The Bookworm Club

Welcome to New Colleagues and Students!

2006-09-24T14:03:00.001+01:00

Let me welcome you to a new school year at Salem College and to introduce our fund-raising scheme for the College Library! How does it work? Every time you click on to an Amazon icon through the Bookworm Club blog (either Amazon.de, or Amazon.co.uk) and make a purchase, you earn the Bookworm Club affiliate program a 5% commission on books (higher for other products such as electronics, laptops, etc.). We then pass on this commission to the Salem College Library as a donation to buy new books for the Library! It's that easy: just remember to click through the links on this blog to make your purchases.

But there is more!

If you have read an interesting book lately, please write a review and I will publish it on the blog! Students and staff are equally welcome to contribute to the blog. Just email me! I would really like to start off the book reviews this year with one of YOUR reviews.
Happy reading and happy fund-raising!
Chief Bookworm (Clare Krojzl)

And especially for Harry Potter fans click HERE!

Try Photo.com!

2006-05-10T08:50:00.000+01:00

For Bookworm Club readers with digital cameras, we have just signed up with a new affiliate program to help raise money for our good cause! Feel free to check it out! Best wishes, Chief Bookworm

Some book tips

2006-03-25T07:53:00.000Z

The Literacy Site

2006-03-17T19:05:00.000Z

Pass it on!

Access to books is essential to reading development. However, 61 percent
of low-income families have no books for the children in their homes. Over
80 percent of childcare centers serving low-income children lack
age-appropriate books. Now you can help each day with a free click!

Visit The Literacy Site daily and click
the red "Fund Books for Kids" button. This quick, simple action helps give
a book to a child in need--often it is the first book that is their own.

There is no cost to you! Funding for the books is paid by site sponsors
and goes to First Book, an award-winning nonprofit that uses all funding
generated by The Literacy Site to provide free books to children from
low-income families--books that they can take home and keep.

The Literacy Site is new, and its success depends on the number of people
who visit the site and click every day!

Please click at The Literacy Site once a day and forward this email to
friends and family. Together, we can give more books to children in need
and help spark a life-long love of reading.

Thank you!

The Literacy Site

Best screensaver currently in the US!

2006-03-13T22:23:00.000Z

Just click here for America's current top screensaver! If the man gets stuck, just click on him with the cursor. Have fun!

Language learning in style

2006-03-13T20:42:00.000Z

Rosetta Stone Language Software is what they are all talking about! Rosetta Stone - Free 2-Day Shipping in the U.S.

Free Online Career and Lifestyle Coaching!

2006-03-11T20:00:00.000Z

An interesting Australian website called Lifestyle Revolution offers free career planning downloads and tips, as well as professional coaching for creating the right career and lifestyle for you.
Click here to try!
Free downloadable ebook called Change Your Life!
Plus a Free Goals Quiz!
Happy reading.

English books in Germany: it isn't all about Amazon!

2006-03-11T12:24:00.000Z

An alternative to Amazon for mail order delivery of books in Germany is the English Book Service. They can deliver most listed titles within 3 days or so. Click here to see their page. English and German versions are available. Just click on the flag on the right-hand side of the page.

The Artist's Way

2006-03-11T09:59:00.000Z

Dear Bookworms,

I have had an idea for some time now to write a few short reviews of books which fall broadly into the lifestyle category, which I hope may generate some ideas and discussion, especially among those of you who are of a creative or artistic turn of mind. One book which in this category which I greatly enjoyed is The Artist's Way. The author, Julia Cameron, may not be a familiar name to you. She is a screenplay writer, who wrote, for example, the screenplays for the Miami Vice TV series. This is much more than just a book: it is a three-month guide through a process of discovering oneself as an artist, whether you like the visual arts or writing. It can even be seen as a kind of therapy for writers with writers' block! It is a wonderful discussion of the relationship between life and productivity, in my view one of the most important issues of our stressed and hurried times. Unfortunately this book is not available from Amazon in Germany, but it can be ordered from the UK. There is now a special kit version of the book:

Or choose from the following:

For readers who order in or from the USA:

For local meetups about The Artist's Way in your area, click on the button below:

Congratulations and thanks to all Bookworms!

2006-02-09T08:53:00.000Z

Dear Bookworms,
We are proud to announce our first fund-raising success with the Bookworm Club, thanks to your support by ordering from Amazon through the blog!
Using funds which you have helped to raise, we have just ordered the following books for the library. The titles were recommended by Ms Baker and her student helpers as books which you might enjoy. So here goes:

Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden (2 copies)
Around the World in Eighty Days, Journey to the Center of the Earth, 20,000 Leagues under the Sea, all by Jules Verne, in English and German,
The Ultimate Guide to the Mysteries of Harry Potter, and The Plot Thickens, Harry Potter Investigated by Fans for Fans (both by Galadriel Waters)
and, by popular request, several volumes by Peter Ustinov: Gott und die Staatlichen Eisenbahnen, Über das Leben und andere Kleinigkeiten, Ich und Ich, Peter Ustinovs geflügelte Worte.

Once again many thanks for your support! As promised, funds which you have helped to raise will also be used to help carers of the disabled to have a well-earned break, possibly here on Lake Constance: we are in negotiation with the CEO of the Wilf Ward Family Trust to find the best arrangements. Watch this space!
Best regards and happy reading
Clare Krojzl

Der Schatten des Windes

2005-11-20T16:55:00.000Z

This review, in German, is by Katharina Haack:
Ein Buch, ein Leben, Der Schatten des Windes von Daniel Sempere, ist eines der außergewöhnlichsten Bücher die ich jemals gelesen habe. Die gesamte Bandbreite der menschlichen Emotionen wie Liebe, Hass und Verzweiflung verbinden sich hier zu einem kleinen Meisterwerk der Literatur.
Dennoch liest es sich so leicht wie ein Roman von J.K. Rowling ohne dass es seine Qualität oder Glaubwürdigkeit einbüßt.
Die Geschichte von Daniel Sempere, der schüchternen und charismatischen Hauptfigur, beginnt sehr ungewöhnlich. Durch Albträume geweckt , die die Sehnsucht nach seiner verstorbenen Mutter hervorgerufen haben, wird er von seinem Vater zum Friedhof der vergessenes Bücher geführt. Dieser Ort, in dem alle Bücher gesammelt werden, die längst der Vergessenheit angefallen sind, wird für den 10- jährigen Daniel zum Wendepunkt seines Lebens. Von diesem Zeitpunkt an, nehmen unheilvolle Dinge ihren Lauf und das Ende fällt dann doch ganz anders aus, als der Leser es gedacht hätte.
Trotz der unglaublichen Vielschichtigkeit verliert der Leser nie den Faden, er bekommt vielmehr Lust sich mehr und mehr im Barcelona der Nachkriegszeit zu verlieren.

Katharina Haack

Buch, auch als Taschenbuch, bei Buchhändlern erhältlich!

The Da Vinci Code cracked?

2005-10-01T12:10:00.000+01:00

Here are the latest books on the Da Vinci Code debate! I know many of you have read this book and others by Dan Brown, so please Let me know your views. This is a book that has unleashed a great deal of discussion and controversy

For readers in the USA:

Fundraising with iPods

2005-10-01T12:00:00.000+01:00

Help us fundraise with MP3 downloads!

2005-10-01T10:21:00.000+01:00

Download FREE music, movies, games and more. Get Immediate tech support and access to: Acquisition, BearShare, Blubster, Diet K, eDonkey (Overnet), eMule, FreeNet, Grokster, iMesh, iSwipe, LimeWire, MacPhex, Morpheus, SoulSeek, WinMX, XoloX, and many more. Click Here for Immediate Access!

Amazon aid for Hurricane Katrina victims

2005-09-06T09:48:00.000+01:00

Help victims of Hurricane Katrina via this one-click donation page at Amazon Thank you for your support.

Dorothy Dunnett encore

2005-08-15T09:43:00.000+01:00

Just a reminder follow-up to my brief piece of April 5 on the outstanding Scottish historical novelist Dorothy Dunnett, to tempt you with a couple of links. I did not believe it was possible for a series of historical novels to even match the House of Niccolo series, let alone outstrip them for drama, thrills and character-driven plot. I have just finished Book One of the Lymond Chronicles and I am eating my hat!
The main UK Dorothy Dunnett website is here, German-readers can find a bilingual website on Dunnett here. The Dorothy Dunnett Readers Association also has its own website here.

Happy Birthday Penguin!

2005-08-09T14:44:00.000+01:00

Penguin are celebrating 70 years in publishing with a wonderful collector's edition. Do visit the site and look at the entertaining quizzes and other fun features!

Artemis Fowl

2005-07-30T18:14:00.000+01:00

Artemis Fowl , hero (or anti-hero!) of the Eoin Colfer series, marks another pillar in the resurgence of enchantment that has hit our bookstores in the last few years. The books are, of course, a romping read for sheer thrills, laughs and fast-paced entertainment. But I believe there is more to them than this.

I lived for many years in the Czech Republic, a country first settled many centuries ago by Celtic people, who share a love of poetry, music and fairy lore to this day. Like the Irish, the Czechs have never banished the fairy world of enchantment, but let it flourish in their mainstream culture.

It has been argued that the concept of childhood is a construction of the industrial age. If that is so, then the post-industrial age is witnessing a breakdown of the boundaries between the conceptual worlds of childhood and adulthood, which were largely erected to outlaw the fantasy and creativity that might have threatened the industrial work ethic. The price we paid for that banishment was a life that was colourless and wits that became dull. Most worryingly of all, we lost our competitive edge in the marketplace (the ultimate horror).

Surely it is no coincidence, then, that the ancient archetypes of the Magician and the Joker have resurfaced in our culture, accompanied by a resurgence in book-reading as such, to remind us that creativity and inventiveness are keys to our deepest natures, as well as to our survival.

The cocky, infuriating, complex genius that is Artemis Fowl embodies a facet of these ancient archetypes, a character poised between hero and anti-hero, between the Seen and the Unseen. A feast, a delight, for old and young alike in a setting where magic has hard-nosed method, and technology weaves spells. Keep it up Mr Colfer, we love it!

The Artemis Fowl books are published by Puffin

Download FREE music, movies, games and more. Get Immediate tech support and access to: Acquisition, BearShare, Blubster, Diet K, eDonkey (Overnet), eMule, FreeNet, Grokster, iMesh, iSwipe, LimeWire, MacPhex, Morpheus, SoulSeek, WinMX, XoloX, and many more. Click Here for Immediate Access!

Jiggerbug Audiobooks (USA only)

2005-04-12T13:30:00.000+01:00

Unlimited Audiobooks - One low monthly fee.
If you like online audiobooks, or feel like giving them a try, then Jiggerbug are offering a free trial at the moment. Jiggerbug is a new concept in online audiobook rental. You sign up with your credit details, but have use of the service free of charge for a limited period. If you decide it is not for you, all you have to do is remember to opt out of the service at the end of your trial period before your card is charged. However, monthly rates are very reasonable! Perfect for the visually impaired, the housebound or disabled, or even just very busy people. Unfortunately so far only available in the US.

The Rule of Four

2005-04-11T16:06:00.000+01:00

By Ian Caldwell and Dustin Thomason

If you like Dan Brown's books (The Da Vinci Code, Angels and Demons, Digital Fortress), you'll love this book too.

"Imagine, Paul said to me once, that the present is simply a reflection of the future. Imagine that we spend our whole lives staring into a mirror with the future at our back, seeing it only in the reflection of what is here and now. Some of us would begin to believe that we could see tomorrow better by turning around to look at it directly. But those who did, without realizing it, would've lost the key to the perspective they once had. For the one thing they would never be able to see in it was themselves..." (The Rule of Four, p.513).

Set in Princeton, The Rule of Four is a tale of obsession, mystery and friendship. It is also a story about the immense power of heritage, both personal and cultural, in a culture where the past is being progressively eroded by an ever speedier, shallower present.
The plot revolves around the efforts of the main characters, Tom Sullivan and his friend Paul, to unravel the message encoded in a Renaissance book, the Hypnerotomachia Poliphili, a work of mysterious provenance that has baffled scholars for hundreds of years. The obsessive efforts of successive generations, including Tom's own father, to decipher the coded messages in the book, have resulted in casualties and tragedy in the past, and continue to do so in the present.
Tom struggles with the effects on himself and his mother of his father's dedication to this work, and attempts to distance himself from what he perceives as the dangers of becoming too immersed in this deciphering work. He is in love, and sees that his relationship with his girlfriend is also threatened by his scholarly partnership with Paul. As the story unfolds, however, Tom's understanding of his place in the family tradition undergoes a transformation through a process of severe testing. He and Paul complement each other as their search for the right clues to deciphering the text reaches a dramatic climax. His search for the meanings in the Hypnerotomachia is echoed by his search for personal meaning and purpose in his own life. He comes to realize that the key to finding meaning and value in the future lies in the correct interpretation of the past.
A thoughtful novel as well as an accomplished mystery thriller, The Rule of Four is greatly recommended.
Published by Arrow Books. Read or listen to extracts from the book on the publisher's excellent website here, where you can also find a good companion volume, The Real Rule of Four, by Joscelyn Godwin. Do take a look at their Ebook section while you are there. Many titles can be downloaded straight to your PC or laptop. To order printed books, or have them delivered to your door by Bookpost (UK):

email: bookshop@enterprise.net
Phone: 01624 677237
Post: Random House Books
c/o Bookpost, PO Box 29, Douglas, Isle of Man IM99 1BQ.
Cheques (payable to Bookpost) and credit cards accepted.

Have fun!

Don't be an April Fool! Shop around for books

2005-04-06T15:45:00.000+01:00

There are lots of places online to shop around for books. Here are just a few to look into. If you have other favourites, please let us know and then we can share your good fortune with others!

WH Smith
Booksonline
Penguin

See my last post on poetry for free reading online!

e.g. The Literature Page
The Quotation Page
Poetry

April is Poetry Month!

2005-04-06T13:56:00.000+01:00

Poetry is rather like champagne: it's an acquired taste, and not everyone wants it every day. But this is Poetry Month, so why not give it a try, even if you think it's not for you!

The good news is: you can read a lot of poetry free online!

For well-known poetry click here , or here, for example click on "Shakespeare" and "Sonnets" (why not start with the best of the best!), or for new, less well-known poetry try this.
Have fun, and don't forget to send me your comments and suggestions!

Check out my other blogs here, and
here and here!

Dorothy Dunnett: a different kind of read

2005-04-05T07:00:00.000+01:00

Agatha Christie was dubbed the Queen of crime fiction (some people would now say P.D. James had acceded to that particular throne), then Dorothy Dunnett is undoubtedly the Queen of the historical novel. Or, to put it another way, the Champagne of historical fiction.

Dunnett was something of a Renaissance woman - a portrait painter, as well as a prodigy in her genre. The sheer depth and detail in her historical research is awesome. It spans the use of codes, technological developments of the times, the mercantile banking system, navigation and shipping, diplomacy, but also the art, literature and music of her chosen period, the 16th-17th centuries.

The treat that awaits you takes the form of two series built up around two characters. Interestingly, she wrote the Lymond series, which takes place in the 17th century, before the Niccolo series, which takes place in the 16th century. In other words, the second series she wrote takes place prior to the events of the first.

Her two main characters are unforgettable, both heroic and dastardly by turns, as well as romantically tragic. Among the many memorable impressions left by the books is the sheer mental agility and sophistication of the major players in those historical settings.

If you haven't stumbled on these two magnificent series yet, they are both greatly to be recommended. If you have, please share your experiences! Links below for UK and USA

Welcome to the Bookworm Club!

2005-04-01T09:08:00.000+01:00

The Bookworm Club is a free weblog forum for anyone of any age who loves reading - but especially for those who would like to use their hobby to support our cause of helping to provide respite breaks for elderly, disabled people and their carers. Please help us by clicking on the sign-up link above and passing the word on.

We are building up a reading network of free online resources and information, features and discussions about books.

Our aim is to inform and entertain, but also to provide practical support of the elderly and disabled by raising money to help people and their carers to take a holiday. Every time you as a signed up member click through to one of our affiliate sites to make a purchase, you are helping to raise money for this cause!

Use the the links and icons on this site to make your book and other purchases. The price you pay stays the same, but you are earning revenue through commissions for our good cause!

So remember to come to the Bookworm Club to buy! Bookmark this page or add it to the Favourites on your browser.

Other ways you can help:

Thinking of upgrading your computer, or going from a PC to a laptop? Why not donate your old computer to an elderly or disabled person you know in your community, or to a residential home, so that an isolated person can go online? Write and tell us about Bookworm support and success in your local community! We would love to publish your stories.

As an author, translator and teacher, I care passionately about learning, literacy and books. I am a firm believer in lifelong learning. I believe that the home was, and always will be, the most important place most of us learn. A recent survey conducted by the Campaign for Learning asked people which environment they found most conducive for learning:

57% of the people asked said that they preferred to learn at home!

Where else can you get up in the small hours, make yourself a cup of tea and pick up your favourite book, or go on the Internet and look something up! Where else but at home can you read and learn in bed?

So sit back, curl up with a cuppa and enjoy. This is your site. We are developing rapidly, so keep coming back for new reading tips, reviews, features and articles, including of course your own contributions!

Suggestions? Know someone in your community who really deserves a break but is struggling? Click on my profile in the right margin, and then on the email button to send me a message. I love hearing from you!