Bookbabble Episode 22: Kindles in the Mountains

Jan 1, 2009 by donny

Bookbabble Episode 22: Kindles in the Mountains
Recorded 13 Nov 2008
Babblers: Gem, Lars, Donny

Synopsis:

The babblers talk about Michael Crichton’s passing and Oprah’s support for Kindle, and we find out that you can’t run away from the Kindle, even if you live in an ashram.

Books mentioned:

• The Hour I First Believed – Wally Lamb
• Just After Sunset – Stephen King
• A Mercy – Toni Morrison
• The Story of Edgar Sawtelle – David Wroblewski
• The Days of Abandonment – Elena Ferrante
• Diary of a Bad Year – J.M. Coetzee
• Don Quixote – Miguel De Cervantes
• The Stone Gods – Jeanette Winterson

Links:

• Fretful booksellers count on name authors for holiday sales

 

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Bookbabble Episode 14: Holy Good-Graphic-Novels, Batman!

Jul 23, 2008 by donny

Bookbabble Episode 14: Holy Good-Graphic-Novels, Batman!  

Recorded 23 July 2008

Babblers: Gem, Lars, Donny

Synopsis:
Are graphic novels worth reading?  The babblers discuss the popular medium that is more often maligned and misunderstood, and makes it understandable to all.  Well, we tried, anyway.  Lots of recommendations for first time readers, and for those who’d like to try something new.  Also, Gem still doesn’t like what she sees on top of the book charts, and Wikipedia to be published?

Recommendations from Scott Saavedra:
Midnight Sun Graphic Novel, Ben Towle
Zombies Calling, Faith Erin Hicks
Paris Collection, Andi Watson and Simon Gane

Links:

• Scott Saavedra (blog)
• SLG publishing
• Das Wikipedia – online resource goes into print

 

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Bookbabble Episode 12: Collective Human Knowledge Gone Wilde!

Jul 5, 2008 by donny

Bookbabble Episode 12: Collective Human Knowledge Gone Wilde!

Recorded 5 July 2008

Babblers: Lars, Gem, Katherine, Donny, with special guest Renee Wallace

Synopsis:
The babblers are joined by a special guest, Renee Wallace, more popularly known as Irene Wilde, in a discussion about the collective knowledge that is captured in books, and how we are accessing this store of information and knowledge and whether it is being accessed at all.  Also, the wonderful story of the Christmas Truce, serialized story by Benjamin Black (aka John Banville), and Internet book catalog sites.

Show Length:  72:02 mins

Links:

• Carl Sagan’s Cosmos
• The Christmas Truce
• Goodreads
• Listal
• LibraryThing
• Shelfari
• Benjamin Black – Serially Thrilling

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Bookbabble Episode 11: Helping Ourselves To The Secret

Jun 25, 2008 by donny

Bookbabble Episode 11: Helping Ourselves To The Secret

Recorded 25 June 2008

Babblers: Lars, Gem, Katherine, Donny

Synopsis:
The group talks about self-help books, and whether they are more stink than substance.  Lars braved the entirely of The Secret and gives a brilliant summary – in all of 5 seconds (nobody was counting, anyway).  Others in the discussion include diet books, art of being happy, tools for communications, etc.  Also, Donny highlights a software tool for poets.

Links:

• The Secret
• Psycho-cybernetics – A New Way to Get More Living Out of Life

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Bookbabble Episode 10: Bad Leeks

Jun 18, 2008 by donny

Bookbabble Episode 10: Bad Leeks

Recorded 18 June 2008

Babblers: Bjorn, Lars, Gem, Donny

Synopsis:
The group talks about award-winning books that seem to fall short of the expectations that follows recognition, why it’s not as easy as it seems (at least to us).  Find out why Bjorn loves leek so much, just before he explains his love for Pynchon.  Also, a quick update from our resident Harry Potter correspondent, Amazon sanctions authors, Lars’s quick discussion on Who Speaks for Islam by John L. Esposito and Dalia Mogahed, and Bjorn’s masterful treatment of a classic Swedish poem.

Show Length: 59:29 mins
Special Note: Hmm… let’s see… I forgot to chip in when everyone else said f**k.  I’ve got to take note of that.  Also, Lars mentioned this mysterious entity called ‘Beer Good’.
Links:
Amazon Sanctions Authors (Link from Glenda Larke)
Who Speaks for Islam – as highlighted by Lars in Bookbabble

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