Rapper Common Hopes to Make Reading Hip...er...Hop

Rapper-actor-all around hyphen hog, Common, has just launched a new website -- The Corner Book Club. While the C.B.C.'s obvious goal is to get kids reading, it's also attempting to alter the negative stereotypes (nerds!) and connotations (homework!) kids normally associate with putting pupils to page. So how does it plan to do this? By choosing one book per month for online discussion and dissection (this month's choice: War Child by Emmanuel Jal), as well as having different artists and musicians stop by the website to talk about their favorite books. While awkwardly phrased slang like, "Take a look around, chill out with us, and get your read on!" may induce unintended giggles and groans, the site as a whole is easy to navigate and a damned good jump-off point for something special. Here's hoping it works.

Go, look: The Corner Book Club