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Nerd Girl Rocks Paradise City: A True Story of Faking It in Hair Metal L.A.
After college, Anne Thomas Soffee journeyed to Los Angeles to start a career as a rock journalist and small-time heavy metal flack. This hilarious peek into the early years of the hair-band era reveals the hierarchy of fishnets, bustiers, and chicks with the Holy Grail―a backstage pass. A taste for other people’s prescriptions and too much beer edges her freelance journalism work right off her schedule. She struggles with not being thin enough, pretty enough, or cool enough when, in the midst of the L.A. riots, Soffee is offered a coveted slot in Virginia Commonwealth University's MFA writing program. Determined to pull herself out of current habits, Soffee starts turning her life around, making a stop at rehab before she heads off to graduate school. Her quarter-life crisis is packed with offbeat characters that prove that fact is often funnier than fiction.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published September 28, 2005
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
July 12, 2012
The title was the best part
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March 17, 2025I have lots of thoughts about this, but mostly, I was kind of left wondering what's the point. It's a fun read, it took me back in time, but at the end of it, I just sat there and went, "So? What's the point? That LA chewed up all these people and spat 'em out? That Anne couldn't adapt to a changing time? That... what????"
I thought memoir was supposed to be enlightening, to be about the big lesson. This is what literary agent Janet Reid has to say about memoir:
A memoir is more than about what happened, a recitation of events.
A good memoir evokes feeling and provides illumination, and inspires us even if only in small ways.
And not just to people like you.
A good memoir does that for people who have nothing in common with you but their humanity.
So, yes, you've had an interesting life, but what does that mean for me?
What does that mean for those of you writing memoir?
Your query should focus less on the events of your life, and give more page time to how it will resonate with other people. You must answer the question "Why should anyone read this?" with something other than "It's interesting" or "because it's a great story."
...and I find myself going, "This was a great story and it was interesting, especially because my life could have been Anne's: I was a music nerd in college. I have a BA and MFA in creative writing. I considered being a journalist. I may not have run into rock stars in my grocery, but I did the college radio thing (after a stint on the retail end) and hung with guys in bands and wanted to make the music industry my life and...
"I'm still not getting the point here. Why was this more than interesting or a great story?"
Sigh. I wanted that illumination. I really did.
But it WAS a great, if sad, story.
I thought memoir was supposed to be enlightening, to be about the big lesson. This is what literary agent Janet Reid has to say about memoir:
A memoir is more than about what happened, a recitation of events.
A good memoir evokes feeling and provides illumination, and inspires us even if only in small ways.
And not just to people like you.
A good memoir does that for people who have nothing in common with you but their humanity.
So, yes, you've had an interesting life, but what does that mean for me?
What does that mean for those of you writing memoir?
Your query should focus less on the events of your life, and give more page time to how it will resonate with other people. You must answer the question "Why should anyone read this?" with something other than "It's interesting" or "because it's a great story."
...and I find myself going, "This was a great story and it was interesting, especially because my life could have been Anne's: I was a music nerd in college. I have a BA and MFA in creative writing. I considered being a journalist. I may not have run into rock stars in my grocery, but I did the college radio thing (after a stint on the retail end) and hung with guys in bands and wanted to make the music industry my life and...
"I'm still not getting the point here. Why was this more than interesting or a great story?"
Sigh. I wanted that illumination. I really did.
But it WAS a great, if sad, story.
July 24, 2011
Well, I already wrote a review here, and goodreads didn't save and I lost it so here I go again (sigh).
I read the book in a day and a half. Thats really fast for me as I usually put down a book I'm reading for days, weeks, or months at a time before I pickit up again to read a few pages or a chapter just to put it down again.
The book was a lot of fun. The writing style was great. Blunt, pulls no punches, and REAL.
It follows the author from a college Freshman through graduation (briefly - only the important points that highlight her nerdiness), and her move out to L.A. to try to become a famous music writer, along the lines of Lester Bangs.
First, let me say what I didn't like, and what took away that 5th star. There's not a whole lot about the actual metal scene in L.A., and not just because hair metal was starting its decline when she got out there (I lived there about a year or two before she did, and it was already showing hints of its impending decline when I moved away in the fall of '89).There's a glimpse here and there, but not much. If you read this expecting to read about what the scene was like in the Sunset Strip's hey day, or even in its last months, this isn't the book. For those that were there, here's a hint - the Rock N Roll Denny's was mentioned in passing on one sentence in the book. Gazarri's wasn't mentioned at all, though places like The Troubadour, etc. were. The book follows the author's exploits, and while there are glimpses of that scene here and there (the part about the review of Wikked Gypsy was totally spot-on for about 99% of the bands in L.A. who thought publicity, hair, and lipstick were all that was neededto make it, and skill on their instruments and musicianship was about 5th or 6th down the line), it is mostly about the authors experiences and the settings are far more often the local bar(s) that the author hung out in (not the Sunset bars), her apartment building, and her work location(s), including her work for the skeevy writer.
So thats why a star is missing. On the positive side, its still an addictive read. Its a lot of fun and I thoroughly enjoyed her writing style. All of the seediness of Hollywood that I remember is there. Although less of the seediness is about the Poison wannabes, most of the Hollywood inhabitants, musician or not, tend towards the seedy it seems. If you want to get somewhat of a feel of what Hollywood was about on the fringes of the music scene at that time, from the perspective of a pretty 'normal' person (IOW, not someone seedy), this is the book. When I lived there, I used to say "Hollywood, a nice place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live there". This book will kinda show you why. The book did kinda of seem to end rather abruptly, which I thought was odd, but a quick google search of the author shows what she is doing now, and the missing ending details are pretty simple to fill in for yourself (she got her MFA from VCU, and is now selling Real Estate in Richmond, and wrote a book about Belly Dancing (my over simplification) before this one).
If she wrote another book either concentrating on her views of the metal scene in LA itself, or maybe something about her life before moving out to LA (or at least in more detail than the few chapters at the beginning), I'd pick it up in a heartbeat.
I read the book in a day and a half. Thats really fast for me as I usually put down a book I'm reading for days, weeks, or months at a time before I pickit up again to read a few pages or a chapter just to put it down again.
The book was a lot of fun. The writing style was great. Blunt, pulls no punches, and REAL.
It follows the author from a college Freshman through graduation (briefly - only the important points that highlight her nerdiness), and her move out to L.A. to try to become a famous music writer, along the lines of Lester Bangs.
First, let me say what I didn't like, and what took away that 5th star. There's not a whole lot about the actual metal scene in L.A., and not just because hair metal was starting its decline when she got out there (I lived there about a year or two before she did, and it was already showing hints of its impending decline when I moved away in the fall of '89).There's a glimpse here and there, but not much. If you read this expecting to read about what the scene was like in the Sunset Strip's hey day, or even in its last months, this isn't the book. For those that were there, here's a hint - the Rock N Roll Denny's was mentioned in passing on one sentence in the book. Gazarri's wasn't mentioned at all, though places like The Troubadour, etc. were. The book follows the author's exploits, and while there are glimpses of that scene here and there (the part about the review of Wikked Gypsy was totally spot-on for about 99% of the bands in L.A. who thought publicity, hair, and lipstick were all that was neededto make it, and skill on their instruments and musicianship was about 5th or 6th down the line), it is mostly about the authors experiences and the settings are far more often the local bar(s) that the author hung out in (not the Sunset bars), her apartment building, and her work location(s), including her work for the skeevy writer.
So thats why a star is missing. On the positive side, its still an addictive read. Its a lot of fun and I thoroughly enjoyed her writing style. All of the seediness of Hollywood that I remember is there. Although less of the seediness is about the Poison wannabes, most of the Hollywood inhabitants, musician or not, tend towards the seedy it seems. If you want to get somewhat of a feel of what Hollywood was about on the fringes of the music scene at that time, from the perspective of a pretty 'normal' person (IOW, not someone seedy), this is the book. When I lived there, I used to say "Hollywood, a nice place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live there". This book will kinda show you why. The book did kinda of seem to end rather abruptly, which I thought was odd, but a quick google search of the author shows what she is doing now, and the missing ending details are pretty simple to fill in for yourself (she got her MFA from VCU, and is now selling Real Estate in Richmond, and wrote a book about Belly Dancing (my over simplification) before this one).
If she wrote another book either concentrating on her views of the metal scene in LA itself, or maybe something about her life before moving out to LA (or at least in more detail than the few chapters at the beginning), I'd pick it up in a heartbeat.
November 4, 2008
Man, Anne Thomas Soffee can write an engaging book; I want to be her when I grow up.
Nerd Girl Rocks Paradise City is the autobiographical tale of Anne's dream of becomming a rock journalist. She chucks everything after high school in RIchmond, Virginia and heads for L.A., clips in hand from the free weekly newspaper for which she wrote music reviews. She hopes to find a job in the biz, and also has an encouraging letter from the editor at a music magazine in L.A. telling her to stop by their offices if she's ever in Los Angeles. Well, she does, but as with so many stories that start out this way, the jobs she gets aren't quite what she's hoping for. She details her experiences at Iggy Pop and Danzig concerts along the way, and how she keeps running into Glen Danzig in her neighborhood -- the grocery store, sitting at a stoplight, etc.) so often that she's afraid he'll think she's stalking him.
The tale is set in L.A. during the late eighties, when hair metal still ruled, but change (in the form of the grunge scene) was on the horizon. Eventually, her naive dreams tarnished by reality, she finds herself taking solace in booze and anti-depressants. Despite this turn, Anne's writing is irrepressibly upbeat, and the story does have a more or less happy ending (after all, the story in Snake Hips takes place after the action in Nerd Girl.)
I highly recommend Nerd Girl Rocks Paradise City to anyone with an interest in pop culture, the music scene, or just plain entertaining writing.
Nerd Girl Rocks Paradise City is the autobiographical tale of Anne's dream of becomming a rock journalist. She chucks everything after high school in RIchmond, Virginia and heads for L.A., clips in hand from the free weekly newspaper for which she wrote music reviews. She hopes to find a job in the biz, and also has an encouraging letter from the editor at a music magazine in L.A. telling her to stop by their offices if she's ever in Los Angeles. Well, she does, but as with so many stories that start out this way, the jobs she gets aren't quite what she's hoping for. She details her experiences at Iggy Pop and Danzig concerts along the way, and how she keeps running into Glen Danzig in her neighborhood -- the grocery store, sitting at a stoplight, etc.) so often that she's afraid he'll think she's stalking him.
The tale is set in L.A. during the late eighties, when hair metal still ruled, but change (in the form of the grunge scene) was on the horizon. Eventually, her naive dreams tarnished by reality, she finds herself taking solace in booze and anti-depressants. Despite this turn, Anne's writing is irrepressibly upbeat, and the story does have a more or less happy ending (after all, the story in Snake Hips takes place after the action in Nerd Girl.)
I highly recommend Nerd Girl Rocks Paradise City to anyone with an interest in pop culture, the music scene, or just plain entertaining writing.
May 14, 2019
I enjoyed reading about the writer's adventures in LA. There really was not as much about the HAIR BAND SCENE ITSELF as I had thought there would be.
She is at times, utterly hilarious and there are some parts to the book that (and I am not exaggerating) are rip roaringly funny. It is worth reading, just for that alone.
One thing I could not get over was just the general VAGUENESS of the rock music industry. It seems like many of the higher ups just did not take anything seriously at all. Not having ever worked in rock journalism, I expected there to be sexism and maybe some real meanness but there was this apathetic quality some of the higher ups had I did not expect.
The parts about the Guns-N-Roses concert and the parts about Glen Danzig were..side splittingly funny. I know I keep going on about that but it was a very enjoyable read.
There are serious aspects too such as chemical dependency. I really think this book is a must read, not just for music lovers and hair Metal lovers but for would be journalists. It is well written and never dull and is not that long. I am glad I read this.
She is at times, utterly hilarious and there are some parts to the book that (and I am not exaggerating) are rip roaringly funny. It is worth reading, just for that alone.
One thing I could not get over was just the general VAGUENESS of the rock music industry. It seems like many of the higher ups just did not take anything seriously at all. Not having ever worked in rock journalism, I expected there to be sexism and maybe some real meanness but there was this apathetic quality some of the higher ups had I did not expect.
The parts about the Guns-N-Roses concert and the parts about Glen Danzig were..side splittingly funny. I know I keep going on about that but it was a very enjoyable read.
There are serious aspects too such as chemical dependency. I really think this book is a must read, not just for music lovers and hair Metal lovers but for would be journalists. It is well written and never dull and is not that long. I am glad I read this.
April 4, 2015
This book isn't perfect. It tries really, really hard, to the point where it feels like it should come with a two-drink minimum. It references Lester Bangs in every other sentence. The narrative voice vacillates, in the trademark fashion of the pathologically insecure, between intense self-loathing and irritating smugness—neither of which seems particularly justified. But! It's entertaining as heck and, at its best points, riotously funny (so to speak). The Danzig stuff is comic gold. For those of us who harbor a soft spot for the glitter of the gutter, for grimy sequins strewn across dirty streets lined by palm trees and littered with beer cans, for the tinsel of human detritus, well, this book is just plain fun. Rock and roll!
September 1, 2009
I had to give Dostoevsky a rest and pick up another good summer read (another summer read referring to Lahiri, not necessarily Dostoevsky) before school started. Soffee's voice was absolutely hilarious and made me nostalgic (as well as comfortably come to turns with) my own pseudo rock journalist days that numbered my senior year.
The book gradually digresses as soon as Soffee finds her niche in a dead-end hipster bar, alcoholism ensuring, and academia once again becomes her savior against an unfavorable low-income drugged housing situation. She still makes me want to become a rock journalist, and I'm not even being ironic.
The book gradually digresses as soon as Soffee finds her niche in a dead-end hipster bar, alcoholism ensuring, and academia once again becomes her savior against an unfavorable low-income drugged housing situation. She still makes me want to become a rock journalist, and I'm not even being ironic.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 28, 2014
I picked this one up just for the hair band connection, but I will definitely be reading more from Ms. Soffee.
December 31, 2018
While I read through this book very quickly and found the author's writing pleasant enough, I thought her story itself was pretty dull and unremarkable. I also intensely disliked the way the author wrote herself: she came across as one of those music snob gatekeepers who force people to demonstrate their coolness cred before they're allowed to call themselves a fan of something or even wear a band t-shirt. People who can't just let people like what they like are terrible to be around in both person and literary form.
Also, the author's liberal use of the word "slut" when describing groupies was very off-putting. In her mind, it's fine if she wants to wear a leather bustier and fishnets and go backstage to meet the band but every other woman who does it is a dumb slut. Got it.
All of this would have been slightly more palatable if she'd been able to invoke a sense of time and place with her writing or she'd done anything more interesting than meet a couple musicians, but she didn't. Her story is her story but it's the same story millions of people have when they're following a dream career in the arts. The trick is to make it interesting for other people to read.
Also, the author's liberal use of the word "slut" when describing groupies was very off-putting. In her mind, it's fine if she wants to wear a leather bustier and fishnets and go backstage to meet the band but every other woman who does it is a dumb slut. Got it.
All of this would have been slightly more palatable if she'd been able to invoke a sense of time and place with her writing or she'd done anything more interesting than meet a couple musicians, but she didn't. Her story is her story but it's the same story millions of people have when they're following a dream career in the arts. The trick is to make it interesting for other people to read.
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July 7, 2017Last... Had to mark it as "Read" so I could clear it as "Reading."
October 2, 2014
I still don't know how I feel about this book. I wanted to like it, so much that I bought it off Amazon. I joke to people that I was born too late and I should of been a Guns n Roses groupie. I adore Izzy if you were wondering. I guess with the guise of faking it in hair metal LA and a tittle such as Nerd girl rocks PARADISE CITY I thought that she would actually make it, and it wouldn't be such a this is how I failed, but it's a funny story. I was hoping for more hair metal and less well I came from the east coast and by the time I got there grunge was taking over, but I still tried to hold on to hair metal L.A.
That being said there were parts that I adored.
1. Her knowing the guitar player from Wide Spread Panic, not because I'm a fan, but because I grew up in Colorado and well, hippie jam bands were still the staple.
2. She stayed in Tucson. I didn't even know what or where the Casino Ball room is, and in fact it is still around, but it's El Casino Ball Room. It now has anniversary parties and Quincenieras. (http://www.elcasinoballroom.com/) It doesn't seem very rock n roll, but my brother said he saw Suicidal tendencies-exodus-pantera there in 1990 at the same place our herione first tried to be a groupie.
3. I learned that if her rules still apply, I'm a chick, because I'm not a groupie or a want to be groupie, but a girl in jeans and band shirt that is here to see the show not sleep with it.
4. I have a soft spot of Glenn Danzig. That hips don't lie video makes me smile every time.
5. The end. When she started to explain what was going on, first I thought Rodney King, no wait this was a mob, then as I read it the Sublime song named for that day played over and over in my head. (April 29th 1992, there were riots on the streets. Tell where were you?) Then Izzy's song It's Old Hat-
I don't really need no, no bag o' cocaine
I don't really need no, no fold o' smack
Been there and done that, that ain't too clever
I sure don't miss it, had enough of that crap
Bank robbers shootin' up North Hollywood yeah
Seems like a rerun livin' on this town
I go see a movie, try and entertain me
It don't half compare to the shit
That's goin down around here
It's an old hat
It's an old hat
It's an old hat
[ From: http://www.elyrics.net ]
But I sure do like the sound of that
I don't really need no, no sub-machine gun
Your paranoia is getting old
But I wouldn't mind to have myself a bazooka
I'd go play Elvis and blow a hole in my roof
It's an old hat
It's an old hat
It's an old hat
But I sure do like the sound of that
It's an old hat
It's an old hat
It's an old hat
But I sure do like the sound of that
Lyrics from eLyrics.net
That being said there were parts that I adored.
1. Her knowing the guitar player from Wide Spread Panic, not because I'm a fan, but because I grew up in Colorado and well, hippie jam bands were still the staple.
2. She stayed in Tucson. I didn't even know what or where the Casino Ball room is, and in fact it is still around, but it's El Casino Ball Room. It now has anniversary parties and Quincenieras. (http://www.elcasinoballroom.com/) It doesn't seem very rock n roll, but my brother said he saw Suicidal tendencies-exodus-pantera there in 1990 at the same place our herione first tried to be a groupie.
3. I learned that if her rules still apply, I'm a chick, because I'm not a groupie or a want to be groupie, but a girl in jeans and band shirt that is here to see the show not sleep with it.
4. I have a soft spot of Glenn Danzig. That hips don't lie video makes me smile every time.
5. The end. When she started to explain what was going on, first I thought Rodney King, no wait this was a mob, then as I read it the Sublime song named for that day played over and over in my head. (April 29th 1992, there were riots on the streets. Tell where were you?) Then Izzy's song It's Old Hat-
I don't really need no, no bag o' cocaine
I don't really need no, no fold o' smack
Been there and done that, that ain't too clever
I sure don't miss it, had enough of that crap
Bank robbers shootin' up North Hollywood yeah
Seems like a rerun livin' on this town
I go see a movie, try and entertain me
It don't half compare to the shit
That's goin down around here
It's an old hat
It's an old hat
It's an old hat
[ From: http://www.elyrics.net ]
But I sure do like the sound of that
I don't really need no, no sub-machine gun
Your paranoia is getting old
But I wouldn't mind to have myself a bazooka
I'd go play Elvis and blow a hole in my roof
It's an old hat
It's an old hat
It's an old hat
But I sure do like the sound of that
It's an old hat
It's an old hat
It's an old hat
But I sure do like the sound of that
Lyrics from eLyrics.net
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 3, 2014
For anyone harboring a soft spot in their heart for 80s hair metal bands, replete with spandex pants and girly faces, this is the book for you. Soffee chronicles her years of being the only rivethead at a prestigious and very preppie college. She describes her decision to make her fortune writing for heavy metal magazines in L.A. in an attempt to convey the mind-boggling coolness of metal to the world:
"These guys on the cover are from Guns N’ Roses," I say, making a futile stab at relaying their coolness in words. "Hang out for a little while and maybe the video will come on. The guy on the right does this snake dance thing, and he’s got on purple eye-shadow and his voice is all screechy,"
"And that’s supposed to make me want to stay why, exactly?"
"No, it’s really cool! And he goes ‘and you know where you are? You’re in the jungle , baby! You’re gonna die!’ It’s cool."
"Yeah, you said that already," Stacy says, leafing half-heartedly through the magazine. "Hey, look. These girls don’t shave under their arms! Is that the new style? Does that mean I can stop shaving under mine? Because that would really save me some hassle."
"Those aren’t girls. That’s Poison."
Lots of great funny commentary on the world of music journalism, surviving in L.A., the grocery shopping of Glenn Danzig and more, intertwined with the sadder story of Soffee’s addiction to drugs and alcohol. I can’t wait to start her next book, Snake Hips, on her "redemption" through bellydance.
"These guys on the cover are from Guns N’ Roses," I say, making a futile stab at relaying their coolness in words. "Hang out for a little while and maybe the video will come on. The guy on the right does this snake dance thing, and he’s got on purple eye-shadow and his voice is all screechy,"
"And that’s supposed to make me want to stay why, exactly?"
"No, it’s really cool! And he goes ‘and you know where you are? You’re in the jungle , baby! You’re gonna die!’ It’s cool."
"Yeah, you said that already," Stacy says, leafing half-heartedly through the magazine. "Hey, look. These girls don’t shave under their arms! Is that the new style? Does that mean I can stop shaving under mine? Because that would really save me some hassle."
"Those aren’t girls. That’s Poison."
Lots of great funny commentary on the world of music journalism, surviving in L.A., the grocery shopping of Glenn Danzig and more, intertwined with the sadder story of Soffee’s addiction to drugs and alcohol. I can’t wait to start her next book, Snake Hips, on her "redemption" through bellydance.
January 26, 2017
I loved this story. I was in my very early teens in the late 80's and was always resentful that I had just missed the hair band wave. I still rocked out to my tapes of Scorpions, Poison, Bon Jovi, GNR, and Ozzy, but instead of rocking out at concert, I just had to blast out in my walkman. Rock music of any style was definitely not what the kids my neighborhood listened to. It was mostly top 40, and underground house music. But the first time I heard Ozzy and Lita Ford's duet by accident on the radio I felt an instant connection to something different. I knew I was different. But I digress. Anne's story was great on so many levels. I loved her one-liners, which were fresh and funny, not forced, and she makes fun of herself without being self-deprecating. I also appreciated when she talked about things that used to be slightly taboo, now relegated to the mall and mainstream society. And how that makes it so much less cool. But it's all subjective. And that's just fine.
November 24, 2014
Though humorous and entertaining, I was under the impression that the author would have had more encounters with various musicians of Sunset Strip. Instead, the only one she ever runs into (and strangely frequently, I might add) is Glenn Danzig of Danzig, which I could not care less. However, I did appreciate her "misfit" status when it came to music, as well as the fact that she followed a Rolling Stones tour in the 1980s (not as cool as the '70s, but I'll take it). Soffee's writing style is very witty and sarcastic, and I find it a shame that she did not appear to take L.A. by storm as a music journalist. An interesting read, though not necessarily on the top of my list.
August 16, 2010
This book I picked up cause it was about someone I never heard of but she was a Rock n Roll chic wanting to make it working for Rock magazines. She got many LA writing work for local papers and lived the Hair Band era. She talks about a few bands I heard of but maybe someone has never heard of so it had alot of interest to me about them. She went to Gwar concerts when they were local and unsigned yet. She is a sarcastic writer with humor. I recommend a good read if you are into the L.A. hair band scene in the 80's and very early 90's.
March 24, 2012
Simply put, this is a fantastic read! Anne Soffee's tale of life in the Hollywood fast lane, pursuing her own rock and roll dream during the glorious hair band era of the late '80s and early '90s is a bona fide pager-turner -- far more riviting than the type of backstage tell-all I expected. I not only connected with Soffee's story (filled with sex, drugs, rock 'n' roll, junkies and trannys), I also connected with the her myriad of fascinating characters. Soffee's journey became my journey and her friends became my friends. However, one mystery remains -- whatever happened to Aunt Titty?
June 9, 2009
Nerd Girl Rocks Paradise City was a pretty good light book. I don't know why but I'm obsessed with all things hair metal so hearing about it...or the end of it was entertaining and I enjoyed the constant run ins with Glenn Danzig.
November 19, 2010
Wow I am only about 40 pages into this book and I love it already. Although it is a little funny to read about someone who willingly listens to GnR and Bon Jovi and the people around her think of her as weird...I can't wait to finish this book and find out about her experiences in LA.
September 26, 2011
If you loved "Snake Hips" (which I did) you will like "Nerd Girl...". Written after "Snake Hips" and describing Soffee's life before the events of that book it is a delightful story of trying to become a metal/rock journalist in LA.
June 8, 2013
This book is boring the hell out of me. Not sure if I will be able to get through it. It is taking forever to finish because I keep finding other books to read that are way more interesting and less pretentious than this one.
July 5, 2013
the story moves right along from the idea to move to LA, to the initial thrill, to the weardown, and the inivitable leaving. Pushed along with humor and a cutting view of everything, including herself, Anne Soffee's book was fun, I just wish she could have made it.
January 3, 2010
A quick, light, engaging read. I laughed aloud with no trace of irony. Just right for this geeky, broke, recently-made-LA-girl with no way to go out and see shows right now. Thanks, Ms. Soffee.
January 27, 2011
Anne changed my life. her books are my touchstone, i return back again and again. her LA rock chick stories make me laugh after my own young womanhood in the Bay Area.
January 20, 2013
It was really good. I read it for school and was surprised how much I enjoyed it.
January 23, 2013
If you know and love the bands and the period, this book is for you. Even more so if you are a fellow nerd.
January 5, 2013
This book is hilarious! I literally laughed out loud.
February 8, 2013
From English major to hair band enthusiast, to rock star journalist, Anne Thomas Soffee can always be counted on to view her life as an adventure.
May 10, 2021
Meh. The title made me anticipate a lot more Guns N' Roses references. Instead it was a lot of navel-gazing. Shrug.
July 20, 2007
Anne rocks! Her books rock! Go Anne!
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews