#Inspirational Book Awards

[chantireviews]

The 2024 Hearten Award Spotlight for Uplifting & Inspiring Non-Fiction

Tell Us Your Story! The Hearten Awards are here for your Uplifting and Inspiring Non-Fiction! The Hearten Awards is one of our 6 Non-Fiction Divisions. Specifically, it covers Uplifting and Inspiring Memoirs. If you have written a book about yours, or someone else’s life story that can inspire others, Submit it to us! The Categories for the Hearten Awards…

[greatladya]

I love the Weasley twins - like most people- and I can never quite get enough of their antics.

There have been many different discussions and references to them. An incredible amount of titles and names have been used to refer to them.

But today I propose that the award for most accurate description be given to Oliver Wood; who first named them a pair of human bludgers.

[e-louise-bates]

Commission from @scarvenartist of Maia Whitney, co-protagonist of my Whitney & Davies book series. Magician, detective, logical thinker, taker-on of too much responsibility, Maia delights in magic because it's where she feels the freest, but also feels guilty if she isn't using it to benefit others. This book series has turned into one long exploration of how she learns to balance that joy and freedom with her sense of responsibility, which was not intended at the beginning but has threaded its way through each story all on its own. I am so thrilled with the way @scarvenartist managed to capture so much of Maia's personality in this portrait! (Not to mention the smashing red frock)

[xtruss]

Why Parents Still Try to Ban ‘The Color Purple’ in Schools

Four decades after it was released, Alice Walker’s enduring classic remains at the forefront of the battle over what is available on library shelves.

— By Erin Blakemore | August 22, 2023

Alice Walker reads from her Pulitzer Prize- and National Book Award-winning novel, The Color Purple. Since it was first published in 1982, the critically acclaimed book has been targeted by movements pushing to censor the book's subject matter. Photograph By Johnny Crawford, Atlanta Journal-Constitution/AP

When Alice Walker’s The Color Purple hit bookshelves in 1982, it blew away critics, became a nationwide bestseller, and endeared itself to readers who found pain and inspiration in its pages.

But in the years since its publication, the acclaimed novel has become famous for another reason: It’s one of the most challenged books in the nation, withstanding criticisms aimed at its depictions of race and sex, its portrayal of abuse and agony, and even its spelling and style.

Here’s how The Color Purple became one of the nation’s most banned books—and why it continues igniting controversy to this day.

“A Spiritual Experience”

Walker, who grew up in Jim Crow-era Georgia, described writing the book as a “spiritual experience” inspired by the strength and grit of the Black Southern women she made her heroines. The epistolary epic follows 40 years in the lives of its main characters Celie, Shug, and Nettie, who survive incest, domestic abuse, and racism in the early twentieth century—all while carving out joy, independence, and dignity along the way.

When it was released in 1982, the book immediately caught the attention of both the critics and the reading public, who praised the book for its portrayals of both the brutality and sorrow of racism and sexual violence and its celebration of Black women.

It was critically acclaimed, winning both the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award for 1983, and inspired a popular 1985 film directed by Stephen Spielberg and starring Whoopi Goldberg and Oprah Winfrey.

Banning ‘Purple’

But something else accompanied the novel as its renown grew: controversy. Though educators recognized the book’s potential as a teaching tool, some parents and community members objected to its presence in school curriculums and libraries.

The first major attempt to ban the book occurred in 1984, when a parent petitioned against its use in an Oakland, California classroom. In a 1985 essay, Walker recalled reading frequent updates on “how the banning was coming along” and watching the book’s sales skyrocket.

“I felt I had written the book as a gift to the people. All of them,” Walker wrote. “If they wanted it, let them fight to keep it, as I had to fight to deliver it.”

Fight they did. Though the Oakland schools ultimately decided not to remove the book from classrooms, the book has consistently been challenged nationwide since its publication, repeatedly making it on the American Library Association’s list of most frequently challenged books.

Why Parents Challenge the Book

Attempts to ban The Color Purple usually contest Walker’s use of slang and profanity, the book’s portrayal of brutal Black men, a same-sex encounter between the two main characters, and its depiction of sexual violence in its first pages.

“One can eat from a cafeteria or a dumpster…but one would hope those placed in charge of our children would have exercised better oversight,” wrote one parent in a characteristic 2013 challenge in Brunswick County, North Carolina. (The book has survived multiple attempted bans in the Brunswick County school district.)

But the same pages that provoke ire in some have inspired others.

Oprah Winfrey, who endured sexual abuse as a child, later recalled reading the first page of The Color Purple “and thinking ‘Oh God, I’m not alone.’” After Winfrey co-starred in the first movie adaptation of the film, she began talking about her own experiences on her talk show.

TV historians now credit the self-disclosures inspired by Walker’s book with helping Winfrey develop her winning confessional interview format.

Modern Attempts to Ban the Novel

Efforts to ban The Color Purple have continued during a recent wave of attempted book bans.

In 2022, the American Library Association documented over 1,200 attempts to ban or restrict library materials—double the number of challenges from the previous year—and most of which attempted to remove multiple titles from shelves.

Among them was The Color Purple, which was removed from library shelves in Florida’s Indian County School District at the request of a parent group that objected to 156 of the books on school shelves, claiming the books contain everything from pornography to critical race theory. Though the district’s school board declined to ban The Color Purple, it did remove five of the other books on the list and approve a permission slip allowing parents to restrict their child’s use of school library books.

With news of an upcoming movie adaptation of the acclaimed musical based on the book, The Color Purple is poised to regain the national spotlight. Only time will tell if the movie will spark more challenges—but for now, the legacy of a book one 1982 reviewer called “indelibly affecting” is secure.

To date, the book has sold over 5 million copies—a number sure to rise as a new generation meets its heroines.

[hellomuller]

Excited to share the news that the publication design helloMuller created for the special edition of Jeff Lemire’s bestselling graphic novel Mazebook received an honourable mention in the 2023 Creative Review Annual Awards design category, and is included in this year's Awards Annual! Thank you judges!  https://www.creativereview.co.uk/dark-horse-direct-mazebook-editorial/

[moviemosaics]

All Short Films Nominated at The 96th Academy Awards

[goatmace]

ENTIRE BLOG TW FOR SEXUAL AND EMOTIONAL ABUSE, SELF HARM, ETC. THESE STORIES ARE NOT FOR YOUR SEXUAL GRATIFICATION. PLEASE DO NOT MISUSE THEM.

THESIS

Lolita culture has ruined my life. My views on love, sex, self worth, and relationships have been irreparably damaged and every day, I try to unlearn all of it while trying not to hurt.

After engaging with and romanticizing the source material at 15, I allowed several men to take advantage of my body, because I was under the impression that by doing this, I would gain a protective and loving adult figure in my life, which did not happen. These men just wanted to take advantage of my body and didn’t care whether their actions or words inflicted emotional damage upon me.

I know it’s not “my fault”, and I was groomed by hetero-patriarchal sensibilities that have been established long before I was born, but it feels so hard not to take responsibility. It’s the only power I can exercise after so many years of looking back on these memories and feeling horrified. I feel like I should have been smarter, and looking back on my past writings, it seemed like I knew that the men I pursued didn’t have my best interests in mind, but I was willing to expose myself to violence and abuse because I was lonely and I wanted to escape from my life which was so painful.

I guess this is my long winded way of saying this blog is dedicated to the writings of someone who was tricked into thinking that a relationship with an older man would be attainable, healing, and supportive. The stories I wrote from 2019 up until recently display not only the emotional turmoil of my early twenties, but my attitudes towards sexual relationships and men in general. Fanfiction has always provided me with an arena to safely play out dangerous situations in which I could exercise my self defense, when in real life, I had no confidence to protect myself at all. I could also be vulnerable and express emotions I had no other outlet for.

These stories are currently unfinished and will remain unfinished, as I don’t share the mindset of the version of me who created them.

I’m sorry if no one else finds this interesting, and I certainly don’t mean to preach. If this is something you are going through, I won’t try to talk you out of pursuing those relationships, because many people tried to talk me out of it and I ignored them all. I just hope maybe you can extract something from this that you can relate to, and hopefully find some inner peace. It’s better to be alone than in bad company.

[livetowardsyourdreams]

Watch this beautiful Queer Summer Love Story!!

Here We Are web series available on Lisseda Productions YouTube Channel!🌈❤️

[haveacupofjohanny]

Quislaona Anthology Honorable Mention: Exploring the Richness of Dominican Literature

Guess what? Nope not chicken butt. This gem: Quislaona a Dominican Fantasy Anthology earned an Honorable Mention at the 2024 International Latino Book Award aaaaaand yours truly has a short story in it. For a short, fun read, read this. #latinereads

In the colorful and rich world of Dominican literature, Quislaona emerges as a noteworthy anthology that showcases the rich imagination and cultural heritage of the Dominican Republic. This collection not only highlights the diverse voices of Dominican authors but also invites readers on a journey through realms of fantasy, folklore, and the surreal. And I’m thrilled to share that Quislaona has…

[townpostin]

Dr. Ranjan Kumar Mishra to Receive Aatmanirbhar Bharat Gaurav Award 2024

Dr. Ranjan Kumar Mishra, Dean of IT at Netaji Subhash University, Jamshedpur, will be honored with the Aatmanirbhar Bharat Gaurav Award 2024. Dr. Ranjan Kumar Mishra, the Dean of Information Technology at Netaji Subhash University, Jamshedpur, has been selected to receive the prestigious Aatmanirbhar Bharat Gaurav Award 2024. The award, presented by MS Global Entertainment, recognizes his…

[chantireviews]

The 2023 HEARTEN Book Awards WINNERS for Inspiring & Uplifting Non-Fiction

The Hearten Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in the genre of Uplifting & Inspiring Non-Fiction and Memoir. The Hearten Book  Awards is a genre division of Chanticleer International Book Awards and Novel Competitions (CIBAs). Chanticleer International Book Awards is looking for the best books featuring true stories about adventures, life events, unique experiences,…

[theseoblogspace]

Best Top Rated Biographies to Read Now

Summer is the perfect time to relax, unwind, and soak up the sun. And what better way to complement those lazy days than with a compelling book that takes you on a journey through someone else’s extraordinary life? Whether you’re lounging by the pool, enjoying a picnic in the park, or escaping into the shade of a cozy hammock, a top rated biography can transport you to different times and places,…

[whereimfeminine]

Favorite reads of 2023, not in any real order

[btscelebs]

https://btscelebs.com/2023/12/05/patricia-raybons-mystery-book-is-a-new-award-winner/

[pov-amna]

To accomplish great things, we must not only act but also dream, not only plan but also believe." - Anatole France

Achievements