Blog

YourHub.com \\ Centennial \\ Blogs \\ Technology & The Web \\ Technology

Blog Entry 6 of 15 Reading Past Midnight....

Not only is there not enough time to read all the new books, or the classics, there isn't enough time to talk about them with other readers. New books arrive like mushrooms after a spring rain, and keeping up with them seems impossible. In my blog I will try to mix it up with what's new and what's classic - what sustains readers over time. A big part of my reading and writing is my attempt to get back to college and high school readiing lists and re-read the good stuff, instead of feeling guilty about all those Cliff Notes. Books, old and new, spill from my bookshelves, lurk under coffee tables, peer from beneath the bed. They call to me like sirens....come closer...just one more page. Even past midnight. My mission is simple. Keep reading and take the time to think about why the book is a classic. And as new titles arrive to join the ranks of classics, what makes them great? I'll share what I think, what I enjoy. The simple act of writing about a great book makes me look at it more deeply, helps me understand it, rewards me for the pleasure of reading. Let me know your thoughts, your favorites.

Blog Url: http://denver.yourhub.com/~somanybooks

You read the book, now hear the podcast!

e-mail to a friend | print this | link to this

NEXT › ‹ PREVIOUS

Contributed by: Irma Sturgell on 7/12/2006

We know chronic "past midnight" readers can't get enough; enough time to read, enough material to read. Life simply interferes. Audio books have helped mitigate our pain so we can listen to tapes and cds in the car, on walks, even while vacuuming, shopping or cooking.

But there is still the issue of staying current. Chronic readers must keep up with new titles; they crave talk about books beyond their monthly book clubs. Book reviews in the Sunday paper, promotional flyers from bookstores, "best of" lists and talk show chat help us stay savvy in making our reading choices. But there's more!

Now a new format, the podcast, feeds our habit with another dimension. Yes, podcasts are generally associated with music - the Ipod ads show us music-crazed silhouettes (they must all be under 20!) writhing like pretzels. It makes over 40's wince. This ain't for us! Right? Wrong! Take heart readers; there is more to podcasting than gyration at high decibles. There are books! There is talk of books!

A computer with Internet connection is all you need to get started with podcasts. You can listen to book chats on your computer and, with an mp3 player or ipod, you can take it with you. My ipod came at Christmas and after downloading all my cds, the natural next question was "What else can this thing do?" Plenty. I ventured into the iTunes music store for downloads of songs I didn't have, and that's when I discovered the podcast directory link - Click and Bingo. There it was - the Holy Grail for readers. Podcasts devoted to the discussion of books and writers. I felt like a '49er stumbling on the mother lode.

A little more fiddling and I learned how to subscribe (most are free) to podcasts that would feed my habit with daily updates about books, authors, reading, and writing. I can match my listening to my mood. Do I want to hear Sam Tanenhaus, editor of the New York Times Book Review discuss the newest books before I burn up my credit card at the local bookstore? How about chats with writers about their newest work, their writing habits, their reading habits? Do I want to stay local? The Tattered Cover podcast "Authors on Tour" gives us the skinny on recent author visits - great for the nights you can't make it to hear the real deal. Curious about what the rest of the world is reading? Try the Penguin Podcast for new British titles discussed with that charming British accent.

It is indeed a brave, new and wonderful world. Venture out. Here are my current favorite podcasts with websites (all can be found on iTunes>podcast directory):

"Authors on Tour" Tattered Cover Podcasts of author visits. Current and archived podcasts to download.

http://authorsontourlive.com

"Between the lines" Weekly author interviews hosted by Valerie Jackson, former first lady of Atlanta. Southern charm with your weekly book chat.

http://www.wabe.org/radio/shows/between_the_lines.html

"New York Times Book Review" podcast, hosted by Editor, Sam Tanenhaus. Great preview if you don't get the weekly book review magazine with the Times:

http://www.nytimes.com/

"The Penguin Podcast" from Penguin Books in the UK. Good to know what's hot across the pond:

http://thepenguinpodcast.blogs.com/podcast/

"This is Audible" They want to sell you downloads, but you can listen first to hear what's new:

http://www.audible.com/adbl/site/homepage/AnonHome.jsp?BV_UseBVCookie=Yes

And my favorite, "Writers on Writing", a weekly podcast about the "art and business of writing." Barbara DeMarco-Barrett interviews authors via public radio at the University of California/Irvine. Her web site "Pen on Fire" is worth a visit just for the name. It stirs the blood of readers!

http://writersonwriting.blogspot.com/

When browsing podcasts on iTunes, each of site links readers to other sites for more listening fun. It gets addictive pretty quickly, so be warned. But, you will be connected to the world of books in a whole new way. It's all food for the thoughtful reader. Enjoy and share your favorite sites in the comment section below.

< Previous: 'Don't read Dover Beach...' | Next: 'Jane Fonda's "My Life ...' >

[Report this as objectionable content.]

SUBMIT COMMENT

Rate the above blog

Talk Back : submit comments to the blog

*Note: you need to log-in to add a comment or rating.

Thank you! Your comment has been updated.

Showing 1 of 1 comments

Submitted By: samesha green

posted on 8/5/2006 @ 11:46:59 AM

(Not Rated)

i understand

[Report as objectionable]

Showing 1 of 1 comments

CONTRIBUTOR INFORMATION

Irma Sturgell

Centennial , CO

Irma Sturgell has posted 15 blog entries and 2 comments since joining on 4/13/2006. Irma Sturgell 's average blog rating is 5.

view profile » view other postings from Irma Sturgell »

SAVE AND SHARE THIS BLOG ENTRY

digg	Google
del.icio.us	Yahoo!
reddit	Newsvine

What is this?

BLOG ENTRY RSS FEEDS

All blog entries

All blog entries in Centennial

All blog entries by Irma Sturgell

BLOG LIST

WANT TO WRITE FOR YOURHUB.COM?

Want to see the stories you write and the photos you shoot featured in the YourHub.com Thursday print section available all over the Front Range and with home subscriptions of the Rocky Mountain News and The Denver Post? All you have to do is register, then post a story or column, start a blog or tell everyonewhat events are happening in town. We will print the best stories, columns, event listings, photos and blog entries in our print sections.

Loading Ad