I Read Banned Books
The ALA (American Library Association) has a Banned Books awareness week. This year the celebration was from September 29th through October 6th. I found out about this "celebration" from the SmartBitchesTrashyBooks Blog. Review after review came through of books that have been or are still some of the most highly challenged books in the US. That is, books that have been outright banned, requested to be removed from a library or in the case of "HOWL" gone so far as the supreme court to determine whether or not it was obscene.
That this idea even exists today in this world, when we live in the USA and not China, boggles my mind. I thought, naively, foolishly, that we, as an modern society were over that. I grew up in Wyoming and never remember not being able to read a book that I wanted to and that included some of the top 10 banned books, including "Blubber" by Judy Blume, and "To Kill a Mocking Bird" by Harper Lee. Last years most challenged book was "And Tango Makes Three" by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell, a children's book about two male penguins that share the challenge of caring for an egg. What struck me the most about ALA's Most Challenged Books of 2006 was the majority were about homesexuality in one form or another. Art imitates life, not the other way around and banning books is not going to change that fact.
So, my goal, this year and for the rest of my life is read one book a year at least that has been highly challenged. The good news is that "The Catcher and the Rye", "The Adventures of Huckleberry & Finn" and "Of Mice and Men" are now off the top 10 list of most challenged books. The bad news? That they were on the top 10 list in previous years and only this past year have come off the list.
Okay, so I will come off my soap box now.
In romance reading news, I have read many, obviously since its been a month since my last post, a romance book as well as some other books and some of them have been good. Last night was the monthly meeting of the romance reader's bookclub that I go to and love after only two meetings. They are introducing me to new authors.
Ellen, the facilitator, used to work at another store in a mall that closed down last Christmas. Though it was a smaller store, I used to go there for all my romance books because there was such organization and understanding of what was a good read. When I found out that she had moved to the Los Gatos store, I was thrilled to know where she had gone. Does that make me a fan or a stalker?
But she recommended "Passion" by Lisa Valdez. All I can say is "Wow," Amazing book, amazing author and only has one book out that she wrote in 2005. Ugh. How much did I like the book? Its, what, Friday night? I bought the book yesterday
evening and was done with it by 10:00 p.m. tonight. And its a keeper. Lisa is an amazing writer...wait, I think I said that already. But it is SO true. The emotion jumped out of the book and pulled you along. At one point I was crying along with the characters, and, NO, that is so not me. I can't even remember when it was the last time a book grabbed at me and my emotions like that. "Warlord" by Elizabeth Vaughn comes to mind and I still read that novel over and over again. Needless to say, I can't recommend the book enough.
I also did something that I haven't done in long time. I read a non-romance...well, sort of. The book was "Eat Pray Love" by Elizabeth Gilbert. It is everywhere if you managed to look up from reading your own book. Oprah had the author on her show a couple of weeks past. I saved the show in my Tivo and watched it after I had read the book. I have to say it was a good read. It has 3
sections, the first is when she is in Italy, Rome to be precise; the second is when she is at an Ashram in India and the last is when she is in Bali. I loved the first and third sections as they seemed to be about the culture and the people she was meeting in those countries. The middle section, about the Ashram, was a bit harder to read as it was more about spriituality than the people. It had bits here and there about people, but mostly it was about her meditating. I say it was a non-romance, sort of, because its really a memoir or women's fiction if you like (after James Frey, who can be sure what's what) , but there are love interests. I don't want to give too much away, but it was compelling read. You wanted to keep turning the pages.
Lastly, though I read much more, the last two books I read and enjoyed were "The Royal Mess" by Mary Janice Davidson and the "Servant: the Awakening" by L.L.Foster otherwise know as Lori Foster. "The Royal Mess" was funny with a sarcastic king and a "Bastard Princess" as the heroine is nicknamed. Mary has obviously slowed down on her writing, much to my relief as her novels were becoming mundane.
Lori Foster has decided to follow the trend of writing a triliogy (aka Mary Janice Davidson mermaid books and Karen Marie Moning "Darkfever" series) where the characters barely meet in the first book much less get together and fall in love. I say this again, had I known I would have skipped the book and waited until the 2nd or 3rd book came out to read them all. Now I have to wait. At least with TV, I normally have to wait a week unless its a season finale. Books take so looooong to come out. Yes, I am whining. I feel like I'm entitled because these authors torture us in this fashion. Its pure torture, I tell you, TORTURE!
That this idea even exists today in this world, when we live in the USA and not China, boggles my mind. I thought, naively, foolishly, that we, as an modern society were over that. I grew up in Wyoming and never remember not being able to read a book that I wanted to and that included some of the top 10 banned books, including "Blubber" by Judy Blume, and "To Kill a Mocking Bird" by Harper Lee. Last years most challenged book was "And Tango Makes Three" by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell, a children's book about two male penguins that share the challenge of caring for an egg. What struck me the most about ALA's Most Challenged Books of 2006 was the majority were about homesexuality in one form or another. Art imitates life, not the other way around and banning books is not going to change that fact.
So, my goal, this year and for the rest of my life is read one book a year at least that has been highly challenged. The good news is that "The Catcher and the Rye", "The Adventures of Huckleberry & Finn" and "Of Mice and Men" are now off the top 10 list of most challenged books. The bad news? That they were on the top 10 list in previous years and only this past year have come off the list.
Okay, so I will come off my soap box now.
In romance reading news, I have read many, obviously since its been a month since my last post, a romance book as well as some other books and some of them have been good. Last night was the monthly meeting of the romance reader's bookclub that I go to and love after only two meetings. They are introducing me to new authors.
Ellen, the facilitator, used to work at another store in a mall that closed down last Christmas. Though it was a smaller store, I used to go there for all my romance books because there was such organization and understanding of what was a good read. When I found out that she had moved to the Los Gatos store, I was thrilled to know where she had gone. Does that make me a fan or a stalker?
But she recommended "Passion" by Lisa Valdez. All I can say is "Wow," Amazing book, amazing author and only has one book out that she wrote in 2005. Ugh. How much did I like the book? Its, what, Friday night? I bought the book yesterday
evening and was done with it by 10:00 p.m. tonight. And its a keeper. Lisa is an amazing writer...wait, I think I said that already. But it is SO true. The emotion jumped out of the book and pulled you along. At one point I was crying along with the characters, and, NO, that is so not me. I can't even remember when it was the last time a book grabbed at me and my emotions like that. "Warlord" by Elizabeth Vaughn comes to mind and I still read that novel over and over again. Needless to say, I can't recommend the book enough.I also did something that I haven't done in long time. I read a non-romance...well, sort of. The book was "Eat Pray Love" by Elizabeth Gilbert. It is everywhere if you managed to look up from reading your own book. Oprah had the author on her show a couple of weeks past. I saved the show in my Tivo and watched it after I had read the book. I have to say it was a good read. It has 3
sections, the first is when she is in Italy, Rome to be precise; the second is when she is at an Ashram in India and the last is when she is in Bali. I loved the first and third sections as they seemed to be about the culture and the people she was meeting in those countries. The middle section, about the Ashram, was a bit harder to read as it was more about spriituality than the people. It had bits here and there about people, but mostly it was about her meditating. I say it was a non-romance, sort of, because its really a memoir or women's fiction if you like (after James Frey, who can be sure what's what) , but there are love interests. I don't want to give too much away, but it was compelling read. You wanted to keep turning the pages.Lastly, though I read much more, the last two books I read and enjoyed were "The Royal Mess" by Mary Janice Davidson and the "Servant: the Awakening" by L.L.Foster otherwise know as Lori Foster. "The Royal Mess" was funny with a sarcastic king and a "Bastard Princess" as the heroine is nicknamed. Mary has obviously slowed down on her writing, much to my relief as her novels were becoming mundane.
Lori Foster has decided to follow the trend of writing a triliogy (aka Mary Janice Davidson mermaid books and Karen Marie Moning "Darkfever" series) where the characters barely meet in the first book much less get together and fall in love. I say this again, had I known I would have skipped the book and waited until the 2nd or 3rd book came out to read them all. Now I have to wait. At least with TV, I normally have to wait a week unless its a season finale. Books take so looooong to come out. Yes, I am whining. I feel like I'm entitled because these authors torture us in this fashion. Its pure torture, I tell you, TORTURE!
posted by Catherine | 3:37 PM
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