Kicking & Dreaming~ A Story of Heart, Soul, & Rock & Roll by Ann & Nancy Wilson- Book Review

The glamorous and hard-rocking sisters of Heart, lead singer Ann Wilson and guitarist Nancy, first cinched their fame in the mid-1970s with a combination of stadium-sized guitar hooks and tough yet nuanced vocals ("Magic Man," "Barracuda"). After an early-Eighties sales slump, they staged a triumphant comeback in their self-titled 1985 record, which spawned four Top 10 singles and a huge arena tour, and continue to record and tour today.

In this exclusive excerpt from their memoir Kicking and Dreaming: A Story of Heart, Soul and Rock & Roll, which is out on Tuesday and comes on the heels of their first career-spanning box set, the duo recount the silly ecstasy of stalking Paul McCartney across Scotland as well as their debilitating battles with drug abuse. "With all the time in the world, and plenty of money, I became the most famous customer for Seattle's cocaine dealers," recalled Ann, "who were more than happy to deliver, and bring me bottles of pink Dom Perignon as well."

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Always Judge Books By Their Covers, or, Check Out This Bear Wearing A BDSM Harness! Books That You Won't Believe Were Published

One of the lessons my fairly priced and invaluable liberal arts education taught me was that books have covers, and that I shouldn’t judge the contents of said books by said covers. But as a writer and editor who made upwards of three value meals off the publishing industry last year alone, I think I’m qualified to do a little judging. And since there weren’t any job openings for judicial positions on Craigslist, I decided to write this article about a stupid (stupid awesome) book cover.

The perfect cover works on multiple levels to sell a book and keep it fresh in the minds of readers. It should probably represent the contents of the book, literally or abstractly, and it should ideally please the author, although that’s not always a requirement. There’s no formula that ends with the perfect cover—something that stands the test of time and burns itself into cultural memory—but the fact stands that a good cover can go a long way towards a book’s success. Which is what makes this particular cover of Spacial Delivery so baffling. Baffling and perfect.

By Justin Bostian

Read more on this fun review of this book that you wont believe got published!  HERE

How To Be A Man-The Rolling Stone Review

Duff comes to Seattle this month on Sunday the 17th to discuss his new book " How To Be A Man "  at The Neptune Theater. Tickets are only $ 10.00. Tickets and more info. HERE

Via Rolling Stone~

Now that former Guns & Roses bassist Duff McKagan has put out his memoir, 2011's It's So Easy (And Other Lies), he's ready to parse life's bigger questions. His next endeavors are an upcoming book, titled " How to be a Man  ( and other Illusions ) , and a three-song EP also titled How to Be a Man. He also wrote a gritty, acoustic-driven title track for the EP, which features his old GN'R pal Izzy Stradlin on guitar, Alice in Chains frontman Jerry Cantrell and Stone Sour drummer Roy Mayorga.


Read more HERE

Dubliners by James Joyce~ Great Irish Themed Books Month on Xanaland

Dubliners is a collection of fifteen short stories by James Joyce, first published in 1914. They form a naturalistic depiction of Irish Middle Class life in and around Dublin in the early years of the 20th century.

The stories were written when Irish nationalism was at its peak, and a search for a national identity and purpose was raging; at a crossroads of history and culture, Ireland was jolted by various converging ideas and influences. They centre on Joyce's idea of an epipfany a moment where a character experiences a life-changing self-understanding or illumination. Many of the characters inDubliners later appear in minor roles in Joyce's novel Ulysses. The initial stories in the collection are narrated by child protagonists, and as the stories continue, they deal with the lives and concerns of progressively older people. This is in line with Joyce's tripartite division of the collection into childhood, adolescence and maturity.

What Special Monkeys Are Reading This Winter~The Invisible Bridge~by Julie Orringer

My favorite winter books are long, romantic, and depressing, which is
why I love Julie Orringer’s epic novel The Invisible Bridge.
Painful, honest, and lyrical, it’s the perfect book to get lost in
when the temperature outside gets lower than you ever thought
possible.

Buy it here on Xanaland for yourself or a friend that loves to read! 

A Sweet & Short Review of the Book Labyrinths by Jorge Luis Borges

Labyrinths by Jorge Luis Borges: I love this book in the winter (even though I live in California, where it never gets cold enough to really enjoy reading by a fireplace) because you can just flip it open and start reading anywhere. It’s a collection of a few dozen short stories that take place in the past, present and future. Some are historically based, some are completely futuristic and sci-fi. They all have a sort of mystical/psychedelic feel, with many twists and a sort of beautiful/meditative, time doesn’t exist/nowhere is everywhere vibe. Dynamic and believable villains, twisted heroes and Jules Verne-like glimpses into imaginative, alternate worlds.

– Chris Lynch of the band Gardens & Villa, whose new album, Dunes, is out February 4 via Secretly Canadian

You can buy this book on Xanaland now! 

What Winter Monkeys Are Reading By The Fire~Mating by Norman Rush

Because I live in an excessive life in Seattle and am getting old and need to slow down, in the winter, I like to read big hardcovers set in exotic locales that transport me to warmer places where an eclectic cast of characters take part in sexualized misadventures — basically, any kind of fiction that reminds me that underneath my long johns, I still have skin. For this reason, in the dark season I’m a Carl Hiaasen fan, particularly Stormy Weather. Other winter favorites are Dog Soldiers by Robert Stone and Norman Rush’s Mating. Buy it here on Xanaalnd-for youself, or for a gift for someone you know loves to read!

Forever Young: A Children's Book by Bob Dylan

Who doesn't shy away from children's books? Except I, who have actually been starting to write a Grunge Story Teller's Children's Book Series. In the first one, Junior and The Yeddi take Fremont and battle the troll under the bridge. It will be hilarious! Read more here on Bob Dylan's Forever Young  written by Dylan for his son, Jonah. 

Greg Prato Answers 20 Questions and Finally Admits Grunge is Not Dead!

In the early 19th Century, Marcel Proust was given a questionnaire called "an album to record thoughts and feelings," also known as a  "confession album." At the time it was popular among English families to assure that the man or woman was marriage worthy and bona fide. Written in 1890, it was discovered in 1924, and in 2003 auctioned for over 100,000 euros. 

The Monster at the End of the Book

I remember this book like it was yesterday. I remember reading it over and over as if it was the first time. 

this is probably the funnest part about having a website with a book blog, since there was no internet in the 1970's, I get to re live my childhood through nostalgic TV moments and through books. 

in the book, Grover goes through a lot of trouble convincing you to stop turning the pages

it left your imagination running, even of you'd read it a million times, the magic of Grover never got old. 

I hope if your reading this and have a kid or know a kid who may not have read this, you'll consider buying it for them. 

To buy it here, click on the book on the sidebar (scroll down and look on the right), and thanks for shopping on Xanaland! 

The Raven Read by Vincent Price

Probably the only person who can compete with Christopher Walken when it comes to reading books, please enjoy this reading of the classic poem " The Raven " 

The Three Little Pigs Read by Christopher Walken

If I was going to have classic children's books read to me, it would be by Christopher Walken, so for the sake of archiving awsome moments in life as well as some of the best books, please enjoy the reading of " The Three Little Pigs "

The Raven Read by Christopher Walken

A Classic read by a Classic. Put another log on the fire, pour yourself a glass of Cognac or warm milk, and enjoy....

Christopher Walken Reads Where the Wild Things Are

Who doesn't love Christopher Walken? And who doesn't love the book ' Where the Wild Things Are ' ? No one I say! Not in Xanaland! I remember buying it for The Mustache for Christmas one time....* sniffle sniffle* 

Anyhow, please enjoy, Christopher Walken reading this classic not just for kids but for anyone who wishes to stay young at heart (having a sense of humor is paramount by the way)

It's So Easy: Review By Kenny Horzog of Duff McKagen's Epic Rock Biography

In spite of Guns N’ Roses’ legendary status, it’s as unlikely that the five original members will all publish memoirs as it is that they’ll reunite onstage. Even if Axl Rose eventually unburdens himself in print, it’s a pretty sure bet that drifter rhythm guitarist Izzy Stradlin will avoid inviting that dramatic attention into his life—much as he did in the years immediately subsequent to Appetite For Destruction.