Reading Music

On the New York Times books blog I recently came across their 'Living with Music' series, where authors provide playlists for their works - songs which either evoke their stories or inspired their writing. This got me thinking - how can music enhance or change our reading experience? The idea of soundtracks for books isn't a new one - in 2006 James Patterson produced 100,000 copies of a CD to accompany one of his 'Maximum Ride' titles. But, in 2010 advanced e-book technology offers new opportunities for combining literary and audio experiences. Publishing as a genre is increasingly influenced by other forms of media, and readers are adapting to new ways of reading - could music become a part of our reading practices? And how much can music add to the reading experience?

Crime in a Cold Climate

For the last couple of years now Swedish crime writing has dominated the UK and US book charts, as well as topping bestseller lists across Europe. In 2009 Stieg Larsson was the no.1 bestselling author in Europe, and Camilla Läckberg came in 6th. With the Swedish films of Larsson's 'Millenium' trilogy releasing this year, it looks like the Swedes could be on top for a fair while longer. With this is mind I tried to find out what's hot in crime writing now in the icy climes of Sweden.