Book Wrangling Recommends: Paste Magazine

When I was growing up I couldn't wait for my weekly Sports Illustrated to show up in the mail. I would read each issue cover to cover. Now, the magazine that I anticipate receiving is Paste. Their tag line is Signs of Life in Music, Film, and Culture. This pretty much sums up the things that I enjoy watching or listening to. If an art form doesn't have something to offer spiritually or emotionally I don't have time for it. So, Paste serves as a good guide to modern culture for a father of three who can't keep up with blogs, YouTube videos, and hasn't had cable in 10 1/2 years.

And get this, last spring Paste held a promotion where they told prospective subscribers to pay whatever they want. What a risk but one that landed new subscribers like me. On top of that, each issue comes with a CD sampler of new music. I have discovered several quality acts through these CDs. I would highly recommend Paste for any fans of interesting music, film, or literature.

Rock and Roll Library

One of the more fun library related events that I have witnessed in the last two years was the Library Tour of the band Jetpack UK (now The Nobility). These rockers from Nashville toured the country in support of a recent children's book about their life as a band. I saw them perform at a Public Library in Arlington and it was surreal to see a rock band at a library. The best part was that Jetpack didn't hold back. The instruments were set to loud and they played with conviction despite the crowd of mostly curious onlookers. Kudos to Jetpack for finding a creative way to get their music out and to libraries for taking a risk on rock.

The trend continues as the band The High Strung has planned a library tour this summer.