This hilarious BBC adaptation of Evelyn Waugh’s 1928 novel stars Jack Whitehall, David Suchet, and Eva Longoria. It’s on Acorn TV, which might still have a 30-day free trial–if not, it always has 7 days free, so you can watch the 3 episodes of this witty miniseries. It follows the misadventures of Paul Pennyfeather, an Oxford theology student who falls into one awkward (to put it mildly) situation after another by some fateful twisted logic and h…
Search results from forbeslibrary.org
page 15 of 16
Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town
Stephen Leacock (1869 – 1944) was an internationally popular Canadian humorist, teacher, lecturer, and author of more than 30 books of lighthearted sketches and essays. His wit is laugh-out-loud funny as it pokes fun at small-town life and characters of the early 20th century. I found these stories reminiscent of Mark Twain and Garrison Keillor, with a uniquely Canadian point of view. These two stories were performed by librarians from Burnaby Pu…
LibriVox
LibriVox is a free source of public domain audiobooks read by volunteers from around the world. Most of the books are in English, but other languages are available as well with many titles in French and German and a not insignificant number of recordings in Ancient Greek. Titles for children and adults are available. I recommend starting with the Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, both of which are available in va…
The Art of Manliness podcast
With episodes like “The Boring Decadence of Modern Society”, “The Case for Being Unproductive,” and “What Board Games Teach Us About Life”, The Art of Manliness’s subject matter is delightfully…With episodes like “The Boring Decadence of Modern Society”, “The Case for Being Unproductive,” and “What Board Games Teach Us About Life”, The Art of Manliness’s subject matter is delightfully unique and often offers a perspective you don’t hear anywhere else. Please don’t let its name dissuade you–you don’t have to be a “manly” man (whatever that means), or even a man, to get something out of it….
Spelling Bee
Like most librarians, I love words and games that involve language. This new one from the New York Times challenges you to come up with as many words as you can using just the 7 letters they provide. You can play it in fits and starts and it’ll track your progress throughout the day, making it very user-friendly during this strange, interruption-filled and routine-free time we’re currently living in. And lest you become too impressed with yoursel…
Invisibilia
Bernie Krause was a successful musician as a young man, playing with rock stars like Jim Morrison and George Harrison in the 1960s and ’70s. But then one day, Bernie heard a sound unlike anything he’d ever encountered and it completely overtook his life. He quit the music business to pursue it and has spent the last 50 years following it all over the earth. If this description of a recent episode intrigues you, you will want to check out a podcas…
Ian’s Shoelace Site
Sometimes its nice to dive into a seemingly trivial subject and learn what there is to learn. Shoelaces for example. We tie and untie them everyday, but what do we know about them? For most folks, the answer is not much. What is there to know about them? A fair amount, it turns out, and Ian Fieggen has provide a website (Ian’s Shoelace Site) that answers the questions you didn’t think to ask. The deepest and richest sections are, without a doubt,…
No Such Thing as a Fish
Way back in 2003 Stephen Fry began hosting the delightful comedy trivia quiz show QI. The most visible stars of that show were the host, Stephen Fry, and the many witty panelists who joined him each week. But the hidden stars of the show were the researches who provided Stephen with a seemingly endless supply of “quite interesting” things to talk about. Those researchers quickly became know as the QI Elves, and since 2014 four of them, James Hark…
Stuff You Should Know
It can be a challenge to find a podcast that is very educational and informative, and at the same time is really funny. It can also be a challenge to find a podcast that appeals to the older and younger generations. Stuff You Should Know is a free podcast that fits the bill. The podcast is hosted two good friends, hosted by Josh Clark and Charles W. “Chuck” Bryant, both writers at HowStuffWorks. Each adds their own charming, clever, and sometimes…
Gastropod
Cynthia Graber and Nicola Twilley host a delightful podcast that explores food through the lens of science and history. They explore the origins of foods (who really did invent the French Fry?), the biology of foods (what causes the differences between different sourdoughs?), the psychology of food (how do menus affect what we order?), the ecology of food (how can our food choices affect invasive species or the climate?). They explore unusual foo…
99% Invisible
99% Invisible is a podcast that explores the effects of design on our lives and society in ways we generally don’t notice. The episodes delve into aspects of everyday life, history, and architecture, and detail the fascinating stories behind some truly amazing things that have profound effects on how we live and experience the world. Its about “all the thought that goes into the things we don’t think about”. The show’s name is inspired by a quote…
Valley Advocate Sessions
The Valley Advocate Sessions is presented by the Valley Advocate, Signature Sounds, and Northampton Open Media and regularly features short concerts by local musicians both seasoned and new. A recent…The Valley Advocate Sessions is presented by the Valley Advocate, Signature Sounds, and Northampton Open Media and regularly features short concerts by local musicians both seasoned and new. A recent contributor was Henning Ohlenbusch, who has been featured in our staff picks before and was one of Forbes Library’s 2018 Musicians in Residence….
page 15 of 16