Cool for Cats

by Jessica Adams

It's 1979 and Linda Tyler is an assistant cook, engaged to a bank clerk in a sleepy town called Withingdean, when she answers an ad in a music paper. Suddenly, she gets the job that everyone else in England wants.
Within weeks, her life changes beyond recognition. She finds herself in London, working as a journalist on NWW, a punk and new wave music magazine. Free records by Blondie, Squeeze and The Clash land on her desk, and her name is permanently on the guest list.
Before the year is out she will be propositioned by four members of staff (including the work experience boy) and meet some rising stars (and occasionally spill Knickerbocker Glory on them). Along the way, though, Linda Tyler will also discover who and what she loves most—and make the most important decision of her life.

Genres: Chick Lit, Fiction

Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

Jessica Adams is an astrologer and author. Her books include 2020 Vision, Handbag Horoscopes and Astrolove (Penguin) and Essential Astrology for Women (HarperCollins). Her recent book 2020 Astrology: Your Five-Year Horoscope Guide, was a #1 Amazon bestseller in America and Australia. Jessica has worked as a team editor on the Girls' Night In and Kids' Night in series, for Penguin and HarperCollins, with contributors including J.K.Rowling, Stella McCartney and Nick Hornby. She is the Editor of The Holiday Goddess Guide to Paris, London, New York and Rome (HarperCollins). Jessica lives in Australia and her astrology has appeared everywhere from VOGUE (Japan) to GQ (Great Britain). Her latest book is Your Birthday (Hachette/Running Press) with Rachel Wells. She is the astrological consultant on The Aries Billionaire by Rachel Wells (Audible UK).

Reviews

[Lemonworld · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let me confess something: I've read this book so many times my copy is practically falling apart, and I'd still pick it up tomorrow if I needed a trip down musical memory lane.

Linda's journey from girlfriend-of-David to music journalist living her best life in 1979 London is basically every music lover's daydream. Getting hired because you can write passionately about ten songs that changed your life? Getting free albums and concert tickets? Living in a rathole flat but feeling like royalty because you're in the thick of the music scene? Sign me up for this fantasy!

Adams resurrects the late 70s London music scene with such vivid detail that you can practically smell the cigarette smoke and hear the feedback from badly tuned guitars. The way she captures the early punk energy, the DIY aesthetic, the beautiful chaos of a music scene in constant motion—it's intoxicating. I've discovered more bands through throwaway references in this book than music magazines.

This book is packed with the kind of ridiculous moments that make life interesting. The magazine office chaos, the pretentious music journalists, the bizarre interview situations, Linda's attempts to navigate London's music venues while maintaining some semblance of professionalism—it's all wonderfully, authentically absurd.

Has this book won any Literary Prizes? Absolutely not. Does it matter? Absolutely not. Jessica Adams has created something special here—a novel that reminds you why you fell in love with music in the first place.

[Laura Collins · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easy read. Linda is a very likeable character - at least to me. I could relate to get a lot. The music/bands are brilliant but it lost a star from me for trying to put every post punk band ever in 1979. Altered Images for example didn't release their first single until 1981. I don't think it would have a changed the story much to have it over a couple of years - maybe 1979 until 1980. It also made me feel sad for the loss of the music press as I was an avid reader of the NME, Melody Maker and Select in the 90s.

[Ainsley · Rating 4 out of 5]

An entertaining read which, from a music perspective, felt a little like a trip down memory lane.
Quirky characters, dysfunctional work setting, coming of age relationships - there is lots to like here.

[Tiina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This really was a bit like a female "High Fidelity," and perhaps even a bit more entertaining than that.

[Mark Haberfield · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another book from the charity shelves at the hospital by an author I had never heard of that caught my eye because the title was a song title and the reviews quoted by respected sources such as Times and Telegraph said it was good. It was indeed a gripping tale of an overawed girl joining a somewhat dysfunctional music publication team in 1979 and her exposure to a lot of good music and musicians. I thoroughly enjoyed it, the mixture of excitement at being part of the scene with counterpoint of a very dysfunctional working environment and grim accommodation. I do like books with settings I can relate to woven into factual fabric (in this case the bands and the music) that makes it feel real or at least credible whilst being entertaining and at times quite amusing. Good easy read!

[Mariola Szymanowska · Rating 4 out of 5]

We were with my boyfriend in a second hand bookshop, he picked this one and gave it to me saying here is some chicklit for you. He knows I like chicklit, he saw me buying L. Weisberger's book recently.

And I must admit he has made a good pick. This book is a lot about personal choices and most of it is about music and fashion and liberty. Reading this I have regretted I have never been a punk ;-(. Then I went on youtube to check Linda's selection of 10 song that changed her life.

My book has another copy of last 50 pages in the middle.
Greetings to my boyfriend, who got me into this reading adventure.

[Kirsty (alkalinekiwi) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this mid February but forgot to update Good Reads with the details.

I bought this book during one of my TradeMe shopping sprees where I looked up fiction books with the keyword of music. Then like many other books it was left on the shelf until I rescued it one afternoon when I wanted some light reading.

The music references were fun and there were parts that made me giggle out loud. The main character's rock journalism reminded me of when I was 16 and longed to work for Kerrang! or Blunt or Rip It Up (all music magazines). And I'm imagining 16 year old me reading this book and pestering present me for not being involved in the music scene anymore.

[Meg · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this book up at a $5 book barn on a rainy day when I recognised the title as a song by Squeeze. It was a fun, casual read about a music journalist in London, 1979 when Punk and New Wave was mainstream. I'm not sure if I liked it so much as to read Jessica's other works, but I like this genre of music and that definitely helped me enjoy it.

[Rebecca Wheeldon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like this author and this is the second of her books I have read. I was disappointed to find though that the two books have the samed 4 core elements - a journalist, a doomed relationship, Brighton and an Australian.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

For anyone who enjoyed the UK music scene of the late 70's, this is a fun read. The main character struggles thru relationships, friendships while landing her dream job at a fictional start up music magazine in London after growing up in a boring suburb of Brighton.

[Christine]

A fun read. Loved the Sydney references. Palmie. Toukley & Mental as Anything. My era.

[S-emma Swailes]

Was ok, good ending. Not as good as the other one!

[Lucy Donaldson · Rating 1 out of 5]

Holiday read

[Colin]

really enjoyed this one, being of an age when i can remember all the things they mention.