Only one new acquisition this week:
- In the Beginning: My Life With the Manic Street Preachers by Jenny Watkins-Isnardi
The book is written by a former girlfriend of one of the band members from before they were famous and it looks completely trashy. Rather than an actual memoir it appears that it might be better to read it as fiction. I mean, really, who memorizes entire conversations verbatim? However, given the number of Manics related coincidences that I’ve been noticing lately, I just couldn’t help myself. I found it during an impromptu trip to an op shop and was really unimpressed with the book selection but saw this. It was priced at $4 which I was a bit unsure of, I just felt really guilty about spending that much money – even second hand! – on something that is so obviously a cash in on a brief relationship with someone who went on to become quite famous. When I, reluctantly, took it to the counter the woman only charged me $2 for it, which didn’t feel as bad. I’m a little ashamed that I actually now own this, but for the sake of complete disclosure here it is on this week’s loot. This is an issue, such as it is, I’m sure to confront again when I read the fictionalized account of Richey Edwards in Ben Myers’ Richard, released in October.
About the postcard pictured above, isn’t it sweet?! It arrived in my September copy of Good Reading magazine. A lovely new mantra, one that should prove valuable as the nation deals with political limbo. Keep calm and keep reading, keep calm and keep reading.
Reviews posted on Start Narrative Here this week:
- Everything: A Book About Manic Street Preachers by Simon Price: a culturally and critically aware music biography of one of my favourite bands.
- Exchange by Paul Magrs: appeals to the bibliophilic tendencies but then, sadly, rallies against that love by the end of the novel.
- The Slap by Christos Tsiolkas: the novel that has sparked debate and conversation among so many Australians, now reaching out to a wider audience thanks to be longlisted for the Man Booker Prize.
I hope all of you caught my guest post over at Desert Book Chick this week. I wrote some, hopefully, useful questions to consider when reading a classic book, or anything that you’re feeling a bit apprehensive about reading. Many thanks to Amanda for having me, and a warm welcome to any new readers who have dropped by via her blog. While you’re reading my post over there, I recommend you listen to her podcast Books & Blogging and check out her recent post about the problems with giveaways which has incited something of a furore! Some advice: make sure you read her post before unleashing your fury. In questioning the ubiquitous young adult fiction book giveaway, she seems to have touched a very raw nerve of readers of young adult fiction. Hop on over and see what you think.
- A brief post on female characters in graphic novels over at the Vertigo blog from comics author Chris Roberson who specializes in writing strong female characters. I appreciate the sentiment, but does he have to do it while infantilizing himself, and therefore female interests, ie. “interests of an eight year old girl”?
- The always fascinating Listverse provides a list of the top ten theatre superstitions and their origins.
- And finally, a depressing sign of the times: The Millions has a look at authors featured on the cover of Time magazine over the decades. Do you think the dwindling number of authors featured represents a similar depreciation of literature as a major force in our culture?
Keep calm and keep reading!
August 2010, Book Loot, In the Beginning: My Life With the Manic Street Preachers, Jenny Watkins-Isnardi
I love that bookmark! It’ll be perfect on a t-shirt.