Best-selling book brings back painful memories for Simon

Carly Simon didn't find it easy reading "Girls Like Us," the nonfiction best-seller which interweaves her life story with those of fellow singer-songwriters Joni Mitchell and Carole King.Simon was the only one of the three who agreed to speak to writer Sheila Weller, who relied heavily on interviews with friends and family to tell their life stories. more >>

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May 10, 2008

'Cyberspace' coiner returns to native SC for honorary degree

The man who coined the word "cyberspace" has returned to his home page. Author William Gibson was given an honorary doctorate of humane letters from Coastal Carolina University in Conway, where he was born 60 years ago and which he last saw when he was 5. more >>

May 03, 2008

CHILDREN'S BOOK WEEK: Q&A with reader Isaac Carbajal

Today, despite the popularity of cable television, video games and anything electronic, many kids still find time to read. Isaac Carbajal, a fourth grader at Leesville Road Elementary School in Raleigh, N.C., proves that young readers will always embrace a good book. "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" Series 1 and 2 by Jeff Kinney has the attention of book lover Carbajal and readers nationwide. Q: What do you like most about this book?
A: It's really funny and Gregory plays a lot of good jokes on people. more >>

CHILDREN'S BOOK WEEK: Q&A with author Jeff Kinney

Dreams do come true. Just ask author and cartoonist Jeff Kinney, author and illustrator of "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" Series 1 and 2. Book lovers are huge fans of this popular series about middle school mischief and Kinney can't crank them out fast enough. Kinny talks about the joy of success. Q: Your fans are dying to know if there will be a Series 3 of "Diary of A Wimpy Kid."
A: The third book is coming out on January 13th. My publisher is going to do a national laydown, which is very exciting. But this fall, we're going to release a book called "Diary of a Wimpy Kid Do-It-Yourself Book," which is a sort of interactive journal. It's got lots of content in it, so it goes beyond being a blank book. more >>

May 10, 2008

Tony Blair's wife publishes autobiography; Iraq war a topic

Tony Blair considered not running for a third term as British prime minister but his wife and others persuaded him it would be seen as an admission that he had been wrong about the Iraq war, she says in her newly published autobiography. Cherie Blair also says her husband decided to run again in 2005 because he was not confident that his successor, Gordon Brown, would carry on with Blair's policies on schools, hospitals and pensions. more >>

May 03, 2008

CHILDREN'S BOOK WEEK: May 12 - 18

One of my favorite parts of "Diary of a Wimpy Kid Rodrick Rules" Series 2 is when Rodrick, Gregory's older brother, practices with his band the "Loaded Diaper." Once he starts practicing, his music spreads around the block and other teenagers get drawn to the music and start going to the house. When Rodrick's dad and brother Gregory get home, the teenagers are standing on the lawn listening. Then the dad really freaks out and almost calls the police, but of course their mom stops him. She says the teenagers aren't doing any harm and he should be proud of Rodrick getting fans. But their dad had another trick up his sleeve. He got his radio and started playing classic music and the teenagers went away fast after that. This was really funny. I can't believe their dad thought up that idea. I was completely astounded. more >>

May 06, 2008

KARLA MASS: The week's most talked about book

"ANCIENT EGYPT: A FIRST LOOK AT PEOPLE OF THE NILE" BY BRUCE STRACHAN

My mother has a unique approach for encouraging children to read. She seeks out reading material for her grandchildren, usually on some boring topic like ethics or religion. She then forwards the book to the lucky recipients without revealing that 10 one dollar bills are stashed between the pages. She patiently awaits a phone call, from child or parent, thanking her profusely for the discovery of hidden cash. The phone call never comes, and the cleverly hidden money is an undiscovered treasure. Well, that's one way of getting children to read, but so far, it's not working ... at least not for my mother. There is a better way of getting books into the hands of children. more >>

May 07, 2008

Star Jones lashes out at Barbara Walters about memoir

Nearly two years after Star Jones left "The View" on rocky terms, the 46-year-old TV personality has criticized former boss Barbara Walters for writing about her. In Walters' new memoir, "Audition," she discusses how Jones wouldn't acknowledge her gastric bypass surgery on the air. She also writes about Jones' lavish wedding, which wound up alienating viewers as Jones accepted gifts in return for promotion. more >>

May 06, 2008

L.A. gang member-turned-author gets 6 years for carjacking

A South Los Angeles gang member who wrote a critically praised autobiography behind bars has been sentenced to six years in state prison for a 2006 carjacking. Kody "Monster" Scott, 44, was sentenced Monday after pleading no contest to carjacking. Four other counts against him were dismissed as part of a plea agreement, Los Angeles County district attorney's spokeswoman Sandi Gibbons said Tuesday. more >>

Penguin tale tops list of `challenged' books

A children's story about a family of penguins with two fathers once again tops the list of library books the public objects to the most. "And Tango Makes Three," released in 2005 and co-written by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell, was the most "challenged" book in public schools and libraries for the second straight year, according to the American Library Association. more >>

May 05, 2008

Prince working on book to be published in the fall

Prince the musical auteur is becoming an author. "21 Nights," a "photographic essay" that offers "a rare glimpse into the life, lyrics, and mystique" of the maker of such hits as "1999" and "Purple Rain," will be published worldwide come fall, according to Atria Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster. more >>

Barbara Walters puts life on display with book 'Audition'

No one doubts she's hard-driving. But she has never learned to drive, Barbara Walters reveals in her new memoir, "Audition." She also discloses that she looks better on camera when shot from the left - advice she got from Sir Laurence Olivier when interviewing him in 1980. more >>

May 01, 2008

National Geographic clinches 3 magazine awards

National Geographic won three National Magazine Awards on Thursday including general excellence, the industry's top honor, while Vanity Fair picked up two. Other winners included GQ, Backpacker, Mother Jones and Print for general excellence in their respective circulation categories. The awards are presented by the American Society of Magazine Editors. more >>

April 29, 2008

KARLA MASS: Most talked about book for Mother's Day

"DAUFUSKIE ISLAND" PHOTOGRAPHS BY JEANNE MOUTOUSSAMY-ASHE

Mother’s Day is celebrated in many different ways and on different days around the world. The proclamation for this day was inspired by activist Julia Ward Howe; and the first Mother's Day was celebrated in Grafton, West Virginia on May 10, 1908. The second Sunday in May marks the day mothers are honored in the U.S. What do you give a mom who has everything? Bottles of perfume clutter her bathroom vanity ... unworn outifts hang in her closet. So instead of purchasing a different version of the same old thing this year, surprise her with a good book. more >>

May 01, 2008

Winners of National Magazine Awards announced

The American Society of Magazine Editors announced the winners Thursday night of the National Magazine Awards, the highest honor in the magazine industry. National Geographic took home three awards, and Vanity Fair two. more >>