Women Reading (weekly)
*Every Wednesday*
Founder: Sasha Soren (Random Magic)
Come see what's news!
Edition: Oct. 5, 2011
Art and Quotes
The Love Letter (c. 1770) by Jean-Honoré Fragonard
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'Those who find ugly meanings in beautiful things are corrupt without being charming. This is a fault. Those who find beautiful meanings in beautiful things are the cultivated. For these there is hope. They are the elect to whom beautiful things mean only Beauty. There is no such thing as a moral or an immoral book. Books are well written, or badly written. That is all.' - Oscar Wilde, in the preface to The Picture of Dorian Gray (1891)
Discussions and Book Chats
Bookie Brunch question: Which classic novel is your favorite, and why?
Shown above: Portrait of writer Charlotte Brontë (Source)
There are quite a few wonderful classic novels to be considered for this question, but I am alternating between two: my favorite novel, which is The Phantom of the Opera (Le Fantôme de l'Opéra) by Gaston Leroux, and Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë (portrait shown above). I suppose you could say I am a great fan of Gothic literature. I love the passion this genre creates, the suspense, the mysterious and darkly beautiful scenery it brings to life, and the way it honestly, although dramatically, paints human nature in its extremes. - Irena (host), This Miss Loves to Read
My favorite classic novel is the Odyssey because of its vivid imagery. It's engrossing and I just love a good tale involving Greek gods. - Jazmin, Books!!!
Browse all replies or join ongoing BB discussion: Join this discussion
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Events and Parties
Ongoing/Unscheduled stops: Visit - Join host vvb32 Reads for occasional updates at Books and Brioche, an event for fun-loving Francophiles.
Oct. 3-9, 2011: Visit or Sign up - The True Book Addict (@truebookaddict) invites you to a cozy reading fest, with Frightful Fall Read-A-Thon. (Note: Embedded music player at this blog set to auto-play. Player can be shut off, check right sidebar for controls.)
Oct. 1-31: Visit or Sign up - Join host Marie Landry (@SweetMarie83) at Ramblings of a Daydreamer for a month of creepy reads, during Spooktacular October reading challenge
Oct. 3-9, 2011: Visit or Sign up - The True Book Addict (@truebookaddict) invites you to a cozy reading fest, with Frightful Fall Read-A-Thon. (Note: Embedded music player at this blog set to auto-play. Player can be shut off, check right sidebar for controls.)
Oct. 1-31: Visit or Sign up - Join host Marie Landry (@SweetMarie83) at Ramblings of a Daydreamer for a month of creepy reads, during Spooktacular October reading challenge
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Memes and Features
(Incl. reading challenges)
Ginny of Small Things has a mellow weekly meme that posts every Wednesday. The meme, called Yarn Along, might be especially appealing for crafters who enjoy knitting (shown above). To participate, visitors just post their project of the week and the book they're reading, then visit other blogs to see what other people have posted. Visit
Ginny of Small Things has a mellow weekly meme that posts every Wednesday. The meme, called Yarn Along, might be especially appealing for crafters who enjoy knitting (shown above). To participate, visitors just post their project of the week and the book they're reading, then visit other blogs to see what other people have posted. Visit
Cute new meme launched by The Book Nerd (@CurlyGirl11) for music lovers is called Soundtrack Sunday. Visit
Pepca at Beyond Strange New Words (@StrangeNewWords) features tales from feline chronicles, in The Cat Diaries (shown above), updated every Sunday. Visit
Sarah Says Read (@SarahSaysRead) shares wild stories from her life each week, in Sarah Sundays. Visit
Irena at This Miss Loves to Read (@MissIrenne) shares her love for all things magical and fantastic, in weekly meme, Friday is for Fairy Tales (shown above). Visit
Tina's Book Reviews (@BooksAtTinas) features an interview with an interesting indie author, every Saturday, in her Saturday Spotlight. Visit or sign up
Book Angel Booktopia (@BookAngel_Emma) has a monthly feature, Song of the Month, her pick for each month can be found at top of her blog. Visit
Manga Challenge: Visit or Sign up: Rhinoa is hosting a manga challenge, visitors are welcome to read up to six manga titles and then link up their reviews. Through December 31, 2011.
Manga Challenge: Visit or Sign up: Rhinoa is hosting a manga challenge, visitors are welcome to read up to six manga titles and then link up their reviews. Through December 31, 2011.
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Videos and Vloggers
Shown above: The Book Nerd (@CurlyGirl11) posts a shelf tour, sharing a peek at some of the titles in her library - including some books in Swedish. And a flock of porcelain birds! Watch
Shown above: Morgyn (@LexieVamp666) at Booklover - Book Chicks shares some thoughts on various bookish questions and invites you to join the discussion via commenting or video response, in This or That. Watch
Shown above: Daisy (@DBetweenPages) at Between the Pages shares some of the titles she's acquired recently. Watch
Shown above: Christina (@BookLover_622) of I Love Books (vlog) and The Book Addict (blog) shares some of her favorite magical reads and invites you to share some of your own favorites. This video is part of Bookie Brunch (Sept. 25, 2011) Watch
Shown above: Neurologist Oliver Sacks discusses the power of music. Win the book, Musicophilia, here. Through Oct. 21, 2011.
Shown above: Morgyn (@LexieVamp666) at Booklover - Book Chicks shares some thoughts on various bookish questions and invites you to join the discussion via commenting or video response, in This or That. Watch
Shown above: Daisy (@DBetweenPages) at Between the Pages shares some of the titles she's acquired recently. Watch
Shown above: Christina (@BookLover_622) of I Love Books (vlog) and The Book Addict (blog) shares some of her favorite magical reads and invites you to share some of your own favorites. This video is part of Bookie Brunch (Sept. 25, 2011) Watch
Shown above: Neurologist Oliver Sacks discusses the power of music. Win the book, Musicophilia, here. Through Oct. 21, 2011.
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Book Adaptations and Media Marvels
(Incl. movies, music, games, tech, publishing news, other.)
Shown above: Jane Eyre (2011) featurette
Since the classic novel Jane Eyre (Charlotte Brontë) is one of the classic novels discussed at Bookie Brunch this week, here we have a nice Jane Eyre (2011) featurette to enjoy.
Since the classic novel The Phantom of the Opera (Le Fantôme de l'Opéra) by Gaston Leroux is being discussed this week at Bookie Brunch, here we have a nice audio book download in the original French, with the kind compliments of Des Livres à Lire et à Entendre. Browse or Download or Visit Bookie Brunch (Oct.2-8)
Shown above: Amazon Kindle Fire demo
One of the biggest bookish stories this week is the release of the latest version of the Amazon e-reading device, the Kindle. The Kindle Fire includes full color capability, compared to early Kindle versions, which displayed pages strictly in black and white. Also new on the Kindle Fire, music and movie browsing and playback.
All of the new features combined have made the Kindle Fire one of the fall season's most popular tech items. International users, however, are disappointed because thus far the Kindle Fire is only available in the U.S., and Amazon hasn't announced a planned release date for any other region.
So, to help U.S. buyers anticipating the arrival of their Kindle Fire fill in the time while they pace the floor, and also to make international readers and bloggers feel a little better about having to wait it out, we have a little video presentation showing the new Kindle Fire and many of its features.
The video shown above is a demo by an Amazon representative, not a review by an independent reviewer, but it's the most comprehensive look at the Kindle Fire available this week. Here are some additional news items of interest on the Kindle Fire phenomenon:
Report: Amazon selling 2,000 Kindle Fires every hour (Technolog at MSNBC)
Will the Kindle Fire outsell the iPad? (Op-Ed, PC Mag)
Retailers bank on Kindle Fire for holidays (USA Today)
Amazon Kindle Fire - profit or loss for retailer? (CNET)
10 reasons Amazon's Kindle Fire will make a huge dent in the iPad market (Op-Ed, Sunil Gupta of Harvard Business Review, for Business Insider)
Poll and discussion: Will you buy the Kindle Fire? (WSJ)
250,000 Kindle Fires pre-ordered in five days (Mashable)
Kindle Fire vs. Barnes and Noble's NOOK Color (PDF Devices)
Aha, also, Random Magic (Sasha Soren) is also available for the Kindle, it would be absurd not to also mention that. If you haven't browsed sample pages in that format, please feel free to download and preview here.
Shown above: Jane Eyre (2011) featurette
Since the classic novel Jane Eyre (Charlotte Brontë) is one of the classic novels discussed at Bookie Brunch this week, here we have a nice Jane Eyre (2011) featurette to enjoy.
Since the classic novel The Phantom of the Opera (Le Fantôme de l'Opéra) by Gaston Leroux is being discussed this week at Bookie Brunch, here we have a nice audio book download in the original French, with the kind compliments of Des Livres à Lire et à Entendre. Browse or Download or Visit Bookie Brunch (Oct.2-8)
Shown above: Amazon Kindle Fire demo
One of the biggest bookish stories this week is the release of the latest version of the Amazon e-reading device, the Kindle. The Kindle Fire includes full color capability, compared to early Kindle versions, which displayed pages strictly in black and white. Also new on the Kindle Fire, music and movie browsing and playback.
All of the new features combined have made the Kindle Fire one of the fall season's most popular tech items. International users, however, are disappointed because thus far the Kindle Fire is only available in the U.S., and Amazon hasn't announced a planned release date for any other region.
So, to help U.S. buyers anticipating the arrival of their Kindle Fire fill in the time while they pace the floor, and also to make international readers and bloggers feel a little better about having to wait it out, we have a little video presentation showing the new Kindle Fire and many of its features.
The video shown above is a demo by an Amazon representative, not a review by an independent reviewer, but it's the most comprehensive look at the Kindle Fire available this week. Here are some additional news items of interest on the Kindle Fire phenomenon:
Report: Amazon selling 2,000 Kindle Fires every hour (Technolog at MSNBC)
Will the Kindle Fire outsell the iPad? (Op-Ed, PC Mag)
Retailers bank on Kindle Fire for holidays (USA Today)
Amazon Kindle Fire - profit or loss for retailer? (CNET)
10 reasons Amazon's Kindle Fire will make a huge dent in the iPad market (Op-Ed, Sunil Gupta of Harvard Business Review, for Business Insider)
Poll and discussion: Will you buy the Kindle Fire? (WSJ)
250,000 Kindle Fires pre-ordered in five days (Mashable)
Kindle Fire vs. Barnes and Noble's NOOK Color (PDF Devices)
Aha, also, Random Magic (Sasha Soren) is also available for the Kindle, it would be absurd not to also mention that. If you haven't browsed sample pages in that format, please feel free to download and preview here.
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Goodies and Giveaways
WIN: Enter - Thru Oct. 21: Win a cute and quirky tote bag (shown above) - it's a bag, no, wait, it's a fish! - at Bookie Brunch (host: @snowdropdreams). Discussion theme is great magical or fantastical reads.
WIN: Enter - Thru Oct. 21: Win a fascinating book about the mysterious and sometimes unexpected connections between music and the human mind. This book is part of a Bookie Brunch discussion about books and music at The Book Nerd (@CurlyGirl11).
WIN: Enter - Thru Nov. 21: Win this charming miniature of a late-20th-century perfume that wears like an older, more glamorous classic. Launched by design house Givenchy (founded by Hubert de Givenchy), Amarige is classified as a sharp, oriental, floral fragrance. Created by master perfumer Dominique Ropion. This timeless fragrances is a brunch gift, part of the Bookie Brunch discussion about favorite classic novels at This Miss Loves to Read (@MissIrenne).
Widgets: Browse - Charming desktop wallpaper for fans of Regency-era literature or art. The designer is Old Fashioned, at Deviant Art. The artist is Thomas Lawrence (1769-1830). The lyrics are from a traditional song, 'The Water is Wide.' The Haley Westernra version referenced by the designer may be viewed here.
Samplers: Browse: Books on Tape (@BOTLibrary) is offering various free audio book samplers (shown above) in CD format, for those interested. Recent samplers include Censors Beware! and Guys Listen.
WIN: Enter - Thru Oct. 21: Win a fascinating book about the mysterious and sometimes unexpected connections between music and the human mind. This book is part of a Bookie Brunch discussion about books and music at The Book Nerd (@CurlyGirl11).
WIN: Enter - Thru Nov. 21: Win this charming miniature of a late-20th-century perfume that wears like an older, more glamorous classic. Launched by design house Givenchy (founded by Hubert de Givenchy), Amarige is classified as a sharp, oriental, floral fragrance. Created by master perfumer Dominique Ropion. This timeless fragrances is a brunch gift, part of the Bookie Brunch discussion about favorite classic novels at This Miss Loves to Read (@MissIrenne).
Widgets: Browse - Charming desktop wallpaper for fans of Regency-era literature or art. The designer is Old Fashioned, at Deviant Art. The artist is Thomas Lawrence (1769-1830). The lyrics are from a traditional song, 'The Water is Wide.' The Haley Westernra version referenced by the designer may be viewed here.
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Grapevine, Last-Minute News and Misc.
Via @MaxieMagyx: I'm on the lookout for book trailers. If you see any new ones, let me know. Last received recommendation for this one: Random Magic, by Sasha Soren Reply
Seen around: Raging Bibliomania - Blogger-provided bio: I am an avid reader and book collector who loves to discuss books. I have many reading interests, and am always looking for new authors and titles. I'm an Aquarius. Visit
Seen around: Cookies, Books and Bikes (@CookiesandBooks): Blogger-provided bio: I'm a reading fanatic and can always be found with a book in my purse/pack. I have a BS in geoscience. When I don't have my nose buried in a book I enjoy traveling, hiking, camping, biking, designing jewelry, and baking. Visit
Seen around: Historically Obsessed (@HObsessed): About this blog: Focuses on historical fiction, covers new and upcoming historical fiction, plus additional art or travel features.
This blogger also maintains an Amazon store link grouped by theme, providing a leisurely browse for historical fiction readers who'd like to do a bit of window shopping. The historical features are on the light and airy side - for example, a gallery of popular dolls based on famous queens. Visit
Shown above: Marie Antoinette doll, part of Royal Beauties feature at Historically Obsessed
Seen around: Raging Bibliomania - Blogger-provided bio: I am an avid reader and book collector who loves to discuss books. I have many reading interests, and am always looking for new authors and titles. I'm an Aquarius. Visit
Seen around: Cookies, Books and Bikes (@CookiesandBooks): Blogger-provided bio: I'm a reading fanatic and can always be found with a book in my purse/pack. I have a BS in geoscience. When I don't have my nose buried in a book I enjoy traveling, hiking, camping, biking, designing jewelry, and baking. Visit
Seen around: Historically Obsessed (@HObsessed): About this blog: Focuses on historical fiction, covers new and upcoming historical fiction, plus additional art or travel features.
This blogger also maintains an Amazon store link grouped by theme, providing a leisurely browse for historical fiction readers who'd like to do a bit of window shopping. The historical features are on the light and airy side - for example, a gallery of popular dolls based on famous queens. Visit
Shown above: Marie Antoinette doll, part of Royal Beauties feature at Historically Obsessed
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Upcoming
Oct. 9, 2011: Visit - Bookie Brunch, hosted by Amanda at Story Wings (@StoryWings). Current Bookie Brunch is here.
Oct. 10-16, 2011: Visit or Contact - Historical Tapestry (@HistoryTapestry) invites you to attend Jane Austen Week. The celebrations will include interviews, reviews and some Jane Austen-related goodies.
Oct. 22, 2011: Visit or Sign up - Host Vanessa V. of A Fanciful Twist invites you to join her in a Halloween celebration with a post of your own, in honor of the holiday.
Oct. 22, 2011: Visit or Sign up - Host Vanessa V. of A Fanciful Twist invites you to join her in a Halloween celebration with a post of your own, in honor of the holiday.
Dec. 16, 2011: Visit or Contact - Let The Austen Games begin! In honor of writer Jane Austen's birthday, book lovers are invited to Twitter-collaborate on an Austen-inspired online tome, The Austen Games. (Tip thanks to @LiederMadchen)
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Participate in Women Reading
(Weekly, every Wednesday - or every Sunday, for weekend edition)
- Grab the meme image and info
- Select a nice image of a woman reading.
- Include title, artist, and link to image source.
- Pick a reading quote you like.
- Share info on any cool events, memes, or giveaways you've seen recently.
(You can ask visitors to let you know in comments about events you've missed.)
- Leave a link to your Women Reading post in the linky provided.
- Grab the code to generate your own linky ('Get the inLinkz code') and drop it at the bottom of your own post, and you'll have the same cute thumbnail links to display.
- Grab the code to generate your own linky ('Get the inLinkz code') and drop it at the bottom of your own post, and you'll have the same cute thumbnail links to display.
- Feel free to visit any of the interesting blogs mentioned in any Women Reading posts.
(Feel free to show some comments love if you see something you like or appreciate).
- That's it!
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Notes
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Talk to Us
Are you planning something cool for your blog, or have you heard about something great that we might have missed this week? Tell us about it!: @RandomMagicTour
