News & Opinions

Our writers have been around books for a long time and are never shy to share their opinions…

Another Point of View On 'Dark" Young Adult Literature, From the Wall Street Journal

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http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2011/06/05/should-book-covers-shield-young-adult-readers-from-the-world/ Apparently there was so much outcry over the negative article printed a couple of days ago by the wall Street Journal, that a different voice was allowed to speak. A very different viewpoint, and one I personally applaud. Again, thanks to Banned Books Week’s newspage for keeping the public up to date on these … Read more

"Too Dark" For Young Adults?

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I don’t read young adult literature, and don’t have any young adults around at the moment who do. So, I’m not in a position to say whether all the books out there for teens are full of horrific violent profanity ridden dreck or not. But apparently a writer for the Wall Street Journal has read … Read more

Lilian Jackson Braun, Author of The Cat Who Etc., novels dies at 97

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If you’re not familiar with this author, she wrote what seemed like a billion books involving a couple of cats that help solve crimes. Honestly, I didn’t realize she was still alive. Just as I was positive that Phyliss A Whitney had died many moons ago, when she only passed away within the last 10 … Read more

The Griffin Poetry Award Winner

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From Quill and Quire http://www.quillandquire.com/blog/index.php/2011/06/01/dionne-brand-gets-the-griffin/ Just a quick question–does anyone read poetry anymore? I’m curious because I used to throw myself into various poets, Sylvia Plath, Anne Sexton, etc and soak up their melancholy. I was young and dramatic.  But I also had some super anthologies with poets like e e cummings that I thought … Read more

Yet Again! Another Hysterical Parent Terrified Of 5th Grade Sex Education Book

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I’m sorry, but if you haven’t had any discussion with your child about the basics of reproduction by the age of 10, it’s you that have the problem, not a school system that starts teaching sex ed that grade level, and not the school’s library carrying a educational book explaining the things you haven’t gotten … Read more

Independent Mystery Booksellers Association (IMBA)–This Month's Killer Books

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As a former indie bookseller, this association’s monthly lists helped me find new authors to recommend and confirmed some of my own choices. As the website states: “Who better to pick the best mystery books of the month than people who run mystery bookstores? Each month a rotating editor selects 5 great reads from our … Read more