I was so lazy (maybe "busy" would be a better word—yeah, I'll go with that) in November that I finished only one book. Weird, I know. I'll try to do better in December.
Unforgettable Fire, by Eamon Dunphy. Yes, the one book I read was a U2 book. It's the "definitive biography" (I know because it says so on the cover) written in 1987, right after The Joshua Tree came out and I fell in love. There are times when the book turns into a bit of a lovefest, but overall it's a good one and a worthy addition to my U2 shelf. (Thanks, Nicole.) You might think I already know all there is to know about U2. Well, you'd be wrong. I actually learned stuff while reading this, mostly about the years before they first got together to play songs in Larry's kitchen. I also loved reading about shows that have become the stuff of legend—specifically Red Rocks and Live Aid and their first show at Croke Park—and discovering that they gained that legendary status pretty much as they were happening. Very cool. But the coolest part was discovering that even though a lot has changed in the 23 years since this book was written, the core of the band is still the same. Sure, they're currently touring the world's largest rock show ever, but they're still the same four guys from Dublin just trying to make sense of the world by getting the music in their heads to come out of their instruments. That's what they were in 1976, that's what they were in 1987, and that's what they are now—and that's just one of the many reasons I'm still a fan.
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