but drags a lot around the middle of the book and the kinda picks up again at the end of the book. Good message about not giving up on your dreams but the fact that there's not much to the plot drags the book down.
February 17, 2011
Unfinished. I quit on page 90. My fault. I put it down last year and never picked it up again. I lost any motivation to finish it. I know, I know I would probably like it if I finished! But I'm losing my patience with books these days. If they aren't phenomenal, I get bored easily.
August 3, 2011
Not really what I was expecting, I somehow thought that was supposed to be a non-fiction account...
September 1, 2014
This book had a pointless story line which made it hard to get through. Would not recommend.
May 12, 2020
I enjoyed this novella written in a format of journal entries. Author's bio said that this was a semi-autobiographical novel. Ms Sincero's most famous & successful books are the You Are a Badass self-help series. Her first novel is a coming of age tale for adults pursuing their passion project in their late 20s, early 30s. The compelling plot tells of a 29 yr-old woman who leaves her well-paying job to pursue her lifelong dream of rock stardom. The writing is very uneven & dragged in the beginning. The author needed & deserved a much better editor. In spite of all the typos & poor editing, the narrator's humor, steely resolve and persistence shine through. I'm always up for a kickass feminist empowerment story like this one. So 4 stars for the heart, humor, empowerment of the novel but 1 star for the terrible editing & run-on dialog = rounded to 2 stars.
May 6, 2019
Made it to page 28 before deciding to chuck this...the main character was so irritating and trite and the only reason I would have kept going was simply for hate reading...there are better books to seek out.
January 8, 2019
read this in college - cannot remember much about it, just wanted to document that I did read it and was not thrilled with it enough to recommend it.
January 4, 2021
This book is hilarious and full of so many truths about the music biz and relationships that come out of it.
July 4, 2021
This might be one of the worst books I ever read. An absolute cringe fest. Straight to the trash you go.
July 17, 2022
I read this book so many times from 7th-12th grade
October 25, 2022
Crazy world of rock music and many oddball characters told in a voice of a woman who tries desperately to be a success by holding everything together before it all explodes. Enjoyable and humorous
September 22, 2025
This was- hands down- one of the funniest and best novels I've read in my entire life.
September 8, 2011
Hey, don't judge me! Natasha made me read it! :) And what do you know about me and drummers, N? Feeling a little paranoid here. :P After 2 short-lived attempts at this book (and subsequent irritation and boredom) I've finally gotten into this one... now I'm actually hooked. Not really something that would normally appeal to me, but I couldn't sleep at 4 a.m., and my brain was driving me crazy, and I just couldn't stand to read anything more about healing my problems or finding my life's calling. I guess the stars weren't aligned for this previously, but I'm actually feeling it now and even finding some notable quotes, like: "Note to self: Flowers grow in sand. You can do anything." :) Granted, the author comes off as completely shallow -- breaking up with her boyfriend b/c he likes Hootie and the Blowfish and talking about her "rock and roll cred" in relation to what kind of car she drives. And this, friends, is why I now [try to] stay away from typical musician douches. But hey, they're just people, too... maybe reading this will help me lighten up on my "poser" judgment.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I can't believe how much I liked this book! (Just had to get past page 20 and then I got into it.) Now I'm sad it's finished... I want to keep reading! Might be kinda silly to put this in the 4* category, seeing what my other 4* books are... more of a 3.5*, I suppose. But for what it IS, and what it's trying to be, it deserves highest honors. Turns out this shallow chick is actually pretty funny and has some really interesting insights. And I only realized half-way through that this is one of those LIST books that I didn't know existed. HA! It sounds boring, but I love lists! But most of her "lists" are actually spread throughout the book, giving only one entry at a time, e.g. her "Note to self" entries, the "Rock-and-Roll Truth #_," the "Sex Truth #_," and the "Brilliant Observation #_." And then there are the full lists like "Five ways to kick your drummer out of the band when he refuses to leave," and "A few things to keep in mind when having sex in the front seat of a truck." And then you've got her screenplay-style dialogues, which sometimes include characters like "My brain," "My libido," and "The prince of darkness." Yeah, not to mention that reading this gave me the illusion of having a life for a brief time... good for my brain state, I have to admit. Could I be lame enough to seek out another "MTV Book" to read? Maybe I will just check out the author's blog for more escapism. Thanks, Natasha! :P
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I can't believe how much I liked this book! (Just had to get past page 20 and then I got into it.) Now I'm sad it's finished... I want to keep reading! Might be kinda silly to put this in the 4* category, seeing what my other 4* books are... more of a 3.5*, I suppose. But for what it IS, and what it's trying to be, it deserves highest honors. Turns out this shallow chick is actually pretty funny and has some really interesting insights. And I only realized half-way through that this is one of those LIST books that I didn't know existed. HA! It sounds boring, but I love lists! But most of her "lists" are actually spread throughout the book, giving only one entry at a time, e.g. her "Note to self" entries, the "Rock-and-Roll Truth #_," the "Sex Truth #_," and the "Brilliant Observation #_." And then there are the full lists like "Five ways to kick your drummer out of the band when he refuses to leave," and "A few things to keep in mind when having sex in the front seat of a truck." And then you've got her screenplay-style dialogues, which sometimes include characters like "My brain," "My libido," and "The prince of darkness." Yeah, not to mention that reading this gave me the illusion of having a life for a brief time... good for my brain state, I have to admit. Could I be lame enough to seek out another "MTV Book" to read? Maybe I will just check out the author's blog for more escapism. Thanks, Natasha! :P
June 9, 2010
So here's the thing with this book. It's a fun read; really light, written in a journal style with little quirky facts, statements, and lists thrown in for flair. I think technically it's even listed as a YA book, which I find that I usually enjoy reading, and this was no exception. I fear that I just had slightly higher expectations, which is why the fifth star isn't rearing its head. See, I thought this book would be perfect for me in my life at the moment: much as the protagonist quit her job in order to finally pursue her dream of starting an amazing rock band at the age of 29, I am in a pretty amazing rock band and have been recently relieved of my employment, which has afforded me time to focus on trying to make things as fantastic as possible while reaping the benefits of our unemployment system. Being a long, long time veteran of local music scenes, however, I just had trouble with the "bullet train to stardom" timeline of the book. Yes, I realize that is the embittered barroom musician side of me. Still, I really enjoyed the way that Sincero captured what it really does in fact feel like to be in a band with some potential - the control freak ways of folks who spearhead bands, the tedious yet awesome fun of being in a recording studio, and the thrill of being onstage.
All in all, I say take it for what it is worth and just enjoy the hell out of it. It's a fun, quick read that you can pick up and put down at your leisure, and you should hopefully get sucked in as a reader to the whole plight of a band trying to make their way from nothingness to superstardom.
All in all, I say take it for what it is worth and just enjoy the hell out of it. It's a fun, quick read that you can pick up and put down at your leisure, and you should hopefully get sucked in as a reader to the whole plight of a band trying to make their way from nothingness to superstardom.
July 19, 2010
Excellent book. This author is hilarious! Story of a witty, intelligent young woman who decides to leave her safe-but-soul-sucking corporate job to pursue her lifelong dream of being in a rock band. In the format of a diary, she hilariously describes her crazy experiences finding bandmates, practice space, gigs, recording studios and dealing with record labels. We follow the "I can see this train wreck coming" journey and ups & downs of working with your best friend, trying to navigate rock-n-roll romantic relationships. We fully feel the range of emotions resulting from a passion for one's dreams, pep talks during periods of self-doubt, and standing up to friends and family who think she's nuts for giving up her day job.
A vicarious journey of becoming a Rock Star. You feel like you are right there with her. Truly an entertaining read for anyone who is a fan of rock-n-roll, but also a good "follow your dreams" and coming of age story. Good, light, entertaining beach read. Don't look for much depth, but pure entertainment. Rock on, dudes.
A vicarious journey of becoming a Rock Star. You feel like you are right there with her. Truly an entertaining read for anyone who is a fan of rock-n-roll, but also a good "follow your dreams" and coming of age story. Good, light, entertaining beach read. Don't look for much depth, but pure entertainment. Rock on, dudes.
July 25, 2012
This book was borrowed to me by a friend and it isn't necessarily one that I'd pick up on my own. I also need to mention that I didn't get into it until I was 3/4 of the way done. I don't know. Some writers can pull you in and some can't. But I wanted to finish the book because Kelli said it was good and I didn't want to let her down. And I'm glad I did. This is basically about a woman going through a quarter life crisis (in her 30's) after she gets fired from her job. She realizes what she really wants to do is be in a band and has basically no support. Well she starts a band and they play gigs, are actually really good, get signed and then it all falls apart. But then it kind of comes together again towards the end. But I think it's a great book for 20somethings because it just reaffirms what we all feel towards the end of our 20's- uncertainty and fear.
August 1, 2009
Very enjoyable read! I got a little annoyed at the main character for awhile, which turned towards annoyance at the book until I realized I was supposed to be feeling that way.
At times, reading this book made me feel similar to how I felt reading 'Eat, Pray, Love' because you either (a) want the narrator to be your best friend; or (b) convince yourself that, on a really good day, you are actually as witty and smart as the narrator. You've got to have some sort of interest in rock and roll, or LA, or the late '90s at the very least, to really enjoy this book. For me, it was the aspiring musician aspect that hooked me, and I had a great time zipping through this!
At times, reading this book made me feel similar to how I felt reading 'Eat, Pray, Love' because you either (a) want the narrator to be your best friend; or (b) convince yourself that, on a really good day, you are actually as witty and smart as the narrator. You've got to have some sort of interest in rock and roll, or LA, or the late '90s at the very least, to really enjoy this book. For me, it was the aspiring musician aspect that hooked me, and I had a great time zipping through this!
February 4, 2012
I had a difficult time starting this book. I tried 6 months ago and put it down. I tried 3 months ago and put it down. This week I forced myself to read past the first 150 pages and it took. Not sure what my damage was (I think it had something to do with the mother-daughter relationship), but I was very wrong. It's a fantastic tale of rock and roll, secret sex with a drummer, and not so many drugs but lots of lasagna.
Also, you know this was a recommendation that came via Amazon because of my deep, abiding love for Tiffanie DeBartolo. I never pay attention to those recommendations, but, after finding this gem, I think I might now.
Anyway, if you find yourself with this little gem, read it. You will not regret it.
Also, you know this was a recommendation that came via Amazon because of my deep, abiding love for Tiffanie DeBartolo. I never pay attention to those recommendations, but, after finding this gem, I think I might now.
Anyway, if you find yourself with this little gem, read it. You will not regret it.
April 5, 2009
This book was okay. I was really looking forward to it, but it fell a little flat. The escapades and inner thoughts of the main character, Jenny, were very funny as she tried to start and keep a band going. Some parts of the book shows that it was written a little while ago (i.e. people had pagers), which somehow bothered me a little bit, because the rest of the story felt current.
I can't put my finger on what didn't make me love this book. Maybe I had wanted it to be more visually descriptive or draw me in more or care about the characters a little more.
Not bad, but I wouldn't read it again (I'm a chronic re-reader).
I can't put my finger on what didn't make me love this book. Maybe I had wanted it to be more visually descriptive or draw me in more or care about the characters a little more.
Not bad, but I wouldn't read it again (I'm a chronic re-reader).
September 6, 2012
This was beyond anything I've ever read before. Content related, Five Flavors of Dumb was similar, but the format was weird. Mostly journal format, but a different form; that's the main thing. I adjusted well and thoroughly enjoyed this quirky book full of music industry insight and one woman's determination for a better life, no matter how many ups and downs it takes.
July 27, 2008
I was a little slow to warm up to the protagonist but thanks to a long airport layover I got into the book and found it entertaining. I felt like the music business was portrayed in a slightly dated fashion, but since the writer was in a band she knows more about it than me. Good weekend/beach/train ride/airport layover kind of reading.
July 27, 2008
a new twist on 'how to grow a band and ruin it', this book follows a character who lacks direction and self-discipline, only to throw a band together and ride it to stardom. intricately self-aware, this is a book you read when you need a break from more complicated texts, say 19th century russian writers.
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