The Reading Diva

Book News out of Charleston this week: A woman wrote a letter to the local paper's editor complaining about a book her daughter (who will be a freshman at one of the local high schools) had to read for English class.  Her complaint was that it was too vulgar and that the book should be off the summer reading list (even though the child could have read another book off the list).  To make a long story short, she got her way and the school pulled the book almost three weeks before school starts.  One, if her daughter doesn't know some of that stuff that's mentioned in the book, she will by the time she graduates.  And if I was a kid or a parent of a kid who read that book and it was pulled from the reading list, I would be ticked.  Just because one parent has a problem with it doesn't mean that other parents feel the same way.  Here are reactions from the local library's YA department and the author of the book .   There is a campaign to raise money ...

Congratulations to all of the Triangle Award and Edgar Award winners!  Congrats also go to Marion Coutts for winning the Wellcome Book Prize ! The Broadway musical Fun Home, which is based off an autobiography ( that caused much controversy at one of the local colleges two years ago ), was nominated for 12 Tony Awards. More than 90 authors are protesting PEN American Center giving a free speech award to Charlie Hebdo .  But Salman Rushdie feels that the authors should get over it . Publishers Weekly has come out with their Summer Reads book list for 2015!  So has Huffington Post . Angela Fournoy's The Turner House was reviewed in the New York Times ! And Roxane Gay reviewed God Help the Child for The Guardian. Speaking of Toni Morrison, if you were like me and missed her speak during her short book tour this week, here is video of her event in New York City on Monday . And this chick got to meet Toni .  I'm jealous. Here are some new stories abo...

Relax in Paradise Robert Stone .  Word also just came in that Gwynne Forster has passed away. Thoughts and prayers go out to Ruth Rendell, who just suffered a stroke . Here is a list of six upcoming books by African-American women to look forward to this year. If there is a Gone Girl sequel , I hope involves a main character being locked up in prison or in a mental institution. Speaking of Gone Girl, you can get a copy of an Amazing Amy book if you buy the Blu-Ray. Books turned into movies and TV shows did well in this week's Golden Globe Awards . The Man In 3B movie will be featured in the Pan African Film and Arts Festival . Idris Elba is  developing a movie trilogy  where Edgar Allen Poe is an unlikely hero.  I know it's unlikely, but can Idris play Poe? Celeste Ng dispels the myth that there are a lack of female Asian-American writers and provides a list to prove it. Roxane Gay talks to Salon  about her nonfiction book, Bad Fem...