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Tag: Book

  • Jill Duggar Book About Forgiving Her Sibling: Did She Mean Molesting?

    In 2014, the Duggar sisters — Jill, Jinger, Jessa, and Jana Duggar — write a book called Growing Up Duggar: It’s All About Relationships.

    In the book, the sisters talk about their beliefs and how they live their lives as part of the Duggar family. They say that their life is all about relationships. They break these down into six areas: self, parents, siblings, friends, boys, God.

    In the light of the recent scandal surrounding Josh Duggar, brother to the Jill Duggar and the other sisters who wrote the book, a look at what they have to say about siblings is potentially enlightening.

    In the book, they talk about their family’s Buddy system, how the siblings handle conflict, and how the loss of little Jubilee (their sister) affected their relationships with each other.

    Within that section, though, they talk particularly about the need to forgive their siblings.

    “Even though we may not feel like forgiving someone, we must choose to forgive every person who offends us and do it before they ask — and regardless if they ever do ask. The choice to forgive doesn’t always free the other person from the consequences of his or her wrong actions, but it frees the forgiver of negative feelings towards the offender. And if we still have feelings of bitterness, the Bible says it’s not only to forgive the other person, but also to go a step further and look for ways to bless him or her.”

    Some are asking: Might Jill Duggar or any of these sisters have had Josh Duggar’s instances of molestation in mind when they wrote this?

  • Anna Kendrick Writing a Book; She Doesn’t Know About What

    Anna Kendrick recently announced that she is publishing a book of essays next year. That’s one of the perks of being a celebrity: you can get a publishing offer without ever having actually written anything before.

    “Obviously I’m hoping to find my own voice, but having never written anything before, I’m not really sure what to expect,” Anna Kendrick says. “But it’s going to be fun. Part of me is like, ‘Yeah! I’m writing a book… if I can.’ Is that something I can do? I’ll find out.”

    Anna Kendrick says that she is leveraging modern technology to the hilt to get her book cranked out. But it is not in a very streamlined way.

    “I’ve got like notes all over my phone in different places, different apps,” she said. “I got my Stickies on my Mac, and I’ve got seven different Word documents that I just keep adding stuff to. I’ve got Post-it notes everywhere, so I’m hoping that when I get the chance to sit down and look at it all together, it’ll add up to something.”

    Somebody introduce that girl to Evernote.

    Even the choice of topics is still very up in the air. She has no particular plan for what to write about. It sounds like she’s just writing stuff that pops into her head. And she’ll get paid for it. Because that’s how publishing works now.

    “If I was trying to do it like, ‘What are my thoughts on men?’ I would be like, ‘I don’t know! I don’t have thoughts on men!’” she says. “I just keep remembering stupid things that happened to me when I was younger and many, many stupid things that happened to me recently. [I’m] trying to write them down and see if it comes out more funny—or more tragic.”

    Back on the filmmaking front, Anna Kendrick recently said that she is not holding her breath about the potential success of Pitch Perfect 2.

    “I’m really focused on putting this movie out and then letting the audience tell us what to do next. I’m not one to count my chickens, so I just want to see how this one does and find out if there’s an appetite for that before I even think about it,” Kendrick said. “I’ll drive myself crazy.”

    Anna Kendrick says she didn’t want to just crank out a sequel for the sake of milking a franchise.

    “I didn’t know if they were just going to do a sloppy seconds version of it, and that was the thing that made me nervous,” she said. “When I found out it was really going forward and it was going to be a real movie and everybody was coming back—there was no way I was going to miss out on that.”

  • Maria Bello Viral Piece Becomes New Book

    Maria Bello Viral Piece Becomes New Book

    Maria Bello was recovering from a life-threatening illness in 2013 when she made a discovery that changed her life: She was in love with her best friend, a woman named Clare.

    Maria Bello had already had a son, Jackson, with a man. They were no longer together, but he was certainly a part of her life. But the feelings she had for Clare were absolutely there. It wasn’t until her son asked her point blank about it that she admitted to it. His response floored her.

    “Mom, love is love, whatever you are,” her son Jackson told her.

    That proverbial mouths-of-babes utterance laid the groundwork for a written essay from Maria Bello that blew up into a viral sensation that year. It was called “Coming Out As a Modern Family” and was published in the New York Times column “Modern Love.”

    Maria Bello started reading through journals she had kept over the years, from the time she was 13 years old. “I thought I was going to take a walk down memory lane and instead I started uncovering these pieces of myself and asking myself questions,” she says.

    “I realized at the end I have no answers for anyone, I just continue to have questions,” says Bello.

    Somewhere along the way, she realized that it was far more important to live honestly about who you are, to admit that relationships change sometimes.

    “I think that to live honestly, to accept that relationships are fluid and constantly changing and so are our families, and to be honest about it as opposed to trying to hold onto something or keep it in a box is much more healthy.”

    Now Maria Bello’s essay that launched it all is the basis of a longer book from her called “Whatever…Love Is Love: Questioning the Labels We Give Ourselves.”

    In her new book Maria Bello examines the myths that so many believe about partnership—that the partnership begins when the sex begins, that partnerships are static, that you have to love yourself before you can be loved, and turns them on their heads. Bello explores how many different relationships—romantic, platonic, spiritual, familial, educational—helped define her life. She encourages women to realize that the only labels we have are the ones we put on ourselves, and the best, happiest partnerships are the ones that make your life better, even if they don’t fit the mold of “typical.”

  • Chloe Sevigny Has Love/Hate Relationship with Social Media

    Chloe Sevigny has a new book full of photos of herself. But Chloe Sevigny is never very happy with the photo she sees of herself online.

    While one of these things may seem to conflict with the other, in fact they combine to explain why Chloe Sevigny released that book in the first place.

    Chloe Sevigny feels that she has lost control of her image.

    “That’s probably the reason I wanted to do the book,” she told Style Magazine. “[It’s] just a way for people who are fans of mine to see the real me, I guess, or those images could then be propelled even more. I mean, I don’t look at the…I don’t Google [images of] myself. I would rather kill myself.”

    It strikes her as odd that some people feel the opposite.

    “I think people [like to]. I think people have Google Alerts on themselves. The Internet to me is so frightening, and it scares me to death. I barely go on it.”

    But Chloe Sevigny just joined Instagram. But apparently that was not really her preference, and even just using that makes her uncomfortable.

    “I did. I was kind of … strong-armed because of the book and the new collection for Opening Ceremony. Then, of course, I’ve hardly promoted either of them in the end! [laughs] When I joined, I had never looked at it before, and when I looked at people’s [accounts] that were doing only promotion, I was like, ‘This is so transparent and horrible!’ So I just posted something about the book, and I put #promotion because how could I not say that? [laughs] It’s just so gross, but I guess it’s because I’m not constantly looking at it, so there’s not a way for me to filter that out. It just feels like…I don’t like the shameless self-promotion. I’m trying to figure out how to balance that, I guess.”

  • Chloe Sevigny Beats Other Publishers with Her Own Book

    Chloe Sevigny is “famous for looking cool without looking like she’s trying.” That’s what publisher Rizzoli says about the “muse in the downtown creative scene for over three decades” and her new book called simply Chloe Sevigny.

    The book is an illustrated chronicle of the evolution of Chloe Sevigny’s unique style throughout her career, from a teenage skater girl to award-winning film actress and fashion designer. The pictures in the book include early personal photos of Chloe Sevigny taken by her high school friends, film stills, and of course fashion shoot pics.

    Chloe Sevigny told Style Magazine that part of the reason she decided to put out the book was to beat other publishers to the punch.

    “I’d seen a book that somebody else had done of me, and I just thought I wanted to preempt someone else doing something. You know, I turned 40, and it just seemed like a nice time to—I don’t want to say celebrate myself—but to look back on and compile images that I feel represent the time and me as a person and the career that I’ve honed and developed over the years through fashion, film, and art. I feel like in the age of the Internet, too, when your image can get away from you, it was just a way to own it again and put myself out there the way that I wanted to be seen.”

    At the same time, Chloe Sevigny says she hopes that younger fans don’t just see her as a fashion name, but check out her films.

    “A lot of kids come up to me on the street and are like, ‘I like your style.’ I wish that they were watching the earlier films as much as they are maybe just flipping through imagery, you know what I mean? There are the kids who are really into film who do see that, but I have a real problem with being isolated and being celebrated for style. I’d much prefer to be celebrated for the work I’ve done as an actress.”

  • Lena Dunham: When ‘Edgy’ Goes Over The Edge

    Lena Dunham is not the victim of a far-right smear campaign. Nor are she and her sister being attacked by a heteronormative culture policing the sexual self-expression of young female children.

    In actuality, The 28-year-old’s troubles have been brought on by something far less spectacular, but not altogether surprising.

    Dunham is a shining example of what happens when “edgy” writing goes over the edge.

    Lena Dunham is learning the hard way that you CAN’T just write whatever you want for shock value and expect people to not be shocked.

    The problem is that Dunham is now getting more attention for her notoriously off-colored commentary than she as an entitled white feminist is used to handling.

    Rather than take responsibility for her chosen mode of self-expression, Lena Dunham has retreated back into her entitlement bubble where everyone else is to blame for not getting it.

    Oh Lena, Lena, Lena…

    Did she really think including an anecdote in her book about exploring her then infant sister’s genitals wouldn’t raise eyebrows?

    Even if the uncomfortable passage about exploring Grace’s infant body were to be let go, there were other sections that were also disturbing to readers:

    ….Three pieces of candy if I could kiss [Grace] on the lips for five seconds … anything a sexual predator might do to woo a small suburban girl I was trying.

    She also spoke in her book of being a preteen and masturbating next to Grace. Had she never brought up the words “sexual predator”, the reader would likely have taken it as a hilariously embarrassing story. Possibly one that he or she could relate to!

    However, when you use emotionally evocative words like “sexual predator” to paint a picture, the action taints everything and anything—An inevitable turn of events when talking about individuals that are among the most disturbing and terrifying people on Earth.

    Child molestation and child sexual predators are always serious topics of discussion. They must be treated with the utmost sensitivity and care.

    It must also be said that the victims if these heinous acts deserve better than being used in such a blase manner by Dunham in her writing.

    A more sensitive and emotionally intelligent writer would know this, and have handily avoided this problem.

    Will this scandal signal the end of Lena Dunham’s fame? It’s too early to say.

    But one can only hope that Lena Dunham will at least halfway consider in the future exactly what she writes about and then more carefully consider her reach.

  • Jennifer Lopez Speaks Up About Abuse in New Book

    Although she doesn’t claim any physical abuse or name any abuser, singer Jennifer Lopez writes in her new book, True Love, that she felt abused in some of her past relationships.

    “I’ve never gotten a black eye or a busted lip, but I’ve felt abused in one way or another: mentally, emotionally, verbally.”

    True Love didn’t start off as a book chronicling the ups and downs of her love life. Lopez started it as a fan book, a “diary of the years as [she] went on tour.”

    “But it turned into something else,” she told People Magazine. “As I started looking at things, it helped me face a lot. I would never go into specifics about my relationships, and I don’t. But the idea was that I learned something.”

    Lopez, who has been married three times and has been through several media-hungry relationships, says that she has learned a lot about love and standing up for oneself.

    “Every day that you don’t walk out that door,” she writes, “every day you accept things in your partner and in yourself, is a day that you’re saying it’s okay.”

    Lopez’s last marriage was to singer Marc Anthony from 2004 to 2011. The two have 6-year-old twins together. According to Lopez, Anthony is very supportive of her new book.

    “He read it and said, ‘Wow, I didn’t realize you were going through this whole journey.’ We try to be supportive of each other. We feel that’s the best thing for our kids.”

    Since Anthony, the 45-year-old has dated Casper Smart, a former back-up dancer, but the two broke up in June.

    A source told People Magazine that “the relationship had just run its course.”

    “I’m learning to set up boundaries, you know what I’m saying?” said Lopez, who says she is now single. “I call myself a W.I.P. – a work in progress. I’m still learning and growing every single day.”

    True Love hits bookshelves on November 4.

  • Reeva Steenkamp’s Mother: ‘She Never Slept With Pistorius’

    June Steenkamp has had a long time to think about his. It’s been over a year and a half since Oscar Pistorius shot and killed her daughter on Valentines Day. Recently Pistorius was sentenced to five years, but will be eligible for house arrest in 10 months. His attorneys have already said they are considering an appeal of the sentence. They have two weeks to do so.

    June Steenkamp has released a new book, talking about the whole mess from her perspective. It is called Reeva: A Mother’s Story and is available on Kindle and in paperback.

    The book description promises a real look at Reeva Steenkamp through the eyes of her mother, a woman who “has kept a dignified silence throughout the long months since she received the phone call every mother dreads.”

    Some of what June writes reveals interesting facts that were not brought out during the much-ballyhooed trial. For example, June says that Reeva had not slept with Pistorius, and she believes that Reeva was actually about to leave him.

    “She had confided to me that she hadn’t slept with him” June said. “They’d shared a bed, but she was scared to take the relationship to that level. She wouldn’t want to sleep with Oscar if she wasn’t sure. I believe their relationship was coming to an end. In her heart of hearts, she didn’t think it was making either of them happy.

    “Her clothes were packed. There is no doubt in our minds: she had decided to leave Oscar that night.”

    June Steenkamp, who is 68 years old, believes that the whole terrifying incident at Pistorius’ home was no accident.

    “There is no doubt in our minds that something went horribly wrong, something upset her so terribly that she hid behind a locked door with two mobile phones,” she wrote.

    And she doesn’t buy Pistorius’ televised apology for one minute.

    “Why decide to say sorry to me in a televised trial in front of the whole world? I was unmoved by his apology.

    “I felt if I appeared to be sorry for him at this stage of his trial on the charge of premeditated murder, it would in the eyes of others lessen the awfulness of what he had done. He was in the box trying to save his own skin.”

    June writes that the pain of losing her daughter pervades her life.

    “It’s always there,” she said. “The minute your eyes open in the morning, or if you wake up in the middle of the night, there it is.”

  • Jennifer Lopez To Release First Book In October

    Jennifer Lopez is the latest celebrity to write a tell-all book, documenting her struggles and triumphs in life.

    The book, titled True Love, is due out in October, and has been something that Lopez has put her heart and soul into.

    “What’s funny is, I didn’t start off the project wanting to bare my soul in print,” Lopez told PEOPLE, while backstage at the Billboard Music Awards, where she was the first female recipient of the Icon Award.

    “It started off as a diary of the year I went on tour … and when I was on the road, it became something else,” she explained. “I really surprised myself, and I realized, ‘Oh my god, I’m writing this book.’ ”

    Lopez admits that she was very apprehensive about letting people into her personal life, and telling the things that she has kept private for so long, including details about her divorce from Mark Anthony. She said that she finally decided to go forward with the book, after realizing that she may be able to help others who are dealing, or have dealt with, the same issues she has.

    “Even to this day, I think, ‘Do I put this book out there?’ ” she said. “I did a lot of soul searching and praying, because I don’t ever want it to be mistaken for anything other than it was, which is sharing something I learned with people I could help.”

    “Writing True Love has been a deeply cathartic, personal, and vulnerable experience. If it were not for the love and courage given to me by my children, this story wouldn’t have been possible,” Lopez said, in a news release.

    “While I struggled with the decision of whether or not to release this book, I recognized that if it could touch even just one person then it would honestly become one of the most fulfilling endeavors of my life,” she added.

    The book will be released on October 28, 2014, and will be featured in both English and Spanish. A portion of the proceeds will go to the Lopez Family Foundation, which helps women and children with their overall well-being.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Tiger Mom’s New Book Sparks Controversy

    Tiger Mom’s New Book Sparks Controversy

    Tiger Mom first earned her name and reputation after publishing a book called “Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mom.” The book described some of author Amy Chua’s parenting techniques and their effectiveness. While many people were impressed by the book and the results of Chua’s methods, others called them cruel and abusive and claimed that they would cause more harm than good to children.

    The Tiger Mom recently published another controversial book and this time it borders on the lines of racism. Chua’s new book, “The Triple Package” claims that there are eight racial groups that are more likely to succeed in life than others. According to Chua their success has nothing to do with luck or hard work, but instead, their superiority over other races.

    The book suggests that these eight superior races have three traits in common that make them more successful- a superiority complex, insecurity and impulse control.

    Chua backs up her claims with research and statistics. Although she is prepared for the criticism the book will bring, she insists that the book is fact-based and well researched. Chua’s husband is the co-author of “The Triple Package” and assisted Chua with her research as well.

    It seems as if Chua and her husband were aware of the controversy the book could cause. In their introduction they write, “That certain groups do much better in America than others — as measured by income, occupational status, test scores, and so on — is difficult to talk about. In large part, this is because the topic feels so racially charged.”

    Do you believe that some races are more superior than others or do you think Chua’s claims are racist?

    Image via Wikimedia Commons.

  • Candace Cameron Bure Talks Bulimia and Nudity

    Considering it is Friday, it’s more than apt that former TGIF and Full House star Candace Cameron Bure made her way back into the national limelight today. Bure, who played D.J. Tanner on the ever-popular 90’s sitcom, is set to release her new book, Balancing It All, this January. Her book discusses how she has managed to balance multiple roles in her life over the years while remaining a successful and independent woman.

    Recently, Bure sat down for an interview with “OMG! Insider” to discuss the release of her new book. During her discussion, though, Bure took time to open up about a private matter in her life – bulimia.

    Bure stated that her eating disorder did not begin until after she married her husband, former NHL player Valeri Bure, in 1996 and moved to Montreal. Due to the pressures of trying to balance her new life as a wife with her old life of an actress and moving to a new city, Bure turned to food for comfort: “Clearly it wasn’t a healthy way to deal with things. That’s really when my faith was kicked up a notch, and I sought comfort in my relationship with God and not with food.”

    Bure has persisted in her Christian beliefs throughout her acting career, following in the footsteps of her brother, Kirk Cameron. In a recent interview with YourTango.com, Bure discussed how her Christian beliefs form the foundation of her acting career and marriage: “The best advice I’ve ever been given is being handed a Bible. That’s the blueprint for marriage that we go by, and that’s what our marriage is grounded in.”

    Due to her religion and her husband’s distastes, Bure limits what she will and will not do on screen:

    “I have boundaries that my husband and I talked about and are both comfortable with. I had my first kiss on television at 13-years-old so it’s very easy for me to separate acting, doing my job and pretending to be romantic or flirting with someone and real life. But if you watch anything I do, you’ll see I don’t go beyond kissing someone. I’m not going to get naked, and I’m not going to have sex scenes. But at the same time, even a little peck on the lips [with a costar] is uncomfortable for my husband to watch, so he doesn’t always watch. He’s completely supportive of what I do, so if the worst thing is him not watching something I did, that’s great. That’s what works for us in our relationship.”

    And who is to argue? Not only does Bure have a new book coming out, but she also has been married happily for 17 years with 3 kids and is going back to acting after taking a 10 year hiatus to raise her children. Things could only get better if that Full House revamp turned out to not be a hoax.

    [Image via Facebook]

  • Ginger Alden Reveals Cover Of Memoir About Elvis

    Elvis fans have something to look forward to next summer, other than maybe a trip to Graceland.

    Ginger Alden, Elvis Presley’s last great love and fiance at the time of his death, has written a memoir about her relationship with the King from the moment they met to his death in August 1977.

    The memoir titled Elvis & Ginger: Elvis Presley’s Fiancee and Last Love Finally Tells Her Story will be released in August 2014 and will also “set the record straight” about rumors that circulated about Alden before and after Presley’s death.

    Most recently Alden released the cover of the memoir. The two are standing outside in the snow, Presley wearing a black jacket, purple scarf, and holding a cup and a pair of his signature sunglasses. Alden is wearing a fur coat. The look is the epitome of 70s fashion. (The above photo was edited to remove the people in the background for the actual cover of the book.)

    In her book Alden says, “Elvis, you and I know the truth and unfortunately you’re not here to set the record straight. With this book, I will try to…”

    This book may open the eyes of some fans. Alden tells how Presley was looking into Eastern religions, how he spent intimate moments with loved ones, and his outlook on fame.

    Most notably Alden talks about the end of Presley’s life for the very first time. She was the one who found his lifeless body on the bathroom floor.

    Fans young and old are very excited about the book.

    The book is set to be released on August 5, 2014.

    [Image via YouTube.]

  • Gloria Gaynor Releases Book of Inspirational Stories

    “I Will Survive” has been the anthem for many a lady (and man) since the 70s for many moments of survival. Now Gloria Gaynor, the legendary singer of the empowering anthem is releasing a book of inspirational stories about surviving titled, We Will Survive.

    Gaynor, along with her manager Stephanie Gold and co-author Sue Carswell, received multiple submissions of different women’s stories of survival. Of those submissions they chose 40 to publish, one of which is Gaynor’s own story.

    Readers will find the story of a woman who was encamped in Aushwitz, a woman’s story of surviving breast cancer, another woman’s story of being abused and abandoned by her mother, another of a 9/11 mother, surviving divorce, and many others.

    The legendary singer shares that she grew up with a single mother and six siblings and Gaynor said, “therein lay the crux of my problems.”

    Gaynor then shared that when her family moved into a new apartment, she found an aunt and uncle figure in a childless couple, John and Mary, whom she often visited. While Mary was at the hospital to give birth to the couple’s first child, John invited Gaynor to their apartment and into the bedroom. He lifted her onto the bed and took off her underwear and began to molest her. When Gaynor told him she would tell her mother, John put her underwear back on her and sent her home. Gaynor didn’t tell her mother because she knew her mother’s reaction would leave her motherless as well.

    When Gaynor was twelve, she was sexually molested by her stepfather. Again, she didn’t tell her mother.

    In an excerpt from her book Gaynor said, “The incidents with my stepfather and John, as well as my reactions to them, set the tone for my future relationships with men and became par for the course. I ended up being rejected, disrespected, and neglected in every relationship, from puberty up to and including my marriage. When I was eighteen, I was naïve enough to trust the cousin of an ex-boyfriend. I allowed him to take me to visit his girlfriend—only to find that not only was she not home, there was no one there at all. He raped me. ‘Don’t even think of screaming,’ he threatened. ‘No one else is here, no one will hear you, and you will only piss me off. So, act like you like it!”’

    The songstress also explains how the song, “I Will Survive” became her mantra. She hoped it would encourage and inspire others the way it had her. After years of being in a marriage she no longer wanted to be a part of, she pulled from the song and realized that she would indeed survive after her marriage ended. And she did.

    Gaynor hopes “these stories will provide inspiration, encouragement, and empowerment to you—no matter what challenges you might be facing. If the remarkable people in these stories can survive as I did, I know you can too!”

    [Image via Gaynor’s Twitter.]

  • Sarah Palin Talks About the “War on Christmas”

    Sarah Palin was invited to speak at Liberty University’s final convocation of the Fall 2013 semester on Wednesday. During the visit, she spoke out on what she perceives to be a “war on Christmas” while promoting her new book. The new book, Good Tidings and Great Joy: Protecting the Heart of Christmas hit bookstores in November.

    There were more than 10,000 students in attendance at the convocation at Liberty University, which is a private Christian university in Virginia. Palin participated in a sit-down interview with Liberty University President Jerry Falwell, Jr. on stage. Falwell, who was obviously very pleased to have Palin present at the convocation, talked about how the former governor is “attacked more than anyone I can remember.”

    Palin was able to get the students fired up a bit when she talked about the war on Christmas. While some people might assume she would attack the commercialization of Christmas, Palin went a different route. “There definitely is a war on Christmas,” Palin told the students. According to Palin there are “revisionists” who are trying to turn Christmas into “winter solstice season.”

    While talking about the war on Christmas, Palin also discussed Good Tidings and Great Joy: Protecting the Heart of Christmas. Palin is currently on a tour to promote the book, which she said is “about protecting the heart of Christmas, which is really about protecting the heart of America.”

    “Because the message of Christmas is the message of hope and change, not the stuff you hear coming out of Washington,” Palin continued. “It’s the Judeo-Christian faith that provided all the foundation in our charters of liberty, our Constitution, our Declaration of Independence. It was a faith-filled people who understood how blessed our land was and the opportunities we have, our wonderful work ethic, all the things that have made America so exceptional.”

    After the convocation wrapped up, Palin stayed behind to sign copies of her book for the students. There were reportedly hundreds of students in line waiting to meet Palin. While it appears that Palin certainly inspired the students of Liberty University with her remarks, some folks on Twitter weren’t exactly in awe (no surprise, there):

    [Image via Facebook]

  • Demi Lovato’s Second Book in the Making

    Superstar Demi Lovato has remained in the spotlight for a long period of time, since her days on the Disney Channel. Though her career has skyrocketed, she has also endured many personal struggles along the way. Her book of affirmations, titled Staying Strong: 365 Days a Year, was her first book released on November 19, 2013 as part of a two-book deal with Feiwel and Friends, an imprint of the publishing company, Macmillan. As described by Macmillan, the book is “a powerful 365-day collection of Demi’s most honest, brave, and hopeful insights,” featuring “her own words, with quotes that inspire her, as well as personal reflections and goals.”

    It reached to the No. 38 spot on USA Today’s Best-Selling Books list and was transpired from Lovato’s inspirational tweets, in which she sends to over twenty million followers. The book’s affirmations are explained by Lovato, along with a goal for the day. Inspirational phrases include:
    – “You are beautifully and wonderfully made.”
    – “One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things.”
    – “Every life has a purpose. Share your story and you may help someone find their own.”

    Staying Strong “kind of reads my mind a little bit. Each relates to the day, and just reminds me to be thankful for what I have,” Lovato commented. Back in 2010, she sought treatment in a rehabilitation facility for an eating disorder and has continued to speak out about her personal struggles with addiction and self-harm. In her recent book, she discussed those issues. “Self-harm, eating disorders, addiction, and mood disorders are things that people aren’t always open about. But it’s so important that someone starts talking about these issues so that those who are struggling know that there is help out there.” Lovato has also been involved with anti-bullying charities and currently is a judge on the X-Factor and an actress on Glee.

    Yet, Lovato plans on going into great detail about her addiction in her forthcoming memoir. Lovato stated, “I’m nervous to share my story. But the last time I did, people were really respectful and nobody judged me. Sometimes I have to ask myself, ‘How honest do I really want to be with this book.’ But I think I’m going to do it. I think I’m going to go for it.”. She will truly and deeply express her battles with substance abuse, and how she overcame and continues to overcome those struggles, “like a skyscraper.”

    From her home in Los Angeles, Lovato said, “To me, staying strong is really important. A lot of people have faith, have hope, but now what? How do you continue to be strong? It’s about doing things daily and taking care of yourself, and I wanted to show my fans what helped me.”

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Nelson Mandela Book to Be Completed by Colleagues

    A sequel to Nelson Mandela’s book, “A Long Walk to Freedom”, was started by Mandela. However, after numerous hospital stays, and after his last release from the hospital, he will not be able to finish it.

    According to AFP, Mandela is stable but still in critical condition. His former wife, Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, says that the tubes that run down his throat to drain his lungs prevent him from speaking.

    His illness dates back to his prison years in an apartheid jail, when he was diagnosed with tuberculosis. While his pneumonia has cleared, his lungs remain sensitive, she said, adding that it was “difficult for him”.

    “He remains very sensitive to any germs, so he has to be kept literally sterile. The bedroom there is like an ICU (intensive care unit) ward.” she said. “He remains quite ill, but thank God the doctors were able to pull him through from that (last) infection.”

    Due to his conditions, he is unable to write or even dictate his words to someone, so a few former colleagues are stepping in to finish the book of the great anti-apartheid hero, and South Africa’s first black president, according to Reuters. Mandela Foundation chief executive Sello Hatang said former colleagues have begun to finish the work, based on Mandela’s own writings, other archive material and their own personal recollections of the Nobel peace laureate.

    “It’s a collective work, a project by the people who worked with Mandela in that office,” Hatang said at the Foundation in Johannesburg, where Mandela spent his professional time after leaving office.

    Mandela began writing the book shortly before he left office as a sequel to his autobiography “Long Walk to Freedom”. The first draft is entitled “The Presidential Years”, and is dated October 16,1998. He wrote about the hopes and fragilities that go along with any liberation movement.

    Mandela strived to create a better society for South Africans. He wanted liberty, safety and a smaller gap between rich and poor, but since he left office, South Africa remains one of the most corrupt governments in the world. It tumbled down the rankings in global watchdog Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index from 38th in 2001 to 69th last year.

    This is a fact which might make those currently in charge a little uncomfortable, especially present leaders of Mandela’s African National Congress (ANC) and President Jacob Zuma, who is currently dealing with a scandal over a 206 million rand, or $20 million, taxpayer-funded upgrade to his private mansion.

    Mandela is clear about his stance on this kind of thing in his book, and by his very words, calls out this kind of behavior. “Frequently, erstwhile revolutionaries have easily succumbed to greed and the tendency to divert public resources for personal enrichment ultimately overwhelmed them. By amassing vast personal wealth, and by betraying the noble objectives which made them famous, they virtually deserted the masses of the people and joined the former oppressors, who enriched themselves by mercilessly robbing the poorest of the poor.”

    There is no information on when the book will be finished or who will publish it, but when it does make its debut, it is sure to step on some toes.

    Image via wikimedia commons

  • Demi Lovato: A New Book and a Purpose

    Demi Lovato: A New Book and a Purpose

    Demi Lovato has been in the spotlight since leaving the Jonas Brothers Live in Concert tour to go to rehab in 2010, and not for much that is positive. But now that the singer has come back to the land of the living after great struggle, she’s ready to tell her story, according to Us Weekly. Not just because she will profit from it, but so she may be able to help someone who is struggling with similar issues.

    While many young stars have taken the low road, and declared that they “are not a role model”, in order to do whatever they want and not care…you know who I’m talking about….Demi has taken a higher and more difficult road. She has come out of some very rough times, dealing with issues like cutting, drug use, and bipolar disorder. She is hoping to use her experience to help others, and to actually be a role model.

    “I used to say that too,” she said, according to Entertainment Weekly. “That was my excuse to do whatever the f— I wanted and not give a s— about what other people thought. Then I ended up going through some stuff. I realized I’m never going to escape the fact that I’m in the public eye, so I might as well do the best I can.”

    Lovato’s struggle, unlike other Disney veterans, was happening while she was still working for Disney. In fact, she was in the middle of a star role in the network’s show, “Sonny with a Chance”, when she went into rehab. She thought her career was over, but when she came out of rehab, she was surprised to find fans that were as dedicated and supportive as ever.

    She has since written a book full of daily affirmations called “Staying Strong: 365 Days a Year”, which goes on sale November 19th. She has also signed a deal to write a tell-all about her experience growing up Disney, but is not sure if “tell-all” is the right way to go. “I’m battling with internal thoughts on how honest I should be,” she said. “Yes, I’ve been very honest, but if people really knew how dark and deep my struggles got — not just with my eating disorder but with drugs and alcohol — they’d be really shocked. But I’ll most likely end up saying everything. Maybe it’ll help other people in the industry who are headed down the wrong path.”

    Now that she has broken the destructive mold of what seems to be the normal pattern for child stars, she has high hopes to make some really big changes. “I want to be a director, and I want to pass bills in Congress about bullying. I really, really want to have my own talk show one day — be the next Oprah. I really do want to save the world. I know that’s kind of impossible, but I’m striving for it.”

    What come next for Lavato may be a mystery right now, but if she has it her way, she will give back to those who have supported her all these turbulent years. Good for her.

    Image via wikimedia commons

  • This Sega Genesis Documentary Art Book Needs Your Help On Kickstarter

    Before it was a software publishing house responsible for the Total War series and a sad Aliens game, SEGA was the second-biggest gaming hardware manufacturer in the world. Its Sega Genesis console still lives on to this day as one of the best pieces of hardware to ever grace our living rooms, and now somebody wants to publish a book about it.

    Sega Mega Drive/Genesis: Collected Works is the latest book from publisher Darren Wall. The book will celebrate the 25th birthday of Sega’s most popular game console, and will feature over “20 exclusive interviews with original Sega team members.” The book will document the history of the console and its games, but it will also serve as an art book. Art from games such as Sonic the Hedgehog, Streets of Rage, Phantasy Star, Gunstar Heroes, Golden Axe, Vectorman and more will all be included.

    This is a UK Kickstarter campaign, but Genesis fans in the U.S. can easily contribute to the project. To get a copy of the book, you only need pledge £30/$48 to get hardcover edition. If it’s shipping outside of the UK, you will need to add an additional £7 to your pledge.

    If you want to go all out, you can also opt for the special edition of the book that will be limited to only 100 copies. For £250/$400, you will get the book with a special cover featuring Sonic and Dr. Robotnik illustrated by Sonic creator Naoto Oshima.

    For the book to become a reality, they need to raise £30,000 and they’re already well on their way with over £26,000 pledged. If you have a soft spot for the Sega Genesis and it’s wonderful library of games, consider pledging some funds. Video games are an important part of our shared global culture, and books like this help to preserve that culture for generations to come.

    [Image: Kickstarter/Darren Wall]

  • Man Booker Prize: Eleanor Catton Wins The Award

    The Man Booker Prize of 2013 was awarded to Eleanor Catton. Catton is a lives in New Zealand, and only 28 years old. She was born in Canada, but moved to New Zealand at the age of 6. This makes her the youngest author to ever win the award, which is the highest literary honor to receive in Great Britain. In addition to being the youngest author to be awarded the prize, the book also sets a record of being the longest book to win the award, at 832 pages.

    Each year, a different author’s work is awarded for their work in fiction, and this year the award went to The Luminaries, Catton’s latest book, which was published in September of 2013. She was awarded the prize today, and it was presented to her by Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall. She has previously written one other novel, The Rehearsal.

    The Luminaries is set during New Zealand’s gold rush, and is described as a layered murder mystery, centered around a group of men with intertwined fates. Other nominees for this year’s award included A Tale For The Time Being by Ruth Ozeki, Harvest by Jim Crace, The Lowland by Jhumpa Lahir, The Testament of Mary by Colm Toibin, and We Need New Names by NoViolet Bulawayo.

    Last year’s prize went to Bring Up The Bodies by Hilary Mantel. The winner is selected each by the judging panel on the day of the ceremony. This year’s ceremony was a momentous occasion because it marks the last year before the award is opened to entries from the United States and beyond. Just a month ago, it was announced that the Booker Prize Foundation would be open to all novels written in English and published in Britain, regardless of the author’s nationality, finally letting Americans in on the glory as well.

    There is only one other author from New Zealand to win the award, Keri Hulme, who won in 1985 for her novel The Bone People. During her speech when she accepted the award, Eleanor Catton thanked her publishers for executing the “elegant balance between making art and making money.” She was stunned at the announcement that she won, calling her lengthy and complex novel, a “publisher’s nightmare.”

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5iUMQUfEe_o

    Image via Youtube

  • Dakota Johnson Still Committed to “50 Shades”

    Dakota Johnson, 24, is not standing idly by while producers of the Fifty Shades of Grey adaptation search for her new leading man. According to Hollywood Life, the actress is looking to join the hunt. They report from an industry source, “For Dakota, she was sad that Charlie [Hunnam] had to back out but she is very excited to see who will take the role. She is in constant contact with producers and the studio and she is very willing to help out in any way and is looking forward to do readings with everyone who is available for the role.”

    Fans of Johnson, who is cast as Anastasia Steele, were a little nervous with the troupe turbulence as the pairing of Johnson and Hunnam was reported to be based on their chemistry, but producers promise their commitment to Johnson is as solid as when they cast her back in early September.

    But the rumor mill is certainly full of conjecture that the fame and pressure may get to Johnson as it did Hunnam.

    twitter on Johnson

    MTV News jumped on the speculation about Hunnam’s replacement with a ranking of possible new Christian Grey billionaires, in addition to popularly rumored Matt Bomer and Ian Somerholder. They name Alexander Skarsgard (True Blood), Jamie Dornan (Once Upon A Time), Theo James (Downton Abbey) and Christian Cooke (Magic City) as their top nominees for the literary world’s reigning king of seduction.

    Author of the book series, E.L. James, favors Robert Pattinson, who apparently has no plans to don another franchise role at this time.

    Daughter of Don Johnson and Melanie Griffith, Johnson is scheduled for two more 2014 releases in addition to Fifty Shades (due out 1 August 2014). Need for Speed with Aaron Paul, of Breaking Bad immortality, is in post-production and an adaptation of Shakespeare’s Cymbeline is currently filming.

    [Image via Fifty Shades of Grey The Movie Facebook.]

  • Bill O’Reilly Plugs Latest “Killing…” Series Books

    Political commentator and author Bill O’Reilly gave an early plug for his latest nonfiction history book during an interview with CBS’ 60 Minutes this weekend. He also detailed the third, and latest, book in his nonfiction series, Killing Jesus, just out in September.

    The muse to writing on Jesus came to the life-long Catholic at night and he points to divine inspiration for the idea, “My inspiration comes from that [the holy spirit] and so I wrote Killing Jesus because I think I was directed to write that.” But, O’Reilly says, “It’s not a religious book… it’s all about history,” though the work is bound to spark commentary. The contract for the book amounts to over $10 million, to be shared with his co-author, Martin Dugard, who does the bulk of the research for the publications.

    The fourth book of the Killing… series, is anticipated for release September of 2014, and will focus on World War II. The series started with Killing Lincoln—which was turned into a 2013 docudrama for National Geographic Channel, featuring Tom Hanks as narrator and Billy Campbell as Abraham Lincoln—and book two was Killing Kennedy. National Geographic adaptations are already set for Jesus and Kennedy—premiering this November. The channel hit viewership records during last February’s airing of Lincoln.

    O’Reilly (pictured here on vacation in Ireland, 2013) said the new book includes, “brand-new information about some very, very fascinating things,” but he would not reveal if the title will mimic the rest of the series.

    According to the interview, O’Reilly’s show, The O’Reilly Factor, has reigned for 13 years as the most watched program on cable news. Known for a history of combative interviewing, CBS interviewer Norah O’Donnell claims he is “mellower” than during his earlier appearance on the news magazine, when interviewed in 2004 by Mike Wallace.

    Other publications penned by O’Reilly include children’s versions of the history series and titles such as Keep It Pithy: Useful Observations in a Tough World (2013) and No Spin Zone: Confrontations with the Powerful & Famous in America (2002).

    [Image via official Bill O’Reilly website.]