J.K. Rowling is one fierce lady. She’s gorgeous, funny, smart, and is a wicked writer. She graced us with the most magical story ever with the Harry Potter series, which catapulted her to a level of fame that most writers can only dream about. Not only did Harry Potter spark a wildfire of reading for an entire generation, but it also created a place for kids to go in their heads and escape their own worlds. I know Harry Potter did a lot for me as a youngster, and it still does today. Because of her success, J.K. Rowling became one of the richest women in the United Kingdom and landed a spot on the Forbes billionaire list last year. However, now she’s been bumped back down to the millionaire’s list.

Don’t worry though, it’s not because she’s spending her unimaginable fortune. Rowling’s moved down because she’s donated so much of her money to charity. According to Forbes, ”New information about Rowlings’ estimated $160 million in charitable giving combined with Britain’s high tax rates bumped the ‘Harry Potter’ scribe from our list this year.” Rowling has always been a charitable lady. She started the Volant Charitable Trust to prevent social inequality and poverty in 2000 and is the president of One Parent Families, a charity for single-parent families. She also has donated millions to multiple sclerosis research. She also wrote several books for charity including Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them, Quidditch Through The Ages, and The Tales of Beetle the Bard. Read More »

Have you seen the trailer for the new movie adaptation of On the Road? It looks pretty awesome. It’s hard to believe that Jack Kerouac’s iconic book hasn’t been made into a movie yet. The novel is an emblem of the Beat generation. It’s a travel story and coming-of-age tale, both of which make very popular movies. Even though one of the stars is Kristen Stewart, the movie looks like it could be great. And who knows, maybe K Stew will be awesome and totally redeem herself for Twilight. Maybe.

The hype surrounding the movie got us thinking about books we read in school. There’s nothing that kills a great book quite as much as a boring high school English class. But it turns out that lots of the books your high school teachers made you read were pretty awesome. On the Road is one of them. For most people, it’s a love-it-or-hate-it novel, but it’s definitely worth a read whatever your experience happens to be. Here are 8 more books you probably got assigned in school that are worth a second look if you skipped over them the first time.

Full disclosure: I’m an English major and book nerd, but I promise that these books really are awesome. I have a million more books I could add to the list, but I did my best to narrow it down. Read More »

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[Lead image via JHershPhoto/Shutterstock]

It’s Dr. Seuss’ birthday today! If he were still alive, he would be 108 today. No children’s author is quite as beloved as Dr. Seuss, and for good reason. His books are funny, clever, sweet, and easy to read. I grew up with Dr. Seuss stories, and I can still recite long sections of some of them. But just like Disney movies, the older you get, the more things you pick up on that you never noticed as a kid. Like that all of his characters look strangely phallic?  And it turns out there are a few scandalous lines in our most beloved Dr. Seuss books. Here’s the sexual innuendo in Dr. Seuss that you never noticed… until today.

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Garnet is a student at Columbia University in New York City. She is “that person” who starts dancing at a party when everyone else is standing around, and if there were a Facebook stalking Olympics, she would be a gold medalist. She also loves cheesy 90s music, and almost died of happiness when Vanilla Ice retweeted her. Once. Follow her on Twitter @garnethenderson.

If you’re looking for a way to spend time with family members without actually interacting with them, do as you did on those dates back in high school: go to a movie. There are plenty of feel-good flicks conveniently released for the holiday season; bond with your little brother while watching The Adventures of Tintin or fill out an entire row in front of Matt Damon and ScarJo in We Bought A Zoo. Too many opinions? Tickets to the movie with too many plot lines, please — New Year’s Eve!

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It seems like new social shopping sites (like Groupon) are popping up every day. Some of them are even specifically focused on one thing, such as vacations, wine, shoes, and more. One of the newest sites I’ve come across is Bookperk, a Groupon-like site geared towards readers.

Bookperk pairs new bestselling books with exclusive merchandise and/or experiences that are only available to members of the site. Some of the current offers available right now are copy of Emily Post’s Ettiquitte along with a package of thank you cards and the Cowboys and Aliens graphic novel and movie poster. And like other shopping sites, the deals change daily, so if you find something you love, don’t wait too long or it might be gone! Read More »

It’s the moooost wonderful tiiiime of the yeeeear. Halfway to it, anyway. In a ‘Christmas in June’ inspired feeling, we can all celebrate because today is exactly six months away from Christmas. And, that being my all-time favorite gift-giving holiday, I rounded up a few presents I want now.

Is there anything better than spending a day reading on the beach, getting a golden glow, and sipping on a Pina Colada? I mean, I’m just guessing that would be the best. My beach days are usually more about trying to keep my hair from birds-nesting in the wind, spraying on SPF 75, and half-heartedly drinking warm beer that’s on the verge of boiling in the sun. But I do love opening up a good book, getting lost in the story, and ignoring the fact that there’s an elderly man walking back and forth wearing a a speedo thong.

And that’s why I asked all our wonderful CollegeCandy writers to tell us their favorite beach read. Because who knows books better than our writers? (Okay, that sounds cocky, I was just trying to drive home the point that they picked some great books…)

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With devices like the eReader, Kindle and iPad 2 at our fingertips, reading is supposed to be easier than ever, despite the slow extinction of the printed (and pricey) paperback. But try walking into a bookstore for new novels – you’ll find the Best Sellers’ shelves covered in leftovers of celebrity franchises, from Conrad and Kardashian to Bieber’s biography! Sure, we finally have the convenient medium to encourage more frequent reading, but are we running out of leisurely literature too fast these days?

I think it’s time to turn back to the assignments of our high school English classes, the novels taught every year not only to prepare us for those Advanced Placement tests, but also to enlighten us through universal themes and lessons before we went off to college.  Obviously, these stories have withstood the test of time over and over again: according to Focus Features, Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre has been adapted into 20 silent films, 27 “talkies” (for theater and television), 23 radio dramas, 48 plays and 8 musicals – and today marks the premiere of Jane Eyre, the film version starring Mia Wasikowska (Alice in Wonderland, The Kids Are Alright), Michael Fassbender (Inglorious Basterds, 300) and Jamie Bell (The Eagle, Jumper).

The dynamic plot revolving around a bold governess and her mysterious employer is simultaneously an epic love story, a Gothic tale and a piece of social commentary. So in honor of Jane Eyre’s rebirth to a new generation, let’s resurrect some of the narratives we thought used to bore us to death. Here are five more high school books worth a reread in college: Read More »

[There are over 100 million sites on the Internet. 100 million! You might think you know about all the important ones (CollegeCandy, Gmail, Google, Facebook…), but there are thousands of other sweet sites out there (like Spreezio, Teach Parents Tech and We Are Hunted) and more showing up every day! We get it – it’s not easy or fun sifting through the crap and porn to find those gems, so we’re gonna bring the gems to you. Just sit back, kick up those feet and allow us to introduce you to the diamonds in the internet rough.]

If you’re an avid reader and book-lover like I am, your bookshelf is probably crammed with dozens of books. Mine is filled with several of my favorites, of course, but also dozens of old textbooks and cheap paperbacks I have never even opened probably won’t ever read again. Books that have been packed and moved and unpacked 6 times in the last 4 years. In my never-ending quest to get organized (and spend less money on moving boxes), I’ve decided to do something about all the books that I don’t use and are just sitting there collecting dust.

Of course I considered selling them or donating them, but I’ve discovered something better: swapping them.

PaperBackSwap is an online “book club,” where members can exchange books they’ve already read with other members. Read More »