Record Collecting for Girls: Unleashing Your Inner Music Nerd, One Album at a Time

"Record Collecting for Girls is an invitation for all of you stereophiles (who happen to be female), to make your own top-five lists, and then, armed and ready with the book's fun facts, to argue their merits to the ever-present boys' club of music snobs in your life." --Sarahbeth Purcell, author of Love Is the Drug and This Is Not a Love Song

You never leave home without your iPod. You're always on the lookout for new bands, and you have strong opinions when it comes to music debates, like Beatles vs. Stones. For years, you've listened to guys talk about all things music, but the female perspective has been missing. Until now.

Drawing on her personal life as a music enthusiast, as well as her experience working at MTV and in radio, Courtney E. Smith explores what music can tell women about themselves--and the men in their lives. She takes on a range of topics, from the romantic soundtracks of Romeo and Juliet to the evolution of girl bands. She shares stories from her own life that shed light on the phenomenon of guilty pleasures and the incredible power of an Our Song. Along the way, she evaluates the essential role that music plays as we navigate life's glorious victories and its soul-crushing defeats. Finally, here is a voice that speaks to women--because girls get their hearts broken and make mix tapes about it, too.

"Courtney Smith has smarts and sass in spades. Her insights are as hilarious as they are thoughtful, and when you finish reading this book, you'll feel like you just got home from a perfect night out with your best friend. And you'll want to listen to Prince. At full volume." --Megan Jasper, Executive Vice President, Sub Pop Records

What does your record collection say about you (and the men you date)?

• Pop Culture Essays: From her time at MTV to the truth about guilty pleasures, Smith delivers sharp, witty takes on the music that shapes our lives.
• Women in Music: Explore the evolution of girl bands, the legacy of music icons, and why the female perspective is the one that's been missing from the conversation.
• Music and Relationships: Decode the incredible power of an 'Our Song, ' what a guy's taste in music really says about him, and the art of the perfect breakup mix tape.
• Beatles vs. Stones: Finally, a definitive take on the ultimate rock debate, giving you all the ammo you need to win the argument against the music snobs in your life.

Author: Courtney E. Smith
Publisher: Mariner Books
Published: 09/06/2011
Pages: 240
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.51lbs
Size: 8.09h x 5.37w x 0.59d
ISBN: 9780547502236

Review Citation(s):
Publishers Weekly 06/20/2011
Kirkus Reviews 08/15/2011
Entertainment Weekly 10/07/2011 pg. 79

About the Author
Smith, Courtney E.: -

Courtney Smith has more than a decade of experience working in the music industry. She left MTV after spending 8 years as a music programmer and manager of label relations, where she was one of the executives who decided which videos went into rotation on all of MTV's 20 music platforms. She specialized in grooming upcoming bands and has worked closely with Death Cab for Cutie, the Shins, and Vampire Weekend, among others.