Poetry and love – podcast 16

Hello and welcome to the Library Love Podcast with Tanya, Anna and Vikki, today we were talking about our favourite poetry.  All the books mentioned can be requested in our library catalogue.  Though as always we started with a look at what we have all been reading recently:

Tanya –
• Reni Eddo-Lodge, Why I’m no longer talking to white people about race
The Fortunately Podcast (BBC Podcast)
Vikki –
• Murial Spark, The Ballad of Peckham Rye
Black Out by Ragnar Jonasson (3rd Dark Iceland Series)
Anna –
• Daniel O’Mally, The Rook
The Adventure Zone (Podcast)

New and forthcoming adult books:
• Lady Antonia Fraser, The King and the Catholics: The Fight for Rights 1829
• Jo Nesbo, Macbeth
• Stephen King, The Outsider
• Kate Mosse, The Burning Chambers
• Horowitz Anthony, Forever and a day

New and forthcoming children’s books:
• Tom Fletcher & Greg Abbott, There’s a dragon in your book (0-5)
• Robert Winston, Science Squad (5-8)
• Liz Pichon, Tom Gates: Biscuits, Bands and Very Big Plans (9-12)
• Natasha Farrant, The Children of Castle Rock (9-12yr)
• Matt Killeen, Orphan Monster Spy (teen)

DVD recommendations:
• Star Wars – The Last Jedi (12)
• Kingsman Golden Circle (15)
• Trollhunters – Tales of Arcadia: Series one (PG)

Our Reading Agony this week:
A library user asked us ‘I’m getting married and I’d like some good poems for the ceremony’
We have some great books to look through, how about:
100 favourite Scottish love poems by Conn, Stewart.
The world’s favourite love poems by Bushrui, Suheil B
The Picador book of love poems by Stammers, John.
Or just type ‘love poems‘ into your libraries’ catalogue and see what pops up – there’s loads of choice and you can have a lovely time reading them.

Staff quote of the Podcast:
‘I’m dreading coming in next week with my new glasses’ (in case we criticise her choice)

Our Discussion – We talked about some of our favourite poems and poets. Tanya loves Benjamin Zephaniah’s work particularly performed by him and would strongly recommend listening to Talking Turkeys which you can find on YouTube.  Some of the other collections and poets mentioned were:
Scars upon my heart : women’s poetry and verse of the First World War, Catherine Reilly
And Still I Rise, Maya Angelou
She walks in beauty, Caroline Kennedy
Silly Verse for kids, Spike Milligan
A book of Bosh: lyrics and prose of Edward Lear, Edward Lear
Selected Poems, Jenny Joseph

To find information about National Poetry Day and lots more poetry related information go to the Scottish Poetry Library

Did you know?
We have lots of knitting and craft groups in our libraries, these are free and you get a cuppa and a comfy seat and a chance to craft in company with some lovely people and perhaps borrow a craft book or two.
Please see our website for details for days and times.

Thank you for listening to the Library Love podcast, we hope you’ve enjoyed yourself and if you did, then please give us a review on iTunes so more people get to hear about us – I’ve heard that 5 star reviews are the most fashionable this year. We love to hear from you and if you’d like to get in touch with us, then go to librarylovefalkirk.com, Falkirk Libraries on fb, or @LibFalkirk on Twitter

The joy of book gifting – Podcast 15

Hello and welcome to the Falkirk Libraries podcast with Vikki and Margo.
With World Book Night on the horizon we chatted about book gifting and which titles we would give to a stranger.  All the books mentioned can be found at our library catalogue for requesting.

What we have been reading and listening to:
Vikki has been reading:
• Naomi Alderman, The Power
Margo has been reading:
• Anthony Horowitz, Magpie murders
• David Mitchell, The Bone Clocks

New and forthcoming adult books:
• Julia Heaberlin, Paper ghosts
• Philip Kerr, Greeks bearing gifts
• Elizabeth Noble, Letters to Iris
• Matthew Richardson, The Insider
• Adrian Tchaikovsky, The Hyena and the Hawk

New and forthcoming children’s books:
• Elizabeth McKay, Wee Granny’s magic bag and the pirates (0-5)
• Nadine Brun-Cosme, Daddy Long legs (0-5)
• Pippa Goodhart, illustrated by Sarah Jennings, Three waggy tales (5-7)
• Jenny Oldfield, Survival (Dolphin Island series) (9-11)
• Chris Bradford, Fugitive (body guard series 6) (Teen)

DVD recommendations:
Murder on the Orient Express (12)
Justice League (12)
Wonder (PG)

Our Reading Agony this week: “The Library is closed, where can I find book reviews and recommendations”
• The Fantastic Fiction website (I use this a lot if customers want to read a series in order)
• The Good Reads website often has reviews of often very newly published items that people have received from publishers, ahead of publication in return for an honest review.
• The Scottish Book Trust website has a section of booklists for Adults, Teens and Children as well as a Scottish section on a range of different themes.
• The Reading Agency webpage Reading Groups for everyone has book reviews and recommendations.
• If you like a specific genre e.g. Crime, The Crime Writers Association have a crime readers section you can search by genre e.g. police procedural etc.
• Many authors have a website or blog.
• Social media is full of authors and book bloggers.
• Well known book purchasing sites such as Amazon have customer reviews

Staff quotes of the day: “That’s the second time I’ve had to build a snow tunnel for the cat!” Or “Pass the Snow Shovel!!” (As we recorded the podcast we were recovering from the Beast from the East).

Our discussion was all about which books would you gift to a stranger and why?
World Book Night is a national celebration of reading and books which takes place on 23 April every year. Books are given out across the UK with a focus on reaching those who don’t read regularly within communities. Tell us which books you would like to give to a new reader and or stranger on World Book Night!
Below are some of the titles we would like to give as a gift, plus some titles other family members would like to give to us.
• Charlotte Bronte, Jane Eyre
• Louisa May Alcott, Little women
• Jane Austen, Persuasion
• Maya Angelou Still I Rise (poetry collection)
• Zora Neale Hurston, Their Eyes were Watching God (being reprinted by Virago)
• Maggie O’Farrell, The Hand that first held mine
• EL Stedman, The light between Oceans
• Anything by Marian Keyes
• Anthony Doerr, All the light we cannot see
• Marcus Zusak, The Book thief
• Patrick Rothfuss, The name of the wind
• Neil Gaiman, American gods

Young adults/older children:
• Patrick Ness, Knife of never letting go (Chaos Series)
• Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy
• Kate Hannigan, The Detective’s assistant
• Arthur Ransome, Swallows and Amazons
• Johanna Spyri, Heidi

Did you Know? That many of our titles are available to borrow in Large Print or as an Audio book on CD or MP3 format.

Thank you for listening to the Library Love podcast, we hope you’ve enjoyed yourself and if you did, then tell a friend or colleague about our podcast; or give us a review on itunes so more people get to hear about us. We love to hear from you and if you’d like to get in touch with us, then go to then go to librarylovefalkirk.com, Falkirk Libraries on Facebook, or @LibFalkirk on Twitter.