As of last night, t'club is now also to be found on Tumblr - a sort of mini-blog-maxi-twitter site place. Tis fun. Also very silly a great deal of the time!
Looking forward to seeing what's catching your eye/ear/various other senses there soon!
Friday, 3 June 2011
Tumblr!
As of last night, t'club is now also to be found on Tumblr - a sort of mini-blog-maxi-twitter site place. Tis fun. Also very silly a great deal of the time!
Looking forward to seeing what's catching your eye/ear/various other senses there soon!
Thursday, 2 June 2011
Music To Read Books By
On those rare occasions when I have an evening set aside to just immerse myself in a good book, I find myself choosing particular music to accompany me. Often the album du jour just won't do. Certain albums do more than just 'set the mood', they sort of blend with the book involved, often with the two becoming indelibly linked.
Music - when reading is involved - shouldn't be distracting. It shouldn't be overpowering. No matter how good the artist or song, the music must be a secondary consideration. Good music has the capacity to enthrall or enhance, depending on the situation. There's nothing worse than being dragged back to the real world because the musical mood has shifted from perfect to awful in under three seconds.
There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to listening to read-along music. How could there be, when listening to music is so personal an experience? A mate I know will only read to classical music. Another won't listen to music at all, to avoid any external associations or influences. I had one teacher who couldn't understand how anyone could read while listening to music with lyrics. 'The stories clash. The. Stories. Clash' was her increasingly loud and occasionally shrill assessment, though non-lyrical pieces were fine.
Me? While I am interested by the debate, I don't really have a stance on it. I don't care if it's classical, pop, rock, folk, punk, rap, country, bluegrass, folky-rock, gothy-pop, folky punk as long as it suits my mood and the world I'm occupying at that moment in time. I was shocked to discover that Green Day provided good Austen soundtrack (seriously, listen to Basket case while Marianne is having her whole 'woe is me, I'm the only person in the world who feels anything in the whole wide world' whinge or Good Riddance during Persuasion when the Captain leaves Anne at the beginning) or that American Gods could be best read while listening to Emmy Lou Harris! Or that country and scifi go hand in hand for me...since Firefly...
Taste is a weird and wonderful mystery!
It's just as funny how some music doesn't work along side the written word. Leonard Cohen and Bob Dylan are amazing song writer story tellers. Perhaps it is this very descriptive narrative structure that puts me off reading alongside them. Even on the bus, if I shuffle to a track by either of these gents, I end up staring out the window rather then reading for the duration. Kimya Dawson too now I think of it (which is additionally odd, as I CAN read throughout the Juno soundtrack!). Radiohead, despite being a terrific band, don't take on other emotional characteristics in my experience than the music offers. I'm more likely to view the book through Radiohead "headphones", than I am to alter my initial perceptions and responses to the music....
Music - when reading is involved - shouldn't be distracting. It shouldn't be overpowering. No matter how good the artist or song, the music must be a secondary consideration. Good music has the capacity to enthrall or enhance, depending on the situation. There's nothing worse than being dragged back to the real world because the musical mood has shifted from perfect to awful in under three seconds.
There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to listening to read-along music. How could there be, when listening to music is so personal an experience? A mate I know will only read to classical music. Another won't listen to music at all, to avoid any external associations or influences. I had one teacher who couldn't understand how anyone could read while listening to music with lyrics. 'The stories clash. The. Stories. Clash' was her increasingly loud and occasionally shrill assessment, though non-lyrical pieces were fine.
Me? While I am interested by the debate, I don't really have a stance on it. I don't care if it's classical, pop, rock, folk, punk, rap, country, bluegrass, folky-rock, gothy-pop, folky punk as long as it suits my mood and the world I'm occupying at that moment in time. I was shocked to discover that Green Day provided good Austen soundtrack (seriously, listen to Basket case while Marianne is having her whole 'woe is me, I'm the only person in the world who feels anything in the whole wide world' whinge or Good Riddance during Persuasion when the Captain leaves Anne at the beginning) or that American Gods could be best read while listening to Emmy Lou Harris! Or that country and scifi go hand in hand for me...since Firefly...Taste is a weird and wonderful mystery!
It's just as funny how some music doesn't work along side the written word. Leonard Cohen and Bob Dylan are amazing song writer story tellers. Perhaps it is this very descriptive narrative structure that puts me off reading alongside them. Even on the bus, if I shuffle to a track by either of these gents, I end up staring out the window rather then reading for the duration. Kimya Dawson too now I think of it (which is additionally odd, as I CAN read throughout the Juno soundtrack!). Radiohead, despite being a terrific band, don't take on other emotional characteristics in my experience than the music offers. I'm more likely to view the book through Radiohead "headphones", than I am to alter my initial perceptions and responses to the music....
Below I've included some general music that I think enhances a reading
Initially introduced to this French duo via the 10 Things I Hate About You soundtrack. Providing perfectly etherial and magical mood music, Air manage to be both haunting in places, and artificially cheerful in others.
I enjoy listening to this when I'm reading deep and serious books - in fact, I've pulled this album out for two #BookerChallenge reads recently.
Glen Hansard is one of those guys who was pretty great on a guitar as a kid, but some 20 years of solid writing, preforming and rocking later - is a LEGEND now!
You might know him as Outspan from the Commitments (but for the love of God don't tell him! Apparently he has decided that role was a mistake - distracting him from music), or as the incredible lead singer for the Frames, as half of The Swell Sessions, or as that busker from Once - which won an Oscar for the song he wrote and sang!
He was also featured on The Simpsons!
Any album for any book. No, seriously. That's how amazing I think the Frames are.
Live Through This is the better grunge album (heck, I'm a fan, and I'm convinced that's as it was mostly written by Kurt Cobain), and demonstrates a group growing confident as to their place in their world, unafraid to tackle the big and the awful. Celebrity Skin - Hole's final* album - is more slickly produced, definitely angled to a more mainstream audience, and possibly over polished (cough...Nevermind
With the exams behind me, I started reading practically anything I could lay my hands on. After months of complete and total fixation on tests, I NEEDED some fiction. Returning to an old favourite, I re-read the Pegasus series by Anne McCaffrey (To Ride Pegasus, Pegasus in Flight and Pegasus in Space - precursors to her better known Rowan series). These three books chart the rise and rise of Talents - people who evolve powers and abilities none can explain. First read when I was about 14years of age, the themes of alienation, difference and hope still inspire reflection in me. Besides, her works were among the first SF that I found for myself as a youngling, so I will always have a soft spot in my heart, and space on my bookshelf for these. As the first book consists of short stories, the fast pace of the songs fits with the tone. And as each story and subsequent book packs as much exploration of humanity and expectations for those with differing abilities as it can, the songs provide a pulsating soundtrack that just works for me! Where possible, I play Doll Parts as I start each book, and Miss World as I finish. There is a story in the first of the books 'A Bridle for Pegasus' that just fits Asking for it to a t!
*Nobody's Daughter was released in 2010 and features none of the original band members but Courtney Love. So, technically a Hole album...but not really... if you know what I mean...
I was actually in two minds about including this album, as it has become linked in my mind with the passing of my grandmother. Around that time, I had been reading The Diary of Anne Frank for the 27500th time. The tragedy I was experiencing; coupled with the book and the premature death of such a talented musician; somehow brought me a sense of perspective and not a little peace. And although I can never interact with either without the association of these past events, the passage of time has only heightened my appreciation. Jeff Buckley had an astounding range vocally, and was in total control of his instrument. A perfectionist, he hated to release anything without feeling that it was as close to the best as it could be. I think that this intensity shines through in every track. Although I think his (to my mind definitive) version of Hallelujah is hailed near universally, it is Last Goodbye that I time with certain books. That song has the depth and capacity to leave me howling in despair, or ready to face the world anew, depending on what else is happening around me.
I can't possibly do justice to The Diary of Anne Frank and the three versions released during my lifetime alone in this piece. Suffice to say, I have loved this book for two thirds of my life. It will never be irrelevant to me. Anne and her family are real, living, breathing people between these pages, and a moment in time - albeit one of the worst humanity has ever inflicted upon itself - is captured and described in evocative and universal terms. Anne was an extraordinary writer, living in extraordinary times. I - like everyone else who has read this diary - can't help but wonder what she might have achieved had she lived.
The only downside to mentioning it here, is that I now really want to read it again. I have to stop doing this to myself!
Right, this post ended up being longer than expected, so I shall draw to a close now. Please let me know what you're thinking by sharing your thoughts with us in the comments section, or on twitter.
The Twitteratti speak
On twitter, the following albums/artists have been recommended to read along to:Regina Spektor - in the bath with a glass of wine (clearly, @Carrie_l_hall is a soul sister of mine)
Zero 7 - The Garden was the offering of @Zoe28, who must be both cool and mellow, if music tastes are any indication!
Belle & Sebastian - Put the book back on the shelf (don't agree with the sentiment but the music is lovely, as suggested by @SimonRowbotham!)
Sugar - Copper Blue - used by @NickRowan27 as a revision tool. After all, an album can't distract when you know it inside and out!!
Moby - Play - provided @SaraTeresaPhoto with her studying soundtrack at university, and she still experiences french conjugation flashbacks when she hears any of the tracks! This actually makes her lucky. Everytime I hear Moby, an advert appears in my head :(
On the other hand, book clubbers @MonkeySon and @Meulop prefer lyric-less music, or nowt at all, to avoid distracting them from their books!
Wednesday, 1 June 2011
Book That Children's Book Appeal
So today I threw all my toys out of my pram a bit over this article (Guardian Link) from a report from The National Literacy Trust that 3/10 children do not have their own books.
Now I know that there are millions of children that go without a bed every night and I am in no way saying this is more important. But this is something that quite frankly makes me rage.
Because without fail every single time I set up the Travelling Suitcase Library, someone always says "oh I have sooooo many books I mean to donate".
Really? Well three in ten children DON'T and I'm sorry but that is bollocks.
So in the midst of my Massive Row on twitter about this whole thing, in which I behaved like a petulant child which I'm very sorry for, I was contacted by a primary school teacher working in inner city Birmingham whose children love books, but do not have that much access to them.
I know there are various arguments that unless adults are reading, children won't. That's why I always carry a book everywhere I go, read in public at every opportunity and try and get as many people as possible to do the same, only by normalising reading does it become acceptable, only by saying "actually, this is what we do" do you stop the idea that by reading you are somehow missing out on "having a life".
And how is a child supposed to know if they're a reader or not if they don't have the opportunity to explore reading?
SO I've got this primary school's address and will be sending them the books that are age appropriate from the TSL and my shelves.
I think I've got about 30, which is pathetic and less that a class full. I can't afford to this month but next month I shall be hitting the charity shops in an attempt to get that number up. Do YOU have children's books just lying around waiting to be donated?
If you want to send some, email me bookelfleeds (at) gmail (dot) com and I'll email you the address.
Thanks, and Happy Reading!
Now I know that there are millions of children that go without a bed every night and I am in no way saying this is more important. But this is something that quite frankly makes me rage.
Because without fail every single time I set up the Travelling Suitcase Library, someone always says "oh I have sooooo many books I mean to donate".
Really? Well three in ten children DON'T and I'm sorry but that is bollocks.
So in the midst of my Massive Row on twitter about this whole thing, in which I behaved like a petulant child which I'm very sorry for, I was contacted by a primary school teacher working in inner city Birmingham whose children love books, but do not have that much access to them.
I know there are various arguments that unless adults are reading, children won't. That's why I always carry a book everywhere I go, read in public at every opportunity and try and get as many people as possible to do the same, only by normalising reading does it become acceptable, only by saying "actually, this is what we do" do you stop the idea that by reading you are somehow missing out on "having a life".
And how is a child supposed to know if they're a reader or not if they don't have the opportunity to explore reading?
SO I've got this primary school's address and will be sending them the books that are age appropriate from the TSL and my shelves.
I think I've got about 30, which is pathetic and less that a class full. I can't afford to this month but next month I shall be hitting the charity shops in an attempt to get that number up. Do YOU have children's books just lying around waiting to be donated?
If you want to send some, email me bookelfleeds (at) gmail (dot) com and I'll email you the address.
Thanks, and Happy Reading!
Sunday, 29 May 2011
(Apologies if you follow me on Twitter - I imgaine that you are already aware of the following!)
LeedsBookClub now has it's own Facebook page. If you prefer to glance over t'blog there, please feel free to swing by and give us a 'like'
LeedsBookClub now has it's own Facebook page. If you prefer to glance over t'blog there, please feel free to swing by and give us a 'like'
Saturday, 28 May 2011
E-Books, Free books and audiobooks. Oh My!
(Last week, a friend of mine confessed that she had no idea where to find a good selection for her eReader. I've done a little digging and these are my favourites)
So, you betrayed your principles, the printed page and all that is good in the world and acquired an eReader.*
You've tinkered with the settings, brightness and contrast.
You've oohed and aahed at the 'amazing' screensavers and marvelled at the glare free screen.
You've downloaded the free copy of Winnie the Pooh from the linked book store (where available).
Now it's time to build up some sort of collection.
There are a number of sites/marketplaces/stores where e-Books - in a variety of different formats - are fairly accessible, even to the most technically challenged reader. Possibly the best known are Amazon and Apple, but most book stores and their related web sites now have ebook sections.
For some incredibly inconvenient reason, there are dozens of different formats, so bear in mind that you need to research which will work for you.
How annoying.
I hate when these 'format wars' come into play. Sure, part of the battle is to find a suitable working format, but for the most part, I'm pretty sure this overwhelmingly impacts the consumer negatively. Like if you had a kindle and then got an iPad, you can't (couldn't?) swop your books over? Grrr.
From a quick search online, and after chatting with my mates, there are two primary complaints to be heard over and over again - eBooks cost too much, and the choice is limited.
With regards to the latter, I think that time will be the only solution. The longer eBooks are a viable option, the more books will be released in varying formats. And here in the UK, the emphasis is till very much on printed books. As the eBook market grows, more stores will offer a greater range.
However, the former is a little more tricky. See, me, I like books. I actually prefer reading a page over a screen. And I value having a *physical* copy on my shelves. So, I wouldn't want to pay full price for a virtual book - I just wouldn't feel like it's good value for money. I'm aware that's probably a little ridiculous - same author, same work etc. Besides, I'm always terrified everything will get wiped in some unimaginably horrible home IT catastrophe.
I expect that eBooks will follow the same path as music. Virtual albums originally cost the same as a CD version, and are now often considerably cheaper. Course it took years for that to start...
So it's good to know that there are some fantastic book shop alternatives, offering public domain books, audio books and more FOR FREE - my favourite price for any book! (Course this is just to get you started. A definitive list would take forever and a day!)
Your Local Libraries - That's right folks, chances are, your library is providing or preparing to provide ebooks and you never even knew it! Recently, there have been new deals worked out between libraries and publishing houses so if you haven't thought to check before - now might be the perfect time!
Project Gutenberg - I can't possibly promote this site enough. I think I tell every person I can about it!
Created in 1971 to digitise and archive cultural works, in order to encourage access to eBooks; there are now over 10 different affiliated sites (i.e. Project Gutenberg Australia). All the books submitted to PG are in the 'Public Domain' or out of copy write, so there are just tons of classics! I love the ideology and concepts that drive PG. Mostly, I love being able to access over 34 000 books (in multiple formats). So regardless of your eReader, you should be able to find something you can use!
LibriVox - Since 2005, this site provides a free online audio library, with a collection of over 4200 audio books as of the beginning of this year. Run by volunteers; any one with an interest can contribute by recording excerpts/chapters/books for the site. The site is predominantly orientated towards English language content, though slowly other languages are starting to become available.
In all honesty, the quality of the audio books varies - some are as polished as professional audio books, while others are ...not, with gaps, or mumbled parts.
There is an easy work around for that. Download an audio book, and if you think that you could read it better - do so!!
Google Books - Either the best or worst thing to happen to literature, depending on whom you ask. Google books provides full scans of books, in some cases regardless of whether the author approves. Have to admit, it's still pretty useful, if a bit murky.
Open Content Alliance - Created in part as a response to the Google Books, this site differs in that it digitises books AFTER receiving permission from the copyright holder. Member of the Open Book Alliance.**
And there are some sites that specialise on particular geographical regions.
Runivers - a not for profit website focused on providing library like access to Russian culture and history. (Slightly controversial this - the site has been criticised for using borrowed content. You've been warned. I imagine that if Russian history, literature and culture is your thing, you'll have been right put off by this addendum...)
Europeana - This is the hub for digitised culture throughout Europe - books, music, art - this site has a little bit of everything. Institutions across the continent have all contributed, and the idea is to bring together European Culture to be accessed by all.
Project Runeberg -Patterned after PG, this specialises in Nordic History.
Anyhoo, these are just a few of the dozens of sites out there, but free from dodgy malware (a worry whenever you look at downloading anything). Feel free to share your favourites in the comments!
*Not phrased thus through jealousy. Honest. My lack of eReader status has left me with no bitterness.
**Collection of book related sites, unified by opposition to the Google Book Settlement. They are working together to avoid a monopoly in the digital marketplace.
So, you betrayed your principles, the printed page and all that is good in the world and acquired an eReader.*You've tinkered with the settings, brightness and contrast.
You've oohed and aahed at the 'amazing' screensavers and marvelled at the glare free screen.
You've downloaded the free copy of Winnie the Pooh from the linked book store (where available).
Now it's time to build up some sort of collection.
So, I love buying books...
For some incredibly inconvenient reason, there are dozens of different formats, so bear in mind that you need to research which will work for you.
How annoying.
I hate when these 'format wars' come into play. Sure, part of the battle is to find a suitable working format, but for the most part, I'm pretty sure this overwhelmingly impacts the consumer negatively. Like if you had a kindle and then got an iPad, you can't (couldn't?) swop your books over? Grrr.
From a quick search online, and after chatting with my mates, there are two primary complaints to be heard over and over again - eBooks cost too much, and the choice is limited.
With regards to the latter, I think that time will be the only solution. The longer eBooks are a viable option, the more books will be released in varying formats. And here in the UK, the emphasis is till very much on printed books. As the eBook market grows, more stores will offer a greater range.
However, the former is a little more tricky. See, me, I like books. I actually prefer reading a page over a screen. And I value having a *physical* copy on my shelves. So, I wouldn't want to pay full price for a virtual book - I just wouldn't feel like it's good value for money. I'm aware that's probably a little ridiculous - same author, same work etc. Besides, I'm always terrified everything will get wiped in some unimaginably horrible home IT catastrophe.
I expect that eBooks will follow the same path as music. Virtual albums originally cost the same as a CD version, and are now often considerably cheaper. Course it took years for that to start...
...but I prefer when I get them for free
Your Local Libraries - That's right folks, chances are, your library is providing or preparing to provide ebooks and you never even knew it! Recently, there have been new deals worked out between libraries and publishing houses so if you haven't thought to check before - now might be the perfect time!
Project Gutenberg - I can't possibly promote this site enough. I think I tell every person I can about it!
Created in 1971 to digitise and archive cultural works, in order to encourage access to eBooks; there are now over 10 different affiliated sites (i.e. Project Gutenberg Australia). All the books submitted to PG are in the 'Public Domain' or out of copy write, so there are just tons of classics! I love the ideology and concepts that drive PG. Mostly, I love being able to access over 34 000 books (in multiple formats). So regardless of your eReader, you should be able to find something you can use!
LibriVox - Since 2005, this site provides a free online audio library, with a collection of over 4200 audio books as of the beginning of this year. Run by volunteers; any one with an interest can contribute by recording excerpts/chapters/books for the site. The site is predominantly orientated towards English language content, though slowly other languages are starting to become available.
In all honesty, the quality of the audio books varies - some are as polished as professional audio books, while others are ...not, with gaps, or mumbled parts.
There is an easy work around for that. Download an audio book, and if you think that you could read it better - do so!!
Google Books - Either the best or worst thing to happen to literature, depending on whom you ask. Google books provides full scans of books, in some cases regardless of whether the author approves. Have to admit, it's still pretty useful, if a bit murky.
Open Content Alliance - Created in part as a response to the Google Books, this site differs in that it digitises books AFTER receiving permission from the copyright holder. Member of the Open Book Alliance.**
And there are some sites that specialise on particular geographical regions.
Runivers - a not for profit website focused on providing library like access to Russian culture and history. (Slightly controversial this - the site has been criticised for using borrowed content. You've been warned. I imagine that if Russian history, literature and culture is your thing, you'll have been right put off by this addendum...)
Europeana - This is the hub for digitised culture throughout Europe - books, music, art - this site has a little bit of everything. Institutions across the continent have all contributed, and the idea is to bring together European Culture to be accessed by all.
Project Runeberg -Patterned after PG, this specialises in Nordic History.
Anyhoo, these are just a few of the dozens of sites out there, but free from dodgy malware (a worry whenever you look at downloading anything). Feel free to share your favourites in the comments!
*Not phrased thus through jealousy. Honest. My lack of eReader status has left me with no bitterness.
**Collection of book related sites, unified by opposition to the Google Book Settlement. They are working together to avoid a monopoly in the digital marketplace.
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