BW 39: Banned Book Week

Celebrate reading!

It is that time of year when we get to celebrate our freedom to read whatever we choose.

American Library Association:  "Banned Books Week (BBW) is an annual event celebrating the freedom to read and the importance of the First Amendment.  Held during the last week of September, Banned Books Week highlights the benefits of free and open access to information while drawing attention to the harms of censorship by spotlighting actual or attempted bannings of books across the United States.

Intellectual freedom—the freedom to access information and express ideas, even if the information and ideas might be considered unorthodox or unpopular—provides the foundation for Banned Books Week.  BBW stresses the importance of ensuring the availability of unorthodox or unpopular viewpoints for all who wish to read and access them.

The books featured during Banned Books Week have been targets of attempted bannings.  Fortunately, while some books were banned or restricted, in a majority of cases the books were not banned, all thanks to the efforts of librarians, teachers, booksellers, and members of the community to retain the books in the library collections.  Imagine how many more books might be challenged—and possibly banned or restricted—if librarians, teachers, and booksellers across the country did not use Banned Books Week each year to teach the importance of our First Amendment rights and the power of literature, and to draw attention to the danger that exists when restraints are imposed on the availability of information in a free society."

The most frequently challenged books in 2010 were:

1) And Tango Makes Three, by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson;

2) The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie;

3) Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

4) Crank by Ellen Hopkins;

5) The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins;

6) Lush by Natasha Friend;

7) What My Mother Doesn't Know by Sonya Sones;

8) Nickel and Dimed  by Barbara Ehrenreich;

9) Revolutionary Voices edited by Amy Sonnie;

10) Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

The most frequently challenged classics are listed below. See the reason why here.

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. The Color Purple, by Alice Walker 
5. Ulysses, by James Joyce 
6. Beloved, by Toni Morrison 
7. The Lord of the Flies, by William Golding 
8. 1984, by George Orwell 
9. Lolita, by Vladmir Nabokov 
10. Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck 
11. Catch-22, by Joseph Heller 
12. Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley 
13. Animal Farm, by George Orwell 
14. The Sun Also Rises, by Ernest Hemingway 
15. As I Lay Dying, by William Faulkner 
16. A Farewell to Arms, by Ernest Hemingway 
17. Their Eyes Were Watching God, by Zora Neale Hurston
18. Invisible Man, by Ralph Ellison
19. Song of Solomon, by Toni Morrison 
20. Gone with the Wind, by Margaret Mitchell 
21. Native Son, by Richard Wright 
22. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, by Ken Kesey 
23. Slaughterhouse-Five, by Kurt Vonnegut 
24. For Whom the Bell Tolls, by Ernest Hemingway 
25. The Call of the Wild, by Jack London 
26. Go Tell it on the Mountain, by James Baldwin 
27. All the King's Men, by Robert Penn Warren 
28. The Lord of the Rings, by J.R.R. Tolkien 
29. The Jungle, by Upton Sinclai
30. Lady Chatterley's Lover, by D.H. Lawrence 
31. A Clockwork Orange, by Anthony Burgess 
32. The Awakening, by Kate Chopin 
33. In Cold Blood, by Truman Capote 
34. The Satanic Verses, by Salman Rushdie 
35. Sophie's Choice, by William Styron 
36. Sons and Lovers, by D.H. Lawrence
37. Cat's Cradle, by Kurt Vonnegut
38. A Separate Peace, by John Knowles 
39. Naked Lunch, by William S. Burroughs 
40. Brideshead Revisited, by Evelyn Waugh 
41. Women in Love, by D.H. Lawrence 
42. The Naked and the Dead, by Norman Mailer 
43. Tropic of Cancer, by Henry Miller
44. An American Tragedy, by Theodore Dreiser 
45. Rabbit, Run, by John Updike 

What challenged book will you be reading this week?

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Link to your most current read. Please link to your specific book review post and not your general blog link. In the Your Name field, type in your name and the name of the book in parenthesis. In the Your URL field leave a link to your specific post. If you have multiple reviews, then type in (multi) after your name and link to your general blog url.

If you don't have a blog, tell us about the books you are reading in the comment section of this post.

 

 

BW 38: L is for Laurie R. King

Laurie R. King - September 19, 1952

 Happy Birthday Laurie R. King

I currently have two of Laurie R. King's books from her Mary Russell Series in my TBR pile: Justice Hall and Locked Rooms.  The series follows Mary Russell and her relationship with Sherlock Holmes and their adventures in crime solving. 

From her website:   In 1994, The Beekeeper’s Apprentice was published, featuring young Mary Russell who becomes an apprentice, then partner of Sherlock Holmes in early 20th century England. Books in that series appear regularly, taking the duo and their cohorts on into the Twenties and around the world, winning admiration far and wide. These historical novels allow King to explore all sorts of ideas: the roots of conflict in the Middle East and Afghanistan; feminism and early Christianity; patriotism and individual responsibility, while also having a rousing good time with revisiting the scenes of The Hound of the Baskervilles and Kim, setting a pair of Bedouin nomads down in a grand country house in England, and forging an unlikely relationship between two remarkably similar individuals who happen to be separated by age, sex, and background.

There are 11 books in the series with the latest release September 6th of The Pirate King. 

I'm a sucker for series and usually like reading them in order so don't know how I ended up with two books out of order.  Something tickled my fancy the day I bought them.  In honor of Ms. King's birthday this week, I'll be reading Justice Hall.    If you like detective fiction and Sherlock Holmes, be sure to check out the Mary Russell Series.

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Link to your most current read. Please link to your specific book review post and not your general blog link. In the Your Name field, type in your name and the name of the book in parenthesis. In the Your URL field leave a link to your specific post. If you have multiple reviews, then type in (multi) after your name and link to your general blog url.

If you don't have a blog, tell us about the books you are reading in the comment section of this post.

BW37: Book Bloggers Appreciation Week

This week is Book Blogger Appreciation Week in which we celebrate all things books.  I have discovered so many different books that I probably would have never read otherwise through the book blogging community.  It's also created some wonderful connections not only with book bloggers, but also with writers and publishers.  

Book Blogger Appreciation was started by Amy Riley of My Friend Amy in an effort to recognize the hard work and contribution of book bloggers to the promotion and preservation of a literate culture actively engaged in discussing books, authors, and a lifestyle of reading.

The first Book Blogger Appreciation was observed in the fall of 2008 and occurs every September. The week spotlights and celebrates the work of active book bloggers through guest posts, awards, giveaways, and community activities. Book Bloggers are encouraged to register their participation for inclusion in a database of book bloggers.

The theme is Cultivating a Community of Bloggers and Readers.  There will be all kinds of giveaways and contests, guest posts by authors, publishers and bloggers.   Come join in on the party.  You may just win some awesome books and establish some new friendships.

The daily topics this year are:

Monday, September 12 - Community:  It is the opportuntity to highlight those bloggers who have made book blogging a unique experience.  Mentors, bloggers who have encouraged you to try a different kind of book, opened your eyes to a new issue, made you laugh or supported you with comments on your blog.

Tuesday, September 13th:  Blogger Interviews:   An interview swap between bloggers and a chance to get to know them better.  I swapped with Brianna of The Book Vixen who took over "The Novel Challenge blog" with the help of a few other bloggers when Wendy decided to move on to other things.  Be sure to check out her interview on My Two Blessings and my interview on her site.

Wednesday, September 14th: Community Part II:  A day to share tips for connecting with the community.

Thursday, September 15: Readers:  Book bloggers blog because we love reading. Has book blogging changed the way you read? Have you discovered books you never would have apart from book blogging? How has book blogging affected your book acquisition habits? Have you made new connections with other readers because of book blogging? Choose any one of these topics and share your thoughts today! 

Friday September 16th: Blogging:  The world of blogging is continually changing. Share 3 things you are essential tried and true practices for every blogger and 1-3 new trends or tools you’ve adapted recently or would like to in the future.

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Link to your most current read. Please link to your specific book review post and not your general blog link. In the Your Name field, type in your name and the name of the book in parenthesis. In the Your URL field leave a link to your specific post. If you have multiple reviews, then type in (multi) after your name and link to your general blog url.

If you don't have a blog, tell us about the books you are reading in the comment section of this post.

BW36: I is for Intellectual Devotional

Some time ago I picked up this nifty, interesting book The Intellectual Devotional: Revive Your Mind, Complete Your Education, and Roam Confidently with the Cultured Class.  It is a secular educational devotional, much like a spiritual devotional with 365 days of lessons. Each day is devoted to a certain topic:   Monday is  history, Tuesday is literature, Wednesday is visual arts,  Thursday is Science, Friday is music, Saturday is Philosophy and Sunday religion.   

Since the general edition has come out, the authors David Kidder and Noah Oppenheim have come out with a few other editions:  Biographies, American History, Modern Culture and Health.  They are available in hard cover or in ebook format now.  

Fun to read, stimulates your mind, and makes you want to find out more.  And honestly a good bathroom book.  *grin*  

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Link to your most current read. Please link to your specific book review post and not your general blog link. In the Your Name field, type in your name and the name of the book in parenthesis. In the Your URL field leave a link to your specific post. If you have multiple reviews, then type in (multi) after your name and link to your general blog url.

If you don't have a blog, tell us about the books you are reading in the comment section of this post.