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Booking Through Thursday: Sing! Sing A Song

By Jan
 on July 28, 2018

Republished from 2009

Booking Through Thursday for January 15, 2009
Sing! Sing A Song

“But, enough about books … Other things have words, too, right? Like … songs!
If you’re anything like me, there are songs that you love because of their lyrics; writers you admire because their songs have depth, meaning, or just a sheer playfulness that has nothing to do with the tunes.

So, today’s question? What songs… either specific songs, or songs in general by a specific group or writer… have words that you love? Why? And… do the tunes that go with the fantastic lyrics live up to them?”

One that immediately comes to mind is Loreena McKennitt’s song “The Highwayman,” which sets the poetry of Alfred Noyes to music wonderfully. She is very good at that, of course, and one reason she is so popular.

Many of Cole Porter’s songs from the 20s and 30s have extremely clever lyrics that I’ve always enjoyed, like “I Get A Kick Out of You,” “You’re The Top,” and “Begin the Beguine.”

In the same vein, many of the popular songs of that era were quite silly, of course, but some were designed to be uplifting and positive and their lyrics are quite nice, like “Happy Days Are Here Again” by Milton Ager (music) and Jack Yellen (lyrics) and “The Sunny Side of the Street” by Jimmy McHugh (music) and Dorothy Fields (lyrics).

I am a big fan of Sting and I have admired his lyrics a great deal. Just two of many examples would be “Fortress Around Your Heart” and “Whenever I Call Your Name.” The lyrics and music are written together, of course, so they flow perfectly.

I do have to add “Bill Paxton, Help Us Escape” from BC and the Blues Crew simply because the lyrics evoke an emotion we all feel at times, and it’s funny. (Sorry, I couldn’t find a good link!)

One song that has beautiful lyrics and music but which don’t match very well is “I Vow To Thee, My Country,” which is a patriotic hymn in the UK. The lyrics were originally a poem by Cecil Spring-Rice and 20 years later Gustav Holst adapted his Jupiter from The Planets suite to fit the words, and it’s a square peg in a round hole, if you ask me. Of course, it’s still wonderfully British, and you would recognize it if you heard it.

© Jan McClintock of We Need More Shelves

Featured Image: By Liliʻuokalani (Sheet music) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
No videos, recordings, or lyrics are owned by me but are copyright to their legal owners. Links are exclusively for the entertainment of the reader. 
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Booking Through Thursday: Mood Reading

By Jan
 on January 30, 2012

From Booking Through Thursday, I found this question from December 1, 2011 that I’d like to explore:

Do you find that your mood affects the things you read? Like, if you’re in a bad mood, do you tend to indulge in reading that will support it or do you try to read things that will cheer you up? Do you pick different types of books on dreary, rainy days than you do on bright sunny ones?
For that matter, does your mood color what you’re reading, so that a funny book isn’t so funny or a serious one not so deep?
I definitely choose my reading based on mood, and my reading affects my mood. I carefully avoid certain genres when I’m feeling vulnerable or depressed, for instance. Other times, I seek ‘heavy’ reading to occupy my mind (“The Complete Works of George McDonald”) or ‘light’ reading to escape the real world (“The Hunger Games”).
The weather affects my mood, so the result is often predictable [pun intended]. Those dreary, rainy days call for a heavy amount of humor mixed with happy endings. Bright, sunny days are open to more variable conditions, and the outlook could be any kind of atmosphere… OK, I give up!

I often have more than one book going at once so I can choose a genre based on my mood at the time. This is especially handy with my iPad and all the ebooks on it. I’m fairly sure I have all of the compatible ereader apps known to man on there.

© Jan McClintock of We Need More Shelves

In categories Booking Through Thursday, Reading Tagged with

Booking Through Thursday: Preferences

By Jan
 on August 9, 2009
Booking Through Thursday: July 23, 2009
Which do you prefer? (Quick answers–we’ll do more detail at some later date)
• Reading something frivolous? Or something serious? Actually, either. See my previous entry.
• Paperbacks? Or hardcovers? Definitely paperbacks. I read a lot in bed and the hardcovers are just to large and clumsy. Plus, they are much more difficult to trade later on.
• Fiction? Or Nonfiction? Both. My family loves history.
• Poetry? Or Prose? Prose. Not much poetry, although we do like the old-fashioned, rhyming kind with actual rhythm…
• Biographies? Or Autobiographies? Biographies
• History? Or Historical Fiction? Both, in large quantities
• Series? Or Stand-alones? I love series, although there are several which have gone on too long (Lilian Jackson Braun’s “The Cat Who…”), versus those who were too short (Kate Ross’s ‘Julian Kestrel’). Ahh, the vagaries of the reader.
• Classics? Or best-sellers? Classics (again, see my previous post)
• Lurid, fruity prose? Or straight-forward, basic prose? The latter, although I have to admit to admiring the obsessiveness of the Regency Austin and the Gothic Poe, as well.
• Plots? Or Stream-of-Consciousness? PLOTS, please!
• Long books? Or Short? Either
• Illustrated? Or Non-illustrated? Both
• Borrowed? Or Owned? Owned (that’s why we need more shelves…)
• New? Or Used? We have many of both.

© Jan McClintock of We Need More Shelves

In categories Booking Through Thursday

Booking Through Thursday: Collectibles

By Jan
 on March 19, 2009

Booking Through Thursday of February 26, 2009: Collectibles
Hardcover? Or paperback?
Illustrations? Or just text?
First editions? Or you don’t care?
Signed by the author? Or not?

I am definitely a reader, not a collector. I much prefer paperbacks and buy many of them used. For some of my favorite series, I will buy new but will still wait for the paperback version to be released. Most of the historical mysteries, fantasies and thrillers don’t include illustrations, of course, other than their covers.

I do like to have a matching series of books from the same publisher if possible, but that’s not always practical, especially when I’m buying the books from different sources at different times. My favorites sources for books include Half Price Book stores and Amazon Marketplace (where you can buy new and used books from many stores on Amazon.com).

The problem is, if I really enjoy a book and think I will reread it again, I will keep it instead of recycle it. That’s where the shelf-space problem arises. Since our house is too small and crowded to keep our already-ridiculous collection of books, many of them are stored in the attic, waiting for the wonderful solution.

As far as first editions and autographs, I’ll leave those for the true collectors.

© Jan McClintock of We Need More Shelves

In categories Booking Through Thursday

Booking Through Thursday: Winter

By Jan
 on December 27, 2008

Booking Through Thursday, December 25, 2008
“What are the most “wintery” books you can think of? The ones that almost embody Winter?”
(Personally, “A Winters Tale” by Mark Helprin pretty much nails this for me, and “Smilla’s Sense of Snow” was right up there…)

I thoroughly agree — “Winter’s Tale” came to mind immediately when I read the question. I have never read anything that made me feel winter as I did when reading that book. But I also remember my young imagination conjuring the frozen Alaskan wilderness while perusing “Call of the Wild” by Jack London in grade school.

More recently, Van Reid’s “Daniel Plainway: or the Holiday Haunting of the Moosepath League” brought the deep snow and low temperatures of 19th-century Maine in December to my armchair here in Texas. Third (of four) in the series of comic historical mysteries and equally as enjoyable, oh how I wish there were more to come!

Maureen Jenning’s series of detective mysteries set in turn-of-the-last-century Toronto feature not only wonderful characters but an incredible atmosphere. “Poor Tom is Dead” is the third in the series with Detective Murdoch, and the Canadian winter is described in all its merciless glory.

Here’s to staying warm with a good book!

© Jan McClintock of We Need More Shelves

In categories Booking Through Thursday

Booking Through Thursday: Thanksgiving

By Jan
 on November 27, 2008

Booking Through Thursday, November 27, 2008
“Today is Thanksgiving here in the U.S.
Now, you may have noticed that the global economy isn’t exactly doing well. There’s war. Starvation. All sorts of bad, scary things going on.
So–just for today–how about sharing 7 things that you’re thankful for?
This can be about books, sure–authors you appreciate, books you love, an ode to your public library–but also, how about other things, too? Because in times like these, with bills piling up and disaster seemingly lurking around every corner, it’s more important than ever to stop and take stock of the things we’re grateful for. Family. Friends. Good health (I hope). Coffee and tea. Turkey. Sunshine. Wagging tails. Curling up with a good book.
So, how about it? Spread a little positive thinking and tell the world what there is to be thankful for.”

Oh, I could write a book about this one…

Many USers [my term for citizens of the United States of America, instead of “Americans”] have little concept of the richness and security of their lives compared to the citizens of the rest of the planet. I never want to take anything for granted. Choosing only seven things is difficult, but just for today, here are my choices:

1. The Constitution of the United States of America

2. The men and women who have given their lives (and limbs, eyes, minds, etc.) through the years to defend #1. Every single one of them.

3. I am a USer and live under #1, thank God (which I’m allowed to do, thanks to #1).

4. I live in a real house with electricity and hot running water, both of which are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

5. Migraine medicine and the research that made it possible

6. I can afford #5

7. My husband, who makes everything worthwhile

© Jan McClintock of We Need More Shelves

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Honesty

By Jan
 on November 20, 2008

The latest question on Booking Through Thursday is this, as suggested by JM:
“I receive a lot of review books, but I have never once told lies about the book just because I got a free copy of it. However, some authors seem to feel that if they send you a copy of their book for free, you should give it a positive review.

Do you think reviewers are obligated to put up a good review of a book, even if they don’t like it? Have we come to a point where reviewers *need* to put up disclaimers to (hopefully) save themselves from being harassed by unhappy authors who get negative reviews?”

I had an unpleasant experience with an author recently on a mailing list, so I can definitely answer this question. NO, we as reviewers are absolutely NOT obligated to post a positive review of a book simply because we were given the book at no charge. That is the chance an author or publisher takes when distributing the book first to reviewers and then to general readers — not everyone is going to like it.

HOWEVER, it is the responsibility of a reviewer to be fair. Critical as it applies to reviewers means “expressing or involving an analysis of the merits and faults of a work of literature, music, or art” — meaning both good and bad should be considered, and a fair review will include what you liked as well as what you disliked about a book. It’s easier to complain than to praise, as we all know, but trashing someone’s work is bad form (as well as making yourself a target).

Honesty is always the best policy, as long as diplomacy and courtesy are also included in the procedure.

© Jan McClintock of We Need More Shelves

In categories Booking Through Thursday