Read, Listen, Watch
Staff Picks and Suggestions
2008 Olympics
Has anyone been watching the Olympics? Which sports do you like best? I’ve been enjoying watching these Olympic games. I really liked the opening ceremonies, but I’ve always been an easy mark for big pageantry and production numbers. I like watching basketball, swimming and gymnastics, and I’m looking forward to seeing more tennis and soccer. I also hope to get a chance to see some of the less-broadcast sports like equestrian events, badminton, archery and the pentathlon. On the IOC’s website I also learned about Olympic sports of the past, including polo, rugby and tug-of-war, which I would have liked to watch! As any broadcast is also jam-packed with advertising, my favorite Olympic commercial so far, has been this one. And I’d say my favorite Olympic film is the classic Chariots of Fire, which is available at Snell.
Pillow Talk
Book Covers
Today I read a little piece on book covers-why books written by women (or featuring female
protagonists)-are often pink or otherwise “girly,” even when that doesn’t jibe with the book’s subject matter. When I’m at the bookstore or library, covers certainly draw my attention to a book-I’m tempted to pick up those that look ‘fun’ but not too silly or cheap. I’ve certainly picked up some that would seem to fall into the ‘chick lit’ category, only to put them down again after reading back jackets that seem to describe a much more depressing story. What do you think of this type of advertising? One chick lit book that I’ve read and enjoyed is Confessions of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella.
(If you enjoy book cover design, Stephanie had recommended the hilarious “Judge a Book by it’s Cover” blog.)