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Pick It Up!
"It was an album, not some metaphor for how perpetually abandonable I was.”
Sailor Grimspoon’s life is stagnant—her commitment to music feels more like a rut, and everyone around her is moving on. Her drum students are dropping like flies, her best friend is moving across the country, and every “Drummer Wanted” ad on Craigslist is at least slightly sexist. But Sailor can’t leave Southern California because she’s constantly on call for her eccentric hippie mother, who is too flaky to clean out the lint trap or pay her bills on time.
Jake Rosenblatt, Sailor’s high school bandmate and ex-boyfriend, is unhappy with his office job, and his pushy girlfriend is pressing for a commitment he’s not ready to make. But when he’s ambushed at Thanksgiving dinner about her biological clock, Jake realizes it’s time to find his identity apart from his relationship.
Their holidays not going to plan, and desperate for the comfort of their favorite band’s holiday ska album, Sailor and Jake are devastated to discover it has disappeared from the Internet. After a chance encounter at the venue where they played their only show, they agree two brains are better than one and go on a hunt for the band.
Jake, determined to convince Sailor the magic of their ska past can live again, plans a reunion show. But to pull it off he’ll have to wrestle an aging ska star, avoid his angry ex, and prove to Sailor growing up doesn’t have to mean selling out. Scared to let herself fall for Jake again, Sailor must decide if chasing her dreams, musical and romantic, is worth the possibility of losing everything, again.
Sailor Grimspoon’s life is stagnant—her commitment to music feels more like a rut, and everyone around her is moving on. Her drum students are dropping like flies, her best friend is moving across the country, and every “Drummer Wanted” ad on Craigslist is at least slightly sexist. But Sailor can’t leave Southern California because she’s constantly on call for her eccentric hippie mother, who is too flaky to clean out the lint trap or pay her bills on time.
Jake Rosenblatt, Sailor’s high school bandmate and ex-boyfriend, is unhappy with his office job, and his pushy girlfriend is pressing for a commitment he’s not ready to make. But when he’s ambushed at Thanksgiving dinner about her biological clock, Jake realizes it’s time to find his identity apart from his relationship.
Their holidays not going to plan, and desperate for the comfort of their favorite band’s holiday ska album, Sailor and Jake are devastated to discover it has disappeared from the Internet. After a chance encounter at the venue where they played their only show, they agree two brains are better than one and go on a hunt for the band.
Jake, determined to convince Sailor the magic of their ska past can live again, plans a reunion show. But to pull it off he’ll have to wrestle an aging ska star, avoid his angry ex, and prove to Sailor growing up doesn’t have to mean selling out. Scared to let herself fall for Jake again, Sailor must decide if chasing her dreams, musical and romantic, is worth the possibility of losing everything, again.
218 pages, Paperback
Published October 29, 2024
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12 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
December 20, 2024
If you love an author who creates unique, authentic characters, then you should check out anything by Becca Spence Dobias. I first discovered her work in 2021 when she sent me a copy of her debut novel, On Home.
Her latest release, Pick It Up, is a refreshingly original read. The book centers on two former high school bandmates, Sailor and Jake, who were once in a ska band together. Their lives took separate paths after a massive breakup, and the band disbanded. Now older, they find themselves drawn back to each other as they pursue an elusive ska Christmas album that held deep significance for them but seems to have disappeared.
As I read this book, I had so many flashbacks to my high school days of listening to ska music. I didn’t even realize it was ska at the time—I’ve never been great at labeling things, especially music. But the summer of 2003 was filled with concerts and festivals where I enjoyed exactly this kind of sound.
But I digress. Sailor and Jake are such fun characters to follow. Sailor, who lives with her eccentric mother, is a self-conscious woman just trying to get by. She plays drums and spends most of her time teaching drumming lessons or picking up odd jobs. Jake, on the other hand, tried to follow the expected path: attending law school, landing a prestigious job, and getting engaged to a “normal” woman. However, as he begins to re-evaluate his life, he realizes this path isn’t what he truly wants. In the process of finding himself again, he reconnects with Sailor, and together, they rekindle what they once had.
What follows is an outrageous and entertaining adventure to track down that missing ska Christmas album. Their search leads them to an old band member who might have a copy, but there’s a catch: he’ll only hand it over if they help him land a gig so he can perform again.
Pick It Up is a fantastic story about embracing who you are and charting your own course in life. The blend of humor, nostalgia, and heartfelt moments makes it a truly enjoyable read. For me, it was also a delightful trip down memory lane. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves music, quirky characters, and second-chance stories.
Her latest release, Pick It Up, is a refreshingly original read. The book centers on two former high school bandmates, Sailor and Jake, who were once in a ska band together. Their lives took separate paths after a massive breakup, and the band disbanded. Now older, they find themselves drawn back to each other as they pursue an elusive ska Christmas album that held deep significance for them but seems to have disappeared.
As I read this book, I had so many flashbacks to my high school days of listening to ska music. I didn’t even realize it was ska at the time—I’ve never been great at labeling things, especially music. But the summer of 2003 was filled with concerts and festivals where I enjoyed exactly this kind of sound.
But I digress. Sailor and Jake are such fun characters to follow. Sailor, who lives with her eccentric mother, is a self-conscious woman just trying to get by. She plays drums and spends most of her time teaching drumming lessons or picking up odd jobs. Jake, on the other hand, tried to follow the expected path: attending law school, landing a prestigious job, and getting engaged to a “normal” woman. However, as he begins to re-evaluate his life, he realizes this path isn’t what he truly wants. In the process of finding himself again, he reconnects with Sailor, and together, they rekindle what they once had.
What follows is an outrageous and entertaining adventure to track down that missing ska Christmas album. Their search leads them to an old band member who might have a copy, but there’s a catch: he’ll only hand it over if they help him land a gig so he can perform again.
Pick It Up is a fantastic story about embracing who you are and charting your own course in life. The blend of humor, nostalgia, and heartfelt moments makes it a truly enjoyable read. For me, it was also a delightful trip down memory lane. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves music, quirky characters, and second-chance stories.
November 30, 2024
I picked up Pick It Up! because I’ve never read any fiction that incorporates a love of ska music into the story so I was very intrigued. I found it to be a quick, fun read with well-rounded characters and a story that moved along at the perfect pace. You don’t have to be a ska fan to enjoy Pick It Up! So pick it up!
December 1, 2024
4.5 stars rounded up. Pick it Up! is an absolute delight that made me giggle, swoon, and cry. It also reminded me that Big D and the Kids Table and Choking Victim exist and hooo boy it's been way too long since I listened to them!
As someone who came up in her local punk/ska scene and is highly nostalgic to a fault at times, Pick it Up! really spoke to me on a molecular level.
The two MCs went very different ways in life, but showed that it's possible to really meet in the middle. Jake got out of his hometown and is now working a white collar job he hates. Sailor stayed put and is struggling to make ends meet and stay true to who she is. This is a second chance romance and we get glimpses into what happened a decade prior. While they do get together early in the book, Jake and Sailor really put in the work to communicate and understand each other. They truly earn their HEA here. I loved the backdrop of trying to locate a beloved holiday ska album (called Happy Skalidays, of course!). It read like a really fun Hallmark movie while still dealing with some real themes of trying to grow up yet remain true to yourself. I loved Jake and Sailor's story, and really loved all of the fun side characters! I have to shout out Elgin here. I really hope every local punk/ska scene in the early 2000s had a goofy sweet old punk that had a seemingly limitless knowledge of music. My scene's Elgin was named Chris and he was the best.
As someone who came up in her local punk/ska scene and is highly nostalgic to a fault at times, Pick it Up! really spoke to me on a molecular level.
The two MCs went very different ways in life, but showed that it's possible to really meet in the middle. Jake got out of his hometown and is now working a white collar job he hates. Sailor stayed put and is struggling to make ends meet and stay true to who she is. This is a second chance romance and we get glimpses into what happened a decade prior. While they do get together early in the book, Jake and Sailor really put in the work to communicate and understand each other. They truly earn their HEA here. I loved the backdrop of trying to locate a beloved holiday ska album (called Happy Skalidays, of course!). It read like a really fun Hallmark movie while still dealing with some real themes of trying to grow up yet remain true to yourself. I loved Jake and Sailor's story, and really loved all of the fun side characters! I have to shout out Elgin here. I really hope every local punk/ska scene in the early 2000s had a goofy sweet old punk that had a seemingly limitless knowledge of music. My scene's Elgin was named Chris and he was the best.
November 23, 2024
“I had thought ska was dead, but it had just changed and grown.”
This book is fun and relatable, with feelings of nostalgia. The characters are fun and their growth as people is realistic. I adore the way that friendships are portrayed and the complexities of various relationships (partners, friends, family). Music has always been a lifeline for me and Becca really captured how music is that for a lot of people. If you love music, cheering on true love, and adorable dogs, this book is for you.
I’m not good at writing reviews, but I love to support indie authors and this book deserves a review!
This book is fun and relatable, with feelings of nostalgia. The characters are fun and their growth as people is realistic. I adore the way that friendships are portrayed and the complexities of various relationships (partners, friends, family). Music has always been a lifeline for me and Becca really captured how music is that for a lot of people. If you love music, cheering on true love, and adorable dogs, this book is for you.
I’m not good at writing reviews, but I love to support indie authors and this book deserves a review!
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews