How the Mistakes Were Made: A Novel - Tyler Mcmahon
I won this on First Reads.

I enjoyed this book so much. I so desperately wanted to write a proper review that highlights what I feel makes it so great, but I can't seem to do anything other than gush about how much I liked it.
And then I realized that the reason why I was having such a hard time talking about the book is that it had become part of my relationship with music. I had taken this wonderful story and internalized it into something that is so much a part of me, that I can't extricate it, much less define it.

The one thing this book did for me is make me realize how much I undervalued the music of the 90's. I came of age in the 80's, and have a soft spot for new wave, some of the more mainstream punk, and the beginnings of what later came to be known as alternative. How the Mistakes Were Made just brought home how ingrained the music from the early 90's is in me, and I never even knew it. This was a great read, and when I finished it, I wished I had read it a little more slowly so I could make it last longer.

I loved Laura Loss. She was a child of the 80's punk scene, and didn't know any life outside of music. She tried having a normal life, but rock and roll always drew her back. She finally got her break during the Seattle grunge scene in the early 90's, and although she was still only in her early 20's, she was a hardened veteran of rock and roll. How The Mistakes Were Made chronicles the formation of the band, their rise to fame, and eventual implosion, all from Laura's point of view. It was heartbreaking to watch how living the life of a rock star took away everything dear to her. And in the end, despite everything, music was all she had. This could have been the story of a real band, and I wish it had been. I get the sense that I would have loved The Mistakes.

So now that it's over, I think I'll go listen to some music. Stone Temple Pilots, or maybe Alice in Chains. And while I'm at it, maybe I'll watch Singles again.