Scan barcode
A review by erinkellyreads
Taylor Swift: Era by Era: The Unauthorized Biography by Caroline Sullivan
informative
reflective
fast-paced
4.75
Calling all Swifties! I was so excited to be approved to listen the the newest unofficial biography of Taylor Swift on Netgalley!! Thanks to Dreamscape Media for the opportunity, and what a great way to start off June's Audiobook Month!
Taylor is two years older than me, so I've grown up with her music and her story. Though this has evolved over my lifetime, I really love Taylor Swift's music, and I appreciate her as an artist. In my blog, erinkellyreads.wordpress.com, I go deep into my journey with TSwift.
"Taylor: Era by Era" tells the story of Taylor Swift's career from her very first ideas as a child all the way to the release of "The Tortured Poet's Department". I knew a lot of the events that happened throughout the book, but the beginning was really interesting to me because I had no idea that Taylor wrote most of the songs on her debut between the ages of 12-15! I was writing bad fanfiction at the time, not writing songs for a seven time certified platinum album! After the release of her debut, each chapter is titled after one of her eleven albums with each sharing what was happening around the creation of each album all the way through reception and touring. I enjoyed learning more about the business side of Taylor - she clearly is a smart businesswoman, and it sounds like she has been since she got her start. The end of the book touches on the release of "TTPD" and Taylor's romance with NFL tight end, Travis Kelce, so this must've just wrapped up for publication in the last few weeks.
Something I enjoyed about the book is that her various boyfriends across the years were barely mentioned. Mostly, they were brought up in connection to other things such as meeting John Mayer when he tweeted at her to work on a duet with him, or writing music under a pseudonym like she did with Calvin Harris and Joe Alwyn. In fact, even though we briefly mention the all important red scarf of "All Too Well", Jake Gyllenhaal's name isn't even mentioned. These men are part of Taylor's story, but it is Taylor's story. By not focusing on the hype or the speculation about which songs are about which people, we get to focus on Taylor's songwriting, evolution, and business acumen.
It is easy to tell that the author, Caroline Sullivan, also likes Taylor Swift. She writes about her accomplishments with praise, and, there were even some times where I felt she let Taylor off the hook about some of her missteps. However, because Sullivan is also a fan, it made listening to this book feel just like a conversation with a friend about Taylor, her songs, and her story. Even the bits with quotes from the industry, good and bad, or facts and figures were easy to digest and connect narratively.
The audiobook is narrated by Katelyn Levering, and she had a tone that sounded like a combination of a girl you'd meet in line at the bathroom before The Era's Tour meets Ms. Mojo (and I mean that as a compliment!) She was very engaging, and she helped keep the pace swift (pun intended). Just a note to future listeners - Levering reads this book with an American accent, but the dates (and some verbiage) were clearly written in a British vernacular. It threw me the first few times, but I did get used to it.
Overall, this is a great book for those that are interested in learning more about the history of Taylor's Swift's career through the lens of her musical eras. Whether you're a full fledged, friendship bracelet trading Swiftie or just a casual fan, you'll find something to like with this audiobook.
"Taylor: Era by Era" comes out on June 6th (while Taylor herself is performing The Eras Tour in Milan!), and you can get your copy in print or audio wherever books are sold!
Taylor is two years older than me, so I've grown up with her music and her story. Though this has evolved over my lifetime, I really love Taylor Swift's music, and I appreciate her as an artist. In my blog, erinkellyreads.wordpress.com, I go deep into my journey with TSwift.
"Taylor: Era by Era" tells the story of Taylor Swift's career from her very first ideas as a child all the way to the release of "The Tortured Poet's Department". I knew a lot of the events that happened throughout the book, but the beginning was really interesting to me because I had no idea that Taylor wrote most of the songs on her debut between the ages of 12-15! I was writing bad fanfiction at the time, not writing songs for a seven time certified platinum album! After the release of her debut, each chapter is titled after one of her eleven albums with each sharing what was happening around the creation of each album all the way through reception and touring. I enjoyed learning more about the business side of Taylor - she clearly is a smart businesswoman, and it sounds like she has been since she got her start. The end of the book touches on the release of "TTPD" and Taylor's romance with NFL tight end, Travis Kelce, so this must've just wrapped up for publication in the last few weeks.
Something I enjoyed about the book is that her various boyfriends across the years were barely mentioned. Mostly, they were brought up in connection to other things such as meeting John Mayer when he tweeted at her to work on a duet with him, or writing music under a pseudonym like she did with Calvin Harris and Joe Alwyn. In fact, even though we briefly mention the all important red scarf of "All Too Well", Jake Gyllenhaal's name isn't even mentioned. These men are part of Taylor's story, but it is Taylor's story. By not focusing on the hype or the speculation about which songs are about which people, we get to focus on Taylor's songwriting, evolution, and business acumen.
It is easy to tell that the author, Caroline Sullivan, also likes Taylor Swift. She writes about her accomplishments with praise, and, there were even some times where I felt she let Taylor off the hook about some of her missteps. However, because Sullivan is also a fan, it made listening to this book feel just like a conversation with a friend about Taylor, her songs, and her story. Even the bits with quotes from the industry, good and bad, or facts and figures were easy to digest and connect narratively.
The audiobook is narrated by Katelyn Levering, and she had a tone that sounded like a combination of a girl you'd meet in line at the bathroom before The Era's Tour meets Ms. Mojo (and I mean that as a compliment!) She was very engaging, and she helped keep the pace swift (pun intended). Just a note to future listeners - Levering reads this book with an American accent, but the dates (and some verbiage) were clearly written in a British vernacular. It threw me the first few times, but I did get used to it.
Overall, this is a great book for those that are interested in learning more about the history of Taylor's Swift's career through the lens of her musical eras. Whether you're a full fledged, friendship bracelet trading Swiftie or just a casual fan, you'll find something to like with this audiobook.
"Taylor: Era by Era" comes out on June 6th (while Taylor herself is performing The Eras Tour in Milan!), and you can get your copy in print or audio wherever books are sold!