Banned Books Week 2010 & other tidbits

First off, we're nearing the end of Banned Books Week for 2010. Now, I know there have been other rants posted about how moronic this is. We're inhibiting free speech. But they're just kids so why do they need to be creative, free thinkers? While we're banning books, let's cut music and art programs as well. Pretty soon, our kids will be safe from any sort of harm that ideas and knowledge may inflict upon them. The poor dears ...

*ahem* I got side tracked there a bit. Have you really paid attention to the sorts of books that are being challenged and/or banned? One of the more ridiculous ones is the Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary.

OK, let's let that sink in a bit. Someone actually challenged and succeeded in removing a REFERENCE BOOK because his kid looked up "oral sex." Really? REALLY? That's the reason you had a book removed? One that could potentially make your kid smarter or a better speller? Maybe if the parent removed the stick from their ...

*sigh* Off topic again. Here's the deal ... become more active in your kids' lives and other people won't have to be denied. Because that's what happens when a book is banned/challenged/removed. Other people are denied access to information. Just because your kid isn't mature enough to handle a certain subject matter doesn't mean that mine isn't. Get involved. Read the books your kids are interested in advance and make an educated decision. Don't base it on, "Well, I heard that there's witchcraft in the book," or other such nonsense.

Start teaching your kids to educate themselves by providing them the example that they SHOULD be following. Teach them to gather all the relevant facts and then offer an educated opinion. Oh, that's right. That falls under "free thinking" and I forgot that we're doing away with that.

If you're interested, here's the link to the list of the Most Challenged/Banned books this year so far: http://www.ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/banned/bannedbooksweek/ideasandresources/free_downloads/2010banned.pdf (Sorry. I can't make it clicky.)

I've done my part and read a banned book this week. Harry Potter & the Sorcerer's Stone is currently playing in my car. Have you read a banned book? If so, tell me what' you've read.

In other news, I got matched to my penpal this week! I participate in a program called In2Books. They work with 3rd to 5th graders all across the country to enhance the schools' literacy/literature programs. It fosters a love of reading and helps to develop abstract & critical thinking along with analysis skills. Last year was my first year participating in the program and I learned a lot myself. This year, my penpal is in Iowa. Can't wait to get reading!

I've been reading

I swear it. I just haven't posted here lately. I keep meaning to but time slips away. I've recently finished Nefertiti by Michelle Moran, All the Weyrs of Pern by Anne McCaffrey, Prince Charming by Julie Garwood, and a bunch of others.

I've hit my reading goal for the year. I pledged to read 25 books that I've never read before and I did it. I'm going to continue to see just how many I can read. I may do a complete count next year, including the re-reads.

So I'm sorry for neglecting this. I'm trying not to.

Even more horrible

I've been reading books and not reviewing them. I'm up to 23 of 25 for the year. Some of what I've read include:

Moreta, Dragonlady of Pern by Anne McCaffrey. I totally wasn't expecting that ending.

The Omega Point by Whitley Schreiber. It was a giveaway from www.goodreads.com but I think it was the second in a series. I feel like there's a lot of backstory that I missed but, once the action started, it moved fairly quickly. I enjoyed it.

Frostbite and Shadow Kiss by Richelle Mead. They are the second and third books respectively in the Vampire Academy series. I'm really enjoying them as I get further into it.

The Lion's Lady by Julie Garwood. I do love me a good historical romance and this one didn't disappoint. I've noticed that she tends to combine aspects of the American frontier times in some of her books. It's fun to read how she blends them together.

I'll start reviewing in full soon now that I'm actually reading more and concentrating on them.

I've been bad

I haven't been blogging reviews lately. I'm sorry. If I throw myself on my knees, will you forgive me?

I've read Dragonsong and Dragondrums of the Harper Hall trilogy by Anne McCaffrey. I really need to go back and read Robinton's story. I kind of feel like I'm hopping around the Pern chronology because I don't know the timeline in which they occur.

One day, I'll read them in order. But there you go. At least I've listed what I've read.

Dragonsong - Anne McCaffrey

When I'm reading, I occasionally binge on an author and read as much as possible before I move onto someone else. I'm in one of those modes now with Anne McCaffrey. You see, I've never actually read the Pern books. As those are what she's most noted for, I'm rectifying the situation. I think I'm reading/listening to them in release order and not chronological order. I'm not 100% sure though.

In Dragonsong, we're introduced to Mennolly. She is from Half Circle Hold, which is very strict in its observance of the old ways. There, gender roles are traditionally defined and closely followed. No female has ever been a Harper (a role similar to the minstrels of medieval times) and they wouldn't let her pursue her passion. She was assigned to teach the children of the Hold the basic teaching ballads after the old harper passed on. But that was it. She was beaten if they discovered any clandestine activity with "tuning" as they called it. We might know it better as composing.

Her parents were so anxious about her abilities that, when she injured her hand, her mother let it heal wrong so that she would have limited usage of it. Mennolly eventually walked out of the Hold one day, never to return.

The books are so rich in detail that I can just picture the people milling around making salves, sharpening tools, and going about their days. If you enjoy books that are set in other worlds and other times, I believe you'll enjoy these.

The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane - Katherine Howe

Connie Goodwin is a PhD candidate in American History at Harvard. Her ambition is to become a professor. For her dissertation, she starts to research a new source of material related to the Salem Witch trials. Her mother requested Connie to attend to the mess that her grandmother's house had become. Cleaning it out, packing up the things inside, getting it ready to be sold to pay off the tax lien.

Connie reluctantly goes to Marblehead, MA and moves into the house. While she's there, she starts having visions of the past and blinding headaches which she can't explain. At first.

There is a dual storyline in which we go back to the times of the Salem witch trials. Deliverance Dane is a "cunning" woman, which means that she tends to her patients with herbs and such. She has true power though and, more often than not, utilizes it to help those under her care. She was caught in the furor over the witches and did not survive.

It is a power that is passed on through the women in her family. From mother to daughter to granddaughter and so on.

I think the book was very well written. I could see the images in my head that Ms. Howe painted with words. I'm obviously not going to give the ending away but, if you're like me and fascinated with that time, it's worth the read.

The Innocent Man - John Grisham

In 1982, a woman in Ada, OK was murdered in her apartment. This is the catalyst for one of the most blatant miscarriages of justice I've ever read about. The Ada Police Department set about to solve the crime. Rather than letting the evidence lead them to the killer, the police officers started with suspects and built the case around them.

Ron Williamson and Dennis Fritz were accused of murder. Being innocent, they felt that the legal system would vindicate them. Instead, they were convicted based on manufactured evidence and spent 12 years searching for ways to overturn their convictions. And death sentences.

In Ron's case, he had the additional problem of having mental health issues. He should have never been put on trial in the first place as his competency was called into question.

I've always been a proponent of the death penalty. If someone took another human being's life, they should pay the price with their own. This book really has me reconsidering my stance. In most cases, I still think it would be warranted but it has me reconsidering if everyone on Death Row is guilt. But now it's tempered with "What if ..."

Online community

OK ... seriously? The online community I visit which houses my favorite online book club hasn't been working for at least the last 24 hours. For me. Other people can post but I can't for some reason.

So how am I supposed to talk about books, the biggest love of my life outside my husband?

I know that most of you are from the book club so tell everyone that I'm locked out until the PTBs (Powers That Be) figure out what's going on. I've set up an alter ego but can't use it yet.

In the meantime, I've finished listening to another audiobook in celebration of National Audiobook Month. I'll post about it later in a separate post.

Atonement - Ian McEwen

I didn't like this at all. Briony Tallis made a horrible mistake at the age of 13 which affected the lives of her older sister, Cecelia, and the housekeeper's son, Robert Turner. Briony was 13 at the time and didn't understand fully what was going on or the consequences of her statements. That led to Cecelia's estrangement from the family and Robbie being convicted of rape and subsequent jail time.

At the age of 18, she tried to make things right because in a sudden burst of clarity, Briony realized who had raped her cousin Lola.

I found the whole thing contrived and unbelievable. It was also very disjointed, in the jumps from part to part. I didn't like the flowery language. I felt that the backbone of a good story was there but Mr. McEwen failed to deliver it.

I know that this is on several lists of must reads but I can't figure out why for the life of me.

Vampire Academy - Richelle Mead

I've recently (within the last year) become a fan of some of Richelle Mead's other series. The succubus series. The Dark Swan series. Everyone that I talked to about her told me that I had to read the Vampire Academy series. OK. I have no problem with that. I love getting new books and I truly marvel at the creativity that dwells within a select few. I think I'm also slightly envious since my own writing creativity has been sucked out of my mind somewhere along the line.

Lissa is a Moroi, a vampire who has not killed humans and turned to the dark side. (Those are Strigoi, by the way.) The Moroi have 12 families from whom they select one individual to lead them. One person is voted into power but is considered to be a king or queen.

Rose is a dhamphir, a guardian. She will protect the Moroi from the Strigoi, who's sole mission is to murder all the Moroi and take over the vampire and human worlds. There's a catch: they haven't graduated school yet. Further, they are linked in a way that no one can explain but may have ties to their patron saint.

It's an interesting read. I have the next two books in the series. They should be quick reads hopefully.

And with this book, I'm about halfway to my goal of reading 25 new books this year. I do reread quite a bit.

Onto the next book!

Savor the Moment - Nora Roberts

This saved the series for me. I was rather disappointed with Emma and Jack's story but I really liked Laurel and Del.

Maybe it's because Laurel's more like me. She had to scrape and work to get through school while holding down jobs that paid the bills. As a result, she's forthright and not afraid to go after what she wants. She is a pastry chef and runs that aspect of Vows.

Del may be wealthy (and here is where the comparison between Laurel and me ends) but he's not snobbish. In some ways, Laurel is more stuck up than he is. But it's a reverse sort of discrimination against herself as she doesn't feel worthy of being with him.

I liked Del; he wasn't too overconfident and cocky. He was the right mix of man, boy, adult and child for me. Fun loving but serious when the situation requires it. He helped Laurel unwind a bit and stop being so stuffy.

Overall, good job!

Rising Tides - Nora Roberts

I picked it up on a whim. I think I saw it in Walmart. I think I'm now in love with Ethan, the male lead.

As with all the boys the Quinns adopted, Ethan comes from a troubled past. His mother was an addict and sold both herself and her son for the next fix. He fought his past and his memories for years until the Quinns brought him home. As usual, they helped him heal physically and emotionally.

Along came Grace. She had her own issues but was determined to rise above without leaning on anyone. Married at 19, pregnant and divorced by 20, she recognized that inner core of strength which women seem to have. She determined that she would do better for her little girl and was doing OK. Just OK. So she was killing herself with work. So she was too proud to ask her father for help. It was fine.

Grace and Ethan dance around each other for most of the book. Since it is a Nora Roberts book, the inevitable happens. Again and again ... if you know what I mean. lol

I think what I like about her books is that her women are not weak characters. She realizes that everyone is flawed and isn't afraid to showcase those flaws. Also, her male leads are not perfect specimens which can do no wrong. They're believeable (sp?). Yes, they can act like fools. Yes, they often do. Yes, they make mistakes and learn from them. Yes, they grow as most human beings do.

She understands how people are with each other and really shows the development of relationships fully, if in a microcosm of time.

Identical - Ellen Hopkins

Wow. Just wow. I finished this a couple of days ago in preparation for a buddy readalong that my online book club is doing. I can't wait for my buddy to finish this. My most difficult challenge is to review it without giving anything away. So here goes ...

The narrators are twins, Raeanne and Kaeleigh. Years before the book starts, they are in an accident along with their parents. And that's when all the trouble begins. Not only the car is destroyed. Their family is too.

The twins chronicle their downward spiral into incest, drugs, alcohol, sex, cutting, bulimia, and so much more in a way that breaks your heart. Kaeleigh is looking for some sort of absolution in the relationship with her father. Raeanne feels like an outsider to the family.

There is so much more I can't get into here. This is only scratching the surface but I think that to tell you more will ruin the book. You need to experience it for yourself. It was very well written and is staying with me days after I finished it. That's the mark of a good book in my opinion.

In case you're wondering

I haven't really been reading anything new lately. I've been sticking to some favorites over the last few weeks. They are all books I've reviewed so I don't feel the need to repost them.

Starting Thursday, I should have some more new material to review. I'm going to read Identical by Ellen Hopkins.

I'm also going to read Atonement by Ian McEwan. I'm doing it as part of a buddy readalong on my online book club. We're going to read both books and discuss them during the month of April. I can't wait!

The White Dragon - Anne McCaffrey

This is the third of the Pern series. Typically, Holders do not Impress dragons. Chances at impression are given to others. Jaxom is not your typical Holder though. He is both Lord Holder and Dragonrider, having impressed the white Ruth in the prior book.

They grow together and learn every aspect of each other's personalities. In this book, Jaxom finally comes into his own. He assists in locating a missing dragon egg without drawing attention to himself. He trains to become part of a flying wing. He learns the management side of the Hold from Lytol, who has raised him from the time he was a baby. (Both his parents have died.)

There are challenges along the way but I'm glad I got the chance to see him grow. It was fun.

OK, I know that this is really brief but I couldn't figure out a way to get it down in writing without giving too much away.

The Magicians - Lev Grossman

This is wonderfully, completely unlike what I expected it to be going in to the story. I said this on my online book club and it's really the only way I can think to describe it. Imagine Harry Potter and The Chronicles of Narnia hooking up one drunken night and having a baby. Toss in an ending where all is not happily ever after and you'll get the idea of this book.

It starts out with a world weary teenager named Quentin. (Aren't they all?) He's intelligent, one of the smartest in his class in Brooklyn. What sets Quentin apart from his classmates that he secretly believes in magic and a world called Fillory. It's from a children's set of books that he's read over and over and over. He longs to become part of that world because he thinks it will solve a lot of issues he's had in his short, unremarkable life.

In actuality, he's not a normal teen. He's a magician and soon gets an invitation to attend Brakebills which is a magickal college in the Hudson Valley. He attends and advances quickly through the years there. He falls in love with another student named Alice. Along the way, he grows up, grows into his power, becomes a goose for a while, and learns some good lessons about controlling what you do. What you do eventually creates who you are.

I think that if you liked Harry Potter or ever wished you could find a Narnia of your own, you should read this book.

ok

So I'm slacking. I'm probably not going to get to the reviews on these three books:

The Sea of Monsters
Succubus Blues
Seeking Spirits: The Lost Cases of The Atlantic Paranormal Society

I did read them and I did enjoy them. But I think I've let too much time go in between finishing them and the review.

Up next: The Magicians by Lev Grossman.

Thanks for the shoutout, Lisa!

I owe you guys two reviews

They're going to be on The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan and Succubus Blues by Richelle Mead. I have some things to get done today but I should have them up for you by this evening.

I hope.

Sea Swept - Nora Roberts

Every NR fan I know has told me that I must read the Chesapeake Bay series. And "must" is always emphasized that way when they talk about it. I figured it should be good but I picked it up last year at the last book. I never blogged about it because I didn't want to go out of order here. lol ... yes, I know.

Anyway, Cameron Quinn came from a troubled past as did the rest of the boys that Stella and Ray Quinn adopted. She was unable to have kids so they kept their eye out for children who needed the assistance. Cam did. When they came across him thinking about stealing their Corvette, they never thought about it twice. Cam had been beaten severely and regular abuse from a mother who just didn't care left him wary and mistrusting of everyone. Ray and Stella assumed legal guardianship and fought to adopt him to give him a better life.

It took a while but eventually he came around and became part of the family. In time, they gave him brothers. Phillip and Ethan had gone through similar issues and eventually became absorbed into the family whole. They thought of themselves as brothers and they were at the heart of it.

Eventually, they grew up and left the nest as children so often do. Ethan stayed the closest, choosing to fish the waters of the river and bay. Phillip went into advertising in Baltimore. And Cameron went to Europe to race. I think he raced hydrofoils solely. They're those things that float just on top of the water. Our story really starts with Ray's accident.

He had collected another child and only had him for a few months when he ran into a telephone pole on the way back from Baltimore. It started a ripple effect for everyone connected with him. Cam came back from Europe. Ethan and Phillip moved back into the house after the funeral. Seth was still in a surly stage especially since he didn't really know Cam. He, like the rest of them, had been abused not only by his mother but by the men she brought home constantly. He trusted no one.

Enter Anna Spinelli, a social worker with a caring heart and an insight into the kind of troubles that can tear a child apart. Her only interest, at first, is the best interests of the child. She guides the Quinns through the process, all the while seeing that they're becoming a family unit. The inevitable happens (it IS a NR book after all) and she falls for Cam. Being male, he falls for her too but doesn't realize it until it's too late.

One question lingers over all of them. Was Ray's accident truly an accident or was it suicide?

The Lightning Thief - Rick Riordan

Poor Percy Jackson. He's special ... in an odd sort of way. He suffers from ADHD and dyslexia. Because of that, he is constantly getting into trouble. He doesn't mean to. He doesn't WANT to get into trouble; it just sort of happens to him. All sorts of weird things happen to him.

It's not until he turns 11 that he finds out why. Percy is special but not because he's a troubled kid. He's a demigod. Half human. Half Greek God. It's a further shock to find out exactly who his father is. It's not just any Greek god. It's Poseidon and that's where the fun starts.

For those who don't know, Poseidon is the god of water in Greek mythology. And since water exists just about everywhere, you can see why he's so powerful. Percy finds all this out and then goes to a special place to be protected and learn to refine his powers. Right up until Poseidon and Zeus start to fight.

He's then sent on a quest to locate something that has been stolen from Zeus and return it to the most powerful of gods on Olympus. Does he do it? I'm not telling.

I liked this book. It was fun. It was a fast read and it was engaging enough to make me go back for the second book in the series. I'll definitely keep reading.