Top Ten Most Challenged Books of 2010

In April, the American Library Association released the list of the top ten most frequently challenged books of 2010. Many books are challenged, but few are actually banned.

Color me naïve; I didn’t think banning books was something still happening in this country. Challenging books seems ridiculous, although I don’t argue a person’s right to do so. I’m sure people have good intentions, but we all know the name of that paved road. As an adult, I’ll decide what I’ll read, thank you very much. It’s a no brainer that the responsibility of monitoring what children read falls to the parents, not society.

Librarians, teachers, and booksellers are our First Amendment guard dogs protecting our right to read what we want, and keeping our choices uncensored. Let freedom ring!

The Top Ten Most Challenged Books of 2010:

1. And Tango Makes Three, by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson
Reasons: homosexuality, religious viewpoint, and unsuited to age group

2. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, by Sherman Alexie
Reasons: offensive language, racism, sex education, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group, and violence

3. Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley
Reasons: insensitivity, offensive language, racism, and sexually explicit

4. Crank, by Ellen Hopkins
Reasons: drugs, offensive language, and sexually explicit

5. The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins
Reasons: sexually explicit, unsuited to age group, and violence

6. Lush, by Natasha Friend
Reasons: drugs, offensive language, sexually explicit, and unsuited to age group

7. What My Mother Doesn't Know, by Sonya Sones 
Reasons: sexism, sexually explicit, and unsuited to age group

8. Nickel and Dimed, by Barbara Ehrenreich 
Reasons: drugs, inaccurate, offensive language, political viewpoint, and religious viewpoint

9. Revolutionary Voices, edited by Amy Sonnie
Reasons: homosexuality and sexually explicit

10.Twilight, by Stephenie Meyer
Reasons: religious viewpoint and violence

Can you imagine not being allowed to read The Hunger Games? It’s one of my favorite books. It’s being challenged for being sexually explicit. Did they even read the book? Hmmm, I say. I don’t recall anything sexually explicit… Violent? Well, yeah. A little. *wink* But that's the point.

And what about Twilight? It’s not high brow literature, but it’s a love story that captured the hearts and imaginations of a gazillion people, and not just tweens. Yeah, I’ve read all the articles about Twilight and its purported Mormon dogma within, but I’m not Mormon so I didn’t recognize it so what of it? Stephanie Meyer is Mormon so it’s logical that its fingerprints would show up in her writing, but the story didn’t have religious overtones. Sure, there were things regarding Bella and Edward’s behavior that I didn’t agree with—Bella feeling incomplete without Edward and Edward being a scary stalker boyfriend—but I suspended belief and got into it, and it was a decent read.

My soapbox issue with Twilight is the creepy dhampir kid, Renessme, drinking blood from a sippy cup, and being called “half immortal.” The term half immortal makes my brain short circuit.

W-w-w-what does that mean exactly? Either you are mortal or you are immortal. Half human, half vampire is a dhampir, but the word doesn’t show up once in the book. I guess they don’t discuss vampire mythos at ward meetings. Heh.

Renessme, Creepy Dhampir Kid played by Mackenzie Foy

For the record, I'm Team Jacob, and his imprinting on CDK is wrong in so many ways, but I digress...

Thanks ALA. God Bless America!

Wordle Word Clouds

Getting started is the most difficult part of my writing, and

 because I'm such a procrastinator, I can always find something

 to entertain me!

Check out my free write word clouds!  Fun, fun, fun. 

Review: Blood and Ice by Robert Masello

Blood and Ice by Robert Masello

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4 Stars Recommended

For most of the book, Blood and Ice, is two incredible stories, beginning 150 years ago with the harrowing events that transpired on the ship, Coventry, once it was blown far off course into the dangerous waters of the South Pole. Sinclair, an affable, idealistic young soldier, and his beloved, Eleanor, are chained together and thrown overboard into the freezing glacial waters. What crime did they commit that the crew thought they deserved such treatment?

Fast forward to present day, to Michael Wilde, journalist, an adrenaline junkie high on life until a terrible accident forces him to withdraw from life because of a freak accident that's left the woman he loves unconscious in a hospitable bed, her prognosis grim. Michael's employer, after months of waiting, pushes him to take an assignment on scientists working in the most extreme climate in the world, the South Pole.

The author does an excellent job of alternating between both stories with thrilling suspense until they collide, mixing science and folklore in an exciting way. I'm almost afraid to say the word....shhh, come closer...closer....vampire...because perhaps you might think I'm giving something away. But I'm not, it's on the back of the book (but strangely not in the classification for the Library of Congress) and told in a way not expected.

The magic is the unique story and how it brilliantly unfolds. Robert Masello is a wonderful storyteller. There's nothing cliche about his writing and it's not like any other vampire novel I've read before. His masterful descriptions made me feel like I was there along side each and every character, experiencing it all for myself, and isn't that why we read--to live vicariously through the characters? To feel the excitement and pride of the soldier eager to fight for his country? To feel the bone chilling bite of the arctic wind on our skin, or feel the claustrophobic dive in freezing arctic waters and, seeing with our minds eye, a glacier wall descend and disappear into the dark depths below?

There's a lot that's scary in this book: arctic diving, living in the harshest environment in the world, the Crimean war, and the post war conditions, and for those that love the paranormal, the vampire- still scary, even if you know it's coming.

As always, what makes me love a book, is the way an author makes me love the characters so much that I can't put the book down, the way they can turn a phrase making me shudder with fear or my eyes well up with emotion. (I'm weird that way) It's awesome when that happens! This is a great story blending history, science and horror. I ~almost~ want a sequel. I can't help wondering what the characters are up to now.

Don't think I've told you everything about the story! Experience the book; put on a parka, and travel to the Pole!

Spring Carnival Winner Announced

My lucky Carnival winner is:

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Michele L

Congratulations! I hope you enjoy Bloody Jack and the entire series as much as I do. Keep in touch, and let me know what you think.

Holly Black on Goodreads

Holly Black, author of the Curse Workers series, A Modern Fairy Tale series, and The Spiderwick Chronicles will be on Goodreads live May 9-13, 2011 to answer questions regarding her books.

Stop by and join the discussion here.

In My Mailbox (1)

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren and is a fun meme for sharing books we received (purchased, borrowed, found, received from publishers, or a two-foot traveling book troll just passing through whose rucksack was too heavy, etc.) during the week.

Purchased:

The Medusa Amulet by Robert Masello

Department 19 by Will Hill (YA debut novel)

Rotters by Daniel Kraus (YA)

I'm very excited about all of these wonderful books. Read them? Comments?

What books found their way into your hands this past week?

Book Endings: When the End Really Means THE END

Have you ever finished a book and felt the ending worked for the story, but it left you craving more, left you wondering what happens next? Have you ever frantically searched the internet to find if a sequel was in the works, or emailed authors wanting to know their vision of what continues once the final words are read and the back cover is closed?

I confess. I've done it.

Sometimes readers are rewarded because a book was compelling enough or generated enough interest (ka-ching!) that the publisher warranted a sequel, or better yet, a series. Perhaps a sequel or series was in the plan all the while with the author already pounding out the next book as readers squirm on that ever-dangling hook.

But what if the end really is just that, the end, and the ending is too ambiguous for left brain dominant people craving logic and reason and closure, or perhaps the wondering or not knowing is just too frustrating, and the countless 'what if's' you come up with don't satisfy? What if you want more and the writer is done, done, done?

I felt this way about Holly Black's Valiant, the second book in her modern faerie tale series. It is my favorite of the three books, and I loved it. Val's struggle and heartbreak is palpable, her personal journey and subsequent growth completely believable. Having said that, her relationship with Ravus intrigued me, and I wanted more but the book just...ended. I read the third book, Ironside, and cried because Val and Ravus only made a cameo appearance--I think they were together but maybe I did that subconsciously, I can't remember now--but it wasn't enough. I cried, I emailed the author, searched the web, and waited for another book. And waited. And waited.

I never heard back from Holly Black, and I haven't heard any news on her continuing Val and Ravus' story. Val and Ravus are such incredibly rich, dynamic characters that I can't imagine their story not being told. Anyone else feel the same way?

Another story I want to continue is Sunshine by Robin McKinley. Rae and Constantine's story is captivating and I was completely and utterly enthralled by them. This story also has one of the scariest scenes I've ever read--and I've read a lot--and it plays my survival instincts like an instrument with McKinley strumming my nerves raw. I wasn't expecting it, and it's brilliant. For those that have read it, it's the scene where Rae decides to go to the lake alone, and appears in my book on page 12. (See, it left such an impression I still remember the page!) I emailed the author, searched her forum and found nothing. The agony,the agony!

I did just find this though, which wasn't there before: http://robinmckinleysblog.com/page/6/?s=there+is+no+sequel+to+SUNSHINE. (Haha, read the link addy) Can't get any clearer than that! I guess I wasn't the only one filling up her email.

Any of you read Sunshine? How did you feel about the ending? Did anyone else crave pastries while reading it?

In the above linked post, McKinley mentions Albion, which is not a sequel to Sunshine, but takes place somewhere else and she's not sure the characters even know about Rae and Charlie's Coffee Shop.

Hmmm, I say. Hmmm.

So she's writing a book that takes place in the Sunshine world. Definitely not the sequel this reader wants, but I'm definitely on board with it.

Candace over at her blog feels her most recent reread, Dust of 100 Dogs by A.S. King, fits into the "need to know more" category. Dust of 100 Dogs is a unique story about Emer/Saffron cursed to be reincarnated 100 times as man's best friend, and once the curse is fulfilled she moves forward towards her destiny. This is a unique, fun read but the ending, although works great for the story, left Candace wishing for more. Fortunately, author A.S. King will visit Candace's blog in June and tell us just what happens when Saffron gets off the plane.

I was satisfied with the ending of Dust of 100 Dogs, but I'm envious of Candace getting her wish! How awesome is that? What did you think of the ending?

What books have you read that leave you wishing, hoping, and dreaming of a continuation of the story?