ALA | Banned Books Week

ALA Banned Books Week

You've Been Banned!

National Banned Book week starts today.  As a book lover seeing these two words so close together kind of frightens me!  I'm not sure how this ever became an option.... I mean, what happened to my inalienble rights?  What happened to my right to choose?  What I find more laughable is this:  When you tell someone not to do something the natural reaction is to do it; therefore, you crazy book banning people - you've just made the book interesting for a whole pile of people who would have never read it if you didn't tell them not to.  HA!  Take that!

I am proud to say that I have read 8 of the top 10 "Most Banned Books".  I think I'll read the other 2 now just because I can!!  Take a look at the link and see how you did! http://www.ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/banned/frequentlychallenged/challengedclassics/index.cfm
I read an article that suggested forming a book club around books that have been banned. After looking at the list I think it's a great idea! There would be a wide variety and no shortage of material.


Here is another list of books the have been banned or challenged. Some that might surprise you.  http://news.yahoo.com/s/ac/20100924/en_ac/6827290_10_surprisingly_banned_books
With several books on this list being children's books I find  myself wondering - Do you think it would be better if your child just didn't read at all?  You could go that route too - if you think that's best.  It's YOUR job to instill morals and values in your child - not the book's.  If you teach them right from wrong they will be able to discern that while reading. I'm just saying......

Until next time - Happy Reading!! If you are looking for something to read, may I suggest starting with the #1 most banned book! It's an all time favorite of mine.

It Brings me Joy

Even though I own a e-reading device (the Nook to be exact) few things bring me greater joy and peace than going into a book store.  I will never stop buying "real" books.  I have the e-reader for convenience and space issues more than anything.  I do love it but that doesn't change the feeling I have when I walk in a book store.  ESPECIALLY an independent store.  You know, they kind you find on vacation and WISH was in your home town.

I don't remember the name of it, but I was in Bozeman a few years back and they had this amazing book store on the main street.  I just fell in love with the place.  It was all wood and warmth, with cozy little areas for piling up a stack of books to look at. 

Here, in Fargo, I do have a special affinity for Zambroz Variety Store.  It has a good selection, not only of books but of gift items, cards, home decor - a little bit of everything.  My only wish is for a cozy spot to sit for a bit.

This morning on a tweet that I received I found the article posted below.  I lived in the Twin Cities for about 10 years. I loved it there.  I am ashamed to say I have only been in one of the stores on the list.  It is my goal to hit the other nine in the very near future.  I see a weekend trip on the horizon.

Do you have a favorite store in your area?

http://wcco.com/10best/best.independent.bookstores.2.1912643.html

A Couple of Things.....

First of all, I should wait until my book club meets but I need to talk about this book now!  We just read The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake.  Now, I loved the premise of the book.  I loved the idea of being able to taste someones feelings as you were eating.  Not that I really want to posses that quality but I could buy that as someones "gift".  That said, the book was just plain strange!  I found myself reading and mid paragraph I was like.....What???  When did we switch from this to that?  Not only that but......(SPOILER ALERT) what's with the brother?? I mean come on!  You want me to believe he's a chair?? 

If you've read the book, I'd love to hear your comments.  Maybe I completely missed something.  My group gets together next Tuesday and I can hardly wait.  This was not at all what I expected this book to be.  I think the original idea was great but somewhere...it went sadly wrong.

Second, have you ever read a book, liked it, but could never really understand what all the excitement was about?  I have that problem right now.  The Help is one of those books for me.  I bought it (over a year ago), read it, liked it but cannot, for the life of me, understand why it's been on the best sellers list for 66 weeks in a row.  It was a good book - interesting characters, nicely written, especially for a first novel but for me, it lacked any lasting impression.  I don't find myself going back and thinking about the characters and wondering what they are doing now  - I don't have any interest in reading it again - i just don't really get it.
So, could someone explain the ongoing fascination?  Again, I LIKED the book, it was a good read but I just don't see it as a classic, or worth 66 weeks on the best sellers list with no sign of an end.

The Oprah Factor

Did you hear the news? Oprah picked her new book!  I think you'd have to be living under a rock to not hear the big news.  Funny, I've been trying to go on a media fast, (it's a long story but trying to get the negative out of my life and frankly, the only thing that make the news is bad news, the drama.....think about it) but even in my avoidance of the news and newspapers I would have heard about Oprah's book announcement one way or another.

I have to tell you, I was disappointed on so many levels.  The book,  in case you haven't heard, is Freedom by Jonathan Franzen.  Here are a couple of my reasons: First of all, the book was already a huge seller even before the announcement.  Critics and bookworms have been waiting for it's release for months.  Secondly, the author totally disregarded his good fortune at being selected by Oprah with a previous book, The Corrections.  I think he already had one windfall because of her and I'm not sure he should get a second chance after the first book was only moderately good in the first place. 

Now, don't get me wrong.  I normally read Oprah's picks and I usually enjoy them.  I started reading them on the very first pick, The Deep End of the Ocean. I love to read and wasn't in a book club at that time, and it was a great way to be a part of a group.  Some of my all time favorite books have been Oprah selection, I Know This Much is True, White Oleander, Here on Earth, just to name a few.  I will miss the Queen of Talk when her show ends after this season.  It is just my wish that she would have picked someone new - someone unheard of, someone not already famous.....

All this said - I planned on reading Freedom even before the announcement.  I had downloaded a sample to my Nook, Gatsby, and enjoyed what I read. I am willing to give Mr. Franzen one more chance, I guess maybe that was Oprah's view too.

It's Typical

Seems I've been gone for a while again.  I have a habit of doing that....I start something and I'm all gung ho and then I get distracted.  I still have the intentions of doing what i set out to do, I think about doing it but.....somehow I don't get it done.  It's the story of my life really.  There have always been too many choices, too many interesting things to do, too many people to meet, too many jobs that sound fun, too many drinks to try, too many places to visit, too many books to read......and I start them all, at least in my mind, it's the finishing things that's tough.

That said, lets try again....