“Slut”: Should The Word Be In Children’s Books? Roald Dahl’s Revolting Rhymes has been removed from an Australian supermarket chain due to complaints from parents on the inappropriate language used in the 1982 book. The unacceptable word in question is “Slut”. ‘What’s all the racket?’ Cindy cried. ‘Mind your own bizz,’ the Prince replied. Poor Cindy’s heart was…
Mysterious Girls: Fall #WWACBookClub Picks
Last week we announced that the next theme for the #WWACBookClub would be a mystery, and we gave you the opportunity to vote for our next two picks. Today we’re pleased to announce that we’ll be reading the following books in September and October. September’s Pick: The Shining Girls by Lauren Beukes
September Staff Picks: Books!
Broken Monsters Lauren Beukes Little, Brown and Company From the author of The Shining Girls, the newest book follows female homicide detective Gabi Versado as she tangles with failed-artist-turned-murderer Clayton Broom. I enjoyed the creepiness of The Shining Girls and it sounds like Broken Monsters follows the same path. — Brenda
The Thursday Book Beat: Lois Lane is Starring in Her Own YA Novel
Switch Press Publishing A Lois Lane Young Adult Novel I was sad when I heard that Dean Tripp’s proposal for a graphic novel series about the adventures of a young Lois Lane wasn’t given the greenlight by DC Comics. Guess what, Lois Lane fans? The dream of a story starring the intrepid reporter is not dead! It lives…
War. What Is It Good For?: The #WWACBookClub on Insignia
On Monday we got together under the hashtag #WWACBookClub to discuss our latest book club pick – Insignia by S J Kincaid. The story takes place in the middle of World War III. Most of our natural resources are gone so what are we fighting over? The resources found in space. But this war is…
This Year’s Women of the Hugo Awards
For a genre often marred by it’s lack of diversity, times do seem to be changing. At this year’s Hugo Awards ceremony, science fiction and fantasy fans proved that women can make a mark. Of the 16 categories, for which awards were given, women took home half.
Interview with Betsy Streeter of Neptune Road
Betsy Streeter is Californian science fiction writer, artist, and comic creator. She is the perfect storm of creativity and I can’t urge you enough to check out her ongoing webcomic Neptune Road. This is a science fiction mystery set on Neptune, an experimental colonization effort that has met with repeated complications. The planet is still…
Amazon Calls for Many Loyal Customers to Join a Letter Campaign, Except…
…Amazon doesn’t have brand-loyal customers. It has price-loyal and convenience-loyal customers. Oops. But that may be enough to get some action going. We’ll see. Today a letter written by best-selling author, Douglas Preston, and signed by 908 writers from the US, Canada, Britain and beyond, will run in the Sunday New York Times. In it,…
Dogears: Rock Bottom, No Skin in the Game
Skin Game Jim Butcher Penguin I have to admit that, at this point, I’m mostly reading the Dresden Files out of a combination of inertia and completism. The sheen and new car smell have been rubbed off by the criticism Butcher has received about the sexism of his main character (which I disagree with) and…
The Thursday Book Beat: Gender and Books
Amazon Has Got Competition in the Form of a Google/Barnes & Noble Team Up Part of Amazon’s appeal is their fast and cheap delivery but it seems like they’re getting some competition in that area in a form of a team up between Google and Barnes & Noble. BN provides the books while Google offers…
Nostalgia Nexus
A Light in the Attic/Where the Sidewalk Ends Shel Silverstein (A & W) HarperCollins My elementary school really pounded Shel Silverstein’s poems into us. I have vivid memories of teachers reading bits from A Light in the Attic and Where the Sidewalk Ends to us (along with The Giving Tree, one of the saddest stories…
August Staff Picks: Books
The Magician’s Land Lev Grossman Viking Adult Release Date: August 5 The final book in The Magicians trilogy is coming! What will Quentin Coldwater do now that he’s been banished back to Earth? Will he find a cunning way to maneuver back into Fillory? Will he apply his magical know-how to his regular life? Will…