BANNED BOOKS WEEK: Thursday

You know books get banned. But do you always know why they were challenged in the first place? Here are a few books and the reasons behind people wanting to ban the book.

People will challenge anything that doesn't fit into their nice neat box of a life they made for themselves. Clearly they are not intelligent people as "the test of a first rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in the mind at the same time, and still retain the ability to function." (F. Scott Fitzgerald) People who ban books are not confident enough nor intelligent enough to have ideas that don't agree with their own floating around. How dare someone not be a sheep!

Okay so take a look at some of these reasons "the sheep" gave for challenging the books. I took the liberty of finding some of the more ridiculous reasons. All info is from the ALA.

1. The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
This book was removed by a school in Summerville, S.C., in 2001 because it "is a filthy, filthy book."

Oh well that clears it up. What kind of explanation is that?

2. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Retained in the English curriculum by the Cherry Hill, NJ Board of Education (2007). A resident had objected to the novel’s depiction of how blacks are treated by members of a racist white community in an Alabama town during the Depression. The resident feared the book would upset black children reading it.

Yes because when they find out that their ancestors were slaves for hundreds of years they won't get upset. And heaven forbid they learn about their own history.

3. The Color Purple by Alice Walker
Banned in the Souderton, PA Area School District (1992) as appropriate reading for 10th graders because it is "smut."

Clearly this person has no idea what "smut" actually is because this book is far from it.
4. Beloved by Toni Morrison
Pulled from the senior Advanced Placement (AP) English class at Eastern High School in Louisville, KY (2007) because two parents complained that the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel about antebellum slavery depicted the inappropriate topics of bestiality, racism, and sex. The principal ordered teachers to start over with The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne in preparation for upcoming AP exams.

Right. Adultery, prejudices, hatred, and death are much more acceptable to learn about. Plus, Beloved was interesting and we can't have that going on in a classroom.

5. 1984 by George Orwell
Challenged in the Jackson County, FL (1981) because Orwell's novel is "pro-communist and contained explicit sexual matter."

You're right. I became a communist immediately after reading this book. Moron.

6. As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner
Challenged as a required reading assignment in an advanced English class of Pulaski County High School in Somerset, KY (1987) because the book contains "profanity and a segment about masturbation."

Yeah cause teenagers don't cuss and masturbate and have sex. This would be a totally new concept to them!

7. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey
In 1974, five residents of Strongsville, OH, sued the board of education to remove the novel. Labeling it "pornographic," they charged the novel "glorifies criminal activity, has a tendency to corrupt juveniles and contains descriptions of bestiality, bizarre violence, and torture, dismemberment, death, and human elimination."

What juvenile was corrupted by a book? This is like the same people who say video games made those kids shoot up Columbine. Sure they influence but if your ass was around being a parent they would have your influence, too, and therefore at least have a dichotomy when they were deciding what to do. And I read this book and I watched graphic movies and I have played a violent video game before and I didn't go out and shoot up all my friends. SO maybe it isn't the freaking book!


QUESTION OF THE DAY: What is the craziest reason for challenging a book that you've heard?

BANNED BOOKS WEEK: Wednesday

Everyday this week I am posting about Banned Books. Today I am sharing the American Library Association's lists of Frequently Banned Books. I am working on reading as many banned books as possible and even have my own perpetual challenge for it (click on challenge link on left sidebar to see reviews.) I have put in red those books which I have read.

The first list is a list of Frequently Banned or Challenged Classics. The lists following are the Most Frequently Banned Books of 1990-1999 and 2000-2009.

FREQUENTLY BANNED OR CHALLENGED CLASSICS

1. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald 2. The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
3. The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck 4. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee 5. The Color Purple by Alice Walker 6. Ulysses by James Joyce 7. Beloved by Toni Morrison 8. The Lord of the Flies by William Golding 9. 1984 by George Orwell
10. The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner
11. Lolita by Vladmir Nabokov
12. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
13. Charlotte's Web by E. B. White
14. A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce
15. Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
16. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
17. Animal Farm by George Orwell
18. The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway 19. As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner 20. A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway
21. Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad
22. Winnie-the-Pooh by A. A. Milne
23. Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston 24. Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison 25. Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison 26. Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell 27. Native Son by Richard Wright 28. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey 29. Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut 30. For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway
31. On the Road by Jack Kerouac
32. The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway 33. The Call of the Wild by Jack London
34. To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf
35. Portrait of a Lady by Henry James
36. Go Tell it on the Mountain by James Baldwin
37. The World According to Garp by John Irving
38. All the King's Men by Robert Penn Warren
39. A Room with a View by E. M. Forster
40. The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien
41. Schindler's List by Thomas Keneally
42. The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton
43. The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand
44. Finnegans Wake by James Joyce
45. The Jungle by Upton Sinclair
46. Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf
47. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum
48. Lady Chatterley's Lover by D. H. Lawrence 49. A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess 50. The Awakening by Kate Chopin
51. My Antonia by Willa Cather
52. Howards End by E. M. Forster
53. In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
54. Franny and Zooey by J.D. Salinger
55. The Satanic Verses by Salman Rushdie
56. Jazz by Toni Morrison
57. Sophie's Choice by William Styron
58. Absalom, Absalom! by William Faulkner
59. A Passage to India by E. M. Forster
60. Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton
61. A Good Man Is Hard to Find by Flannery O'Connor
62. Tender Is the Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald
63. Orlando by Virginia Woolf
64. Sons and Lovers by D. H. Lawrence
65. Bonfire of the Vanities by Tom Wolfe
66. Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut 67. A Separate Peace by John Knowles
68. Light in August by William Faulkner
69. The Wings of the Dove by Henry James
70. Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe
71. Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
72. A Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
73. Naked Lunch by William S. Burroughs
74. Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh
75. Women in Love by D. H. Lawrence
76. Look Homeward, Angel by Thomas Wolfe
77. In Our Time by Ernest Hemingway
78. The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas by Gertrude Stein
79. The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett
80. The Naked and the Dead by Norman Mailer
81. Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys
82. White Noise by Don DeLillo
83. O Pioneers! by Willa Cather
84. Tropic of Cancer by Henry Miller
85. The War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells
86. Lord Jim by Joseph Conrad
87. The Bostonians by Henry James
88. An American Tragedy by Theodore Dreiser
89. Death Comes for the Archbishop by Willa Cather
90. The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame
91. This Side of Paradise by F. Scott Fitzgerald
92. Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand
93. The French Lieutenant's Woman by John Fowles
94. Babbitt by Sinclair Lewis
95. Kim by Rudyard Kipling
96. The Beautiful and the Damned by F. Scott Fitzgerald
97. Rabbit, Run by John Updike
98. Where Angels Fear to Tread by E. M. Forster
99. Main Street by Sinclair Lewis
100. Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie

MOST FREQUENTLY CHALLENGED BOOKS 1990-1999

1. Scary Stories (Series), by Alvin Schwartz
2. Daddy’s Roommate, by Michael Willhoite
3. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, by Maya Angelou
4. The Chocolate War, by Robert Cormier
5. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain
6. Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck
7. Forever, by Judy Blume
8. Bridge to Terabithia, by Katherine Paterson
9. Heather Has Two Mommies, by Leslea Newman
10. The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger
11. The Giver, by Lois Lowry
12. My Brother Sam is Dead, by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier
13. It’s Perfectly Normal, by Robie Harris
14. Alice (Series), by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
15. Goosebumps (Series), by R.L. Stine
16. A Day No Pigs Would Die, by Robert Newton Peck
17. The Color Purple, by Alice Walker
18. Sex, by Madonna
19. Earth’s Children (Series), by Jean M. Auel
20. The Great Gilly Hopkins, by Katherine Paterson
21. In the Night Kitchen, by Maurice Sendak
22. The Witches, by Roald Dahl
23. A Wrinkle in Time, by Madeleine L’Engle
24. The New Joy of Gay Sex, by Charles Silverstein
25. Go Ask Alice, by Anonymous
26. The Goats, by Brock Cole
27. The Stupids (Series), by Harry Allard
28. Anastasia Krupnik (Series), by Lois Lowry
29. Final Exit, by Derek Humphry
30. Blubber, by Judy Blume
31. Halloween ABC, by Eve Merriam
32. Julie of the Wolves, by Jean Craighead George
33. Kaffir Boy, by Mark Mathabane
34. The Bluest Eye, by Toni Morrison
35. What’s Happening to my Body? Book for Girls: A Growing-Up Guide for Parents & Daughters, by Lynda Madaras
36. Fallen Angels, by Walter Dean Myers
37. The Handmaid’s Tale, by Margaret Atwood
38. The Outsiders, by S.E. Hinton
39. The Pigman, by Paul Zindel
40. To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee
41. We All Fall Down, by Robert Cormier
42. Deenie, by Judy Blume
43. Flowers for Algernon, by Daniel Keyes
44. Annie on my Mind, by Nancy Garden
45. Beloved, by Toni Morrison
46. The Boy Who Lost His Face, by Louis Sachar
47. Cross Your Fingers, Spit in Your Hat, by Alvin Schwartz
48. Harry Potter (Series), by J.K. Rowling
49. Cujo, by Stephen King
50. James and the Giant Peach, by Roald Dahl
51. A Light in the Attic, by Shel Silverstein
52. Ordinary People, by Judith Guest
53. American Psycho, by Bret Easton Ellis
54. Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley
55. Sleeping Beauty Trilogy, by A.N. Roquelaure (Anne Rice)
56. Bumps in the Night, by Harry Allard
57. Asking About Sex and Growing Up, by Joanna Cole
58. What’s Happening to my Body? Book for Boys: A Growing-Up Guide for Parents & Sons, by Lynda Madaras
59. The Anarchist Cookbook, by William Powell
60. Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret, by Judy Blume
61. Boys and Sex, by Wardell Pomeroy
62. Crazy Lady, by Jane Conly
63. Athletic Shorts, by Chris Crutcher
64. Killing Mr. Griffin, by Lois Duncan
65. Fade, by Robert Cormier
66. Guess What?, by Mem Fox
67. Slaughterhouse-Five, by Kurt Vonnegut
68. Lord of the Flies, by William Golding
69. Native Son by Richard Wright
70. Women on Top: How Real Life Has Changed Women’s Fantasies, by Nancy Friday
71. Curses, Hexes and Spells, by Daniel Cohen
72. On My Honor, by Marion Dane Bauer
73. The House of Spirits, by Isabel Allende
74. Jack, by A.M. Homes
75. Arizona Kid, by Ron Koertge
76. Family Secrets, by Norma Klein
77. Mommy Laid An Egg, by Babette Cole
78. Bless Me, Ultima, by Rudolfo A. Anaya
79. Where Did I Come From?, by Peter Mayle
80. The Face on the Milk Carton, by Caroline Cooney
81. Carrie, by Stephen King
82. The Dead Zone, by Stephen King
83. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, by Mark Twain
84. Song of Solomon, by Toni Morrison
85. Always Running, by Luis Rodriguez
86. Private Parts, by Howard Stern
87. Where’s Waldo?, by Martin Hanford
88. Summer of My German Soldier, by Bette Greene
89. Tiger Eyes, by Judy Blume
90. Little Black Sambo, by Helen Bannerman
91. Pillars of the Earth, by Ken Follett
92. Running Loose, by Chris Crutcher
93. Sex Education, by Jenny Davis
94. Jumper, by Steven Gould
95. Christine, by Stephen King
96. The Drowning of Stephen Jones, by Bette Greene
97. That Was Then, This is Now, by S.E. Hinton
98. Girls and Sex, by Wardell Pomeroy
99. The Wish Giver, by Bill Brittain
100. Jump Ship to Freedom, by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier

MOST FREQUENTLY CHALLENGED BOOKS 2000-2009

1 Harry Potter (series), by J.K. Rowling
2 Alice series, by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
3 The Chocolate War, by Robert Cormier
4 And Tango Makes Three, by Justin Richardson/Peter Parnell
5 Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck
6 I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, by Maya Angelou
7 Scary Stories (series), by Alvin Schwartz
8 His Dark Materials (series), by Philip Pullman
9 TTYL; TTFN; L8R, G8R (series), by Myracle, Lauren
10 The Perks of Being a Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky
11 Fallen Angels, by Walter Dean Myers
12 It’s Perfectly Normal, by Robie Harris
13 Captain Underpants (series), by Dav Pilkey
14 The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain 15 The Bluest Eye, by Toni Morrison
16 Forever, by Judy Blume
17 The Color Purple, by Alice Walker
18 Go Ask Alice, by Anonymous
19 Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger
20 King and King, by Linda de Haan
21 To Kill A Mockingbird, by Harper Lee
22 Gossip Girl (series), by Cecily von Ziegesar
23 The Giver, by Lois Lowry
24 In the Night Kitchen, by Maurice Sendak
25 Killing Mr. Griffen, by Lois Duncan
26 Beloved, by Toni Morrison
27 My Brother Sam Is Dead, by James Lincoln Collier
28 Bridge To Terabithia, by Katherine Paterson
29 The Face on the Milk Carton, by Caroline B. Cooney
30 We All Fall Down, by Robert Cormier
31 What My Mother Doesn’t Know, by Sonya Sones
32 Bless Me, Ultima, by Rudolfo Anaya
33 Snow Falling on Cedars, by David Guterson
34 The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big, Round Things, by Carolyn Mackler
35 Angus, Thongs, and Full Frontal Snogging, by Louise Rennison
36 Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley
37 It’s So Amazing, by Robie Harris
38 Arming America, by Michael Bellasiles
39 Kaffir Boy, by Mark Mathabane
40 Life is Funny, by E.R. Frank
41 Whale Talk, by Chris Crutcher
42 The Fighting Ground, by Avi
43 Blubber, by Judy Blume
44 Athletic Shorts, by Chris Crutcher
45 Crazy Lady, by Jane Leslie Conly
46 Slaughterhouse-Five, by Kurt Vonnegut
47 The Adventures of Super Diaper Baby, by George Beard
48 Rainbow Boys, by Alex Sanchez
49 One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, by Ken Kesey
50 The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini
51 Daughters of Eve, by Lois Duncan
52 The Great Gilly Hopkins, by Katherine Paterson
53 You Hear Me?, by Betsy Franco
54 The Facts Speak for Themselves, by Brock Cole
55 Summer of My German Soldier, by Bette Green
56 When Dad Killed Mom, by Julius Lester
57 Blood and Chocolate, by Annette Curtis Klause
58 Fat Kid Rules the World, by K.L. Going
59 Olive’s Ocean, by Kevin Henkes
60 Speak, by Laurie Halse Anderson
61 Draw Me A Star, by Eric Carle
62 The Stupids (series), by Harry Allard
63 The Terrorist, by Caroline B. Cooney
64 Mick Harte Was Here, by Barbara Park
65 The Things They Carried, by Tim O’Brien
66 Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, by Mildred Taylor
67 A Time to Kill, by John Grisham
68 Always Running, by Luis Rodriguez
69 Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury
70 Harris and Me, by Gary Paulsen
71 Junie B. Jones (series), by Barbara Park
72 Song of Solomon, by Toni Morrison
73 What’s Happening to My Body Book, by Lynda Madaras
74 The Lovely Bones, by Alice Sebold
75 Anastasia (series), by Lois Lowry
76 A Prayer for Owen Meany, by John Irving
77 Crazy: A Novel, by Benjamin Lebert
78 The Joy of Gay Sex, by Dr. Charles Silverstein
79 The Upstairs Room, by Johanna Reiss
80 A Day No Pigs Would Die, by Robert Newton Peck
81 Black Boy, by Richard Wright
82 Deal With It!, by Esther Drill
83 Detour for Emmy, by Marilyn Reynolds
84 So Far From the Bamboo Grove, by Yoko Watkins
85 Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes, by Chris Crutcher
86 Cut, by Patricia McCormick
87 Tiger Eyes, by Judy Blume
88 The Handmaid’s Tale, by Margaret Atwood
89 Friday Night Lights, by H.G. Bissenger
90 A Wrinkle in Time, by Madeline L’Engle
91 Julie of the Wolves, by Jean Graighead George
92 The Boy Who Lost His Face, by Louis Sachar
93 Bumps in the Night, by Harry Allard
94 Goosebumps (series), by R.L. Stine
95 Shade’s Children, by Garth Nix
96 Grendel, by John Gardner
97 The House of the Spirits, by Isabel Allende
98 I Saw Esau, by Iona Opte
99 Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret, by Judy Blume
100 America: A Novel, by Frank, E.R.

QUESTION OF THE DAY: How many of these books have you read? (Note when you are counting that some of these books are repeated.)

BANNED BOOKS WEEK: Tuesday

Everyday this week I am posting about Banned Books. Today I want to share with you an article I found online written by Steven Barry.

BANNED BOOKS WEEK: BY THE NUMBERS

Banned Books Week, an annual event co-sponsored by the American Library Association (ALA), celebrates the First Amendment and the freedom to read (this year from Sept. 25 to Oct. 2). Here are some uncensored numbers on the subject.

1982: The year the ALA celebrated the first Banned Books Week.

1990: The first year the American Library Association's Office for Intellectual Freedom began gathering statistics about banned books.

4,312: The number of challenges received by American libraries between 2001 and 2009. According to the American Library Association's definition, a challenge is a formal and written complaint requesting that a book be removed from shelves because of objectionable content.

The ALA categorizes these 4,312 challenges as follows: 1,413 for "sexually explicit" material, 1,125 due to "offensive language," 897 challenges due to material deemed "unsuited to age group," 514 challenges due to "violence," 344 challenges due to "homosexuality," 109 materials were challenged because they were "anti-family," and 269 because of their "religious viewpoints.

1,502: The number of challenges tabulated between 2001 and 2009 that occurred in classroom settings.

451: The temperature in degrees Fahrenheit that book paper catches fire and burns. Ray Bradbury used that scientific factoid to write "Fahrenheit 451," a novel about a futuristic society in which reading is discouraged. In today's world, some people who challenge books often stage book burnings in public places.

69: "Fahrenheit 451's" ranking on the ALA's "Top 100 Challenged/Banned Books: 2000-2009"

1979: The year that Katherine Patterson's young adult novel "The Great Gilly Hopkins" received both the Newberry Honor Award and the National Book Award.

20: "The Great Gilly Hopkins" ranking on the ALA's "Top 100 most frequently challenged books: 1990-1999." Most of the challenges are due to the character of Gilly Hopkins, a foster child who frequently uses the words "damn" and "hell".

65 million: Estimated number of books sold by prolific author Judy Blume. In 2005, Dr. Rick Schneider banned Blume's ground-breaking young-adult novel "Forever" from the shelves of the Pasadena Independent School District.

4: The number of voyages taken by the title character in Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels (Gulliver's final voyage took him to a world of talking horses who ruled over humans called Yahoos). Swift's book was banned in Ireland in 1726 for obscenity and wickedness.

Original Article Link


QUESTION OF THE DAY: If you had the power to take only one book off the Banned List everywhere for the rest of time, which book would you ultimately choose?

BANNED BOOKS WEEK: Monday

Banned Books Week is important for me to celebrate because I have a serious problem with other people trying to censor me. I didn't like being told what to do as a child and I sure as hell don't want someone telling me what to do as an adult. Especially when it has nothing to do with my safety or performing a job correctly.

How dare someone tell me what I can and cannot read? Who are you to to tell me what is and is not appropriate for me? I get that you want to protect your child. I do, I really really get that. If you want to raise a fuss and get books taken out of required classroom reading, you can start with The Scarlet Letter for all I care (no, really, start with that dreadful book. I had to read it twice.) But don't tell me what to read on my own time. And don't BAN the book. There is no need for such drastic measures. I get that you are scared. I get that you're crazy as hell and don't know how to talk to your kids about important subjects so you sure as hell don't want a book doing it. I get that you do not have any idea who you are or what you really believe because otherwise you would be secure enough not to be threatened by differing viewpoints. I get it. But you don't have any right to tell me or my children what we can and cannot read. Last time I checked we still had a Bill of Rights in America.

Don't tell me I am too young for a book about rape. Am I too young to be raped? Nope. Then I am not too young to read about it. Don't tell me I am too young to read about murder. Am I too young to be murdered? No? Then I am not too young to read about it. Don't tell me I can't read a book about a kid with two mommies to my child. Is it going to make my child gay? A) No, and B) Who cares. It's my child's choice. Besides, all homosexuals came from two straight people so maybe you should be looking into the heterosexuals of the world and seeing wtf their problem is. I'm just sayin'.

So, yeah, I have a BIG problem with censorship. It pisses me off. You should be thanking your lucky stars your child even bothered to pick up a book in the first place. How many teenagers actually choose to read these days?

Everyday this week I am having a post about banned books. No, I am not going to go on a rant everyday (though I could, no doubt) but it will be entertaining so I hope you come back and check it out!


QUESTION OF THE DAY: What banned book(s) are you reading this week?

Summer of Movies

This post will take a little longer to load as it has lots of images. I was going to break it down into two parts and then, well, I didn't feel like it, haha. Sorry for the inconvenience. You can always read a little in your book while you wait!! :)

So...I watched a ton of movies this summer. I don't go to the movie theater that much, but I did see three in the theater this summer. But Netflix and I are tight and I have watched several movies with friends, too, so the summer was, like I said, jam-packed with films.

I'm just going to forget about going month by month and, instead, just alphabetize them. Movie descriptions are from Netflix (we are tight, after all), except for those still in theaters, and my rating plus a comment in italics follows each one.

What did you watch this summer?

2012 (2009)

When typhoons, earthquakes and other disasters suddenly threaten to destroy the world, Jackson (John Cusack), his estranged wife, Kate (Amanda Peet), and others surmise that the secret may lie in ancient Mayan prophecies that describe global calamity in the year 2012. Roland Emmerich co-writes and directs a star-studded ensemble cast that also includes Thandie Newton, Oliver Platt, Woody Harrelson, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Danny Glover. **** (Perhaps because I went into it with the expectation that it would suck because of all the negative to lukewarm reviews I'd read, but I didn't think it was bad at all. Of course, I am a huge Cusack fan and have only disliked one of his films that I've seen. It was definitely the typical apocalyptic movie, though, and even reminded me of Deep Impact a few times. But Woody Harrelson cracked me up.)

Avatar (2009)

Disabled Marine Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) travels to planet Pandora to become an avatar, ingratiate himself with the natives and help Americans mine lucrative unobtainium. But he finds himself in an interstellar conflict after falling for Na'vi warrior Neytiri (Zoe Saldana). James Cameron writes and directs this Golden Globe-winning CGI odyssey that has broken box office records. Sigourney Weaver and Stephen Lang co-star. **** (My reasons for liking this movie are twofold: One, I looked at the movie as discovering and exploring a new culture, the same as Ancient Egyptians or Haitians or any other culture- and of course thought it was way interesting. Two, Jake is disabled and gets to have a new body. I cried for roughly 30 minutes because I would totally travel to the depths of space just to have the opportunity to run without pain for 10 minutes. I'm lucky in that I'm not paralyzed, but I am disabled enough to relate in a real way with Jake.)

Away We Go (2009)
Buoyed by the news that they are expecting their first baby, Burt (John Krasinski) and Verona (Maya Rudolph) embark on a journey to locate the perfect place on the planet to raise their child. But their quest inevitably yields many unexpected surprises. Sam Mendes directs this quirky comedy while Allison Janney, Catherine O'Hara, Josh Hamilton, Jim Gaffigan, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Jeff Daniels co-star. ***** (This quirky romantic comedy is a new favorite movie for me. I loved it so much I went back and watched my favorite parts again immediately after my initial viewing. I don't buy DVDs anymore, but this one is going to be an exception.)

The Black Dahlia (2006)

In this period thriller based on James Ellroy's novel, Los Angeles cops Bucky Bleichert (Josh Hartnett) and Lee Blanchard (Aaron Eckhart) uncover corruption and conspiracy within the force while searching for the killer of Tinseltown hopeful Elizabeth Short (Mia Kirshner). In an effort to crack the high-profile case, Bleichert and Blanchard venture into Hollywood's darker side to piece together Short's secret life. * (I was so bored I only got 30 minutes in. They had not even gotten to the point of the movie yet. And Johannsen gives the worst performance I've seen her give. Maybe if I gave it more time...but I wanted my 30 minutes back as it was.)

The Blind Side (2009)
Oversized African American Michael Oher (Quinton Aaron), the teen from across the tracks and a broken home, has nowhere to sleep at age 16. Taken in by an affluent Memphis couple, Leigh Anne (Sandra Bullock) and Sean (Tim McGraw), Michael embarks on a remarkable rise to play for the NFL. Bullock's performance garnered a Best Actress Oscar and Best Actress Golden Globe Award. Kathy Bates co-stars. ***** (I loved this film. Quinton Aaron's performance was phenomenal and I was crying from empathy and happiness and I don't even know what, I was so emotional.)

Bliss (2007)

After it's discovered that Meryem (Özgü Namal) has been raped, the young girl is ostracized by her family and community, who hold her accountable for the "crime." To salvage the family name, her father, Tahsin (Emin Gursoy), orders Cemal (Murat Han) to murder Meryem. But when Cemal refuses to carry out his orders, he and Meryem escape to a seaside town and set sail with a charismatic professor (Talat Bulut). **** (If you watch only one movie on this list, make it this one. It is a foreign drama but don't let the subtitles dissuade you. The film is a powerful and fascinating look into traditions that call into question human rights violations.)

The Book of Eli (2010)

Determined to salvage a sacred text in order to protect humanity, Eli (Denzel Washington) goes on a quest across the country in this action-packed sci-fi adventure. Meanwhile, a blind woman named Claudia (Jennifer Beals) tries to protect her daughter, Solara (Mila Kunis). It seems that tyrannical town bully Carnegie (Gary Oldman) has taken a shine to the girl. **** (Denzel Washington pretty much kicked ass in this movie. I loved the post-apocalyptic world created and the twist at the end made the ride unforgettable.)

The Bounty Hunter (2010)

Milo Boyd (Gerard Butler) is a bounty hunter whose latest gig is rather satisfying, as he finds out that the bail-skipper he must chase down is his own ex-wife, Nicole (Jennifer Aniston) -- but she has no intention of getting nabbed without a fight. Complicating matters, Nicole's wannabe-boyfriend, Stewart (Jason Sudeikis), joins the chase in this high-octane comedy from director Andy Tennant (Hitch). *** (I thought it was a cute movie. Butler's hot and so that always helps, too. haha. But luckily all the funny scenes were not in the commercials like I was afraid of.)

Brothers (2009)

When traumatized Capt. Sam Cahill (Golden Globe nominee Tobey Maguire) returns home from a military mission in Afghanistan after he is presumed dead, he becomes obsessed with the idea that his brother (Jake Gyllenhaal) and his wife (Natalie Portman) have a relationship. Sam Shepard, Bailee Madison, Taylor Geare and Mare Winningham co-star in this wartime drama about human frailty and battles fought on the home front. Jim Sheridan directs. **** (Other than the ending, which was abrupt and felt like they couldn't figure out how to end it so they just stopped somewhere, the movie was outstanding. Tobey Maguire acted his ass off. He was just brilliant. The story is so poignant and intelligent and I would have given it five stars I think if the ending had been satisfactory in some way.)

The Cove (2009)
Daring animal activists arrive with surveillance equipment at a scenic cove in Taijii, Japan, to capture footage of a secretive and heavily guarded operation run by the world's largest supplier of dolphins. As the group sets out to expose the horrifying truths behind the capture of dolphins for the lucrative tourist industry, they also uncover an environmental catastrophe. Louie Psihoyos directs this riveting, Oscar-winning documentary. ***** (I dare you not to care about the plight of dolphins after watching this documentary. I am forever changed. That's all I have to say.)


Extreme Measures (1996)

In director Michael Apted's medical thriller, emergency room doctor Guy Luthan (Hugh Grant) is haunted by the disappearance of a strange patient's records. Against the advice of his nurse friend Jodie (Sarah Jessica Parker), Guy pushes the investigation. The trail leads to Lawrence Myrick (Gene Hackman), a brilliant doctor with a clouded conscience whose experimental surgeries, which allow spinal cord victims to walk again, hint at the sinister. *** (Engrossing film that made me really question where I stand on medical ethics.)

Far From Heaven (2002)

When she finds her husband (Dennis Quaid) with another man, a Connecticut housewife (Julianne Moore) finds herself dealing with infidelity and the racial tension that epitomized the late 1950s at the advent of the Civil Rights movement in America. As a coping mechanism to deal with the emotional turmoil, she develops an unlikely friendship with her African-American gardener (Dennis Haysbert), who's full of sage wisdom. *** (This woman's life SUCKED. But this movie was far too drawn out for me to care more.)

Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982)

In his early 20s, before he became a director, journalist Cameron Crowe went undercover as a high school student and came back with the full scoop on sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll in the early 1980s. The result was Fast Times at Ridgemont High, which captures some truly memorable and hilarious characters amidst a group of Southern California students carousing and vying for love. The all-star cast includes Sean Penn as stoner Jeff Spicoli. *** (An entertaning yet nearly forgettable movie. I enjoyed Sean Penn's turn as a stoner. It made the movie worth watching.)

Frontline: Sick Around America (2009)

Few Americans in the early years of the 21st century would argue that the country's healthcare system is healthy; however, fewer still would be likely to agree about how to fix it. This "Frontline" special attempts to find some answers. Traveling around the country, going inside insurance companies and taking a hard look at one state's failed efforts at healthcare reform, the program tackles one of the toughest issues of modern times. **** (Slow-paced, but important documentary on the crisis that is the U.S. health care system. It needs to be fixed- and fast. If you're healthy or rich, you're golden. If you're neither, you're screwed. Trust me, I know. I am the latter.)

Hot Shots (1991)

Charlie Sheen and Cary Elwes star as hotshot flyboys (think Top Gun) in this hilarious spoof of some of Hollywood's legendary films (including Gone With the Wind) from director Jim Abrahams (Airplane!). Ace pilot Topper Harley (Sheen) is obsessed with living down his father's disastrous reputation and winning beautiful psychiatrist Ramada from professional and romantic rival Kent (Elwes) -- all while trying to carry out a vital military mission. *** (This and the sequel below are re-watches (re-viewings?). I watched them the first time probably not long after they came out on VHS haha.)

Hot Shots: Part Deux (1993)

In this sidesplitting sequel, Charlie Sheen returns as ham-fisted Lt. Topper Harley, who's tapped for a risky mission to rescue American troops from the clutches of a Middle Eastern despot with a ferocious guard poodle. As if that weren't enough, Topper finds himself caught between a pair of sexy women: his ex (Valeria Golino) and a sexy CIA operative (Brenda Bakke). Lloyd Bridges steals the film as lamebrain President Thomas Benson. *** (More dumb slapstick, plus some major un-p.c. jokes, but a young Sheen is nice to look at.)

The Men Who Stare at Goats (2009)

Journalist Bob Wilton (Ewan McGregor) latches onto an unbelievable story in Iraq when he meets Lyn Cassady (George Clooney), a man of mysterious origins who reveals he was a "warrior monk" trained by the U.S. Army to develop psychic powers. Jeff Bridges co-stars as Lyn's mentor, the man who dreamed up the top-secret operation. Kevin Spacey and Rebecca Mader co-star in this Grant Heslov-helmed wild spoof. *** (This was an interesting movie. George Clooney was deliciously eccentric and Spacey is such an amazing actor.)

Nine (2009)

Movie director Guido Contini (Daniel Day-Lewis) is in the throes of a midlife crisis, struggling to write his film while juggling relationships with wife Luisa (Marion Cotillard), mistress Carla (Oscar nominee Penélope Cruz), muse Claudia (Nicole Kidman), costumer Lilli (Judi Dench) and his mother (Sophia Loren). Rob Marshall (Chicago) helms this Golden Globe-nominated musical based on the Broadway smash; Stacy Ferguson and Kate Hudson co-star. * (Can someone please explain to me what the heck was going on in this movie? At first I thought it was just quirky and reminded me of foreign artsy films. But then I was just plain lost. I couldn't finish the movie. I did like Judi Dench's song I got to listen to and that was a treat. But, no, seriously, how has anyone followed along with this movie? Is it just me?)

The Other Guys (2010)

Detective Allen Gamble is a forensic accountant who's more interested in paperwork than hitting the streets. Detective Terry Hoitz is a tough guy who has been stuck with Allen as his partner ever since an unfortunate run-in with Derek Jeter. Allen and Terry idolize the city's top cops, Danson and Highsmith, but when an opportunity arises for the Other Guys to step up, things don't quite go as planned. **** (Hi-larious. Mark Wahlberg is so deadpan in this movie. The looks he gave were cracking me up. You have to move past the scenes in the beginning with The Rock and Samuel L. Jackson in them, which were kinda stupid. Wahlberg, Will Farrell, Eva Mendes, and Michael Keaton were all great.)

Risky Business (1983)

With his parents on vacation, high schooler Joel (Tom Cruise) -- abetted by a prostitute named Lana (Rebecca De Mornay) -- turns opportunity into disaster as he transforms the family home into a brothel, sees a Porsche end up in Lake Michigan and watches his Princeton dreams fade. A pair of briefs, a Bob Seger tune and some heartfelt lip-syncing catapulted Cruise to stardom in this now-classic Golden Globe-nominated teen comedy. **** (I don't care for Tom Cruise that much, but I liked this movie. I was surprised to see the dancing scene only 20 minutes into the movie and then the other much-talked-about train scene at the end of the movie. Interesting.)

Tears of the Sun (2003)

Bruce Willis stars as Lt. A.K. Waters, a Navy SEAL sent to the jungles of embattled Africa to rescue a doctor (Monica Bellucci), arriving only to realize he must also save the refugees in the doctor's care -- even if it places his military career in jeopardy. Tracked by heavily armed guerillas, Waters and his men must guide 40 injured Nigerian patients to the Cameroon border in this epic action drama directed by Antoine Fuqua (Training Day). *** (Not many surprises, but I still got drawn into the story.)

The Tudors: Season 3 (2009)

The sexually insatiable King Henry VIII (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) romances third wife Jane Seymour (Annabelle Wallis) and ruthlessly quashes an uprising of rebels protesting England's break with Rome in the third season of Showtime's Golden Globe-nominated historical drama. But dissension within his own ranks leads Henry to question the loyalty of his closest allies. Grammy winner Joss Stone joins the cast as Anne of Cleves, Henry's fourth wife. *** (I am on Season 3. Clearly I enjoy this series. Although Season 1 is still my favorite, 3 was better than 2.)

The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (2010)

If you don't know what this movie is about, you've been living under a rock. Come out and get some fresh air and sunshine already. *** (I'm not a huge Twilight fan. I haven't read the books and the only reason I have seen any of the movies is that a friend has asked me to watch them with her. But I can't complain too much, especially for this one, which had Taylor Lautner without his shirt on numerous times and I don't care how old you are that guy is HOT. In fact, his character makes a joke about this in the movie to Edward and I nearly fell out of my seat laughing. And Ashley Greene's character, Alice, is so adorable. I want to hang out with her. You know, as long as she promises not to bite. Oh, and the story is pretty good, though I hear the books are better. Imagine that. ;) )

Valentine's Day (2010)

In this Los Angeles-set comedy from director Garry Marshall (Pretty Woman), the tripwires of modern love are exposed in a carousel involving relationships and the single life on the most romantic day of the year: February 14. Proposals, infidelity, loneliness and more are explored. *** (This is a complete rip-off of one of my favorite films, Love Actually. And guess what, the Brits did it better. And first. But I did love Bradley Cooper and Julia Roberts' storyline.)

Vampires Suck (2010)

Becca, an anxious, non-vampire teen, is torn between two boys. Before she can choose, Becca must get around her controlling father, who embarrasses Becca by treating her like a child. Meanwhile, Becca's friends contend with their own romantic issues -- all of which collide at the prom. * (This movie was beyond horrible. It tried way too hard and ended up not even being funny. The parts that were funny ended up not being funny because they kept repeating it over and over and over, and in case you missed it, over one more time. I was insulted the main character used my name it was so bad.We got up and walked out of the theater after an hour, an hour we wished we could get back. This vampire movie lived up to its name- it sucked.)

When in Rome (2010)

After fishing out coins from a water fountain in Italy, cynical New Yorker Beth Harper (Kristen Bell) finds herself being wooed by several ardent suitors. As she deals with the attention, Beth tries to figure out whether a charming reporter (Josh Duhamel) really loves her. Danny DeVito, Anjelica Huston, Jon Heder, Dax Shepard and Will Arnett also star in this romantic comedy. **** (Cute romantic comedy that at times tried too hard and at other times was equally funny and charming. It was quirky, but not necessarily in a bad way. I enjoyed the supernatural twist in an otherwise predictable storyline. I also appreciated how real the character of Beth was. Will Arnett's character was probably my favorite.)

Where the Wild Things Are (2010)

Max (Max Records) imagines running away from his mom and sailing to a far-off land where large talking beasts -- Ira, Carol, Douglas, the Bull, Judith and Alexander -- crown him as their king, play rumpus, build forts and discover secret hideaways. Producer Tom Hanks and director Spike Jonze bring Maurice Sendak's whimsical story to life with the voice talents of James Gandolfini, Catherine Keener, Forest Whitaker and Catherine O'Hara. *** (I heard this movie fell short of expectations, but I, for one, really enjoyed it. I thought it was funny and heartwarming and whimsical and retro. It is such a challenge to turn a children's book into a feature-length film and I thought the screenwriters did a great job of adding to the story without taking any of the original charm away.)

XXX (2002)

Xander "XXX" Cage (Vin Diesel), a notorious underground rush-seeker deemed untouchable by the law, is coerced by NSA Agent Gibbons (Samuel L. Jackson) to cooperate with the government and infiltrate a Russian crime ring. If XXX succeeds, Gibbons promises to keep him out of prison. Rob Cohen (The Fast and the Furious) directs this high-octane, action-packed thrill ride. Asia Argento and Marton Csokas co-star. **** (I was pleasantly surprised to find I didn't hate this film. I would never have gotten the DVD, but I watched it on a whim via Netflix's Instant Viewing and enjoyed it. Diesel is no versatile actor but he plays this type of role very well.)

Whew! Are ya tired now? Now that I have told you about my movie-viewing habits this summer, how about telling me yours? What were your favorites? Which ones do you wish you had skipped? Any opinions on ones I saw? Don't be shy, hook me up with a comment! :)

COMPLETED: RYOB Challenge!

I have completed the Read Your Own Books Challenge, which was hosted by MizB. Here is my completed list, along with links to the reviews. Feel free to read and comment as you would like! :)

MY BOOKS/REVIEWS:
1. Beat the Reaper by Josh Bazell (January)
2. A Painter's Life by K.B. Dixon (January)
3. Maximum Ride: School's Out Forever by James Patterson (February)
4. Bright Lights, Big Ass by Jen Lancaster (May)
5. Looking for Alaska by John Green (June)
6. Cleopatra's Daughter by Michelle Moran (June)
7. Possession by A.S. Byatt (July)
8. Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict by Laurie Viera Rigler (July)
9. The Chosen One by Carol Lynch Williams (August/Sept.)
10. Uglies by Scott Westerfeld (September)

Thank you to MizB for hosting this challenge!

Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

It took me a while to get to this book, but it was worth the wait!

Westerfeld has a unique way of absorbing the reader into Tally Youngblood's world. Her world is in the future- a future where every sixteen-year-old has an operation to turn her from an "Ugly" into a "Pretty." They have been basically brainwashed to believe they are ugly until they have this operation. The uglies are separated from the pretties. Once you turn 12, you leave your parents and stay in dormitories until your magical 16th birthday where you are transformed from an ugly duckling to a swan.

The only problem is Tally can't get her operation because her friend Shay has skipped town in the cloak of darkness. The Special Circumstances Department has issued her the ultimate ultimatum: bring Shay back or "stay ugly forever." Which, to 16-year-old Tally is just about the worst news ever. Tally decides she is going to look for Shay, after all, she is worried about her and misses her. But will she be able to find her with her cryptic directions before time runs out? And if she finds her, will she be able to commit the ultimate betrayal? And will Tally find out the truth about the operation to turn you into a "Pretty"?

I like the dystopian theme, the theme of the quest for perfection spiraling pretty much out of control (it pretty much is out of control if every single person is having an operation), the theme of good v. evil, the theme of trusting your gut v. trusting what you have always known, the themes of love, betrayal, sacrifice, friendship. Lots to explore in this book and a great way to introduce dystopian themes to young adults.

Well, I, for one, stayed up half the night one night reading this book it had me so hooked. I am looking forward to reading the next one in the series, entitled "Pretties". We get to see what the world of an "Ugly" in Tally's world is about, and the next book we will get to see more into the mysterious world of a "Pretty".


THE STATISTICS: BOOK #: 58
RATING: 4 Stars
FOR CHALLENGES: YA Challenge, 1st in a Series, RYOB, New Authors, TwentyTen Challenge, Countdown Challenge, 100+ in 2010
GENRE: YA Fantasy
PUBLISHER: Scholastic
FORMAT/PAGES: Paperback/425
DISCLAIMER: Purchased

Can I Have Your Opinion, Please?

I was reading Jhumpa Lahiri's The Namesake and came across this passage. If you would, read the passage and then answer the questions at the end. It is totally opinions, no right or wrong or weird.

Here is the passage:

"Gnosh shook his head. 'You are still young. Free,' he said, spreading his hands apart for emphasis. 'Do yourself a favor. Before it's too late, without thinking too much about it first, pack a pillow and a blanket and see as much of the world as you can. You will not regret it. One day it will be too late."

"My grandfather always says that's what books are for,'Ashoke said, using the opportunity to open the volume in his hands. "To travel without moving an inch."

"To each his own,' Gnosh said."

---------
YOUR OPINION HERE :)
So, what do you think of this quote? It made me wonder what other people besides myself thought of traveling vs. traveling in books. Are books a good way of seeing the world? Should you pass on/not look for opportunities to go places because you can travel in a book? If you do travel the world, is there a need to travel in books? Is it prudent to do both?

I know what I think, I want to know what YOU think. Don't worry that you don't have anything original to say, I just want to know your opinion if you would share it with me. :)

Colorful Reading Challenge Links Issue

I don't know what happened with the Challenge page, but the McLinky had disappeared for no apparent reason. I have it fixed and it is up and running. Please let me know if you have any more problems adding your links. I apologize for the inconvenience!

How Rocket Learned to Read by Tad Hills

The first thing that struck me about this book was the little yellow bird. I wrote a children's book in a creative writing course in high school and my mom drew the pictures. My story featured a little yellow bird (in a very similar role of mentor) and my mom's picture looks very similar to the little bird in this story. So funny.

Rocket is a puppy who is listening to the little yellow bird read a story. He tells her that he can't read and the little yellow bird seizes the opportunity to teach him. She teaches him the alphabet and that each letter has a sound. Rocket practices and practices until he is spelling E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G. Then instead of the little yellow bird reading Rocket a story, they read it together.

Very cute book for making reading seem interesting and fun to very young children.


THE STATISTICS:
BOOK #: 57
RATING: 4 Stars
FOR CHALLENGES: Young Readers, Indie Authors, Countdown Challenge, 100+ in 2010
GENRE: Children's Picture Book
PUBLISHER: Random House (c) 2010
FORMAT/PAGES: Hardback/32
HEY, FCC!: I borrowed this book.

I Need a Monster by Amanda Noll

An adorable twist on scary monsters that hide under your bed, Noll's story works on reverse psychology. The story is of a little boy whose monster, named Gabe, has left a note saying he has "gone fishing for a week" and now the little boy is on a hunt for a new monster so he can go to sleep.

"How would I ever get to sleep without Gabe's familiar scary noises and his spooky green ooze? It was no use. Gabe would be gone for a week and I just had to have a monster."

The little boy tests out different "substitute" monsters. But none of them are quite scary enough for him. None of them are Gabe.

If you know a child who is having a lot of trouble with monsters hiding under their bed or in their closet, Noll's book would be a perfect read. It makes scary monsters a treat, not just terror.

THE STATISTICS:
BOOK #: 56
RATING: 4.5 Stars
FOR CHALLENGES: Young Readers, 100+ in 2010
GENRE: Children's Picture Book
PUBLISHER: Flashlight Press (c) 2009
FORMAT/PAGES: Hardback/
HEY, FCC!: I borrowed this book.

I am going to SAVE a panda! by Lauren Child

Charlie and Lola rock.

I have never seen the television show but every book I have read featuring Charlie and Lola has been a great experience. The stories share a sense of morality and values while being entertaining and humorous.

In this story, Lola is excited because it is Save an Animal Day at school. On the way to school she boats, "I would be really absolutely extremely good at saving animals."

Charlie explains to Lola about endangered animals and what extinction is. He explains the need for sponsors They go to the library and read all about animals, such as the snow leopards and moon jellyfish and pandas, that are endangered.

They decide to hop and skip to raise money for the giant panda. But Lola gets the chicken pox. She is very upset about this until she realizes she can count her spots to raise money.

It's a cute book, one that ends a little to abruptly so I can't give it a 5, but it does do a wonderful job of explaining the plight of these animals and how even kids can get in on saving them.


THE STATISTICS:
BOOK #: 54
RATING: 4 Stars
FOR CHALLENGES: Young Readers, 100+ in 2010, Countdown Challenge
GENRE: Children's Picture Book
PUBLISHER: Grosset & Dunlap, an imprint of Penguin Books (c) 2010
FORMAT/PAGES: Paperback/22
HEY, FCC!: I borrowed this book.

Censorship Sucks!

As some of you know about me already, I am a big crusader against censorship of any kind. Whether it is censorship in the media, censorship via the Church, or censorship and omissions in history books, I hate it. Loathe it. Detest it. Quite frankly, it pisses me off. And, also quite frankly, it should piss you off, too.

I live in America. The country where it is written in our constitution that we are a free people. We have the right to freedom of religion, to freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom to peacefully assemble and petition our government. So while I will give people who feel the need to censorship their freedom to express their desire to do so, I also want to express to them my right to information however I want to get it.

I don't know about you, but I don't like people telling me what news I should and should not be allowed to know. I don't like people telling me who I should and should not be friends with. I don't like people telling me what I can and cannot read. Who made them the judge and jury of me?

Here is my stance: If you don't approve of your children reading a book, then don't let them read it. But don't you dare tell ME how to parent MY children. If you don't want to be friends with people who are different than you because your IQ and EQ are in the single digits, then by all means, don't. But don't you dare tell me there is something wrong with me because I have a multicultural circle of friends. I am not breaking any laws or causing harm to myself or others, so leave me alone, right? I'm just sayin'.

So, naturally, since I am against any kind of censorship, I am completely against banning books. People who ban books, in my opinion, are only one step away from burning them. That is why I read banned books. In fact, people who ban books are not that bright because when they challenge a book all they are doing is giving it more attention and free press. Then I and many other people want nothing more than to read the book because we want to see what all the fuss is about. Like when the Church took a stance against The Da Vinci Code. I never gave that book one thought until they did that. Then I wanted nothing more than to read it. So, trying to ban books just backfires anyways. People are stupid.

Anyway, this brings me to the fact that Banned Books Week for 2010 is right around the corner (September 25- October 2.) There are exciting events going on right now, but I am just going to highlight a few right now. One, Donna at the blog Bites has put together Ban This! 2010, which extends Banned Books Week into Banned Books Month. Which, of course, totally rocks. She has a Mr. Linky up where you can add your blog if you are going to be posting about banned books this month. She also added the Banned Books Proclamation so that you can read it for the first time or the hundredth and be rejuvenated in your protest.

Also, Steph from Steph Su Reads is hosting a Banned Books Reading Challenge for September 1st through October 15th. I know I already have a perpetual banned books challenge for myself, but I am joining Steph's challenge as well because I want to make this a focus for myself in the next seven weeks. The goal is to read 7 challenged or banned books (1 per week), but you can read more or less depending on what your schedule allows.

I will be linking all of my reviews for this challenge to both this post and to my personal challenge.

I hope you will join us and take a stand against censorship!


MY REVIEWS

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The Chosen One by Carol Lynch Williams

Powerful. Magnetic. I was sucked into this book and immersed in Kyra's world.

Pure and raw emotions seeped from the pages. I could put myself right into Kyra's shoes. And I know I would have made the same choices as Kyra. I was a very rebellious youth. If I wanted to run away from the life I had as a teenager, I definitely would have wanted to run away from Kyra's situation.

I mean, who marries their uncle? And a child bride at that. They get rid of the boys so all the young girls can marry the old men. Disgusting. It's just like a boys club where they get to make the rules up as they go and claim "God told me it was to be." I call bulls__!

I do not claim to know much about Mormons and I know that this book is about a sect that is isolated and is not a reflection on the true Mormon religion. I wonder how those who are Mormons feel about these cults that are out there and giving their religion a bad name. I am sure it is no different than any religion and their extremists, but they must have something to say. If you want to comment on this, I would love to read your opinion.

Carol Lynch Williams is a masterful writer. She really put me into the world of a 13-year-old girl who grows up in a polygamist compound where people are known as "The Chosen Ones" and the leader is the "Prophet." I felt angry that this is a fictional story but based on real-life events. It is a violation of the people's human rights to force them into marriage- especially incestuous marriage to your 60-year-old uncle who already has six wives. As I desire to become a sociologist, I look at this situation as a social problem. Because Kyra's situation is not an isolated one. This happens over and over again. What can we do to help these children? And who has the right to be the judge over what is a human right and what isn't? It's a complicated matter when it comes to human rights. But I know that this book stirred in me a desire to help those who want their freedom from a religious compound, such as the one Kyra grew up in.

Amazing book, very well-told, with an important message and well fleshed-out characters makes this a book I highly recommend!

THE STATISTICS:
BOOK #: 53
RATING: 4.5 Stars
FOR CHALLENGES: YA Reading, New Authors, RYOB, TwentyTen Challenge
GENRE: YA Fiction
PUBLISHER: St. Martin's (c) 2009
FORMAT/PAGES: Paperback/213
HEY, FCC!: I won this book from Black Eyed Susan last year.