Tag: International women’s day

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Inspiring Women – Podcast 36

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Hello and welcome to the Falkirk Libraries podcast with Tanya and Vikki. You can find the books mentioned here on our library catalogue, if you want to request them.

Today’s episode is all inspiring women

What we have been reading and listening to:

Tanya has been reading and listening to:

  • The colour of Bee Larkham’s murder,  Sarah J Harris
  • Recipes for love and murder, Sally Andrew
  • Welcome to Nightvale podcast

Vikki has been reading:

  • The Librarian – Salley Vickers
  • Last Rituals, Yrsa Sigurdardottir

New and forthcoming adult books:

  • Scent of Death. Simon Beckett
  • Identity Crisis, Ben Elton
  • The Garden of Lost and Found , Harriet Evans
  • A Time of Blood , John Gwynne
  • The Swap, Fiona Mitchell

New and forthcoming children’s titles:

  • I’m not Grumpy Steve Smallman,  Illustrator Caroline  Pedler  (0-5)
  • The Naughtiest Unicorn,  Pip Bird (5-7)
  • Robin the First and Teen Titans Go … Fish, Amy Wolfram (Author), Sholly Fisch (Author), Jorge Corona (Illustrator), Chris Gugliotti (Illustrator) (7-9)
  • Head Kid, David Baddiel , Illustrator Steven Lenton (9-11)
  • A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, Holly Jackson (Teen)

DVD recommendations:

  • Bohemian  Rhapsody (12)
  • Johnny English Strikes Again (PG)

Our Reading Agony this week: ‘We would like to add an animal addition to our family can you help?’  Below are a few suggested titles

  • 21 days to the perfect cat: the friendly boot camp for your imperfect pet, Kim Houston
  • 21 days to the perfect dog: the friendly boot camp for your imperfect pet, Karen Wild
  • The complete book of pets and pet care : the essential family reference guide to pet breeds and pet care, David Alderton
  • The ultimate encyclopaedia of caged and aviary birds : a practical family reference guide to keeping pet birds, with expert advice on buying, understanding, breeding and exhibiting birds, David Alderton
  • Complete puppy and dog care : what every dog owner needs to know, Bruce Fogle

If all of this puts you off we do have an alternative – cheaper and less stressful

  • Knit your own Pet, Sally Muir

Staff quote of the day “Are you a Lizard?”

Our Discussion was all about inspiring women and their achievements – Among our selection we’ve chosen a few potted female history and biography collections, as well as books by inspirational women. Hopefully they will be a jumping off point for reading more detailed historical titles or biographies.

  • Malala’s Magic Pencil by Malala Yousafzai
  • Where are the women? A guise to an imagined Scotland, Sara Sheridan (published May 2019)
  • Wild Women,  Mariella Fostrup
  • A History of Britain in 21 Women, Jenni Murray
  • Bloody Brilliant Women: The Pioneers, Revolutionaries and Geniuses Your History Teacher Forgot to Mention, Cathy Newman
  • Yes She can –Why Women Own the Future, Ruth Davidson
  • A Woman’s shed: spaces for women to create, write, make, grow, think and escape,  Gill Heriz
  • Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History , Vashti Harrison
  • The Skills: From First Job to Dream Job – What Every Woman Needs to Know, Mishal Husain
  • So here I am Speeches: Speeches by great women to empower and inspire, Anna Russell
  • Equal Power: Gender Equality and How to Achieve It, Jo Swinson
  • Everywoman,  Jess Phillips
  • A History of the World in 21 Women,  Jenni Murray

Did You Know? Theory Test Pro (on library Pcs or online) – Theory Test Pro is a highly realistic online simulation of the UK’s driving theory tests for all vehicle categories.

  • It contains all the official test questions licensed from the DVSA, the people who set the tests.
  • Unlimited access to all the official questions from the DVSA in the same format as the official test
  • Includes online version of Highway Code
  • Realistic hazard perception video simulations
  • Access to test banks for car, motorcycle, passenger carry vehicle and heavy goods vehicle categories
  • Machine translation into over 40 different languages
  • Speech-enabled tests so you can listen to questions

Simply create an online account, entering your library card number, and off you go!

This is our last podcast before a 6 week break. We begin our new, refreshed season 3 on 15th May.

 But keep an eye on our blog for new posts and feel free to go back and listen to some of our older episodes.

Thank you for listening to the Library Love podcast, we hope you’ve enjoyed yourself and if you did, then join us on rate and review us on Apple so that more people can find out about us.  We love to hear from you and if you’d like to get in touch with us, or if you’ve got a Reader Agony of your very own then go to www.librarylovefalkirk.com, Falkirk Libraries on Facebook or @LibFalkirk on Twitter

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International Women’s Day – podcast 13

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Hello and welcome friendly podpeople. So lovely to see you on International Women’s Day. Vikki, Lynne, Anna and I (Tanya) chatted about women’s issues today – but this is definitely a podcast for 100% of the population

What we have been reading and listening to:
Lynne has been reading:
• Val McDermid – Retribution
Vikki has been reading:
• Muriel Spark – The Driver’s seat
• Sweet Little Lies by Caz Frear
Tanya has been reading:
• More Dresden Files by Jim Butcher
Anna has been reading:
• Neogenesis by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller – Most recent in the Liaden series – an SF book, very strong on character with a real Georgette Heyer in space feel
And listening to these podcasts:
• Tim Ferris: Tribe of mentors
• Gretchen Reuben: Happier

New and forthcoming adult books:
• Head Case by Ross Armstrong
• Three Things About Elsie by Joanna Cannon
• Iron Gold (Red Rising Series) by Pierce Brown
• This Could Change Everything by Jill Manselll
• Deeds Not Words by Helen Pankhurst

New and forthcoming children’s books:
• The Strongest Mum by Nicola Kent (0-5 years)
• The Big Box by Sue Graves , illustrated by Louise Forshaw (5 – 7 years)
• Reissue of Ailsa Wild’s Squishy Taylor series (7-9 years)
• A most magical girl by Karen Foxlee (9-11 years)
• The Wren Hunt by Mary Watson (12 – 15 years)

DVD recommendations:
• Atomic Blonde (15)
• Wind River (15)
• Lego Ninjago Movie (PG)

Our Reading Agony this week: ‘I’m a busy mum, all these books sound great, but I don’t have time to read’
• Ebooks while kids falling asleep
• Eaudiobooks / audiobooks – while doing other things, such as traveling, housework, feeding / sleeping children / cooking tea
• Take a book to work and read during lunch
• Be a reading role model and read so your kids see you – curling up with a book on the sofa together under a duvet is lovely
• Always have a book (e or paper) with you for any waits
• Quick reads – short, high interest books by popular authors
• Short stories
• Kids and Teen books
• Get rid of your tv and social media and read instead ….
• Encourage your children to take up activities with days /weekends away….

Staff quote of the day ‘We need more scary women’

Our Discussion was looking at feminism and things we’ve loved as women. It was fairly wide ranging, ‘cos we’re all pretty keen, but here’s a brief taster of what we touched on and some book recommendations:
• International Women’s Day 2018 campaign theme: #PressforProgress
• It’s just over 100 years since women (over 30) got the vote in February 1918
• I (Tanya) recommends that everyone should read How to be a Woman by Caitlin Moran;
• Guilty Feminist podcast (sweary warning) with descriptions of the comedy industry and sexism
• What annoys me – that research has found that women read more than men, that there are more women authors than men, but that far more books by men are reviewed in newspapers. I haven’t counted what we review here… maybe we should …
• We have a load of new books on the libraries’ shelves about inspiring women, rebel girls etc.

Lynne recommends women in rock memoirs. Particularly:
• Carrie Brownstein (Sleater Kinney and TV’s Portlandia) Hunger Makes Me a Modern Girl
• Viv Albertine (UK punk icons, The Slits) Clothes, Clothes, Clothes, Music, Music, Music, Boys ,Boys, Boys
• Patti Smith’s Just Kids,  the beautiful memoir of her youthful NY relationship with artist Robert Mapplethorpe
And adds: Chrissie Hynde’s Reckless and Kim Gordon’s Girl in a Band

Vikki remembered historical strong women, especially Eleanor Marx and Ada Nield Chew and we talked about the joy of Virago published books , especially authors Angela Carter, Margaret Atwood, Marilyn French, Maya Angelou ,Vera Brittain, Muriel Spark.

Other powerful women writers inspired Vikki as a young woman:
• Maya Angelouhttp://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b08l6jjw
• Alice Walker The Colour Purple & In Search of Our Mother’s Gardens.
• Their Eyes were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
• Anna was interested in the girl boss idea and recommended:
• Jen Sincero : You are a bad ass
• Elizabeth Gilbert: Big Magic
• Sarah Knight: You do you

• The Reading Agency have a great new book list of brilliant books for kids with strong women

Did you know? Libraries have loads of comics and they are for everyone.  Have a look back at our Podcast 5 all about comics, but here’s a couple to tempt your children with strong central female characters: DC Superhero Girls, Lumberjanes and My Little Pony. Also, for older teens (a bit of a sweary warning, but themes not too adult) Paper Girls which Vikki loves

Coming Soon: Digi Drop in Day. This is for everyone to try our techie kit. It’s at Falkirk Library, during the Easter School holiday on Friday 13th April. Try our 3D printer, create your own design in Tinkercad, give coding a go. We’ll have cool toys, we’ll use our green screen to slot you into the photo of your choice. You can learn about Ancestry to search for your family history, get advice about tablets and we’ll show you how to set up and use our eBooks, magazines and audiobooks. We’re still planning this extravaganza so watch our facebook page for details.

Thank you for listening to the Library Love podcast, we hope you’ve enjoyed yourself and if you did, then give us a shout out on Facebook or twitter. 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 fb, or @LibFalkirk on Twitter