MagaScene

Even those of us who love magazines may find it hard to keep up with all of our subscriptions. Factor in random magazines encountered out in the world (doctors' offices, friends' houses, coffeehouses, etc.) and reading time becomes even more critical. Here's where I squeeze in extra reading time.

1) On planes. Remember when flight attendants distributed magazines at the beginning of flights? Those days are over--you're lucky to find a copy of the airline's own magazine now--so most of us bring our own. I generally stick with shelter mags for short hauls so I can enjoy the photos of gorgeous home interiors. For longer flights, I opt for two or three hefty titles.

2) At the gym. Or at home, if that's where you hit the exercise bike or treadmill. I find that reading while riding makes it easier to ride faster and longer. You've heard of NPR driveway moments? I have bike moments when I have to pedal through to the end of a compelling story.

3) Intermission. Yeah, OK, who doesn't think about reading during flights or while working out, but what about during intermission at performances? Instead of reading the program notes over and over again, take along a magazine (a thin one works best) to read during intermission.

4) The subway. Another obvious one, you're thinking. Yes, for the ordinary commuter. For claustropobes such as myself, getting lost in a magazine is one of the only ways to get through subterranean travel.

5) With breakfast. Morning TV stinks, so why not a magazine while fueling up for the day and downing that all-important first cup?

I look forward to going to the beach every year, and not just because I love the sun, sand, water and waves. I love beach trips because they are the only time I can catch up on my magazine reading. I wait all year for the chance to lay under an umbrella with a fruity drink by my side, the sound of waves crashing nearby and a pile of magazines on my lap.

Despite my best efforts, I never seem to make it all the way through my stack. Even at the beach, there are just too many interruptions and not enough time. I've often fantasized about what it would be like to do my beach reading with no time constraints or people around. That got me thinking: If I could spend a week reading magazines on a deserted island, which ones would I take? Here are some of the magazines I would pack:

For escape:
To really get away from it all, make-believe helps. I'm not a big fashionista, but I would definitely take Elle and Vogue magazines to my deserted island because they stir my imagination and encourage me to immerse myself in another world. With their candid celebrity profiles and fanciful photo shoots, both magazines are masters at setting scenes that transport me to another time and place.

For entertainment:
A week at the beach isn't complete, of course, without a celebrity magazine or two. If I wanted to waste the hours away getting my Hollywood gossip fix, People magazine would be my first choice, with Us Weekly running a close second. For pure fun (and practical fashion tips), I would throw a few teen magazines into my beach bag, too. How else would I know how to wear my sarong 10 different ways?

For inspiration: 
Celebrity and fashion magazines are fun to read, but nothing compares to real stories about real people. For articles that motivate me, put me in touch with my intuition and challenge me to reach beyond myself, I would bring along my Ladies' Home Journal magazine.

For stimulation:
Once I start craving more of a substantive read, I'll delve into my Vanity Fair,  Oxford American or Harper's magazines for a quick dose of fiction and insightful scholarly pieces on cultural or political issues.

For nourishment:
When the sun and reading material gets too intense, I'll take a quick dip in the ocean, then replenish myself with Sunset magazine and its emphasis on the mind, body and soul. It will teach me everything I need to know to survive on my island--from tips on organic eating and using vegetation to build a shelter to how to truly appreciate and commune with nature.

For laughs:
Between spontaneous storms and strange noises in the night, a week in the wild can put you on edge, so I'll need some magazines to keep it light. For a good chuckle, I'll kick back with one of the zany stories in Reader's Digest magazine or flip through Glamour magazine for one of its witty features.

For comfort:
Life on a deserted island can get pretty lonely after a while, I imagine. In case I get homesick, I would pack Southern Living magazine, so I can read about crepe myrtles, Elvis, lemon ice-box pie and all the quirky comforts that remind me of home. Until I make it back the mainland, I can even dream up some ideas for sprucing up my place and throwing the perfect end-of-the-summer backyard bash.

What about you? What magazines would make your deserted island reading list?

After shutting down the iconic Gourmet magazine last fall, publisher Condé Nast announced in June that it was going to launch Gourmet Live, a new digital product developed to be available across multiple devices and platforms.

Now, Condé Nast has announced it is bringing the beloved brand back to print--in the form of 3 newsstand-only editions. The first issue is called Gourmet Quick Kitchen, an illustrated cookbook that's due to hit stands next week on September 7. At more than 120 pages, Gourmet Quick Kitchen will feature classic recipes from previous issues of the magazine as well as new content like photos, kitchen tips and eight full menus with wine pairings.

Here's our weekly look at magazine industry news you may have missed:

• Folio magazine reported some good news for magazine publishers: marketers and agencies are talking up print for 2011. Read why there is still a role for print, in "Seven Reasons Print Will Make a Comeback in 2011."

• MinOnline reported how magazines' ad sales fared during the all-important month of September. There's more good news: 94 of 145 magazine titles were up in advertising ad pages for the month. Runner's World, Elle Decor, Texas Monthly, Glamour and People Stylewatch magazine came out on top.
  

• And finally,Birmingham, Alabama-based Hoffman Media, the publisher of 11 magazines including Cooking with Paula Deen was one of the companies ranked on the annual Inc. Magazine Inc. 5000 list, which ranks the fastest growing privately-held companies in the U.S. We're happy to report Magazines.com was also on the list for the second time.

Last week while I was on vacation and taking a break from paying close attention to the magazine world, I wondered what I would miss. After a few hours back in the office, I knew the answer: the "True Blood" Rolling Stone magazine cover. 

Nothing sparks a conversation like nudity on a magazine cover. And this particular nude magazine cover sparked, as my articulate co-worker said, a "visceral reaction"--whether negative or positive--from just about everyone.

Apparently, nudity on a magazine cover also inspires reminiscing about past nude magazine covers that produced a frenzy. I've read two blog posts this week from the San Francisco Chronicle and the Washington Post touting "Naked Nostalgia" with lists that featured infamous nude magazine covers like the 1981 Rolling Stone John Lennon/Yoko Ono cover and the 1991 Vanity Fair Demi Moore cover.

All of this despite the pretty frequent prevalence of nudity on various magazines, like the 2008 GQ Jennifer Aniston cover that stirred up attention and had us wondering, "Nudity Sells, but is it Controversial?"

My conclusion today is the same as then: it's hard to say about the controversy, but one thing is certain: there will be another nude magazine cover that people will talk about.

Last fall, Entertainment Weekly worked with Americhip, a video-in-print technology company, to develop video-in-print ads from CBS and Pepsi. Now, Successful Farming magazine, published by Meredith Corp. (also publisher of Better Homes and Gardens, More and Ladies' Home Journal among others) partnered with advertiser Bayer CropScience and Americhip to develop a video insert that appeared in its August issue.

The ad, for Bayer's Votivo product, is a four-page insert that includes a small video screen, which plays an opening message when a reader opens to the page and then four additional videos depending on which buttons the reader pushes.

With its September issue, Marie Claire magazine is the latest magazine to boast interactive features made possible by technology; this time the technology is image recognition technology, that allows readers to shop instantly--or'Snap to Buy'--more than 200 products featured inside the fashion magazine.

The technology, developed by Pongr, Marie Claire boasts allows readers to use their camera phones to take a picture of an item (with a phone icon next to it) in the magazine; the reader then emails or texts the picture to the magazine and within 60 seconds, the reader receives a link to buy.

The magazine also intends to launch a shopping-themed iPhone app soon, reports Mediabistro.

ESPN the magazine has changed its focused. Instead of every issue featuring comprehensive coverage on the world of sports, each issue will now focus a single sport or theme per issue.

As Folio magazine recently reported, from an ad revenue perspective, the sports magazine could be onto something great. The magazine will be able to plan its each issue much further in advance which could allow earlier ad sales, which could lead to more strategic targeting of relevant advertisers.

Unlike a lot of magazines this year, ESPN the Magazine reported a 26.4 percent increase in advertising pages, according to figures from the Publishers Information Bureau. Last year the sports magazine found a respectable amount of success with its first-ever "Body Issue," which feature semi-nude athletes.

In addition to its new single-topic editorial focus, ESPN the Magazine also revealed two new multi-page sections called "Go" and "Play." The first of its single-topic issues is a college football preview, is available now.

Here's our weekly look at magazine industry news you may have missed:

• New England magazine Yankee is celebrating its 75th anniversary with its September issue. The special collector's issue highlights special anniversary features that recognize the important milestone including "The Ultimate Yankee Quiz" and "75 Things Every New Englander Should Do."

• The Sierra Club's Sierra Magazine ranked the greenest colleges in the U.S. Green Mountain College in Vermont, which gets heat and electricity by burning locally sourced wood chips and methane from cow manure, won the top spot.

The top campuses, based on criteria ranging from energy sources to financial  investments:
1. Green Mountain College, Poultney, Vt.
2. Dickinson College, Carlisle, Pa.
3. Evergreen State College, Olympia, Wash.
4. University of Washington, Seattle
5. Stanford University, Stanford, Calif.

• And finally, Katie Holmes' turn as Jackie O. on the cover of New York magazine's Fall Fashion September issue created quite a buzz. Inside the magazine, Mrs. Tom Cruise talks about 4-year-old daughter Suri Cruise's wardrobe picks.