Fiction Pick of the Week: B-Sides and Broken Hearts

B-Sides and Broken Hearts by Caryn Rose 2011

Ever wonder what happens to those young girls who attend every concert of their favourite band, screaming their lungs out and crying; buy all the music; paper their rooms with posters; and treasure the music forever?  In this semi- autobiographical first novel, Caryn Rose will give you a quick look. 

To Lisa Simon, it’s always been all about the music. ‘Lisa from New Jersey’ is a 30-something computer programmer living in Seattle with her boyfriend Ian, though theirs is not a happy relationship.  Lisa is working one morning and a headline pops up: “Joey Ramone has died”.  How can that be? He was only 49. Email notifications start flooding in.

Lisa’s reaction to the unsettling news sends her on a whirlwind journey back through the stages of her life that brought her to where she is now.

Yes, the story IS about sex, drugs, and Rock and Roll, but not necessarily in that order. This is a heartfelt look inside the music world of the latter decades of the 20^th century, from a Superfan’s perspective. Enjoy!