Word Out 2012

Hot Summer Read- Beyond Bullets: A Photo Journal of Afghanistan

Beyond Bullets: A Photo Journal of Afghanistan 

by: Rafal Gerszak with Dawn Hunter

Photojournalist Rafal Gerszak spent a year in Afghanistan with the American military documenting life on the front lines and gaining affection for the land and its people. He returned with a different focus: giving the Afghani people a voice for their stories to be told. This collection of photos and journal entries creates a fine balance between the destruction of war and the life and heart of the Afghani people. Sidebars include background information that will give readers a bigger picture of this moment in history.

 

Steampunk Fashion

As today's earlier post noted, steampunk has strong roots in the Victorian era, and much of the look and feel of steampunk is associated with that era of explorers, teh developments in steam and mechanical technology, and of course, the fashion of the day. Goggles and helmets are classic steampunk pieces, and corsets with skirts or bloomers are de rigeur for women, just to give you a flavour. Brasss accents abound. To sum it up, I quite like Jess Nevins's dry quip that, "Steampunk is what happens when goths discover brown."

It's a fun look to play with and make your own, and there are loads of steampunkers at pretty much any convention where you might expect to find some cosplay going on. To give you a little flavour, here's a great group shot I found on flickr:

(by Senna Chen & Sydney Mills, from FanimeCon 2009, via flickr)

There are tons more images to be found - try this steampunk fashion flickr pool, for starters.

If you decide to try this out for yourself, you won't be alone in creating things wth a steampunk look - a quick search on etsy turns up some 125,000 items, though some would be rejected by those in the scene as merely decorated with gears and an obvious bandwagon grab, but still, it can give you some great ideas and a feel for the aesthetic. If you're really interested in trying to make some things of your own, it's not a bad place to find supplies, either.

 

 

 

Hot Summer Read: Get Steampunk'd

 Steampunk Gear, Gadgets, and Gizmos  

by Thomas Willeford 

Steampunk, according to Willeford, harkens to a world of gadgets, alternative history, mad scientists, and dashing heroes. Advanced technology of the computer age has no place here. While there are authors of fiction writing the Steampunk story, willefords book shows fans how to build the gadgets. Just looking at them and reading his descriptions is fantasy itself. Be aware that his projects are not easy, but use many skills and tools of the tradesman, and asks you to work with copper, leather, and power tools, among other things. His instructions, both written and visual, are precise, but you'll need to heed his advice and set yourself up a workshop to be a nattily-attired Steampunk character.

Hot Summer Read: F in Exams

F in Exams: The very best totally wrong test answers

By Richard Benson

Q.  Where was the American Declaration of Independence Signed? A:  At the bottom.

If you’ve ever been tempted to give a more “creative” test answer during an exam, F in Exams  is the book for you.  Hilarious, off-beat, and surprising, these answers are the best of the worst!  We guarantee this book will have you and your friends ROFL.  (Warning:  use these answers at your own risk!)

 Available as an eBook

 

 

Hot Summer Read: Scandalous!

Scandalous!: 50 Shocking Events You Should Know About (So You Can Impress Your Friends)

by Hallie Fryd

 Who doesn't enjoy a good celebrity scandal? Think all those endless celebrity screw-ups are a recent thing? Think again! Since way back when, famous people have been finding ways to shock and surprise us. Find out about 50 juicy scandals from the world of pop culture, politics and entertainment from the early 1900s on. Learn all the sordid details, and how people are still talking about these scandals today. Packed with famous quotes, pictures and a where are they now section.

 

 

Wheels Of Change: How Women Rode The Bicycle To Freedom With A Few Flat Tires Along The Way

Wheels of Change: how women rode the bicycle to freedon (with a few flat tires along the way)

by Sue Macy

Using a variety of photographs, advertisements, cartoons and songs, the reader is taken on a historical tour to see how women have used the bicycle to improve their lives. The book examines the invention of the bicycle, early safety concerns, objections to women riding bicycles and how the bicycle has influenced fashion and its impact on social change.

 

The upgrade from public school to high school

I still clearly remember my first day of Grade 9.

I hate it.

I got lost on my way to second period. My sisters were both in grades ahead of me and refused to speak to me as they were embarassed that I was in high school with them and could tell their secrets.

There was also the issue that I just felt terrified at this new approach to education. I had never been in a setting where we had to go from class to class. I did not know any of the teachers.

Also I hated the fact that I had been at the top of the pecking order in grade 8 and now in grade 9 had been put back to the bottom of the pile.

Hot Summer Read: Dear Bully

Dear Bully: Seventy Authors Tell Their Stories

Megan Hall

This collection of articles, essays and short stories examine the role and life of the bully or the bullied from the now adult perspectives of teen authors. Varying from examination of how torturous being bullied was, to why the bully was so mean and vicious (from the bully perspective). Broken down into different categories and themes these 70 entries are full of emotion, catharsis, some beautiful truths and some horrific ones.

 

 

Q&A with How They Croaked author Georgia Bragg

Georgia Bragg comes from a family of artists and is an artist herself.  On her website, she says she has changed careers five times - among other things she has been a printmaker, a painter and a storyboard artist.  Georgia is now an author and talks about her non-fiction book How They Croaked - The Awful Ends of the Awfully Famous  below!  Here's more about the fascinating Georgia.

We asked Georgia some questions, here are her interesting answers! 

How long did it take you to write this book? 

It took eons. Just the proposal and the first three sample chapters took over a year and a half. Idea to finished product took about three years. Getting the right tone for the subject matter was challenging. It was hard to know if I was

Hot Summer Read: How They Croaked

How they Croaked - The Awful Ends of the Awfully Famous! 

By Georgia Bragg

The title really says it all!!  Details of the demise of close to twenty historical figures, including King Tut, Edgar Allan Poe, Beethoven and Galileo are just part of this book.   Discover some of the not-so-helpful medical practices that were popular in times gone by and some intriguing aspects of mummification that may have escaped your notice until now.  Not for the faint of heart.