Engineered Unicorns

It’s Pridemonth and the start of the summer on the northern hemisphere, so our local bookdragon SandyJ has not only a rainbow-coloured book recommendation for you but also chosen music to enjoy after the premiere stream. Yes, AC/DC and Barbra Streisand belong together.

On a roll with non-fiction audiobooks our local bookdragon SandyJ talks about three audiobooks that on first glance don’t have anything to do with each other. But when she read them the connections were building. What connections? Well, for that you need to listen to the all new episode of Engineered Unicorns.

Bookdragon und Producer: SandyJ

Music: Erwin Schmidt

Book Recommendations

Nedra Glover Tawwab „Set Boundaries, Find Peace: A guide to reclaiming yourself“ (2021) https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55782639-set-boundaries-find-peace

Elizabeth Gilbert „Big Magic: Creative Living beyond fear“ (2015) https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24453082-big-magic

Jake Knapp, John Zeratski „Make time: How to focus on what matters every day“ (2018) https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/37880811-make-time

Book Release by a Black Author

P. Djéli Clark „A Master of Djinn“ (May 11th 2021) Steampunk Fantasy, https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52504334-a-master-of-djinn

Other Stuff Mentioned

Naomi Novik „Uprooted“ (2015), https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22544764-uprooted

Cal Newport „Digital Minimalism“ (2019) https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40672036-digital-minimalism

Elizabeth Gilbert „Eat, Pray, Love“ (2007), https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19501.Eat_Pray_Love

Movie „Eat, Pray, Love“ (2010) https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0879870/

Lofi HipHop Playlist by Lofi Girl  

13 – a Prime number and the current episode’s reference number. You think this is nerdy? Well, this episode dives head first into nerdyness, so it is only fitting.

In February our bookdragon SandyJ enjoyed two Manga Weekends and read 31 books, most of them by Japanese authors. So this episode’s recommendations are the Manga series „Wotakoi – Love is hard for otaku“ by Fujita and the literary fiction novel „The Housekeeper and the Professor“ by Yoko Ogawa.

A special goodie is the book recommendation by the Show’s musician Erwin Schmidt.

Stream on Sunday, 7th March, 7 PM local time. Drops on Monday, 8th March, noonish.

Bookdragon und Producer: SandyJ

Music: Erwin Schmidt

Book Recommendations

Fujita „Wotakoi – Love is hard for Otaku“ (2014) https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31826480-wotakoi

Yoko Ogawa „The Housekeeper and the Professor“ (2003) https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3181564-the-housekeeper-and-the-professor

Erwin Schmidt’s Book Rec „Die Vermessung der Welt“ Daniel Kehlmann https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1526595.Die_Vermessung_der_Welt

Book Release by a Black Author

Talia Hibbert „Act your Age, Eve Brown“ (9th March 2021) https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/51824384-act-your-age-eve-brown

Other Stuff Mentioned

Baden-Württemberg Parliamentary Election https://www.landtagswahl-bw.de/

Yoko Nogiri „Love in Focus“ https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/44405147-love-in-focus-vol-1

Anime:

Princess Mononoke https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princess_Mononoke

Ghost in the Shell https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghost_in_the_Shell

Dragon Ball Z https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragon_Ball_Z

Wotakoi – Love is hard for Otaku https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wotakoi:_Love_Is_Hard_for_Otaku

In the 12th episode of Engineered Unicorns our local Bookdragon SandyJ not only recommends an extraordinary audiobook version of the YA fantasy novel „The Extraordinaries“ by T.J. Klune. She also talks about her experiences with her book subscription and the book club she joined in January.

Music theme by Erwin Schmidt

Book Recommendation:

T.J. Klune „The Extraordinaries“ (2020) https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52380340-the-extraordinaries

Other Stuff Mentioned:

Akane Tamura „A Side Characters Love Story“ https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/51099729-a-side-character-s-love-story-vol-1

Becky Chambers „The Galaxy, and the ground within!“ (February 2021) https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54727327-the-galaxy-and-the-ground-within

T.J. Klune „Flash Fire“ (July 2021) https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55169010-flash-fire

Namina Forna „The Gilded Ones“ (February 2021) https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40024121-the-gilded-ones

Natsuki Takaya „Fruits Basket“ Collector’s Edition,  https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28219400-fruits-basket-collector-s-edition-vol-1

Podcast Episode regarding the Fairyloot-Hack : When books make your credit card howl https://www.campusradio-karlsruhe.de/2020/07/31/when-books-make-your-credit-card-howl/

Ezeekat‘s Book Club  https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/1136586-ezeekat-s-book-club

In the January 2021 episode of Engineered Unicorns Karlsruhe's Bookdragon SandyJ looks back on her reading year and forward to the new one.

Fairytales often shape our perception of the world and therefore are important as some of the foundations of our society.  Hence it is necessary to take a look at the stories that we tell ourselves and what they teach us and the young generations.

This months fantasy book recommendation „The School for Good & Evil“ by Soman Chainani does just that. In a hilarious story it turns our perception of what good and evil look and act like on it’s head. The narration by Polly Lee gives the story extra oomph.

Looking for a new way to organise your life but none of the „off-the-rack“-systems work for your special case? Then „The Bullet Journal Method“ by Ryder Carroll might be the adaptable system you search for. SandyJ uses the Bullet Journal since 2018 and loves it.

Add in the interesting book releases of this month plus an ALL NEW THEME SONG by our favorite bass guitar player Erwin Schmidt (Thank you, Erwin) and you get an inkling what we will stream on Sunday, January 10, at 7 p.m. on Campusradio Karlsruhe. Dropping on the podcast platforms next week.

(Recorded on January 5th!)

Book Recommendations

Fiction:

Soman Chainani „The School for Good & Evil“ (2013) https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42080479-the-school-for-good-and-evil

Non-Fiction

Ryder Carroll „The Bullet Journal Method“ (2018)

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39071691-the-bullet-journal-method

Videos:

How to Bullet Journal (Basic Video by Ryder Carroll)- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fm15cmYU0IM

How to ADHD – Interview with Ryder Carroll https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TTlHT3d2Grs

TEDx – Talk by Ryder Carroll https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ym6OYelD5fA

Ezeekat’s Youtube Channel https://www.youtube.com/user/Kookamungakat

Other Stuff Mentioned:

Ezeekat’s Book Club: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/1136586-ezeekat-s-book-club

Amie Kaufmann, Meagan Spooner „The other side of the sky“ (2020) https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40599772-the-other-side-of-the-sky

Amy Noelle Parks „The Quantum weirdness of the almost kiss“ (January 5th 2021) https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/51075452-the-quantum-weirdness-of-the-almost-kiss

J. Elle „Wings of ebony“ (January 26th 2021) https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54304072-wings-of-ebony (Black author)

Sarah Lariviere „Time travel for love and profit“ (January 26th 2021) https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/50285849-time-travel-for-love-and-profit

Jack Harbon „Meet cute club“ (2020) https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/51054227-meet-cute-club

Remember the Heroine’s Journey? Well this month our local Bookdragon  SandyJ has a mysterious, fun and fast paced book recommendation for you:  „Tuesday Mooney talks to ghosts“  by Kate Racculia checks all the  boxes. It’s a fabulous, addictive, deep story full of well written  characters and the Narration by Lauren Fortgang is on point.

To celebrate the cozy time of the year (on the northern hemisphere)  and the 10th episode, there is a Spotify playlist for your Magical  Unicorn Morning.

To prep for yourself for 2021 there’s not only the non-fiction  recommendation of Monocle: The Forecast, but also the Unicorn Cleaning  Playlist for the start of Susuharai (Japanese version of cleaning before  the new year) on December 13th. As always some new book releases are  mentioned, too.

The episode will be streamed on Sunday, December 6, 7 p.m. with some  songs of the Magical Unicorn Morning Playlist afterwards. On the podcast  platforms it will drop on Monday around noon.

Bookdragon: SandyJ

In these trying times our local Bookdragon SandyJ and countless  readers around the globe take refuge in magical stories with happy  endings. These stories are often based on a distinct and largely unknown  narrative structure: the Heroine‘s Journey.

The new non-fiction book by Fantasy author (and Archeologist) Gail  Carriger is written for authors and readers to get to know and use this  narrative structure appropriately.

On the podcast platforms you’ll find this episode on Monday, noon-ish.

Bookdragon: SandyJ

In the October episode of Engineered Unicorns our local Bookdragon  SandyJ  introduces you to her favorite cosy autumnal reads. Instead of  spooky she prefers fun and therefore reads  Terry Pratchett‘s Discworld  Novels. Her favorite character speaks in SMALL CAPS and is more weird  than spooky even though Halloween brings out a lot of depictions of him.

Looking for cosy fantasy? Then listen to the new episode of our  Engineered Unicorns Podcast, Sunday, October 4th, 7 p.m. at Campusradio  Karlsruhe.

On the podcast platforms it will be available on Monday, October 5th.

Bookdragon: SandyJ

Recommendations

Fantasy:

Terry Pratchett „The Truth“ (2002)

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34498.The_Truth

Terry Pratchett „Mort“ (1987)

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/386372.Mort

Terry Pratchett „Going Postal“ (2004)

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/64222.Going_Postal

Terry Pratchett „Monstrous Regiment“ (2003)

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34511.Monstrous_Regiment

Information

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Discworld

Semaphores = optical telegraph https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Optical_telegraph

Book Releases  October (Probably ;-):

Gail Carriger „The Heroine’s Journey“ (01.10.2020)

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54618699-the-heroine-s-journey

V.E. Schwab „The invisible life of Addie LaRue“ (06.10.2020)

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/50623864-the-invisible-life-of-addie-larue

Stefan Bachmann „Cinders and Sparrows“ (13.10.2020)

C.L. Polk „The Midnight Bargain“ (13.10.2020) (Black Author)

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/49151031-the-midnight-bargain

Katie O’Neill „The Tea Dragon Tapestry“ (27. October 2020)

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/51323376-the-tea-dragon-tapestry

P. Djèlí Clark  „Ring Shout“ (13. October 2020)

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/49247242-ring-shout

Other Books mentioned:

Colin Cowie Chic (2007) https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2024492.Colin_Cowie_Chic

V. S. Santoni „I’m a gay Wizard“ (2017) https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43809342-i-m-a-gay-wizard

Terry Pratchett (1998) https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34541.Carpe_Jugulum

In Episode No. 7 our Bookdragon SandyJ recommends books that will  help you to bring some magic to your life, should you wish to do so.  Fantasy books for the young at heart and grown women with shapeshifters  galore and an all encompassing lifestyle book by a South African wedding  planner.

Katie O‘Neills „Tea Dragon Society“ invites you to enjoy a warm cup  of tea and a cozy hour of reading on a chilly Autumn afternoon.  „Betwixt“ by Darynda Jones is for all the grown women who wish for  witches that are as cool as themselves and older then 25. Colin Cowie  gives you the necessary tips to style your life as chic as it could be.

In other news: Libby by Overdrive is now available for users of the  Stadtbibliothek Karlsruhe and SandyJ is loving it. September 2020 brings  new books in troves, so our Bookdragon gives you a few hints what books  to look out for. Luckily with Fall around the corner the weather and  reading chairs are calling for travelling in fictional worlds instead of  the real world.

Premiere stream: Sunday, September 6, 7 P.M.

Host: SandyJ

While July was a better month for our local book dragon SandyJ, after  all it‘s gooseberry season, there still was a cyber security incident  which led to her and other Fairyloot customer’s credit cards howling in  pain. SandyJ tells you how she experienced it and what she will do under  current circumstances.

Cyber security is certainly a cumbersome but necessary part of the  real world, so SandyJ turns to the classic „Howl‘s Moving Castle“ by  Diana Wynne Jones for comfort. The real world information with a  decidedly Asian point of view provides „The Future is Asian“ by Parag  Khanna. For those who feel the reading slump „Mystic Pop-Up Bar“  provides fantastic fun on Netflix.

Of course this episode gives you a few upcoming August 2020 Fantasy  releases to look out for. The first book will even be released into this  wild world before this episode airs.

The show notes contain not only all the books mentioned but also the  links to two articles on credit card fraud issues. Read your card  statements, dear readers!

Premier stream on Campusradio Karlsruhe, Sunday August 2nd, 7 p.m. On the podcast portals soonish next week.