EXCHANGING BOOKS ONLINE: BOOKMOOCH

Are you running out of space for your books? Do you have books that you won’t read again? Or books that you don’t even want to read? 

Exchanging books online may be a good idea to dispose of books you no longer need or get those books you really want to read for free. 

Here you have a website that allows you to swap books with other users:

BOOKMOOCH

Book-mooch is an on-line book exchange community founded by John Buckman in 2006. Membership, which has grown to around 74,000 in over 90 countries, is open to anyone and is free. About 500,000 book titles are available and about 2,000 books are swapped per day.

BookMooch allows its users to exchange books using a points system. Members earn points by adding books to their inventories, by sending books to other members and by providing feedback when they receive books. The points earned can then be used to “buy” books from other members. All books “cost” the same number of points, with a multiple point surcharge for international mooches. Point exchange takes place at the beginning of any transaction, allowing “currency” to circulate quickly. Members may opt to send books only within their own country, worldwide, or worldwide upon request.

(Source: Wikipedia)

Here you have an extract from Rachael Ray TV show about Bookmooch:

Why not give it a try?

YOUR IDEAL BOOKSHELF

Do you know this website? 

If you had to choose just 12 or fewer books that mean the most to you, the ones you'd have on your "ideal bookshelf" – what would they be, and why?

What would I include in mine?

The Bible
Pippi Longstockings (Astrid Lindgren)
A big visual book (either Magritte, photography (Chema Madoz), impressionist painting)
El Cuento Infinito (Poldy Bird)
A compilation of American short stories
A compilation of poems 
My compilation of recipes (it's a book after all)
A Henning Mankell that I haven't read yet
A Niccoló Ammaniti
Whatever book we're reading in our book club, of course

That's what I can think of off the top of my head. YOUR TURN!

WHY WE LIE

Why We Lie (from WSJ)

We like to believe that a few bad apples spoil the virtuous bunch. But research shows that everyone cheats a little—right up to the point where they lose their sense of integrity.
Not too long ago, one of my students, named Peter, told me a story that captures rather nicely our society’s misguided efforts to deal with dishonesty. One day, Peter locked himself out of his house. After a spell, the locksmith pulled up in his truck and picked the lock in about a minute.
“I was amazed at how quickly and easily this guy was able to open the door,” Peter said. The locksmith told him that locks are on doors only to keep honest people honest. One percent of people will always be honest and never steal. Another 1% will always be dishonest and always try to pick your lock and steal your television; locks won’t do much to protect you from the hardened thieves, who can get into your house if they really want to. The purpose of locks, the locksmith said, is to protect you from the 98% of mostly honest people who might be tempted to try your door if it had no lock.
We tend to think that people are either honest or dishonest. In the age of Bernie Madoff and Mark McGwire, James Frey and John Edwards, we like to believe that most people are virtuous, but a few bad apples spoil the bunch. If this were true, society might easily remedy its problems with cheating and dishonesty. Human-resources departments could screen for cheaters when hiring. Dishonest financial advisers or building contractors could be flagged quickly and shunned. Cheaters in sports and other arenas would be easy to spot before they rose to the tops of their professions.
But that is not how dishonesty works. Over the past decade or so, my colleagues and I have taken a close look at why people cheat, using a variety of experiments and looking at a panoply of unique data sets—from insurance claims to employment histories to the treatment records of doctors and dentists. What we have found, in a nutshell: Everybody has the capacity to be dishonest, and almost everybody cheats—just by a little. Except for a few outliers at the top and bottom, the behavior of almost everyone is driven by two opposing motivations. On the one hand, we want to benefit from cheating and get as much money and glory as possible; on the other hand, we want to view ourselves as honest, honorable people. Sadly, it is this kind of small-scale mass cheating, not the high-profile cases, that is most corrosive to society…..

From Dan Ariely's Blog (his videos are also very interesting).

LET'S PUT A LITTLE LOVE IN OUR BLOG

Over 100 entries and not even one about love??? This cannot continue so and here goes my post on love and literature.

Here's a link to an article in The Guardian about a bestseller in Amazon by Hilary Boyd (by the way, did you know the term "gran-lit"?) dealing with romance between 60-somethings.

And here's another one which is good news for all those of you that voted for Bridget Jones's Diary, because it seems Helen Fielding has announced she is writing a 3rd novel about Britain's favourite singleton, due out next autumn. As for me, I confess I am praying that book does not get chosen - yeap, sorry, not my cup of tea :) Hey, needless to say, I'll read it if it gets chosen!

RHETORIC - You Talkin' To Me???

I know you're thoroughly engrossed in reading about Kevin at the moment - I am too!- but I'm already working on my list of "to-read books", such as this one by Sam Leith. I am really interested in language and words and the power of persuasion they have, so this book really caught my eye.

Rhetoric is what gives words power. It's nothing to be afraid of. It isn't the exclusive preserve of politicians: it's everywhere, from your argument with the insurance company to your plea to the waitress for a table near the window. It convicts criminals (and then frees them on appeal). It causes governments to rise and fall, best men to be shunned by brides, and people to march with steady purpose towards machine guns. In this highly entertaining (and persuasive) book, Sam Leith examines how people have taught, practised and thought about rhetoric from its Attic origins to its twenty-first century apotheosis. Along the way, he tells the stories of its heroes and villains, from Cicero and Erasmus, to Hitler, Obama - and Gyles Brandreth.

(AMAZON'S REVIEW)

WELLINGTON AIRPORT AND THE HOBBIT

As you probably know, on December 14th the movie "The Hobbit" will be released, and to mark the occasion, New Zealand's airport is displaying the largest Gollum in the world to welcome passengers.

I think it's obvious the locals are quite happy Peter Jackson is filming the trilogy in New Zealand.

Not only that, but Wellington is going to change its name for a week to The Middle of Middle-Earth. I guess they're really getting in the mood.

And finally, a video about the installation of the Gollum.

HALLOWEEN TALES - 2012 (Download for free!)

I know I am a little late, but here's a link to a free e-book (downloadable both in pdf and epub format). They are the stories resulting from a workshop about Pulp literature.

Enjoy!

CAN PAPER SURVIVE THE DIGITAL AGE?

We've discussed this topic repeatedly in our class, right? However, it is a hot topic and articles continue to be published about it.

Here's another one published recently in The Guardian.

I love the idea that "paper is our second skin" (it is for me despite all these new technological gadgets) and also the strong link between paper and art:

"For better and for worse, paper remains our absolute all-time favourite self-extending prosthetic technology and device. It enables and represents the best of us, and the worst. Take art, for example. Of course, not all art takes place on paper. And not all art on paper is paper art. And some paper art may not be everyone's idea of art at all. Anyone for Lucio Fontana's paper-piercings? Or Gordon Matta Clark's paper slits and cuts? Joe Good's pellet-peppered paper? Martin Creed's Work No 88, A Sheet of A4 Paper, Crumpled Up Into a Ball (1994)? Or – my favourite, a masterpiece of its kind – Tom Friedman's 1000 Hours of Staring (1992-1997), stare on paper, 32½ins x 32½ ins, which is simply a plain white piece of paper that has been stared at. For a long time. But these are only the more obvious examples of the role of paper in art. It's possible to argue that the development of all modern art derives from what the critic Clement Greenberg called the "pasted-paper revolution". The use of paper collage in the early 20th century, according to Greenberg, liberated art from being merely decorative, an illustration of reality."

EUROPEAN DETECTIVE FICTION

Crime fiction is a magnifying glass that reveals the fingerprints of history. From Holmes and Poirot to Montalbano and the rise of Scandi-noir, Mark Lawson investigates the long tradition of European super-sleuths and their role in turbulent times.

An extremely interesting article. Read it here.

I didn't know this word: "scandi-noir", did you? Also, how do you like crime fiction? I started liking it when I was about 9 years old and my parents bought Agatha Christie's Miss Marple's collection for me. After that, Conan Doyle followed, Edgar Allan Poe, Raymond Chandler, and J.C. Oates. 

Four years ago or so I rekindled that passion for crime fiction with Stieg Larsson and when I discovered Henning Mankell, well, it was pure enjoyment (still is!).

And you, do you enjoy crime fiction? What's your favourite book/author?

SUSIE BOYT - Freud's Granddaughter is into writing

 Her new novel, The Small Hours, is a psychological drama about Harriet, a brash but troubled woman who opens the nursery school of her dreams.

(SOME EXCERPTS FROM THE INTERVIEW)

Do you see Harriet in the tradition of English schoolteacher heroines?

There are references to both Jean Brodie andLucy Snowe in the novel, but I was thinking about other influences too. Someone described the novel as The Turn of the Screw meets The Nanny Diaries and I was quite pleased about that.

Is childhood a period you're particularly drawn to?

I'm very Freudian in the way I look at things. Any character I ever create, I'm thinking about her parents, and her parents' parents. It's just the way I see the world.

Read the whole article here.

I think I know who's gonna enjoy this post! :) Especially posted for you, Ana.

BOOK CLUB SAR 1st MEETING

Hi everybody!

As you may know, the first book club meeting in SAR last Wednesday  was cancelled.  Sorry for the inconvenience caused.

This e-mail is to let you know the first book we’ll be reading: WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN . Please, take a look at the previous post.

We'll meet to share our views on this novel the 1^st week of January, particularly on January 9^th , from 8 to 9:30 pm in room 7 in Sar.

The reason why there will be no meetings before this date is that I’ve been given a study leave(licencia de formación) for 2 months so I won’t be at the school from next week till January.

Best regards to all and happy reading!

Ana

I AM PLEASED TO INTRODUCE...

I am thrilled that this is the first book we are going to read!

 The three of us, Ana, Paul and myself, hope you ENJOY reading it and that it makes you think about a lot of different issues. 

To whet your appetite, here is a series of links related to the book:

A podcast where Lionel Shriver discusses some aspects of the book and its story.

An article where Lionel Shriver (she's actually a woman, I was surprised!) discusses the difficulties she faced to get her book published.

A review. And here's the way it opens (which I love and it also provides a fair warning!): 

"If you are already a parent, this book will make you count your blessings but if you have yet to become one, beware…this book will scare the hell out of you and could quite possibly reduce your egg/sperm supply just by reading it"

BOOK CLUBS 1st MEETINGS...COMING SOON!

We'll be having the 1st book clubs meetings NEXT WEEK.


Book club ORDES: Thursday, 18th October at 7pm (room 3)

Book club RIBEIRA: Wednesday, 17th October at 8pm (room 101)

Book club SAR: Wednesday, 17th October at 8pm (room 7)

All EOI Santiago students can participate. Former students are also welcome.


Hope to see you there! Cheers

BOOK CLUB 2012-13

We are looking forward to starting book club with you again. We can't wait to hear all about your summer readings, your wishes for our book club this year, proposals for this year's readings... Keep your eyes open, we'll be posting info shortly about meeting days and times!

THE TELL-TALE HEART short film (1953)

Let me share with you a real gem of a short film I've just discovered:

THE TALE-TELL HEART (1953)

Directed by Ted Parmelee and narrated by James Mason, THE TELL TALE HEART is based on the 1843 short story of the same title by American writer Edgar Allan Poe.

In 2001 the US Library of Congress deemed the film "culturally significant" and selected it for preservation in the National Film Registry

Enjoy!

IMPRESSIVE LIBRARIES - TOP 5 by Papel en blanco

I know we have talked about libraries in past posts, but this post by Sergio Parra actually includes a few I didn't have in my list of to-visit libraries (but I now do!), such as this one in Stuttgart, which looks like a Rubik cube on the outside and is very minimalist in the inside. Me likes it.

What about our library at the EOI? Are you a regular visitor? Actually ours in Ribeira is pretty nice. Apart from receiving an award, it is very user-friendly, it has lots of light, comfy sofas and a self-service library loan service. Also, ask any of the teachers or write us an e-mail/comment if you can't find what you're looking for.

ANA KARENINA

We have talked about film adaptations in past entries. Almost everybody seems to agree they normally like the book best, but there must be some exceptions...

What is your opinion? Are there any adaptations you really enjoyed? What about really disappointing ones?

Here's a review by the Guardian of Ana Karenina. Do you think you'd like to watch it? As for me, I haven't read the book, even if I read Tolstoy's War and Peace a long long time ago.

JOANNE HARRIS IN NEWCASTLE

GREETINGS FROM NEWCASTLE!

Since I'll be staying here for a month I've joined the City Library, which is actually very cool -both the building and the archive-. I love the way the library works and the services it offers. Joining is free, and you can borrow up to 10 books, 10 movies (for which you have to pay from 50 p to £2 each, but they have tons of titles both British and international flicks) and 5 CDs.

Most of it is self-serviced, which means it is really fast. It also has a wide selection of periodicals (from National Geographic to more specific ones which I love (Runner's World, the Guardian Literature and Society Journal, etc).

Most of the people working here are volunteers (especially now in the summer) and they organize tons of events: book clubs, author events, reading groups, teenage writing groups, ... and guess who is coming here in September??

JOANNE HARRIS! It would be lovely to bring our group of clubbers to meet her, wouldn't it?

Well, I just thought I'd let you know I thought of all of you when I say the ad for this event.

See you all soon!! Enjoy your summer (and summer readings). Let's talk about what you's read when we come bak, all rightie?

I

The Bloody Chamber Illustrated: Igor Karash wins the 2012 Book Illustration competition

Igor Karash with Marina Warner and Joe Whitlock-Blundell, members of the judging panel

Our predictions were right! Igor Karash has won a 4000 pound commission to illustrate The Folio Society's new edition of "The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories" by Angela Carter.

Puss-in-Boots

On winning the competition he said: ‘Participating in the competition has been an amazing creative journey. Winning came as a nice surprise & working on completing the illustration series was a dream project in large part due to the Folio Society’s thoughtful artistic direction & support for my vision. I am grateful to have had this inspiring experience which has allowed me to return to the world of book illustration, a world I greatly admire & hope to continue to be a part of’

For more information click here

"Message in a Klein Bottle" by Russell Hoban

Now we have the chance to read the last short story by cult author Russell Hoban, who died last year.

Here you have the short story's enlightening beginning:

She was beautiful like a woman in a dream whose face vanishes as you wake up. Words from Rilke came to mind: "For Beauty is nothing but the Beginning of Terror …"'

A glass Klein bottle

To read the full text click here. Enjoy!

ESTHER FERRER AT THE CGAC (Centro Galego de Arte Contemporánea)

Esther Ferrer (San Sebastián, 1937) is a multicisciplinary artist well known for her individual performances as well as for the works she made as a member of the group ZAJ from 1967 until its dissolution in 1996.

In the early 1960’s, together with the painter José Antonio Sistiaga she created the Taller de Lliure Expressió (Free Expression Workshop) in San Sebastian and the Experimental School in Elorrio (Vizcaya). She has presented her performances in numerous festivals around the world and regularly exhibits her works in galleries and museums.

Since 1975 she has published articles in art magazines and the press. In 1999 she was selected to represent Spain in the Venice Bienale and in 2008 she was awarded the Spanish National Prize for Fine Arts. She lives and works in Paris.

Below you can see some of her works:

De la acción al objeto y viceversa (1984)

Objeto descontextualizado (1993)

Sillas (1997)

Autorretrato (1999)

ArTV Prisión (2008)

En el marco del otoño artístico parisino (2009) 

Click here to find more information on the exhibition “En catro movementos” at the CGAC.

Cheers!

LITERARY CAFES IV

Following one of your comments,  here you have an entry on three cafes with sculptures of their most famous clients.

CAFÉ IRUÑA in  PAMPLONA

Founded in 1888 by a group of locals, Café Iruña was the first cafe with electric light in Pamplona, ​​"opened to the public on the eve of San Fermín” said chronicles of the time. Since then it has been a meeting place for locals and foreigners who want to follow the steps of American writer Ernest Hemingway in search of the places he went to the nine times he visited the city.

CAFÉ NOVELTY in SALAMANCA

Founded in 1905, Novelty is the oldest cafe in Salamanca. For more than a century it has been a referent in the social, political and cultural life of the city. Among its most renowned clients we can highlight writers such Miguel de Unamuno, Carmen Martín Gaite and Gonzalo Torrente Ballester, the latter having a life-size sculpture on one of its sofas.

CAFÉ A BRASILEIRA in LISBON

The Café A Brasileira is one of the oldest and most famous cafes in the old quarter of Lisbon.  It was a meeting point for intellectuals and academics in the first half of the 20^th century, including Portuguese poet Fernando Pessoa, the writers Aquilino Ribeiro and Alfredo Pimenta.

A bronze statue of Fernando Pessoa, by sculptor Lagoa Henriques, was eventually placed outside the cafe in 1988, even though, ironically, Pessoa considered the Café Martinho da Arcada (on the Praça do Comércio , founded in 1782), as his favorite cafe.

LIVE CHAT with Carlos Ruíz Zafón on the Guardian website

Today, between 2pm and 3pm, Carlos Ruíz Zafón, author of Shadow of the Wind has answered various sorts of questions about his books, writing and influences:

Any advice for a new author?

Do you listen to music when you write?

Any hobby confessable?

Carlos Ruíz Zafón replies:

Write, write and write. And then rewrite. To death. Work hard. Learn your craft. Never give up. Persevere. Don't become a snob, a bitter hater or an envious person. Work hard for your goals. Write from your heart, but make sure before it gets to your fingers it goes through your brain. And did I mention do not give up?

Music is what I most in the world, so I have to be careful when writing to it because my mind wanders into the orchestrations, the bassline... Sometimes I do, yes. But in a deeply controlled way.

Confessable hobbies? Playing and writing music, watching the world go by, chasing beauty and knowledge and doing nothing at all.

I am sorry, but I cannot read your book for obvious legal reasons. You want an editor or an agent to do that. Best of luck.

To read more questions and the author’s answers, click here.

ANGELA CARTER'S The Bloody Chamber ILLUSTRATED

The 2012 Book Illustration Competition is devoted to the last book we've read: Angela Carter's "The Bloody Chamber"

The Guardian has published illustrations by the 6 artists shortlisted for the contest. Click here to take a look at them!

Who do you think will win? Which illustration(s) do you like best? Why?

I really like them all but my fave would be Igor Karash.

His illustration of "The Bloody Chamber" wonderfully captures one of the most disturbing aspects of the story: the narrator sense of doubleness under the sinister gaze of her husband.

Enjoy!

HOLIDAY READS

Summertime is approaching and this means more opportunities to lose oneself in a good book.

We all look forward to the long, warm days, the lure of the hammock or the beach towel, or even the train seat…

I’ve already started my summer reading list, which includes theatre plays, novels and short stories:

-          Fanfan by Alexandre Jardin

-          Leviathan by Paul Auster

-          Hamlet Machine by Heine Müller

-          Nights at the Circus by Angela Carter

-          The Complete Plays by Sarah Kane

-          The Little Black Book of Stories by A.S. Byatt

-          Todo lo que tengo lo llevo conmigo de Herta Müller

Click on the links below to find various selections of summer reads:

CNN

THE GUARDIAN

Oprah's summer reading list

GOOD READS

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY

Click HERE  to read about some British writers' most memorable holiday reads!

 What about you? What titles do you recommend? Have you chosen any book to read? Please, let us know!