So even though we’re slowing down a bit over the holidays, we at genre X want to wish everyone a very Happy Holiday season. Hope you have lots of extra time to get your reading done!
In honor of our placement in Oak Park, land of all things Frank Lloyd Wright, enjoy My Blank Page’s gingerbread version of Wright’s Fallingwater, via local blog Chicagoist.
So we all know the iPod is great for traveling, working out, and just generally carrying your audiobooks and music with you everywhere you go. Turns out Dan from OpenCulture has 10 more ways to make your iPod a more learning friendly gadget.
He includes suggestions for adding Wikipedia, watching various video formats, mashing audiobook mp3s in to one big manageable file, creating eBooks out of text files, and more.
Sorry for the late post – this Monday found me off work and enjoying myself at Kuma’s Corner. Best burgers (and mac and cheese) around. No contest.
Generally speaking I’m a sucker for musicals, so I was expecting big things from Once when I saw it in the theater last June. Despite high expectations, I was blown away.
If you don’t know, this movie was made on a shoestring budget and stars the frontman from the Irish band, The Frames, and Czech newcomer Marketa Irglova. Both are musicians rather than actors, and they fell in love on set, sparking a completely unmanufactured onscreen chemistry. In fact, nothing about this film feels manufactured – its all just so satisfying. The two of them also recorded a really beautiful album, The Swell Season, that features a lot of the songs on the Once soundtrack.
It’s understated, exquisitely romantic, and the music is hauntingly beautiful. I was so charmed that I went immediately to the Borders down the block to buy the soundtrack and I’ve been known to play it on repeat for hours like a 14 year old girl. Of course, this is the kind of film that will play just as beautifully in your living room as it does on the big screen, so its exciting that its finally coming out on DVD today.
I can’t recommend this enough. Its a standout film in a very good year for cinema.
Thanks Anne for the head’s up on this great article from Conversational Reading comparing the literary work of Haruki Murakami (author of our January selection, The Wind Up Bird Chronicles, pictured above) and Kenzaburo Oe.
How’s your Murakami reading going? Feel free to share your comments here.
If you’re a looking for a last minute gift for the bibliophile in your life, check out some of these creative ideas.
Sticklebook’s invisible bookshelves.
Art School Girl’s one-of-a-kind bookmarks made from vintage books.
Paperfaerie’s book sculptures.
Ex Libris Anonymous‘s handmade journals made from vintage books.
Maxine, Dear’s belt buckles made from vintage books.
Sarah Utter’s “Reading is Sexy” tee.
Pretty Theory’s purses made from books.