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Books on the Nightstand, Episode 45 (24:23)
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Today, we look at a few ways that the internet is changing reading. Readers are connecting with authors in new ways. Book blogs and podcasts are popping up for every reading interest. I’m sure that at least a few Books on the Nightstand readers and listeners have book blogs or podcasts. If you do, please tell us about it in the comments — we’d love to share your site with others.
Twitter is another great place for book conversations, including monthly Twitter book clubs. Many of our favorite bookellers are on Twitter, also, sharing their recommendations and talking about the books that they are excited about. If you’re on twitter, or want to be, feel free to follow Michael and Ann by clicking the links on our names.
Segment two looks at science books that can be enjoyed by non-scientists, including The Botany of Desire by Michael Pollan, which will be a PBS special airing in October. You can watch the trailer for the documentary, below:
Ann talks about The Age of Wonder by Richard Holmes, and The Ten Most Beautiful Experiments by George Johnson.
In “2 Books We Can’t Wait for you to Read,” Michael talks about The Magicians by Lev Grossman, a book that can be described as Harry Potter meets Narnia for adults. Ann is thrilled to finally be able to talk about The Year of the Flood, the new novel by Margaret Atwood that is set in a future time, where the environment and religion have transfomed the landscape and everyday life in a way that only a master storyteller can imagine.
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The Botany of Desire by Michael Pollan, Random House trade paperback
The Age of Wonder by Richard Holmes, Pantheon hardcover
The 10 Most Beautiful Experiments by George Johnson, Knopf hardcover
The Magicians by Lev Grossman, Pengin hardcover
The Year of the Flood by Margaret Atwood, Doubleday hardcover
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A great podcast! I’m excited to read The Botany of Desire – I’ve been on a healthy food kick for a while now but am only beginning to venture into the books on the subject (my goodness are there millions, it feels like).
Congratulations once again on the awards you’ve won for BBAW!
Thank you, Lena! Hope you enjoy The Botany of Desire. I’m a huge fan of Michael Pollan’s work.
I have a book blog called:
By Hook or By Book at
http://byhookbook.blogspot.com
I just found your podcast and am really enjoying it. Keep up the great work! I’m going to go back listen to all of your previous podcasts.
I have a blog all about books. You can check me out at http://www.chadintheazdesert.blogspot.com
Great job as always!
I’d love to put in a plug for my blog, since you asked.
You can find me at age30books.blogspot.com and I’m on Twitter as @Age30Books.
The Age of Wonder sounds very good. I’d also recommend Dava Sobel’s books, The Planets, and Longitude. Her science books are perfect for non-scientists like myself – very easy to understand but still well written and beautiful.
I can’t wait to listen to the podcast tonight but I did want to mention an “accessible” science book — A Short History of the World (I think that is the title) by Bill Bryson.
For “science” in layman’s terms, one of my favorite books was THE ISLAND OF THE COLOR BLIND (by Oliver Sachs, author of AWAKENINGS (which was made into a movie starring Robin Williams).) TIOTCB was about a demographically isolated population, a majority of whom suffered from a genetic color-blindness. Oliver Sachs offers credible theories about how the brain compensates…
Another science book, readily accessible to non-scientists, is LONGTITUDE (by Dava Sobel.) The book covers the history of pre-longitude navigation and the impact the calculation had…
Truly interesting (really!)
I like Dava Sobel too. Planets was excellent. I’m looking forward to reading The Magicians.
Just been catching up on my podcasts. I have a book blog at
http://notenoughbookshelves.blogspot.com, mainly YA reviews.
I agree the internet had really changed the author/reader relationship. I recently went to a book signing with Diana Peterfruend and she remembered something I wrote about her book on my blog ages ago. Which did make me an even bigger fan (I shall be leaping on people in bookshops to recommend Rampant!) but also was really cool to know that an author knew how much I’d loved their books.
The Magicians sounds excellent. I’ll be adding it to my TBR list.
My blog, Stuff and Nonsense, started out with a general “my favorite stuff” theme, but has turned into mainly a book blog.
I have a blog as well (What Was I Reading?) and I was wondering if you guys had any idea (unscientifically-speaking, of course) which genres have the most active book blogging communities? Or is it general reviews/eclectic blogs?
I can’t wait to read either of the books you guys featured at the end of the podcast.
I’m even further behind than Alexa and just got the podcast listened to last night — and that’s as caught up as I got.
I do lots of reviews and other book-related posts at A Progressive on the Prairie. The variety of the books reviewed is perhaps as eclectic as the scope of the blog.