May Picks

I decided that since this month is my birthday, that I would indulge in two book and music picks. Here’s what I decided on:

While I would love to know who actually writes these, it’s fun to pretend that Richard Castle actually does! Reading these is rather like reading an episode of Castle, and they rather closely follow what is happening in the show at the time. Despite the hype made on the show about ‘scenes-with-a-rather-adult-nature,’ they aren’t quite as steamy as advertized, and fairly easily skipped over. So if you like the show Castle, you will most likely enjoy these books. A fun, ‘fluff’ read.

I can’t remember if I saw this book on Goodreads or via Bookbub or Fussy Librarian, but I have to say that I really enjoyed this take on Rumplestiltskin. I enjoyed all the details about the mill, I enjoyed that this is a story about restoration, and I enjoyed that fact that her prince was actually a banker. Disclaimer—there is magic involved in a real world setting, but it is a reworking of a fairy tale. Now I want to go weave something…

The Wind that Shakes the Barley I’ve enjoyed Lorna McKinnet ever since I first heard her rendition of “The Highwayman” and “The Lady of Shallot,” and this album is one that was lurking at the bottom of my wishlist for a few years till I had forgotten what was actually on it. This is an album of McKinnet’s new agey takes on several classic Irish and English folk songs. Some of them I prefer a little more lively, but it was a good listen nonetheless. Less of an Eastern sound, and more folkey.

The Civil Wars My sister introduced me to the Civil Wars with their album Barton Hollow about two years ago, and I just got around to buying this one. I really enjoyed it—the beautiful harmonies, the instrumentation, the hipster-folk feel of the whole thing. I just regret that like with most contemporary groups I start listening to, they break up just about when I start getting into them. I will be collecting the EP’s they released so as to enjoy the maximum of their music, and wistfully hoping that they might get back together so I can go visit my sister in Nashville and get to hear them.

Folk Songs of our Time As an extra, I’m going to say a word or two about this cassette. I grew up listening to oldies and folk music in the woodshop with my dad, and folk and classical in the house with my mom. My dad had this one Roger Whittaker cassette that I loved. It was my first introduction to many of my favorite folk songs, and housed the best (and only true!) tune to Burn’s “O my luve is like a red, red rose.” When I graduated university I was diving a suburban that had a tape deck, and I got the bright idea of tracking down a copy of this tape as the original had mysteriously vanished a few years previously. I found a copy on eBay, and it got me through some of the darkest days of working at Michael’s. When I went to Zambia, the tape disappeared, and though I looked diligently through the tape cupboard (yes, we still have one!) last Christmas, it was no where to be found. So, I tracked down another copy, from Amazon this time, and some returning missionaries brought it out for me. What a trip down memory lane! I turned the tracks into MP3 so I can listen to them on my iPod; they need to be cleaned up a little, but I am just so thrilled to have this album again. It’s amazing what memories music can stir up…