23. december 2015

Boglige juleønsker 2015

Jeg kan slet ikke forstå, at juleaftensdag allerede er i morgen. December er fløjet afsted med eksamen, arbejde, julegalla på musikvidenskab, Balkan Beats på Studenterhuset som jeg var afvikler for, julekoncerter med skønne Akademisk Kor Århus samt diverse julefrokoster. 

December har både været travl, men også skøn i selskabet af mange, dejlige mennesker og ikke at forglemme har jeg også læst nogle ufatteligt gode bøger i december som for eksempel The Picture of Dorian Gray af Oscar Wilde samt en genlæsning af Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows af J.K. Rowling.

Men jeg glæder mig til i morgen og alt hvad dagen byder på; familie, varme, juleri, julemad, juletræ, pakkeleg og gaver. Så i dag skal de sidste forberedelser laves. Jeg skal blandt andet pakke de sidste gaver ind, pakke en lille jule-taske som jeg tager med ned til min mor, som bl.a. skal bestå af filmen The Nightmare Before Christmas som det efterhånden er blevet en tradition for mig at se i løbet af dagen d. 24. Udover det skal den også indeholde et par gode bøger at fordrive tiden med, indtil vi skal afsted mod Tranbjerg for at holde jul. 

Så i skal da ikke snydes for et lille glimt af min ønskeliste:



1. Aesop's Illustrated Fables fra Barnes and Noble Leatherbound Classics serie.
2. The Book of Strange New Things af Michel Faber
3. Jane Eyre af Charlotte Brontë i den smukke clothbound classics udgave
4. Salt og peber kværnsæt fra Cook & Baker
5. Flere mumiskåle til min samling


Hvad ønsker i jer i år? Jeg håber i allesammen får en dejlig jul i morgen!


7. december 2015

December TBR




Det er endelig blevet december og det er nok årets hyggeligste måned...i tankerne. Men i realiteten medfører den stress og jag i form af alverdens forpligtelser og eksaminer. Med decembers komme har jeg mest af alt lyst til at være sammen med de personer der betyder allermest eller sidde begravet i en fantastisk fortælling i skæret fra et stearinlys omgivet af juleri, æbleskiver, glögg, risengrød og hvad der ellers har med jul at gøre. Eksaminer er godt nok det sidste jeg kan overskue! Og jeg sidder med den første, som skal afleveres senest på onsdag og en bunden opgave der bliver udleveret i morgen. Suk.

Men alligevel har jeg fået skrabet en form for TBR (eller nærmere et udvalg som jeg kommer til at vælge imellem) sammen til december måned, som jeg vil forsøge at overholde nogenlunde. Jeg er dog noget af en humørlæser, så jeg vælger tit i øjeblikket.


The Wind in the Willows af Kenneth Grahame er vi, som nogle af jer nok har opdaget, i min læseklub ved at læse i denne måned. Jeg har valgt at tage mig god tid med den smukke blå bog så den bliver spredt ud over decembers dage. Jeg tænker, at den i eksamensstressen kan bruges til at hoppe ind og ud af som et lille afbræk fra studierne. Indtil videre hygger jeg mig meget i selskab med Mole, Ratty, Badger og Toad!

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows af J.K. Rowling. Jeg har gennem de sidste 2 års tid været igang med at genlæse serien med lidt mellemrum, og jeg mangler kun den sidste bog og den vil jeg gerne have læst her i december. Jeg synes simpelthen at Harry Potter bøgerne passer ufatteligt godt til juletiden. Jeg glæder mig til et deligt gensyn. 

Narnia-bøgerne af C.S. Lewis. Jeg har netop i dag modtaget min egen julegave til mig selv som bestod af bl.a. bokssættet af Narnia-bøgerne. Jeg har faktisk aldrig før fået dem læst, så jeg håber meget på at kunne nå et par stykker i løbet af december, da jeg også kun kan forestille mig at de vil klæde juletiden helt fantastisk.

His Dark Materials af Philip Pullman var også en del af julegaven til mig selv. Jeg har læst trilogien på dansk, men har længe gerne ville genlæse den - og det gerne på engelsk. Og så er det jo bare en yndig udgave! Jeg håber på at kunne genlæse historien om Lyra inden alt for længe. Jeg regner ikke med at jeg når dem alle, men måske jeg får startet på "The Golden Compass" i december?



Jeg kan se på det hele, at min TBR primært indeholder børnefortællinger - og det er faktisk helt ubevidst. Men det glæder mig, da jeg synes det er så hyggeligt med de letlæselige, fantastiske universer!




Har i en lige så travl decembermåned, eller har i tid til lidt mere julehygge? 
Og hvad har i planer om at læse her i den søde juletid?

30. november 2015

At læse musikvidenskab: Blogindlæg #1



Det er efterhånden længe siden at der har været et indlæg om musik her på bloggen, så nu er det vidst ved at være tid.



Jeg har haft et fag på dette semester med titlen "Musik og lyd som historie og historisk fortælling" hvor vi har gennemgået emner som medialisering, autenticitet, arkivering, genrekulturer, m.m. Vi har undervejs skulle udarbejde blogindlæg som er blevet uploadet til musikvidenskabet.dk, som skulle lære os at slippe det akademiske sprog, og i stedet fange vores læsere. Det har været en sjov måde at studere på, og jeg tænkte at jeg ville dele de indlæg jeg undervejs har skrevet med jer. De vil blive uploadet et efter et, og jeg håber i vil læse med på nogle af mine tanker omkring musik og dens betydning i forskellige set-ups.


Genrekultur og P3


Begrebet genre går igen inden for samtlige kunstformer. Det er en måde, hvorpå vi kategoriserer verden og skaber forståelse. I musikken er genrebegrebet vigtigt, da musikelskere har tendens til at definere sig selv og deres smag, ud fra den musik og genre de lytter til. Genre spiller derfor en betydelig rolle i vores verden: Vi ønsker at sætte alt i boks; alt fra personer til objekter til musik.

P3 som genrekultur er interessant, da den bryder med vores forventning om at sætte musikgenrer og dens lyttere i boks, dette da de spiller en bred vifte af musik. De samler lyttere af alle typer, som ikke nødvendigvis bryder sig om de numre, der spilles. På trods af spændvidden af musik følger en fast lytterskare alligevel med.
Folk der lytter til radio, gør dette med forskellige grader af opmærksomhed. Det fungerer ofte som en baggrundsstøj, og de færreste sidder og lytter opmærksomt til hvert enkelt nummer, der spilles. Alligevel bliver lytterne tit inddraget, og får en rolle som en del af et fiktivt panel, i det, at der ofte er programmer, hvor lytterne selv må ringe eller skrive ind, ønske et nummer eller deltage i en quiz. Radiokanalen kreerer her en form for fiktivt fællesskab på tværs af fysiske grænser.
Ifølge Krämer er musik et gennemgående element i de fleste mediale former; enten indeholder de musik, er om musik eller 
er musik (Krämer s. 71). Dette distribueres i høj grad via moderne medier. Krämer stiller i den forbindelse spørgsmålet: ”the main question of the present study is how music in the media is socially constructed and structured” (Krämer s. 71).                                                                 
Med radioen opstår en social konstruktion, da lytterne samles om en fællesnævner, her om den meget varierede musik samt radioværterne, i stedet for at forholde sig kritisk til en bestemt musikgenre. Der findes mange niche radiokanaler, for eksempel P8 (jazz) og P4, der nærmest kun spiller klassisk. Disse genrer rammer langt mere snævert end kanaler som P3, der trods sin ”niche”, slet ikke er så skarpt sat op. Der bliver nemlig spillet alt fra gangster-rap, til rock, til sukkersøde popsange. Diversiteten er altså bred, og derfor er det interessant at se på hvad, der får folk til at lytte med.

For at få et konkret eksempel, har jeg lyttet med på et udsnit af deres morgenprogram (Go’ Morgen P3) mandag morgen, d. 28/9 fra 8.25 til dets slut kl 9.04:

De spiller kun seks sange i løbet af de 40 minutter, og hvis hvert nummer varer gennemsnitligt 3m30sek, så svarer det til kun ca. 21 minutter. Herudover er der nyheder og sport (hver halve time) samt andre indslag, hvor værterne diskuterer ting. Her til morgen, for eksempel, var der en top 3 over det mest delte på de sociale medier inden for det sidste døgn.                                                                                                                                        
I dette program er de 4 værter, og det går meget op i snak i forhold musik, når man regner på det i minutter. Jeg følte mig alligevel underholdt og tænkte slet ikke over, at der gik 40 minutter. Musikken der blev spillet, var alt fra danske Minds of 99, Macklemore ft. Ryan Lewis, Shaka Loveless og Ellie Goulding. De bringer et bredt program på banen, på kort tid, for at fange så mange forskellige lyttere som muligt. Selvom jeg noterede, hvad der skete undervejs, lyttede jeg ikke særlig opmærksomt. Der var ikke noget af musikken, der trak i min opmærksomhed, og jeg husker ikke tydeligt, hvad de snakkede om. Blot følelsen af, at jeg hyggede mig.
Ud fra egen erfaring vil jeg argumentere for, at radioens funktion ikke nødvendigvis er at få intensive lyttere med, men i stedet at række ud til en bredere skare, der fastholdes af enten sange, der falder i deres smag, eller de små indslag i mellem. Der bliver skabt en kultur omkring dét at lytte til radio. De bruger catchphrasen ”Det man hører, er man selv”,  og herved pådutter de lytteren en identitet.

Musikkens medialisering sker i at den spilles og formidles via radioen. Da P3 promoverer sig selv som med på beatet; de spiller det nyeste på hitlisterne, men tager også fat i gamle hits; gør de både lyttere samt kunstnere afhængige af mediet. Lytterne, i den forstand at de tror på at P3 spiller den musik der er ”smart” at lytte til i øjeblikket, og kunstnerne i form af kommercialisering og salg. Radiokanalen fungerer altså som en vægtskål i den almene musikbrugers liv.

Fællesskabet omkring at høre radio er en vigtig forudsætning for salg og promovering af musik, og det kan være med til at forklare det brede genrevalg på P3. De udfordrer deres lyttere implicit, da de har opnået en vis troværdighed – muligvis gennem det faktuelle aspekt. Selvom lytterne måske er kritiske, spiller P3 på de vekslende opmærksomheds grader. De skaber på denne måde en genrekultur, ubevidst for lytteren.


Kilder
Krämer, Benjamin. 2011. The Mediatization of Music as the Emergence and Transformation of Institutions: A Synthesis. International Journal of Communication 5, 471-491.

23. november 2015

"The Wind in the Willows": Readalong






 Jeg er i læseklub med en flok søde, søde piger og vi har besluttet at læse en bog i fællesskab og gerne med alle de af jer, der kunne have lyst til at være med.

Vi har valgt bogen "The Wind In The Willows" af Kenneth Grahame og vi starter d. 1 december og fortsætter til vi er færdige (eller engang før det nye år sætter i gang).

I forbindelse med at arrangere dette readalong har vi i læseklubben været ude i uniparken i Aarhus og tage nogle billeder som fint understreger den blæsfyldte, mangefarvede novembermåned.

Vi håber meget i vil være med til at læse med os! I kan følge os på #WindWillowsRead på instagram og på vores blogge (Louise & Ida)  og Nadja's Youtube kanal.









12. november 2015

En evigt voksende TBR




Kender i det, når der er så mange bøger man gerne vil læse, at det bliver svært at vælge hvilken man skal begynde på?

Den følelse får jeg alt for tit! Jeg fristes til at gøre nye bogindkøb i takt med at jeg læser andre bogblogs, følger andre bogelskere på BookTube og det resulterer i at der nærmest konstant på Saxo's hjemmeside er bøger i indkøbskurven der bare venter på at blive trykket hjem. Men jeg prøver altid at holde lidt igen, til jeg slet ikke kan vente mere, og så udvælger jeg de, som jeg slet ikke kan undvære. 

De mange nye bøger trækker i mig for at give dem opmærksomhed, i mens at de, der har stået på mine reoler i forvejen tit bliver en smule glemt, og det gør mig en smule ondt. For jeg har jo oprindeligt købt alle bøgerne på mine reoler med den samme begejstring og med hensigten om at læse dem, men alligevel er der nogle bøger som har stået der i flere år, som jeg egentlig ønsker at læse, men som jeg simpelthen ikke kan se, hvornår jeg kommer til at tage op og rent faktisk læse i. Det er hårdt at indrømme, men sådanne bøger...bliver de mon nogensinde læst?

Min kæreste har foreslået mig, at jeg må sætte mine bogkøb på en tiltrængt pause. Han foreslog en løsning hvor hver gang jeg har læst 5 bøger må jeg købe 1 ny bog til samlingen. Jeg kunne ikke lade være med at grine. Ikke fordi det er en dårlig idé, for ved gud, hvor kunne jeg (og min pengepung) godt trænge til at der blev sat en pause på bogkøbene, men fordi at jeg ved, at jeg aldrig kommer til at overholde det. Der skal ikke særlig meget til for mig, for at jeg kan retfærdiggøre at købe en bog eller to overfor mig selv. Om det er fordi jeg har haft en dårlig dag, simpelthen  have fat i en bestemt udgave/bog i en serie eller fordi jeg kan se at der sandsynligvis ender med at være plus på kontoen inden vi går til næste måned, så er der jo altid en grund til at købe flere bøger, og udvide sin litterære horisont.

Det skal så siges, at jeg virkelig forsøger at mindske mine bogkøb og i stedet prøver på at tage fat i nogle af bøger jeg har stående i forvejen - og det er en dejlig fornemmelse når det sker!

Men det betyder ikke at min TBR ikke er evigt voksende. I takt med at jeg støder på nye bøger, trænger der sig flere og flere på listen over bøger jeg simpelthen  læse.

Jeg har længe haft den samme stak bøger, som jeg snart skal læse og det er følgende:
- The Assasin's Apprentice af Robin Hobb
- Steelheart + Fireflight af Brandon Sanderson
- The Picture of Dorian Gray af Oscar Wilde
- Lolita af Vladimir Nabokov

... samt mange, mange flere. Men de bliver konstant overhalet indenom af andre bøger; enten bøger som jeg skal læse med min læseklub eller bøger som jeg hører så meget om, at jeg bliver nødt til at finde ud af hvad all the fuss is about

Jeg er ikke tilhænger af at have en eksklusiv TBR som jeg følger slavisk, men nogengange overvejer jeg, om jeg måske burde det. 

Hvad er jeres erfaring? Stopper i bogindkøbene for at mindske antallet af ulæste bøger på jeres hylder, eller har i det som mig, og har svært ved at balancere det, fordi der findes så utroligt mange smukke historier derude? 


20. oktober 2015

Et kig i lejligheden #1

Igen, igen har der været lidt stille på bloggen. Jeg er netop igår hjemvendt fra hele to korture; den ene en konkurrence i München med Aarhus Pigekor (hvor vi vandt hele molevitten - yay!) og en tur til London med Akademisk Kor Aarhus for at synge Brahms Requiem samt et par andre små koncerter, den ene på Queens' College i Cambridge. Min efterårsferie har altså budt på mange spændende oplevelser, mange utroligt søde mennesker med både nye og gamle bekendtskaber, tætpakkede programmer og ca. 3,5 dags transport undervejs. Så nu er jeg træt. Meget træt, og jeg kan mærke sygdommen komme snigende med søvnunderskuddet. 

Før disse ture er jeg kun lige nået at flytte i en ny, lækker lejlighed. Og det er SÅ dejligt! Jeg bor nu markant tættere på alting; både kæreste, studier, kor, arbejde og byen, og så endda til billigere penge! Hvad mere kan man ønske sig? 
Dog har jeg praktisk talt kun været i lejligheden i omkring en uge (grundet alle turene), så der nogle ting der stadig halter; for eksempel mangler jeg loftslys (ups..), diverse hylder og ting der skal sættes op på væggene rundt omkring samt en ny og tiltrængt bogreol. Min nuværende lever på sine sidste dage og står i øjeblikket tætpakket med alle bøgerne kaotisk sat ind for få tømt de sidste flyttekasser (jeg plejer også at have en vindueskarm + en sæt hylder som også bærer bøger, så pladsen er træng lige nu). 

Men jeg synes da lige i skal have lov til at få et sneak-peak af mit nye hjem og de midlertidige løsninger, så here goes (beklager billedkvaliteten - det manglende lys gør, at min telefon har svært ved at fokusere):









Har i haft en god efterårsferie? Og har i måske endda haft mulighed for at deltage i det halvårlige Readathon her i lørdags? 

22. september 2015

Bog tag #3: How I Read

Jeg synes simpelthen det er så hyggeligt at besvare de bogtags der florerer rundt omkring på BookTube, og jeg har efterhånden set mange forskellige booktags på youtube og, derfor tænkte jeg at jeg ville besvare et af dem her, nemlig "The How I Read"- book tag. Bl.a. har MercysBookishMusings svaret på tagget her. Hun er forresten en booktuber jeg nyder at følge!

1. How do you find out about new books to read?
En kombination mellem inspirationer fra de forskellige blogs jeg følger samt de booktubers jeg normalt deler smag med. Jeg har brugt mange stunder på at se bogligt tematiske videoer på youtube, og dette har også ofte resulteret i at mange nye bøger tilføjes til min indkøbskurv på saxo eller andre steder. Udover det, så bruger jeg også Goodreads relativt ofte til at søge efter nye bøger der kunne falde i min smag. Jeg elsker også at gå mellem boghandleres bogreoler og finde nye skønheder jeg måske ikke har hørt omtalt, og så læse bagpå og måske undersøge yderligere online om bogen ville være noget for mig.

2. How did you get into reading?
Jeg tror jeg begyndt at læse sådan rigtigt da jeg var 7 år. Jeg har altid elsket højtlæsning, og specielt Harry Potter, H.C. Andersen og Brødrene Grimms eventyr var favoritter. En dag blev jeg træt af, at jeg aldrig kunne holde mig vågen hvis oplæsningen gik hen og blev lidt sent på aftenen, og jeg synes simpelthen det gik for langsomt at komme igennem Harry Potter bøgerne, så jeg tog sagen i egen hånd og begyndte at læse dem selv. Generelt set var jeg en af de eneste i klassen der gik op i læsning, og valgte hurtigt de sværere bøger på bibliotekets hylder og var vild med både dansktimernes boglige udfordringer samt at skrive boganmeldelser.

3. How has your taste in books changed as you’ve gotten older?
Jeg læste ufatteligt mange bøger med magi og mysterier, og generelt fantasy, da jeg var yngre. Harry Potter bøgerne var helt klart i højsædet og blev genlæst utallige gange (og gør det stadig den dag i dag), men også bøger som Tamora Pierce's historie om Alanna, Daine og Keladry blev læst om og om igen. Jeg har altid elsket bøger sat i et enten magisk univers, eller middelalderligt samfund og drømt mig afsted i disse og forestillet mig hvordan det ville være at leve i sådan en verden. Jeg læste også ufatteligt mange manga bøger (japanske tegneserier), bl.a. One Piece, Ranma1/2, Dragon Ball, osv. som flittigt blev taget ud af biblioteket.
Min smag har ændret sig, da jeg ikke læser mangaer mere. Jeg synes stadig historierne er gode og mindes dem med et smil, men det er meget få jeg ville kunne finde på at (gen)læse. Dog er jeg vild med graphic novels, og jeg har da for ikke så lang tid siden anskaffet mig en traditionel mange bog, nemlig den første i serien "Death Note".
Jeg er også blevet mere tilbøjelig til at kaste mig over klassikere, men min kærlighed for fantasy og magiske universer er stadig stor og stadigt voksende. 

4. How often do you buy books?
Uh. Bogindkøb. Virkelig en af mine svagheder. Min hang til at gå på booktube så snart jeg har et øjeblik hvor jeg ikke ved hvad jeg skal give mig til, giver mig ufatteligt mange (og LANGE) indkøbskurve og ønskelister, der konstant udvikles. Jeg prøver at holde mine bogindkøb til MAX. en gang om måneden - hvis jeg slet ikke kan lade være. Ellers forsøger jeg at holde mig væk fra at trykke bøger hjem, men i stedet udarbejde en liste over tbr-bøger, og så kun bestille de allermest tiltrængte. Jeg prøver virkelig at stoppe det evige bogkøb (i hvert fald i så høj grad som jeg købte bøger på et tidspunkt), for at kunne komme til bunds i den lange række af ulæste bøger jeg har på mine hylder.

5. How do you react when you don’t like the end of a book?
Jeg tror ikke jeg som sådan reagerer på en bestemt måde. Jeg bliver måske en smule lamslået og overrasket, specielt hvis det er en bog jeg virkelig godt har kunnet lidt - undtagen slutningen. Jeg tror tit at jeg søger et svar i enden af en bog, og hvis jeg ikke får det, kan jeg godt blive en smule forundret og en anelse skuffet. Men efter at tænke længere over de åbne slutninger, synes jeg tit at jeg faktisk ender med at elske bøgerne mere, fordi jeg netop selv kan få lov at spekulere videre og fantasere mig frem. 
Dog er der også nogle endelser som jeg decideret ikke har kunnet fordrage, og disse har bare irriteret mig og ændret på den generelle opfattelse af bogen.

6. How often have you taken a sneaky look at the last page of a book to see how it’s gonna go?

Aldrig. Jeg havde tendens til at gøre det lidt, da jeg var yngre. Jeg starter næsten altid en bog med at tjekke hvor mange sider den er på, men sørger for ikke at komme til at læse noget fra de sidste sider. Jeg kan godt lide at bevare spændingen, og lade mig overraske undervejs.


Jeg tagger alle der har lyst til at lave dette tag, men har bestemt lyst til at se mine to læseklub-piger, Louise (Det fiktive univers) og Ida (Tanker om sprog) svare på spørgsmålene!

18. september 2015

En lille update




Der har været ufatteligt stille herinde i et godt stykke tid nu, og hermed kommer der en lille update på hvad, der er sket i mit liv i den sidste stykke tid som har haft sat bloggen lidt på pause.

I sommerferien var jeg kun hjemme i Danmark, men alligevel blev der plads til mange gode oplevelser.
Udover afslapning fra studier, så var jeg i sommerhus i en uge sammen med nogle af de bedste mennesker man kunne forestille sig, hvor vi boede, spillede brætspil, drak nogle øl og generelt bare hyggede os enormt meget. Kort derefter skulle jeg endnu engang i sommerhus, men denne gang med familien. Dette var en total afslapningstur. Vi var i Blåvand, og der blev ikke lavet meget andet end at gå ture, bade i pool og læse. En enkelt dag tog vi dog til Grøn Koncert i Esbjerg for at få nogle nye omgivelser at se, og samtidig opleve noget dejlig musik.

Ellers stod min ferie meget på at arbejde samt at catche up med en masse forskellige mennesker. 

August bragte mange oplevelser med sig: Først og fremmest blev det min fødselsdag, hvor jeg fik besøg af de sødeste folk, og hvor min søde kæreste havde planlagt overraskelser og hyggeligheder i lange baner. Det var simpelthen en dejlig og solskinsrig dag. Dagen bragte mange boglige skatte og andre gode gaver med sig, og jeg vil kort lige opridse hvad jeg fik: en ny, smuk udgave af Harry Potter-serien på engelsk (mine gamle er så faldefærdige, at jeg trængte til nogle nye, og dette bokssæt har jeg længe haft mine øjne på!), "The Handmaid's Tale" og "The Robber Bride", begge af Margaret Atwood i de fineste udgaver, som er i en serie, der inkluderer alle hendes boglige udgivelser. Det er første gang jeg læser noget af hendes gang ("The Handmaid's Tale"), men det bliver bestemt ikke den sidste! Derudover fik jeg også "The Bookthief" af Zuzak, "To Kill a Mockingbird" af Harper Lee, og "Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman" af Haruki Murakami. Udover boglige skatte, fik jeg en støbejernsgryde, en radio, flere mumikopper til min samling, en billet til Northside 2016, og mange flere fine ting. 

Få dage senere fik vi at vide, at vi har fået en ny lejlighed og vi (min nuværende roomie og jeg) skal  derfor til d. 1 oktober flytte tættere på både Aarhus Universitet og centrum. Det glæder jeg mig meget til!

Udover det, var jeg tutor for de nye RUS'ere på musikvidenskab i den sidste uge af august, der bragte mange sjove stunder med sig. Det var en hård uge fra tidlig morgen til sen, sen aften hver dag. Men hold nu op, for en god og lærerig oplevelse!

Nu er jeg nok engang begyndt på mine studier igen, og denne gang på min kandidat på linjen Musik, lyd og kommunikation (som overbygning til mit tilvalgsfag Musikkultur). Det virker rigtig spændende, og jeg glæder mig til at få to år mere på musikvidenskab og fordybe mig i min passion på et højere niveau! 
- I dette semester er det et fag hvori vi som en del af en eksamensopgave skal uploade blogindlæg til siden www.musikvidenskabet.dk, og jeg tænker også at poste de indlæg jeg skriver dertil herinde, så i kan følge lidt med i, hvad det er jeg render og laver på mit studie.

For at det ikke skal være løgn, så er jeg også startet som frivillig på Aarhus Studenterhus i kulturgruppen og i endnu et kor, Akademisk kor, så dagene er travle, og fritiden er begrænset, og det går desværre også udover mængden af bøger jeg har fået læst på det sidste. 

Efter efterårsferien falder der dog lidt ro på igen, da jeg på det tidspunkt er i den nye lejlighed samt stopper i min 'gamle' kor, Aarhus Pigekor efter vores kommende konkurrence i starten af ferien.


I dag har jeg endelig en tiltrængt fridag, som til gengæld også har medført en smule sygdom (det sker næsten altid når jeg endelig giver mig selv lov til at slappe af!), så jeg vil forsøge at få skrevet et par forskellige indlæg, så jeg blot at trykke "udgiv" i stedet for at skulle arbejde på nye i de næste par meget travle uger.


Jeg håber i alle havde en fantastisk sommerferie og er kommet godt igang med hverdagens udfordringer.

19. juli 2015

Summertime: A small chat

Hello! 

I know it has been quiet in here for a while, but I have been terribly busy with the final exams of my BA studies, which I have now passed - yay! 

Immediately after my last exam in Musical Production, I went home packing and a few hours later entered the bus towards the que for Roskilde Festival! The festival was amazing. I was there with loads of great people, met and made new awesome friends and generally had a great time. I had some amazing musical experiences, where, for example, I saw my all time favourite band Florence + The Machine which was just so beautiful and evoked a lot of emotions. Florence is fantastic on stage, both in terms of her singing, her performance and her intensity. She is so connected to her audience and has an amazing energy. I was completely blown away.
Besides Florence, I saw Muse, Mew (which was sooo good!), Disclosure, Kendrick Lamar, Tallest Man on Earth and several others. Generally, it was a pretty good year, music-wise.
Sadly, I missed Paul McCartney (and all of saturdays performers) as I got sick on the festival and had to go home. I heard the concert was one of the best ever, and I'm truly sad that I missed it. But oh well, I guess that's how it goes.



After the festival I went home for a few days only then to go on another trip with some of my best friends. Firstly, we went to the border to bring back loads of beer, wine, and other goods for 6 days in our friend's parents' house, where we stayed 14 people. We made a lot of great food, had arranged some beer-games (a small "Øl-ympiade" with games as beerbowling, beerpong, "sko", and flipcup - which my team all won, yay!) and generally just relaxed, played some boardgames and just enjoyed being away from Aarhus for a bit. Best of all, this was a really cheap get-away which is just perfect as almost all of us are students. This trip has now been a tradition for two years, and hopefully it will continue many years ahead.

The following week I worked quite a lot and spended time with some great people, having some wine and playing more boardgames. Pretty chill and really good after a few "busy" weeks.

Now I am in a "summerhouse" with my family in Blåvand, where we are to stay until next saturday. I hope to get a lot of readings done here as my bookish enjoyments have been limited the last few weeks, and I really miss reading. I have brought with me three books for the week: "Cloud Atlas" by David Mitchell, "Amulet Vol. 2: The Stonekeeper's Curse" by Kazu Kibuishi and the short story collection "M is for Magic" by Neil Gaiman. 



The plans for the rest of my summer vacay is pretty limited. When I get back from the summerhouse I am to work a bit more, then I have my birthday the 6th of August which I will celebrate with a few friends gathered to do some activities, have a few beers and just hang out. Afterwards, my good friend Anne has her Goodbye-party as she is going away on Erasmus in Amsterdam for the next semester. I will hopefully get to visit her in Copenhagen before she leaves, and when I'm over there I might make a small detour and go visit my other good friend who moved to Malmø last year and spend a few days there with her.

I hope you are all enjoying summer, even though the weather isn't really that great. Please tell me what your plans are for the rest of the vacation as well as your reading plans.

Cheers, Amanda.



7. juni 2015

Booktag #2: The Social Media Tag

I was inspired by Louise at Det fiktive univers to do the Social Media Tag. I have not been as active on the blog lately as I am in the middle of exams, which, sadly, take up much of my time and make my reading time short and the blog fall in the background. But I have thought a lot about my answers for the questions to the tag during this time, so I thought I'd take a break from the exam writing for a bit and actually answer them. For some of the questions I would probably answer with the same book(series), but I will instead try to mention different ones all the way through. So here goes!

1. Twitter: Your favourite shortest book

My immediate answer to this question was "After Dark" by Haruki Murakami. It is only 201 pages long and I read it during one day about 1,5 years ago. It was a really fascinating book to me. As I am a big Murakami fan this might not come as a surprise, but I really love the way he creates a world that is basically a real life interpretation but with a twist. Also it deals with some disturbing material, interesting personalities, etc. Really thought-provoking and a great, fast read.


2. Facebook: A book everyone pressured you to read
I have one slightly negative and one positive to this question.

Negative: When I was younger I read a draft from "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen which I really liked, so I've always been looking forward to getting to read the novel. I had to read it during my first semester at my English studies, and I kept on postponing it to the last minute. I knew it was a book I "should" like as everyone always talk so highly of it, so my reading of it came with great expectations which did not match the amount of time I had to read it. It ended up being a forced read, because I had to meet a deadline, and I really did not enjoy the book at all. I don't know if it is simply Austen's authorship that doesn't really speak to me, or the situation. I hope to reread the book when I have more time, out of curiosity and wanting to pick it up instead of feeling forced to read it.


Positive: I don't know if you could say that I was pressured exactly to read "The Goldfinch" by Donna Tartt, but instead I felt an inspiration to read it driven by the book-blogging universe and several Booktubers. Everyone simply talked (and raved) about the book, so I really felt the need to read it and see what all the fuss was about. And even though it took me quite some time to get through it, I am so glad for this reading experience. I chose to not force myself through it at a fast paste, but rather picking it up when I felt like it, reading easier reads on the side. I think this really worked for me, because I couldn't stop thinking about it, and everytime I picked it up I felt immediately drawn in. I have been torn about whether to give the book 4 or 5 stars, as I really, really was moved by the story, but still I cannot really say that it blew me away; or at least, it was in a more passive way. 4,5 stars I think would be suitable. But really: Do yourself a favour and read this book. It is truly amazing, even though the storyline is kind of slow paste and you have no idea where the story is taking you. The language drew me in completely and I always wanted to know more.



3. Instagram: A book that was so beautiful you had to instagram it

There are a few books I feel the need to mention here. I don't use instagram that much (mostly during readathon, new books, etc.), so I will instead pick two from my shelf that I think are so darn beautiful, though in very different ways.

1) The Barnes and Nobles Leatherbound Classics version of "A Christmas Carol and Other Christmas Storis" by Charles Dickens, which I won from Gitte on her old blog. It is so stunning, delicate and published so well. Perfect christmas colours. 




2) "Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and his Years of Pilgrimage" by Haruki Murakami. It is not aesthetically beautiful, but I'm simply totally in love with the edition I picked up in Barcelona around the publishing date. One of the books that I love the most, cover wise.










4. Youtube: A book you wished would be turned into a movie
Here I have to mention Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn trilogy. It is such an amazing series which left me blown away. I still think about it daily, and I cannot wait to read more by his hand. I could just imagine how the storyline would fit perfectly on the big screen. Yes. There's no doubt. Definitely this series.


5. Goodreads: A book you recommend to everyone
(This is the question where I would once again have mentioned the Mistborn trilogy. But just for fun, I'm gonna choose something else. But read it. Seriously.)
Graphic novels wise: If people mentions that they are interested in reading Graphic Novels I don't hesitate to recommend the Saga series. It is beautifully made and I love the universe. So pick it up!

Novel wise: Once again I have to mention Haruki Murakami. His book, "Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World" took me completely by surprise and I was left speechless, unable to start a new book for several days. This one starts off really slowly, so even though I was enjoying the slow-pace, I honestly did not know what to expect, but I definitely did not expect the turn that it took. Wauw. Simply wauw. So... I tend to recommend this one if I talk to someone who already likes the works of Murakami, but I don't think it should be the one to start with. But this book is so amazing, I have no words. 

25. maj 2015

Bog tag #1: Boglige ultimatummer

Jeg er blevet tagget af de søde piger, Ida fra Tanker om sprog og Louise fra Det fiktive univers, til at svare på dette tag omkring boglige ultimatummer. Jeg har besluttet at lave indlægget på dansk for en gangs skyld. 
De fleste som besvarer dette tag har valgt at lave videoer. Jeg har valgt at lave det skriftligt, da jeg simpelthen ikke har ordentlig udstyr til at filme, beklageligvis.

Anyways, her kommer mine svar!


Spørgsmål 1: Vil du helst udelukkende læse trilogier eller læse enkeltstående bøger?
Dette spørgsmål var ved første øjekast let at svare på, nemlig at jeg helst ville læse enkeltstående bøger. Men serier som Brandon Sandersons Mistborn trilogi trækker mig lidt i en anden retning. Dog må jeg nok konkludere, at jeg har læst mange flere enkeltstående bøger, som jeg holder af, og desværre en del mindre trilogier som har fanget mig på samme måde. Nu er det jo også "trilogier" og ikke nødvendigvis længere serier der spørges om...så det gælder vel ikke Harry Potter, Game of Thrones, osv. vel? Så ville jeg være endnu mere i tvivl. Men. Jeg ville vælge enkeltstående bøger.

Spørgsmål 2: Vil du helst udelukkende læse bøger af mandlige forfattere eller kvindelige forfattere?
Jeg tror faktisk jeg læser flest bøger af mandlige forfattere og det ville nok være mit umiddelbare valg, når jeg tænker på forfattere som Brandon Sanderson, Neil Gaiman og Haruki Murakami. Det er dog ikke helt så let, da der jo også er mange kvindelige forfattere som J.K. Rowling og... Ja, her løb jeg faktisk allerede tør for kvindelige forfatter som virkelig rammer mig, så svaret er vidst klart. Mandlige forfattere. 

Spørgsmål 3: Vil du helst udelukkende købe bøger hos boghandlere eller hos online forhandlere?
Jeg elsker at bevæge mig rundt i en boghandel og lade hænderne stryge over smukke forsider, men samtidig finder jeg ofte udvalget utilstrækkeligt - specielt i danske boghandlere. Når jeg har rejst og fundet boghandlere, har jeg næsten altid fundet det jeg søgte eller opdaget nye smukke udgaver eller udgivelser jeg ikke kendte til. 
Så kunne jeg vælge at få de udenlandske boghandlere til at erstatte de danskes udvalg, havde jeg valgt fysiske boghandlere. Men med det udvalg vi, desværre, har i danske boghandlere må jeg vælge online forhandlere. Jeg kan ikke nøjes med det, der står på hylderne. Jeg vil have muligheden for både at finde den rette udgave til min samling, men også kunne søge rundt efter diverse anbefalinger jeg får mig fra tid til anden.

Spørgsmål 4: Vil du helst have at alle bøger bliver filmatiseret som film eller som TV-serier?
Det er et svært spørgsmål. Jeg er ofte blevet skuffet af filmversioner, da jeg synes der må skæres for meget fra for at holde handlingsforløbet inden for tidsrammen. Jeg hælder derfor mest til TV-serier. Det skulle i så fald ikke være flere sæsoner lange filmatiseringer (medmindre det selvfølgelig er over en serie af bøger), men i stedet mini-serier eller en enkelt sæson. Det betyder dog ikke, at der ikke er nogle helt fantastiske filmatiseringer ude omkring: Harry Potter, Ringenes Herre, Charlie og Chokoladefabrikken for blot at nævne nogle få. 

Spørgsmål 5: Vil du helst læse fem sider om dagen eller fem bøger om ugen?
Jeg tror de fleste bogelskere ville ønske at de kunne sige fem bøger om ugen, da fem sider er alt, alt for lidt. Men hvis jeg skal være realistisk, med min hverdag, studie, arbejde, og venner, så må jeg svare fem sider.

Spørgsmål 6: Vil du helst være professionel boganmelder eller professionel forfatter?
De fleste jeg har set svare på dette spørgsmål har svaret, næsten uden tøven, at de helst vil være forfatter. Jeg er faktisk meget i tvivl. Selvom jeg elsker at skrive, har jeg ingen inspiration til at kunne skrive en hel roman. Jeg har tit leget med idéen om, hvad en potentiel bog af min hånd skulle omhandle, men jeg må altid indse at jeg hverken har tålmodigheden eller idéerne til at det vil ske. Derfor vil jeg nok svare boganmelder. Der vil jeg kunne fordybe mig i bog efter bog og få lov at reflektere over hvad jeg ville skrive om, dog med nogle retningslinjer.

Spørgsmål 7: Vil du helst udelukkende læse dine tyve yndlingsbøger igen og igen eller læse nye bøger og aldrig genlæse noget, du havde læst før?
Jeg er ikke den store genlæser, pånær lige Harry Potter-serien og Tamora Pierces 4 x 4 bøger som jeg begge har læst gang på gang. Jeg tror dog jeg ville vælge kun at læse noget nyt, da jeg jo allerede har læst de potentielle genlæsningsbøger, og derfor vil de altid være ved mig, hvis de har gjort indtryk nok. Selvom det dog er hårdt at tænke på at skulle give afkast på at læse om Hogwarts, magi og det fantastiske univers. Puha. 

Spørgsmål 8: Vil du helst være bibliotikar eller boghandler?
Jeg tror helst jeg ville være boghandler. Ikke i en butik som Bog og Idé, men nærmere K. F. Møller på Store Torv i Aarhus, eller en anden hyggelig, stemningsfuld boghandel. Jeg ville elske at kunne anbefale bøger til kunder samt se dem tage dem med sig hjem, næsten som en lille gave.

Spørgsmål 9: Vil du helst udelukkende læse bøger fra din favoritgenre eller læse bøger fra alle genrer undtagen din yndlingsgenre?
Jeg ved ikke om jeg har en decideret yndlingsgenre. Jeg læser meget fantasy, eventyr og lignende men også mange magisk realisme bøger, klassikere, m.m. Men lad os sige, at fantasy/eventyr var min favorit genre, så ville jeg nok vælge at udelukkende læse bøger fra min favoritgenrer. Jeg elsker at blive draget ind i nye, spændende universer og leve mig ind i skøre, magiske historier. 

Spørgsmål 10: Vil du helst udelukkende læse fysiske bøger eller e-bøger?
Dette spørgsmål er slet ikke svært for mig, da jeg aldrig nogensinde har læst en e-bog. Helt klart fysiske bøger.



18. maj 2015

Nye bøger #1: London-haul

So. I have now been quite silent on here for a few weeks. There's a good reason; so here goes. As my last post told you guys, I was going to London for 6 days with my mom and while we where there, my grandma sadly got into the hospital. She is out now and okay for the time being, but there's been a lot of stress and things to figure out. And on top of that, I have now started my study break, so from next week it's on to the exams!

But I promised you a haul from my London trip, so here goes!

I spend way to much money while being in England, but I got some amazing stuff with me back to Denmark. I bought two pairs of shoes; one pair of Puma Suede sneakers in black, and some sandals from Clarks (also black), which are just the most comfy shoes I have owned in a very long time!

Apart from that, I of course did some book shopping.
Firstly, I found the Little Black Classics that everyone is talking about at this time, and I treated myself to three of these small beauties:
- "The Robber Bridegroom" by Brothers Grimm (Nr. 68)
- "The Tell-Tale Heart" by Edgar Allan Poe (Nr. 31)
- and "A Cup of Sake Beneath the Cherry Trees" by Yoshida Kenko (Nr. 11)
As they were only 80p per book, I am now quite sad that I did not buy a few more. They are great for a quick afternoon read and to explore new authors. I read the one by Yoshida Kenko and I really liked the format and his writing style. I will definitely look for some of his other work.







Also, I bought some regular sized novels:
- "A Tale For The Time Being" by Ruth Ozeki
- "Steelheart" by Brandon Sanderson
- "Penguin's Poems for Life" Selected Poems by Laura Barber
- "Throne of Glass" by Sarah J. Maas.
Out of these four books, I have at this point read "Throne of Glass" which I actually really liked. Sometimes I felt the main character, Celaena, was almost a bit too perfect, good at everything that she does, but at the same time I connected with her and I wasn't able to get the story out of my head; always wanting to know more. So all in all a pretty good read. I am definitely going to buy the two remaining books of the trilogy before too long.
I'm really looking forward to delving into "Steelheart" by Brandon Sanderson. I absolutely loved his Mistborn Trilogy, and if this series is just a bit as good as that one, I know I'm in for a treat and that I will love it immensely.
The other two books, I stumbled upon quite randomly, the Poetry Collection at a vintage book market underneath Waterloo Bridge for just £5 and it is in a really good condition. So all in all I am really happy with my bookhaul!

Of course I could not help myself when I found a Hogwarts t-shirt in Primark for just £6, and also I went into the Disney store and bought Pascal, the chameleon from Tangled, whom I absolutely adore! He is now placed on my nightstand :-)





If you read any of the books that I purchased, please let me know what you think!

28. april 2015

A trip to London

Tomorrow, I am going to London with my mom, my first time ever. I am really looking forward to getting away from my studies for a few days to properly relax and experience a city that I have always wanted to see. 
Originally, we purchased our plane tickets and planned the trip as we got tickets to a Nick Cave concert at Eventim Apollo. I am a huge fan of Cave, his work (both music and literary), and when the tickets for the concert in Denmark immediately sold out, I was crushed. But then I stumbled upon an extra concert that was going to be held here at Eventim Apollo, and that few tickets were left...and I got two!
I really, really love his music. It speaks to me in a special way. He is simply a master of words, and I cannot wait to see him perform and go crazy on stage.

Also, we have purchased tickets to the Lion King musical which I have longed to see all my life, as Lion King has always been my favourite Disney film. I have heard so many great things about the musical, so I'm really looking forward to finally getting to experience it!

Additionally, we are going to go shopping (of course, right?). And me, especially, for books. As I have never been to London before, I wanted to ask you guys if you have any recommendations for shops, places, or something else that I should experience whilst being there - please let me know in the comments down below if you should have any such recommendations. I would really appreciate it! 

As I did not yet finish Valente's "The Girl Who Fell Beneath Fairyland and Led The Revels There", I am bringing this one to entertain me on the plane. I have chosen not to bring any more books, as I am sure I will buy quite a few. 

See you all when I get home! I will make a London haul-post when I get back, showing off everything I bought :-)

25. april 2015

Dewey's Read-a-Thon: A Continuous Update

So the day has finally come, and in less than two hours, people from all over the world will spend the next 24hours in the name of reading.

I, myself, will start off my readathon in a few minutes, as I simply cannot wait any longer (and I will be passing time just to be able to start at 2pm anyway, so I'd rather just begin!).
My roommate (who will participate without updating his progress on social media) and I have now made snacks (pølsehorn) and I went grocery shopping to pick up some snacks, sparkling water, a bit of liquorice, and fruit. Now I will prepare my first pot of tea, a nice herbal blend, to start off my first reading hours. 

The first book I will delve into is "The Alchemist" by Paulo Coelho which I started on thursday. I have about a 100 pages left, so that should be read fairly quickly.


I hope you will all enjoy this day, and get lots of reading done. I will update this blogpost continuously throughout the whole Read-a-Thon, and lastly I will do a final pagecount to see what I managed to read.

Ready, set, go!

________________________________________________________________________
Pages read: 713

14:39
The official Read-a-Thon started around 40 minutes ago, but as I mentioned above, I began my reading a bit earlier. And now I have finished my first book of the day, namely "The Alchemist" by Paulo Coelho, which was a tale that took me away on a magical journey. A perfect way to start off the Read-a-Thon, I must say! I gave this book 5/5 stars on Goodreads (to see my account, press here) - I just simply loved it.

"It's true that everything has its destiny, but one day that destiny will be realized. So each thing has to transform itself into something better, and to acquire a new destiny, until, someday, the Soul of the World becomes one thing only" ("The Alchemist" by Paulo Coelho, pp, 143)

Now, I will take a small break to figure out what to read next whilst catching a glimpse of how the Read-a-thon is taking form for other readers.

17:45
After the small break from reading, where I got a chance to catch up on different blogs where other readers update on their readings, I picked up Saga Vol. 3 by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples. I really love this series, and the third volume was really amazing as well. I love the artwork and the fantastical world in which the story is set, but I didn't enjoy the third one quite as much as I did the two first volumes. This one was still really good and I enjoyed it a lot, but I ended up giving it 4/5 stars on Goodreads instead of the 5/5 that the others achieved.

After this one fast-paste read, I picked up "The Goldfinch" by Donna Tartt which I am currently around 450 pages through. I am really enjoying this novel even though I am not quite sure where the story is taking me. But the language is so captivating and even though it is a fairly slow-read book and quite long, I cannot wait to see how it turns out.

Now, I will take another break and prepare some dinner for me and my roommates, but I will return to reading shortly after :-) I hope you are all enjoying the Read-a-Thon as much as I am!

22:13
Even though it is not that late yet, my eyes are now heavy and I keep reading the same words over and over again. The last few hours I spend reading a bit further in "The Goldfinch", then I took a break watching a few episodes of Friends, and then I started my other easy-read book, "The Realm of the Gods" by Tamora Pierce.
Even though I hate to admit it, I think I have to give up reading more tonight. Instead I will go to bed quite soon and get a good nights sleep, wake up early in the morning and continue reading.

I have really enjoyed this day, just being able to read and read and read :-) I hope you're all reading a great book and that you have better luck in staying awake!

5:37
It is now the early morning hours of sunday and my alarm clock just sounded as a signal for me to start reading again. It is time for the last few hours of the Read-a-thon, which is a sad thought. I love how social media has exploded with bookish updates the last 16 hours. The invisble bond between booklovers show its face, and it is simply beautiful.
I've slept since around 11pm, where my eyes simply couldn't stay open yet another minute (the yearly Boatrace at Uni taking place on friday might have something to do with that). But now I'm up and ready to continue. But firstly, I will brew a pot of tea and then delve into "The Realm of the Gods" once more. I think an easy-read in these morning hours are the perfect choice.

Did you all manage to stay awake or did you let sleep overtake you?


10:40
I just finished my third book of the Read-A-Thon ("The Realm of the Gods") - a lovely reread; a fantasy novel with just the right amount of action alongside the sweetest love story. This series have always spoken to me deeply, and everytime I read them, I get the same warm feeling inside; a feeling of home, dreams, and childhood.
I will now take a quick shower to freshen up a bit while considering which story to finish of the Read-A-Thon with.

13:39
There is only 20 minutes left of the Read-A-Thon, and I will stop my reading for now. Lastly, I picked up "The Girl Who Fell Beneath Fairyland And Led The Revels There" by Catherynne M. Valente, which I have been looking forward to read for quite a while now.

It has been such enjoyable 24 hours with literary adventures. The books I chose to read really suited my mood throughout the event, and I am pretty happy with my final pagecount. I have loved following all you booklovers and your progress - it is simply lovely to be able to share a day like this. Thank you all for being a part of these amazing 24 hours! I will evaluate on my experience later after a nap.

20. april 2015

Readathon, Spring 2015





Through various bookish blogs I became aware of Dewey's Readathon that is held 2 times every year, - the next one taking place on Saturday on the 25th of April - and I simply cannot wait! I have not yet been able to participate, so this time will be my first. I'm so happy that I can finally be a part of it as I have no plans whatsoever on Saturday and I'm really looking forward to delve into some great books and spend the 24 hours (more or less) reading, following other participants, etc.

Short explanation of the concept of Dewey's Readathon:
It is basically 24 hours where people from all over the world commit to reading and enjoying bookish quizzes, mini games, etc. whilst following each other on different social media, fx Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. You can read more about the event on the official webpage here.

I have planned to join in on all the reading fun this time, but I know myself well enough to know that I won't be able to read for 24 hours straight. So my goal is just to have fun and read what I can manage without pressuring myself too much. Basically, I just want to take the day out of my otherwise busy week and just spend it with literary enjoyment - in whatever way it might turn out.


The books I have chosen to read are the following:

  •  I am currently reading "The Goldfinch" by Donna Tartt, and I'm about halfway through, so this one will be the main book for me during this readathon. I don't think I will be able to finish it, but if I could just get a bit further into it, I would be very content.
  • I still have a few graphic novels I have not read yet, and I will use these when I start getting tired of reading the bigger books, as a fast paste read and as a diversion. The graphic novels I have chosen are the third volume of "Saga" by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples along with the first volume of "Death Note" by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata.
  • Also I have chosen an extra easy-read book, namely "The Realm of the Gods" by Tamora Pierce, which is the fourth book in the series about the girl Daine. I love this series and I read them over and over when I was younger.


I know I probably won't get to finish as much as I hope, but this will be the pile of books that I plan to delve into (it might change later on if I really don't feel like reading any of these in the moment).



On thursday, I will start preparing different delicious snacks and food that can be reheated on the day, so that I don't have to worry about preparing all kinds of things. I just wanna be free to read as much as I possibly can, without having too many obligations.
Also, I will try to update a blogpost on here throughout the day to evaluate and tell you all how far I've come :-)


Are you joining the Readathon? If you are, what are you planning to read? Do you prepare specific things beforehand? And lastly, do you have any tips for a "beginner" in the event? I hope to follow a lot of other book lovers on this day, so if you are planning on using social media in relation to the Readathon, please let me know where to follow you and your progress!

9. april 2015

The phenomenon of music #1


Music can be a lot of different things depending on who is listening. Though it has a technical foundation which can be analysed and hereby understood with music theory it is not the essential part of the phenomenon. In my eyes, it is solely what the music (or the sounds that together frame a piece) do to the individual; what emotions are evoked and how one understands it - what it means to the individual.

‘music can appear to be about something, but its ‘aboutness’ can vary from context to context, within a context, and from individual to individual’ (Cross 2003, 108) 

It is not necessary to analyse and spend a lot of time thinking about what exactly a piece does that affects you, but instead it relies on the human instincts and our basic, given understandings of the sounds of the world. We know without looking further into a musical piece what emotion the piece is trying to convey; is it happy, sad, dreamy, etc. Our innate knowledge let's us understand that a slow song, often in minor, is somehow expressing a feeling of melancholy, whereas an upbeat song in major would suggest happiness. Rhythm of course also have a huge role in our understanding. 


In my bachelor project, I researched on how music as a phenomenon is both biologically and culturally conditioned in terms of our understanding, interpretation and its status in the world as we know it. Music is a huge part of our everyday life as it is playing almost everywhere we turn; in the supermarket, on the radio, etc. We have endless possibilities to bring our own music with us and play it however and wherever we want, and other times we are "forced" to listen as it is used in commercials as mood enhancers, manipulating us in different ways. This all comes from the many sounds that make up music. A bird tweeting suggests freedom, happiness, and of course a location (in this case, being outside), whereas a scream immediately suggests that something dangerous is going on. High pitched noises often connote danger or something panicky, whereas lower notes are associated with something scary - or if they are conveyed in a slow, expressive manner, it expresses a feeling of intensity and melancholy. 

Our understanding of sounds are a great part of the human evolution and by unconsciously employing our knowledge hereof, we are able to create musical pieces that expresses exactly what we want it to mean to us. Music is thus a language of its own, with its own syntax and semantics that together form a meaning. The beauty hereof is, that even an instrumental piece can convey strong emotions without anything other than sound directing your thoughts and understanding. This is also why the concept of music and the feelings toward it is such an individual thing. We all have our knowledge of the world, a special background, and memories connected to different periods of times that may remind us of a certain sound. Thus even a simple pop song with the most basic text, a love song for example, can mean the world to someone as it triggers some already stored feelings.

'...music is not only sonic, embodied, and interactive; it is bound to its contexts of occurrence in ways that enable it to derive meaning from, and interactively to confer meaning on, the experiential contexts in which it occurs, these meanings being variable and transposable’  (Cross 2003, 108)

This is the first part of a series of posts on the phenomenon of music. The theories of evolutionary psychology and bio-cultural reading will be recurrent in these posts as I find this perspective extremely interesting. I will also make an explanatory post soon on these theories that might help the reader understand the foundation for my thoughts. 




Works cited
Cross, Ian. 2003. ‘Music as a Biocultural Phenomenon’. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 999: 1, 106-111. University of Cambridge. 



30. marts 2015

Reading habits

Hello everyone! This blogpost will contain 10 facts about my reading habits, weird tendencies while reading, favourite spots, times of day, etc. Well, let's begin!


1.
I find most inspiration to dive into a good book in the early morning hours or on the days where I have a tightly planned schedule that shouldn't allow me to spend lots of hours reading. Conversely, when I have the day off and I intend to pick up a book along with a nice cup of tea and just enjoy the long hours before me curled up under a blanket with a book, these are the days I read the least. Ironic, isn't it? (Of course it differs - sometimes, luckily, I find the inspiration and delve into stories for hours and hours).

2.
Unconsciously, I think that bigger books (+500 pages) tend to scare me off. This is not a deliberate choice, but when I cast a glance at my bookshelves, most of the unread books I have left standing (some of them for several years) are the longer ones. This year, I have made a goal to pick more of these up. It's quite weird that I choose around the bigger books, because I actually love when there are enough pages in a book to really get drawn into the universe. And often with short books, I'm left wanting more.

3.
My eyes get tired easily when I read (does anyone experience the same and maybe have a way to avoid this?), but even though this is the case, I often tend to lie down in my bed under my duvet when I want to read. Often, this is not a very good idea, as I get sleepy and a bit too relaxed, even though it might be morning or the book is amazing. To avoid this situation of having to put the book down (as I often end up getting too tired to actually 'understand' what I'm reading), I am now reading in the kitchen where there is plenty of light with a large cup of tea. This works better for me as I stay concentrated for a longer period of time, but still... I kind of long for making myself comfortable in my bed instead. 

4. 
Sometimes, I stop reading when the following chapter is a really, really long even though I am in no rush to put the book down. This might be a mental thing, as shorter chapters make you feel like you move forward quicker and I often end up reading "just one more" several times because "oh well, it's just a short one, so why not...". Actually, I probably end up reading the same amount of pages as one long...or maybe sometimes even more?

5.
Sometimes I have such a hard time choosing which book to read next that I end up postponing the choice for a few hours or sometimes even for days, instead of just picking one up. I have so many unread books on my shelf - all books that I want to read at some point - and it really shouldn't be that difficult, but somehow I end up overthinking it because it has to be just right for my mood, plans, etc.

6.
I spend so much time when I was younger rereading the same books all over again (Harry Potter series + the 4 x 4 books by Tamora Pierce) that I sometimes wonder just how many more books I would have read by now, if just sometimes I had picked up a new one. 


7.
I made a TBR-jar about half a year ago, and though I enjoyed making it, writing all of my unread books down, I haven't once picked up a note from the jar, added the new books on my shelf, or removed those that I actually read. But it seemed like such a good idea!

8. 
I almost always take a book with me when I leave my apartment, even though I know that I won't possibly get the time to pick it up. But it's nice to have the opportunity... right?

9.
For a long time, I was kind of bummed out because I felt like I did not read fast enough and did not read enough books compared to everyone I follow on Goodreads, on blogs, BookTube, etc. until one day I decided that this was simply stupid. I love the concept of the reading challenge on Goodreads, but at the same time it really annoyed me (and stressed me out!) when announcing that "You are one book behind schedule" or something similar. Now, I merely use it to keep score of what I read and to get inspired by what everyone else picks up, instead of letting it get to me - which I guess is the whole purpose of the thing.




10.
I am constantly annoyed by the fact that my bookshelves look messy and unstructured, and I keep not doing something about it. The amount of beautiful books that I own keep expanding and I hate that I cannot display them properly. One reason for this is of course lack of space. Another reason might simply be laziness because of the the lack of a better solution.  At the same time, I constantly browse on the "Storskrald" groups on facebook for larger bookshelves in the hope that the right one will just pop up somewhere close to where I live. 



I hope you enjoyed reading some facts about my reading habits. Do we have something in common when it comes to reading or do you have completely different ways of structuring your hours of reading?