The Last Playlist: A Sonic Epitaph by P.A. Kane
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This novel really spoke to me, music is something I’m truly passionate about so reading this was absolutely amazing! I like how he expresses himself throughout this story using not just words but music, music truly does help you tell other’s how your feeling, tell your story it’s an amazing book and I truly 100% couldn’t put it down highly recommend!
The Last Playlist: A Sonic Epitaph by P.A. Kane
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is a very different and unique book. I loved the way the author uses music and references to music as he goes through and describes his life.
It is a really interesting book of essays written by the author about aspects of his life. They are written with humour and sadness, heartbreak and love. Everything you read is full of emotion that you can’t help but feel like you know the author by the end of the book.
It’s different to any memoir I have read before which makes it very special and an enjoyable read.
The Last Playlist: A Sonic Epitaph by P.A. Kane
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
The Last Playlist: A Sonic Epitaph by P.A. Kane is about music and how music is always there in the background of life. For many, music gets you through different things or helps you celebrate. If you think of a time in your life, you can probably name the music that was playing. Alternately, you may here a song that transports you back to a different time and place in your life. This book is a collection of essays of different times in the authors life that music was at the core of his life.
Music has a lot of power and sometimes we don’t even realize it. This book isn’t something I normally would have read but I connected with it more than I expected. Music has helped me through some of the toughest things I’d ever have to go through so I definitely understand.
The Last Playlist: A Sonic Epitaph by P.A. Kane
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
P.A Kane introduces the idea of playlists of music and what story they can and will tell you during their journey and he should know, he has been creating them for years and on all the available and changing media throughout this time, but it isn’t just something any old person can throw together and there are rules to be followed, but also bent and broken. As you read through this book, you are taken on a journey through the playlist Kane has created to document his life and the experiences and the stories associated with the songs contained within it.
The book begins with a description of what a playlist is and the fundamentals of creating one, the rules, the do’s and don’ts, as well as how they can be creatively and emotionally satisfying. It also documents how the availability of music, the technology he used and uses and his perspective have changed and adapted over the years too.
The rest of the book is a series of essays which are attached to specific songs, it is written as a memoir and goes into incredible detail, both within the experiences and other pieces of music which complement or contrast with the title song and why. The experiences described are positive and negative in nature and some are harder to read than others, but it is done in such a way that even the most negative are brought to us as a way to encourage awareness and provoke thought and conversation around the subjects.
This is a biography, but not your usual run of the mill one, this one is a legacy of a life filled with revelation and the most important aspect is the music described within, it makes you feel like you are living in the moment being described and takes you to places you may never have experienced yourself, there is something in it for everyone and leads you on a musical discovery all at the same time.
Reviewed by @roxsannel
The Last Playlist: A Sonic Epitaph by P.A. Kane
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
The Last Playlist: a sonic epitaph by P.A. Kane was a great read! Reading this autobiography (written for his kids) was like sitting in a room listening to a good friend talk to you. The words flowed effortlessly, and I found myself laughing throughout, while sympathizing and agreeing with a lot of what Kane had to say. This is also a great read if you love music. While this is an autobiography, this novel is also about 70% music, and I think it’s a great read for the music enthusiasts out there. This was a book I was hoping to like and I ended up loving it. I definitely recommend this book if you’re a fan of autobiographies and music also.
The Last Playlist: A Sonic Epitaph by P.A. Kane
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I wasn’t sure what to expect when I picked this up, but I knew I loved music and words so I dove in and gave it a go. I am glad that I did. While this is not the typical type of novel that I choose this was a nice departure and felt very refreshing to have something new. I will say this would be the perfect book for you if you love music. I see my life and am reminded by life so much with songs as well as books and this combined my love for both. In The Last Playlist we get the author’s story but told in ways of music and lyrics. I loved how personal that felt and by the time the book wrapped up I felt as if he could have been a long lost cousin. I enjoyed some of the profound thoughts he has gained and chose to share. I look forward to seeing what else is available from PA Kane in the near future.
Review by @lizaileen
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The Last Playlist: A Sonic Epitaph by P.A. Kane
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
One of my favorite sayings is “When words fail, music takes over”. This book takes us on a journey through the playlist of the author. That is one of the most amazing aspects of music. Music can speak to your soul in ways no words can touch it. P.A. Kane takes us through playlists to show how it can be humorous, sad, romantic, and frightening. Kane takes you through different essays and you can see how music has a special place in your life.
The Last Playlist: A Sonic Epitaph by P.A. Kane
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
The Last Playlist: A Sonic Epitaph by P.A. Kane. This book is about music and music being the playlist of your life. Music gets us thru life, there is music that makes you happy, music that makes you sad, music that brings back memories and music that brings us all together. Its a collection of essays about event and times in P.A Kane’s life while music is at its core and the playlist of his life. This book made me realize that music at its core brings us all together whether we have political differences, monetary differences, or genetic differences. This book encourages us to make playlists for our lives about your thoughts, your emotions, your loves and losses. It teaches us that music is the ultimate healer if you accept it. This book will make you think, teach you things and help you learn to let music heal you.
The Last Playlist: A Sonic Epitaph by P.A. Kane
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Music plays such a large part in our lives. I really found this book to be fascinating and emotional as I dove into the individual thoughts/essays and explored the music that “played” throughout. Kane does a beautiful job putting this work together. I appreciate the introspection and emotion that obviously went into crafting this work. This memoir is definitely worthwhile.
Reviewed by @heatherlovelace
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The Last Playlist: A Sonic Epitaph by P.A. Kane
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
What can I say about The Last Playlist: A Sonic Epitaph by P.A. Kane? There is so much boiling around in me right now. First and foremost, I loved it. I’m about five years older than Mr. Kane and I am a child of the sixties. So much of the music he uses flowed through my head. I was right back there, in that time, I could feel the sun on my face, smell the newly mown grass, and hear the children playing in the background. That’s the magic of music, it defines us in ways we cannot express, although Mr. Kane does an excellent job in this novel. I have to say, and you whoever you are can have your own opinion, Mr. Kane is a liberal and I am a conservative. What struck me most about this novel is how much alike we actually are. We recognize the same problems, we want solutions, we want justice for all, and we want freedom for all. But in this chaotic, super overcharged political climate we can’t listen to each other long enough to see how very similar we are. Our methods and theories on solving the problems are shaped by our life experiences. Mr. Kane doesn’t offer solutions in this book; he expresses what is in his heart and how his life experiences have shaped him. Oh, how I wish we could all just listen to each other and actually hear what is being said. Excellent job Mr. Kane, I wish I could give you more than five stars.
The Last Playlist: A Sonic Epitaph by P.A. Kane
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Takes us through the journey of music. This book is a collection of information it read like a dairy. I enjoyed reading about the song and how they were put together the experience which were given you can tell are personal. There is a lot of emotion and feelings written into this memior which fetches the audience in more.
The Last Playlist: A Sonic Epitaph by P.A. Kane
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
The Last Playlist: A Sonic Epitaph by P.A. Kane is a non-fictitious memoir of the author’s life played by music. He uses words and music to weave his story and the essence of his life. We all tend to see; smell hear something that reminds us of certain events in our lives and that is what PA has done with his story. It is an intriguing way to tell a story and he invites us to write our own stories in the same way. It is easy to see that his life is one of looking inward and reflection. Truly finding oneself is never easy but there is also so much more room for growth as we continue to reflect and age.
Reviewed by @jennadb
The Last Playlist: A Sonic Epitaph by P.A. Kane
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
5 Star
The Last Playlist: A Sonic Epitaph by P.A. Kane is a very inspiring story made up of several essays that shows us details of the authors life and how music helped shape it. I’m a huge fan of all sorts of music so I was very intrigued to read this book. I found myself lost in the pages and going along on this journey with the author. I lost all track of time and read in one afternoon. I truly enjoyed reading and I highly recommend reading it.
The Last Playlist: A Sonic Epitaph by P.A. Kane
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
The Last Playlist: A Sonic Epitaph by P.A. Kane is a great book made up of a collection of essays detailing the authors review into his own life and how it has been shaped through music. I loved how this whole book had a unique feel about it. It is completely different to everything I have read before and I really feel like it gave me a great insight into the person behind it. I loved how it was shaped based on music and playlists – being a big music fan this whole concept appealed to me and really piqued my interest more.
I think this is a brilliant collection and is one of those books I enjoyed way more than I thought I would. I would definitely recommend picking this one up today!
The Last Playlist: A Sonic Epitaph by P.A. Kane
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This was a really interesting read. After reading the synopsis I was intrigued by what I would read and I was looking for something different so thought I would give it a go – overall I really enjoyed it. I think going in have no preconceived idea about what the book would entail meant I had a complete blank mind about it. The author definitely captured my interest form the beginning and the way in which the memoirs were presented made it really easy to read. I really felt like I knew the author after finishing to book. There was emotion in what I was reading and it definitely made it different knowing it was about the author’s life/feelings/emotions and not fiction.
Overall a really interesting and different read and I would recommend it to others.
The Dog Thief and Other Stories by Jill Kearney
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
The Dog Thief and Other Stories by Jill Kearney. I was pleasantly surprised by this collection of stories that definitely captured my heart. This collection of short stories will have great meaning to those who love animals and mane give some insight to those who may not feel a strong connection to animals. These stories really show a realistic view on both human world and animal world. If your looking for something light and fun I suggest maybe going elsewhere because this set of stories will speak to you in a completely different light. The author definitely captured me from beginning to end though and as an animal lover I truly appreciate the insight this author put into this book. Four stars and highly recommended!
The Dog Thief and Other Stories by Jill Kearney
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I wasn’t sure what to expect when I picked up this volume but I was charmed by the short stories I found within. Kearney does a beautiful job filling the pages with stories that will absolutely warm the heart of all dog lovers. If you have a pet you love or know someone that does, this work is one that you will thoroughly enjoy.
Reviewed by @heatherlovelace
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The Dog Thief and Other Stories by Jill Kearney
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
The Dog Thief and Other Stories by Jill Kearney
Five Stars
The Dog Thief and Other Stories is the first book have read by Jill Kearney. It definitely won’t be the last. The twelve short stories are thoughtful and awe inspiring. I really enjoyed the stories about the dogs and a few cats. They got me thinking of some of my grandmas dogs. It brought back great memories of my childhood. Some of the stories brought to life hardships and different points of view. This book left me feeling good about the wa animals (pets) come and go throughout our life time. I highly recommend this book for all animal lovers.
Review by @sunbarn
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The Dog Thief and Other Stories by Jill Kearney
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
The overall theme of the stories is about the animal and human relationship. Individual stories show the love, trust, and heartwarming of these relationships. The stories show the unconditional love from the pet to their human. There are life issues but it shows how the pets can heal each person differently. I was hooked from the beginning because I believe in the healing power of the love between the animal and human. If you are feeling down and out I recommend reading these stories because it will tug at your heartstrings.
The Last Playlist: A Sonic Epitaph by P.A. Kane
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
3 ½ Stars
“I get a little excited when I start talking about playlists. In these pages you won’t find any transformational religious, political, or sexual experiences. You also won’t find a life-changing symbolic event resulting from a windy or tempestuous day. What you will find is a thoughtful rendering and reasonable analysis of some of the situations and events of my life along with a really good playlist.”
“Make your playlist personal. You are the artist here telling your story through music that has meaning to you. These mixes should be a collection of your thoughts and feelings and evoke memories of all that you’ve won and all that you’ve lost.”
“…music is everywhere. It’s in the grocery store and the dentist’s office as background noise. At a party or in a bar it’s part of the celebration. When a break-up or death occurs, it adds poignancy to pain. It’s everywhere. And as I’ve said, music is the prism through which I see life. You will soon learn as you go forward with this reading experience absent music, I could not form these letters, words, and concepts. Without judgment or recrimination, music has been my best teacher and friend. Life is always hard, sometimes unjust and often devoid of meaning, but it is my hope that in these pages you will feel the power of music to teach, heal and be a friend.”
The Last Playlist (A Sonic Epitaph) by P.A Kane is the author’s story- a journey through his life- with music at its core. This book is a collection of essays about events/periods of P.A Kane’s life which he then links to a song/music. He uses the song to partially narrate the essay and link the two together.
The essays cover many different periods in the author’s life, and many different topics- from growing up, to a social commentary of the times- with history, politics, life, death, humor, challenges, family, race, and much more- this book provided an interesting journey.
P.A Kane also provides some basic rules for making your own playlist- encouraging you to create something that speaks to you and reflects your life and feelings. His simple steps make it all seem quite easy- and had me itching to shuffle through my own collection of songs and albums.
A thought-provoking read.
Thank you, P.A Kane!
Reviewed by @angelahayes
The Dog Thief and Other Stories by Jill Kearney
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
The Dog Thief and Other Stories by Jill Kearney. I couldn’t wait to read this book of short stories because I love all dogs and cats and I was not disappointed. Told from the view of an animal rescuer it tells the stories of people from all walks of life and the animals that come into their lives and love them unconditionally thru neglect, no food and no attention. Animals truly are the best things on Earth. These stories tell of the bonds that animals and humans have no matter how bad things are. Dogs and cats will be there when everyone else turns their backs on you. You may think no one cares at all but your animal will always be there with a wagging tail or a flick of the tail to give you unconditional love and these stories tell of those times. If you love beautifully written stories about people and their pets this is the collection for you. Do yourself a favor and read this great book!
The Dog Thief and Other Stories by Jill Kearney
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
The Dog Thief and other story’s by Jill Kearney some great stories about the reality of living with animals. These were great, real and often inspiring stories, I preferred some over others, but they all spoke to me in a different way. I loved how real this was, as it showed a dog really does change your life, they aren’t there to cuddle and look pretty all the time, they do become another person in your house, with their own personality. I also loved how it showed the compassion and empathy some people ad animals have for each other. It wasn’t always inspiring and sometimes it is sad, but overall its great.
Review by @saraoxo
The Dog Thief and Other Stories by Jill Kearney
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
The Dog Thief and Other Stories by Jill Kearney is a collection of stories about the relationship between humans and dogs. It is a heartwarming and beautiful book that really illustrates how strong the connection between the two is.
There was such a variety of characters in this book that it was so easy to find at least one to connect with – although if you are anything like me I saw myself reflected back in a few of them.
I really enjoyed the authors writing style. It was imaginative and detailed and really draws you into the book. This is a great collection of stories and one I enjoyed more than I expected. I would certainly recommend this book.
The Dog Thief and Other Stories by Jill Kearney
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
The animals in this book are extraordinary who beat major odds. It warms your heart to know just how much the human and animals’ souls melt into a soul connection. These stories warm you from the inside out especially if you’ve got a fur baby at home. These stories touch the human’s heart that reads them in a lot of ways. I highly recommend reading these short but beautiful stories.
The Dog Thief and Other Stories by Jill Kearney
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
5 Stars
The Dog Thief and Other Stories by Jill Kearney
This is a wonderfully written collection of twelve short stories and a novella about the lives of humans and their animals they care about. Let me just say Wow this just blew me away honestly wasn’t what I was expecting. What an emotional rollercoaster ride some of these stories just broke my heart where others warmed it. My emotions were all over the place and I found myself shaking my head a few times. I got lost in the pages and couldn’t stop reading till the last page. Each story is about a different animal and their relationship with their owner. These pets are the stars with their love and commitment to their owners.
I highly recommend reading this whole collection. I look forward to reading more from this Author .
The Last Playlist: A Sonic Epitaph by P.A. Kane
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
The Last Playlist: A Sonic Epitaph
By P.A. Kane
5 out of 5 stars
I enjoyed reading the book The Last Playlist: A Sonic Epitaph by P.A. Kane. I found it to be an intriguing story and I enjoyed the way that the author put together his last playlist while telling about what the songs are about and what they meant to him. I also enjoyed the personal experiences that are given. Some moments are heartbreaking, sad, heartwarming, as well as humorous. Some experiences must have been hard to write about. This is a story that had me thinking about it even after I had finished the final page. The author has a love of creating playlists that can’t be denied. I know a few of the songs on the playlist and by the end of the book, I found myself wanting to go to my favorite music site to listen to the ones that I didn’t. Don’t miss out on a story that has you taking a journey that is both musical and personal. I highly recommend reading it.
The Last Playlist: A Sonic Epitaph by P.A. Kane
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I enjoyed this book. This is a collection of essays by this author that can be seen as inspiration and also sadness. The collection goes through this author’s life such as humor, romance and so much more. They are interesting and easy to read for the most part. Each essay is unique and different from each other. This is a great way to look at and learn about this author’s life. I highly recommend this book.
Review by @bjwagner
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The Dog Thief and Other Stories by Jill Kearney
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is a book full of short stories and clearly shows the love of animals you can tell these are drawn from experience when reading. This is set in rural America. There is a melancholic feel to most of the stories, with recurring themes of death and long-suffering dogs, but I thoroughly enjoyed the whole book. It makes us aware that domesticated animals have a life and personality of their own and are not just there to fulfil a selfish purpose on the part of their owners. In our daily lives we tend to overlook – by preference or disinterest – a shadowy side of our own society … the abuse of animals. This can be a hard read but says alot about some animals reality.
The Dog Thief and Other Stories by Jill Kearney
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
The Dog Thief and Other Stories by Jill Kearney is a collection of animal stories that will warm but also break your heart. This collection of stories is inspired by Jills heart and life experiences and it is easy to see in her writing. It is a story of animals that will continue to love no matter how broken their owners are. The animals themselves are the true heroes and heroines of these stories. I must admit that I had a lot of emotions when reading this collection and they stayed with me long after I finished the book.
Reviewed by @jennadb
The Dog Thief and Other Stories by Jill Kearney
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
The Dog Thief and Oher Stories by Jill Kearney is a collection of 12 short stories capturing the connection between humans and our four pawed companions. These stories are drawn from the authors own experiences as a dog rescuer and carer. The stories are heartachingly poignant- with a very realistic and honest account capturing both human and animal in all too-real situations.
This is not a light and fluffy read- there are moments of true heartache and emotion, but amongst it all are also messages of compassion, hope, determination, resilience, and survival.
The stories are written to highlight the need for more focus on animal rights, welfare, and rescue. It also captures the connection between humans and animals, and how caring for one another and forming a bond with our furry companions can stabilise and really enrich lives.
The stories in the collection are:
-The Dog Thief
-Sparrows
-Beverley and Jim
-Arnie’s Last Ride
-The Christmas Rats
-The Angel
-The Collie
-Beer Money
-The Quest
-Ordinary Housework
-Driving While Remembering
The author has a wonderful way with words, easily conveying realism and emotion. I will definitely be keeping my eye out for more of her work to explore.
Thank you, Jill Kearney!
Reviewed by @angelahayes
