Monthly Archives: September 2011

Addicted to Words

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Like many people I’m an avid reader, my entire life it has been rare to see me without a book nearby. I read a lot of book, averaged out I get through about four per month. Of course a reading habit like this can get pretty expensive, especially when you consider that paperback’s are now priced at £7.99 each! I also have the problem of space, we live in a small flat and don’t have space to keep every book we own so you spend all that money on books only to read them once then give them away, not ideal. I used to go to the library, the problem I had with this was that they never had any of the books I wanted to read in stock, at least until I started giving them books I had bought and finished with, of course that didn’t do me any good though because I’d already read the books by the time they made it to the shelves. I’d love to be able to go to the library but years of trying and having no luck in finding what I want has discouraged me from bothering any more.

About 18 months ago I was looking for somewhere I could trade books online, I was hoping there might be some sort of book club or second hand book sale site where I could get the books I wanted and pass on the one’s I had read and didn’t have room for anymore quickly and easily. What I found was Read It Swap It, this site was perfect for me. I was able to make a public list of every book I had available and was willing to swap. The site then works in one of two ways:

  1. I search for books I want, find someone who has that book and request a swap, they look at my list of books, if I have something they want they agree to the swap and we both post the book to each other.
  2. Somebody else is searching for a book they want, find it on my list and request a swap. I look at their list, and if I find something I want I agree to the swap and we both post the book to each other.
The great thing is, if either party doesn’t want a book on the other’s list, the swap is declined and there’s no harm done. If the swap is accepted then you get a book you want for the cost of second class postage, we’re talking less than £2 in most cases!
The site only covers the UK at the moment, but it really does work well, I’ve swapped 155 books since I joined as a member, and can only imagine how much money I’ve saved by not having to buy all of those books! If you’re an avid reader like me, and trying to save yourself some money then I highly recommend you give Read It Swap It a try!

Review: Insomnium – One For Sorrow

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It’s hard not to have high expectations of any band producing metal from Finland with the likes of Amorphis, Apocalyptica, and Turisas to name just a few of the leagues of bands that pour from the country each year. Insomnium are among the greats known for producing melodic death metal. Their latest album One For Sorrow is due for release in October and it promises to deliver some diverse atmospheric metal.

Described by the band as an album about “bereavement, grief and loss” the melancholic undertow holds strong throughout each song. The album gets off to a slow start with the wretched vocals by Niilo Sevänen building substance. The instrumental aspects also build power and substance, this may be an album of melancholy but this is also an album of diversity. Each song demonstrates another aspect of Insomnium’s musicianship.

There are upbeat almost folky riffs in places, combined with the power of the double kick drum (Marcus Hirvonen) giving a contrasting sound and energy. The power and fluidity released from having the two guitars (Ville Friman & Ville Vänni) is remarkable and the melodic nature of the guitars is an absolute contrast to Niilo Sevänen’s stark vocals.

One For Sorrow has been perfectly produced, the mixing of each element is such that the album has an air of haunting melancholy with just enough diversity to keep the listener engaged, fans happy, and most of all the band’s story told.

This review was originally written for Alternative Matter, a site which has now closed down.