Objects in the Mirror: Thoughts on a perfect life from an imperfect person

COULDN’T PUT IT DOWN!! Objects in the Mirror is uplifting, positive, real and relatable! It was a great reminder of what it means to be a good person, how your actions have the power to impact others, the importance of loving one another, heroes, forgiveness, and integrity. How we are all perfectly imperfect, but that’s not an excuse to NOT do better. It provided a great opportunity for mindful reflection and a lot of laughs too! ❤️ Highly recommend!!

I knew when Stephen Kellogg mentioned writing a book that it would be full of life lessons, love, and in an easy reading format. He did not disappoint! It was a quick read with plenty of heart. I handed it right over to my husband when I was done, and he also loved it. A great gift for anyone in your life that can read!

I’ve been a fan of Stephen Kellogg and his music ever since I first saw him perform back in the early 2000s. I’d call him a lyrical maven, which translates nicely in his new role as author. This book is a grand introspection, one which will undoubtedly lead to your own. SK writes on the universally relatable topics of family, relationships, work, integrity, and the human experience. I laughed out loud on several occasions and found my eyes glistening more than once. Having just finished (my book now dog-eared to death) I look forward to starting again, eager to recall the words and wisdom found within, further solidifying their place in this heart of mine.

Let me begin with the obvious: the primary audience for this book will be those who like Stephen Kellogg’s music. However, it should also appeal to those reaching the mid-point in their life and are curious what others have learned in their journey. Like his music, Kellogg’s book is thoughtful and filled with a certain confidence that comes from knowing who you are and being ok with that.I’ve listened to his music since around 2006, seen him perform over a dozen times in several states, and paid for more friends to see him and his old band than I care to admit. Some of the best nights I half remember have been spent singing and dancing, or even just sitting and listening, at his shows. On the surface, he and I could not be more different, but as I listen to his music and now read his words, I see why I resonate with him. He’s what I call an Ecclesiastes person, or as he’d say, he “craves absolutes but figures out everything as he goes.”This book is a distillation of what he’s figured out about being the husband of his high school sweetheart, a friend, the father of four daughters, a son of six parents, and a thoughtful man in today’s world. He tells you his highs—both literal and that “one time” he smoked with his friend—and the lows (including the time a shady record producer’s plagiarism cost him his record contract, his band, and nearly his career). Those who know his songs know that he speaks from the heart. He wants to be a good guy, and that is half the battle.You won’t find a glitzed out rock star dishing out a tell all. You’ll find a man telling his story of what it’s like to be Stephen Kellogg. You’ll be glad you took the time to see what it’s like to live that life, and thankful for a guide who is as human as a great singer-songwriter could be.What I learned is that despite vastly different lives, we’ve both had friends come and go, sometimes for no real reason; that doing work that matters to you is the best work of all, that life isn’t always beautiful so when we have those fleeting high moments to savor them; to write down what your muse tells you; to learn our partner’s needs and attend to them to have happier romantic relationships; to take life meaningfully, with humor, and create space for the things that are important to us; to seek and grant forgiveness; to raise independent children (giving them roots and wings); to be honest and have integrity; to not always expect closure when relationships end to and appreciate the power of an Irish goodbye.As with his music, Kellogg’s book will allow you to double your life by sharing what another traveler has learned chasing his dreams in magazines and achieving some of them. For that, I am highly thankful. Read this book; you will be too.

I will start my review out by stating that I am a huge fan of Stephen Kellogg's music, which I am sure partly plays into the pure enjoyment I derived from reading his book. That said, whether you listen to his music or not, SK is at his roots a storyteller. He gives us beautiful vignettes of his life in its many aspects in the essays contained in this book. They certainly aren't all perfect, his self-deprecating humor is one of the things that is so appealing about his writing (and speaking) style. He makes mistakes and bad choices in his life, like we all do, and sometimes he owns up to them (sometimes the mistake is in NOT owning up to the initial mistakes)...You can read each of the chapters in this book by itself. They stand alone. But they also build together to give a more complete picture of the author himself. Even though SK is pretty much the same age as me (I think he is 6 months older, but who really pays attention to that as an adult), he has a wisdom that is deep and well seasoned. I often found myself wondering how he got so smart when I myself often feel like I'm flailing about and missing the mark more often than not. But then I pay attention to the winding path he has taken to get where he is and realize our roads are more similar than they are different. What a miracle to feel like you belong!If you want a book that is shiny and practically perfect, this isn't the book for you. This book is real. Like its author. It is humorous (because who hasn't had a day or twenty in their lives that they just look back, shake their heads at, and laugh a little to avoid crying about). It is grounded more than you might expect from someone who makes a living by chasing his dreams. It is comfortable and uncomfortable at the same time. It'll probably get you feeling introspective and musing about your life, and it'll certainly help you appreciate all the random bits of beauty that are woven into the silly, the sublime, the messy, the masterful, the everything that is an imperfect person's perfect life.

After seeing Stephen play and meeting him a few times dating back to 2005, I was interested what kind of wisdom he could share in a book. Some of the book is average American middle class perspective, but at least 70% of Objects in the Mirror spoke deep truth to me, much of which I’ve never considered before or looked at it quite the same way. As one writer critiquing another, the least I can say about this book is that Stephen Kellogg provides a very refreshing voice that comes through the pages of this book on a vast scope of what matters most in life. A real treasure. A real page turner.