Sounds Like Me: My Life (So Far) in Song

by Sara Bareilles

Check out Little Voice on Apple TV+! Little Voice is inspired by a lost song from Sara Bareilles’s first studio album.

This updated New York Times bestselling collection of essays by seven-time Grammy nominated singer songwriter Sara Bareilles “resonates with authentic and hard-won truths” (Publishers Weekly)—and features new material on the hit Broadway musical, Waitress.

Sara Bareilles “pours her heart and soul into these essays” (Associated Press), sharing the joys and the struggles that come with creating great work, all while staying true to yourself. Imbued with humor and marked by Sara’s confessional writing style, this essay collection tells the inside story behind some of her most popular songs. Well known for her chart-topper “Brave,” Sara first broke through in 2007 with her multi-platinum single “Love Song.” She has since released seven albums that have sold millions of copies and spawned several hits.

“A breezy, upbeat, and honest reflection of this multitalented artist” (Kirkus Reviews), Sounds Like Me reveals Sara Bareilles, the artist—and the woman—on songwriting, soul searching, and what’s discovered along the way.

• ISBN10: 1982142227
• ISBN13: 9781982142223
• Publish Date: 9 January 2020 (first published 1 October 2015)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Simon & Schuster
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 208
• Language: English

Reviews

[Amber (The Literary Phoenix)]

When I was a little younger, Sara Bareilles’s music became a bit of a refuge for me – she spoke the words I needed to say, but couldn’t. Her song “King of Anything” is still one of my favorites. Songs from her Broadway musical Waitress have kept me afloat in my darkest moments. Her memoir Sounds Like Me has been on my TBR for a few years, because I really wanted to know more about the lady behind the music that I loved so much.

Right from the get-go, you can tell that writing this book was a struggle for Sara. She admits it – how she put it off, tried to back out of it, but is grateful people kept pushing her forward. The whole thing sits a bit awkwardly, like a conversation with someone you haven’t seen in a long time and trying to fill the emptiness with stories from the past. It is made up of stories and anecdotes from both Sara and others. Lyrics to a few of her songs are woven within essays.

For much of the book, Sara focuses on her experience in school being body shamed, and how that inspired her work. The rest of the book chooses stories around her most successful songs – “Gravity”, “Love Song”, and “Brave”. She also speaks in one section a little bit about writing for Waitress. All the sections are a little bit rambling and leave room for more details, like the edges of a story but not the heart of it. This actually surprised me – I find Sara’s music so full of heart, I really thought her book would feel the same.

This isn’t to say that she didn’t try, because it is clear she did. This is not her medium.

Outside of the actual crafting of the book, I was a bit disappointed. There is nothing more rewarding in reading a memoir than finding a person who inspires you (My Life on the Road) or someone you unexpectedly relate to (The Girl With the Lower Back Tattoo). While others will be invigorated and inspired by Sara’s story, I was not. To me, Sara is a person with talent who worked hard, surrounded herself with supportive people, and makes music. I still love her music, but I feel nothing special towards her as a person. I’m happy she became a musician and I am grateful for the songs she has written that are close to my heart.

Overall, I really could take or leave this book. I think that big fans of Sara’s will enjoy it, but as far as memoirs go, there’s nothing about it that makes her story jump off the page.

[lindsey]

(Source: I received a copy of this book from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.)


I was so excited when I first heard Sara Bareilles was writing a book, and I impatiently counted down the days until I could finally read it.  I've been a fan of hers for years, as I mentioned in an earlier post on my blog, and I sort of felt like a proud mother when I received my copy in the mail.  That may sound odd since she's three years older than I, and I've never actually met her, but following her progress from the time before she ever even signed with a record label to now, when she's written a book, has been amazing and inspiring.  So, yes, I am proud of her.

Sometimes we, or least I, think that singers, actors, writers, etc, have it all together.  They never struggle with their craft.  They never have bad days, or even bad hair days.  They never have worries or deal with anxiety.  I know it isn't true, but on the surface it sometimes seems like they lead charmed lives.  That's why I occasionally enjoy reading celebrity biographies.  Not that I enjoy reading about the misfortunes of other people, but because, in well-written ones, at least, the stories are inspiring and encouraging.  That's the case with Sounds Like Me.  Though I don't really consider this a celeb bio; it's more of a letter to her fans.

Sounds Like Me is incredibly honest.  Sara was candid, and not afraid to talk about some of the hard things she's dealt with in life.  Or, if she was afraid, she took her own advice - she was brave, and talked about the hard things anyway.

She discussed her childhood - from idyllic times with her family to heartbreaking stories of being bullied.  She talked about failed relationships, her struggles with depression and anxiety, and her worries about finding her purpose in life.  And, of course, her music plays a huge part in the book.  I enjoyed reading the backstories for some of her songs, and I have an even greater appreciation for her music than I did before.

Sara comes across as someone you'd really like to hang out with - just watching Netflix and eating pizza.  It's easy to relate to the stories she shared, and even though she has been blessed with so much success, she still seems down to earth.

This was a very quick read, however that may have just been because I devoured it.  I didn't want to put it down, and I was sad when I finished it, as I wanted it to go on for another 200 pages, at least.  If you're a fan, I would highly recommend Sounds Like Me.  It's encouraging, inspiring, and it lets you get to know Sara as a person, and not just as a singer and songwriter.

[Rowena]

This was an interesting read. It didn't take long for me to dig right in either. I liked that we got a peek into the real Sara Bareilles and I really liked that at the start of each chapter (or essay), was one of her songs. This isn't my usual thing but I thought Bareilles did a great job telling her truths in this book...and it's nice to hear the real story behind her hit song, Love Song.