Hm, well, I don't really listen to music while I read, as it is distracting, but at night in bed silence bothers me more, so I usually have background rain sounds on. I can't go to sleep without them anymore! (Unless it is actually raining of course)

Hm, well, I don't really listen to music while I read, as it is distracting, but at night in bed silence bothers me more, so I usually have background rain sounds on. I can't go to sleep without them anymore! (Unless it is actually raining of course)

Me, too! I read listening to a sound machine rather than music.

I have a great little machine with a crystal ball that glows with refracted pulsating rainbow lights and plays my choice of background sounds. My bedroom window is on the second floor and looks over First Avenue in Manhattan. There is a lot of ambient noise. I like basic white noise, like static; it covers the streets sounds (voices are especially disruptive) and lulls me to sleep.

Here's an odd aside. I work in a psychiatric hospital, and one long hallway is lined with private offices where the residents in training see patients for long term therapy. It's a State building, so the construction is not the greatest, and to be sure patients have the utmost privacy, each office has a little white noise machine outside the door. When I walk down that hall and hear that sweetly familiar sound, I have the strongest urge to drop right off to sleep!

I know the feeling Maggers, now whenever we get rain, and here in Oregon we get plenty, I always want to start sleeping! Association...hmm...that would make a very interesting RJ book .... ... .......or not, lol.

I'm not big on listening to music while reading, but on a few occasions I have read an RJ book with some music on in the background(usually on long trips), I find Radiohead works pretty well, particularly stuff from OK Computer. Hail to the Thief worked pretty well with Conspiracies, too.

I'm with you, Sangwyn. I need peace and quiet to concentrate. I don't want to be distracted by anything because I'm so RIGHT THERE when I'm reading, especially thrilling adventures. I am IN the story.

P.S. I happily admit that I'm post-30. I am SOOOOO post-30, 30 looks positively child like!

I'm shocked, Maggers. The couple of times we met at B&N, I figured you for 28. Tops.

"Gimme Shelter" and a six of fine Sam Adams brew sets the tone for me quite nicely.

Currently reading INFERNAL and listening to the soundtrack from Mysterious Skin, composed by Harold Budd and Robin Guthrie. The sounds is ambient and somewhat melancholy, quite in the mood with the novel.

Two songs come to mind, but only fit Jack in his more introverted (No I mean really introverted) moods.

That River by Jim Byrnes
Brothers In Arms by Dire Straights (ooo ooo can we make sure this one gets in the movie???????????)

I listen to my normal music. Rock/Hard Rock/Metal. Nothing different. But I agree with the others that I saw. If the book is good enough and it pulls me into the book then I won't hear my music. So far only SK and FPW are the only authors that I've read that can actually pull me into a book.

Maybe its just the new York connection, or the fact that I know Jack listens to them (ok, so I assume that he does based on the Christmas album quote in Criss Cross), but I think the Steely Dan album Royal Scam fits Jack really well. Actually, just about anything from the SD catalog, but that album feels the most "New York" to me.

Matt