Books on the Nightstand discussion
What do you want us to talk/write about?
I want to recommend a maybe more unknown book from Kazuo Ishiguro.The title is "An Artist of the Floating World" Some people say it's like a japanese version of "Remains of the Day". I read most books from Ishiguro, but this is maybe my favorite.
Andreas_55 wrote: "Greetings from Japan, I really like your podcast a lot and got lots of good ideas what to read from you.I wonder, if you could introduce some books from the non english speaking world? There are m..."
Andreas_55, I'm listening from Japan too! So nice to know there is someone else listening on my time zone. By the way, if you haven't read the latest translation of A True Novel (Mizumura, translated by Juliet Winters Carpenter), I highly recommend it. Sort of like a Japanese, 20th C version of Wuthering Heights. All my best to you (and everyone else) from Tokyo!
That's a lovely idea to have a comfort book in mind. I had not thought of that before. Recently I read "84, Charing Cross Road" which is a collection of charming letters, and it's only 100 pages so that may be a good choice.
I have recently been reading a lot of graphic novels, and I was wondering what the definition of a graphic novel was vs. the definition of a comic. Seems to me that the distinction can be rather fluid at times. For instance, I'd definitely consider e.g. "Coraline" by Neil Gaiman a graphic novel, and "Garfield" a comic... but where would "Tintin" or "Astrix" fall? And what about "Donald Duck" or "Batman"?
I was thinking I would like to know more about "Booktube"
I love your podcast and The Readers. i would like to know if you listen to other book related podcasts and what they are.
NYT book review podcast,Bookrageous, Book Riot, Guardian Buk(how the Brits say it)podcast. I hear of Sherlock everywhere. I listen to others but I can't recall them. Ohh The Kindle Chronicles.
Thanks. I will look for those. I forgot to mention that I also listen to All the Books, Hear---Read This, Adventures with Words and Literary Disco. I can't get enough of these!
In addition to those listed above, I enjoy Reading Lives, Overdue, and Dear Book Nerd. Also, my co-worker and I just started a podcast called Well-Read, which is all about books and reading, so you might be interested in that!
Here are some more...Covered, Lit Up, Somanydamnbooks, Book Lust
Another great podcast is You Wrote the Book, hosted by Simon Savidge from the Readers and Hear-Read This.
I don't think you can beat the BBC podcasts. The radio 4 books and authors thread includes the weekly book programme and 'a good read' ,the former is topical discussions about books and the latter has two celebrities and host discussing their favourite books, the site has back episodes. Also bbc has monthly book club when an author discusses their book with readers and the world service book club , and for intellectuals Melvyn Braggs 'in our time' often discusses significant books and authors. other podcasts I enjoy include The Readers and Adventures with words. Enjoy
Andrew wrote: "I don't think you can beat the BBC podcasts. The radio 4 books and authors thread includes the weekly book programme and 'a good read' ,the former is topical discussions about books and the latter ..."I am interested in these, where can I find them?
Janet wrote: "Andrew wrote: "I don't think you can beat the BBC podcasts. The radio 4 books and authors thread includes the weekly book programme and 'a good read' ,the former is topical discussions about books ..."I download them from itunes, if you search bbc in the podcast section it is easy to find. Otherwise the bbc website is easy to navigate and radio 4 has a specific page that allows downloads and listen again facility. Good luck.
Yes the Bbc books podcast are well done and very civil.
Simon Thomas, who co-hosted an episode of The Readers with Thomas while Simon was away, has a new podcast, Tea or Books.
Just heard about this project and very excited! This could be the subject of a BOTNS episode.http://www.vintage-books.co.uk/about-...
Such wonderful choices for the authors!
Janet wrote: "Just heard about this project and very excited! This could be the subject of a BOTNS episode.http://www.vintage-books.co.uk/about-...
Such wonderful choices for ..."
What a great suggestion.
Mod
http://www.vintage-books.co.uk/about-...
Such wonderful choices for ..."
I happened into something about Winter's Tale today. Thought it looked interesting. Didn't know about this tie-in. Thanks, Janet.
I'm curious about something: Often reviewers say "thank you to XYZ Publisher for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review." How does one connect with publishers to do this? I would love it. Might be a great topic for BOTNS, particularly since Michael and Ann are both publisher reps.
The outlets I've used are the "First Reads" program through Goodreads . . . although I rarely "win" an ARC these days. You might also try www.netgalley.com if you have the ability to read electronically. Finally, I subscribe to the Shelf Awareness email and often there are offers of ARCs in the sidebar advertisements that you can enter to win.I agree that it would make a great BOTNS topic. I'd like to learn about other programs out there.
It seems to me that publisher descriptions of books have started going overboard with superlatives and purple prose. I can't even read them anymore and turn to blogs and thoughtful goodreads reviews instead. Has something changed? I don't remember it always being this way......
Hi there, I was wondering if you could talk about banned books or books that have been banned in the past and what they came to be. Thought that could make an interesting episode. Let me know if you've already covered this in an episode that I have missed. I have a few examples in my mind like mockingbird and catcher in the rye. I am fascinated by the forbidden. Just read "into the river" by Ted Dawe , which is on interim restriction in New Zealand for its explicit language. Anyway I seem to be fascinated by the forbidden so that would be interesting.
This is Banned Books week in the U.S. Some may not be aware but there are still many books banned in some states. I'll look for a link later.
Barbara wrote: "This is Banned Books week in the U.S. Some may not be aware but there are still many books banned in some states. I'll look for a link later."Here's the article I was thinking of from Powell's Books: 30 Books Banned in Oregon
http://www.powells.com/blog/lists/30-...
Good old Banned Book week, a touchy subject to say the least.
Gerald wrote: "Good old Banned Book week, a touchy subject to say the least."Do you mean the controversy over whether books get banned anymore? Or the debate between who should get to decide if a book gets removed?
Who. I can understand why parents want books banned but I think parents should do that themselves.
Public libraries and school libraries use tax dollars to buy books and the probably makes them susceptible to pressures to ban books from individuals and interest groups.
Barbara wrote: "Public libraries and school libraries use tax dollars to buy books and the probably makes them susceptible to pressures to ban books from individuals and interest groups."Indeed. But should the tax dollars of the majority dictate what the tax dollars of the minority go towards? Libraries should be for everyone. (I know you weren't promoting censorship, just stating my own opinion.) This is why I attend any challenge hearing that I know about.
I work in an academic library and when our local public library removed a book, we ordered a copy so patrons could still get it through interlibrary loan. Booyah!
Jenny,I like that kind of subversiveness!
If you don't want to read a book (or don't want your kids to read a book), then don't read it (or let your kids read it). But don't you dare presume that you have the right to decide for me or my kids what we should/shouldn't/can/can't read. My tax dollars are paying for that library too. Three cheers for Jenny's subversive library! :)
"I really didn't realize the librarians were, you know, such a dangerous group. They are subversive. You think they're just sitting there at the desk, all quiet and everything. They're like plotting the revolution, man. I wouldn't mess with them." - Michael Moore(muahaha)
I had some harsh critics at my church when I left the summer festival to go to a Harry Potter release party one year. I was an adult and a divinity school grad! I entered into a heated debate about good vs evil and literature and fiction vs witchcraft. I agree with Amy, there are so many books out there if one doesn't suit your interests pick another and leave the rest for someone else.
I have this "issue" with Hanya Yanigahara's "A little life" and I'm interested to know your thoughts. . . I read her first book "The People in the Trees" and I really enjoyed it and I thought probably I would read her next book. But when I read the review and heard that it was about pedophilia and homosexual child abuse, I was less interested. Not b/c I would not read about those issues, but b/c I felt like "she already did that subject" in her previous book and I felt let down. Another example of this is David Mitchell in Cloud Atlas and his book The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet. In the Korean portion of Cloud Atlas, the "big secret" thing that is going on is very similar to the big secret thing going on in Jacob de Zoet. . . and again I felt let down. . .
Does this make sense? Does it ever bother you when an author deals with the same subject matter or the same technique in two different books?
With Mitchell the crossover is intentional, as all his works are part of a larger über novel. I've read both books by Yanagihara and I don't think you'll feel they are the same book by any stretch of the imagination. Reducing it to the description you've found hardly does it justice!
I've read both books also and agree with Jenny. They are completely different.
I'm American but living in Switzerland for a year for my husband's job. I met some American fiction authors living in Switzerland, completely randomly through my son's summer camp. They invited me to join their book club and one of the books is The Looking-Glass Sisters. Peirene Press which publishes the book is this fascinating small publishing house in London that publishes 3 novellas of translated fiction/year. Books designed to be read in an afternoon. . . http://www.peirenepress.com/homeIt's the sort of thing you guys would find interesting I think. They encourage yearly subscriptions and I think I'm going to buy several for friends as Xmas gifts. . .
So happy to hear Ann talking about essays. I have two favorite sources of them. The annual Best American Essays, which is a compilation of essays from journals and magazines for the year (there's also Best American Travel Essays) and Fourth Genre, which is a literary journal of nonfiction essays. You can read samples on the FG web site. Me Talk Pretty Someday by David Sedaris and Take the Canoli by Sarah Vowell, both collections of essays, are just so much fun (not recent however). You'll breeze through them! Yay! Essays!
Karin wrote: "So happy to hear Ann talking about essays. I have two favorite sources of them. The annual Best American Essays, which is a compilation of essays from journals and magazines for the year (there's a..."I left a comment on their website but I was excited too! I took a class in creative non fiction and it really opened up my reading life. Among my favorites are Annie Dillard, Lia Purpura and Joni Tevis.
At some point, I'd love for you to talk about books that are about gender roles - fiction, non-fiction, memoir whatever. I'm always looking for new ideas to read these sorts of books.
This sort of relates to the comfort books topic above (I like this idea!), but what about books that have very strong sense memories attached? For example, are there books that strongly remind you of a certain time or place in your life, or certain people? Do people reread to recall that feeling, almost like a virtual memory album? Additionally, what does one do to "reset" that sense memory (for example, if you associate a book with a darker period of life and want to reread or finish it without going back to that memory)? I imagine comfort books are comforting because they evoke some sort of tranquility response or memory; it's interesting to think about the other side of the equation too!
I'd like to hear about keeping up with indie publishers, small labels, etc.
Eric wrote: "Plays."I agree! I have been listening to Playing on Air, a new podcast/show that profiles new short plays performed by real actors for broadcast. Some of the stories are fantastic.
I think many of us would love to hear how BOTNS became involved in this year's Tournament of Books!
I have a little problem and wonder if you've talked about this or might like to. I'll bet it's a common occurrence, but this feels new to me. A friend--not a close one, but a long-term one, has JUST discovered books (at 63!). She read a whole series and got so excited about how HILARIOUS they are that she mailed all three books in the series to me and is now dying to have me read them AND REPORT! I'm thrilled she's reading--truly I am--but when the books arrived and I began dipping into them, I immediately recognized they are NOT MY CUP O' TEA! These are formulaic: The Hot Flash Club, The Hot Flash Club Strikes Again, and The Hot Flash Club Chills Out. I am skimming so I can talk about them with her--clearly what she desires--but I can hardly bear the thought of saying anything to her about them I may be a book snob, but I surely do not want to be discovered as such, and I sure don't want to rain on her new reading hobby. What shall I do? (And does this belong in a different thread?)
Books on the Nightstand
Books mentioned in this topic
The Looking-Glass Sisters (other topics)Leviathan Wakes (other topics)
The Glass Room (other topics)
The Invisible Bridge (other topics)
Ancillary Justice (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Annie Dillard (other topics)Lia Purpura (other topics)
Joni Tevis (other topics)
Athol Dickson (other topics)
Mark Helprin (other topics)
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I found this question very interesting and have been thinking about it for days. These traits may just come with the job, and what is needed to continue to develop a character. Would the character be as interesting if not for their troubles? I honestly have come up empty-handed. Is it just the nature of the beast?