Book a Week 2021 - BW39: Banned Books Week

[Robin M]

Happy Sunday!  This week we celebrate Banned Books Week.  The theme for Banned Books Week this year is "Books Unite Us. Censorship Divides Us." Banned Books Week was created in 1982 by the American Library Association Office of Intellectual Freedom, in response to challenges and requests to ban books from libraries and bookstores due to their content. 

Poems and poetry collections, and poets have also been censored throughout history including Walt Whitman's Leaves of Grass. I have the book on my shelves, so will have to dive in to see what the fuss is all about.

According to the American Library Association the top ten most challenged books and the reasons why for the past year are:

1. "George by Alex Gino: Reasons: Challenged, banned, and restricted for LGBTQIA+ content, conflicting with a religious viewpoint, and not reflecting “the values of our community”
2. Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by Ibram X. Kendi and Jason Reynolds: Reasons: Banned and challenged because of author’s public statements, and because of claims that the book contains “selective storytelling incidents” and does not encompass racism against all people
3. All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely: Reasons: Banned and challenged for profanity, drug use, and alcoholism, and because it was thought to promote anti-police views, contain divisive topics, and be “too much of a sensitive matter right now”
4. Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson: Reasons: Banned, challenged, and restricted because it was thought to contain a political viewpoint and it was claimed to be biased against male students, and for the novel’s inclusion of rape and profanity
5. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie: Reasons: Banned and challenged for profanity, sexual references, and allegations of sexual misconduct by the author
6. Something Happened in Our Town: A Child’s Story About Racial Injustice by Marianne Celano, Marietta Collins, and Ann Hazzard, illustrated by Jennifer Zivoin: Reasons: Challenged for “divisive language” and because it was thought to promote anti-police views
7. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee: Reasons: Banned and challenged for racial slurs and their negative effect on students, featuring a “white savior” character, and its perception of the Black experience
8. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck: Reasons: Banned and challenged for racial slurs and racist stereotypes, and their negative effect on students
9. The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison: Reasons: Banned and challenged because it was considered sexually explicit and depicts child sexual abuse
10. The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas: Reasons: Challenged for profanity, and it was thought to promote an anti-police message."

Celebrate your freedom to read a banned or challenged book this week!

******************

Count of Monte Cristo

Chapter 91. Mother and Son
Chapter 92. The Suicide
Chapter 93. Valentine 

 

Link to week 38

 

Visit 52 Books in 52 Weeks where you can find all the information on the annual, mini and perpetual challenges, as well as share your book reviews with other readers around the globe.

 

Edited September 26, 2021 by Robin M
Fixed Links

[Robin M]

I finished True Dead by Faith Hunter this week. So good with many surprises, a lot of vampire history and politics while Jane figures out her role as Dark Queen. I don't want to spoil it until you all @mumto2, @melmichigan, @Kareni have had a chance to read it. 

Currently reading a contemporary g rated romance series The Hudson Sisters by Mariah Stewart and on the 3rd book The Goodbye Cafe.

Good story about two estranged sisters and a half sister they didn't know about who are forced to work together to renovate an old theatre in order to earn their inheritance from mutual father.  

Have also read Stewart's Chesapeake Diaries series as well as all her romance suspense FBI Books which are quite good. 

 

[Negin]

Robin, thank you for the thread. 

I read Born Standing Up; A Comic's Life - 2 Stars (Just okay, nothing to write home about)

[Negin]

Having read Bibliophile a while back, I thought to share some pictures of this gorgeous place in Tokyo. 

This is Daikanyama Tsutaya in Tokyo. It was designed "to feel like a library in the woods, Daikanyama T-Site is composed of three buildings connected by a central corridor known as Magazine Street. Each pavilion is clad in latticelike screens of interlocking Ts and low-emissivity glass, which reflects the surrounding trees. Inside, the Anjin Lounge is decorated with a screen by contemporary artist Masatake Kosaki and a bar and tables made of secondhand books.

Readers will not only find rooms upon rooms of books - Japanese and Western titles covering food, travel, cars and motorcycles, architecture and design, art, humanities, and literature side by side - but also CD and DVD archives, and a stationery section that even includes quill pens.

A second-floor salon specializes in vintage magazines, featuring more than 30,000 Japanese and international issues, mostly from the 1960s and '70s.

The T-site complex also includes a lounge, a travel concierge, a toy store, a camera shop, a vet, and a pet hotel."

[Granny_Weatherwax]

Thank you, Robin.

I just posted about Banned Book Week on Facebook. Of the ten books on this year's notable list, I have already read 5. Not because they were banned but simply because. I need to find one of the others for this week's read/listen.

I'm still working on Non-Fic Sept. but stepped away this past few days and read a book that came in through the library: The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave. This was touted as the Reese Witherspoon Book Club book of the summer and I had to wait months in the queue before I received it. It was an okay read. Fast paced, easy. It did not jump out at me as THE book of the summer. I felt it could have used a bit of polish as it tended to repeat it itself in some places (like the author wasn't certain how she wanted to say something, put in both versions, and forgot to remove one before publication). I'm also not a big fan of sentence fragments in literature. Yes, it's how we speak and often how we write on social media (I do it here) but it bugs me while I'm reading a book. It also bothered me that everything is resolved in 3-5 days. The resolution is unbelievable in that amount of time. Not a lot of character development and I did not like the protagonist. I gave it 3 stars.

 

What I did find interesting was a neat bookplate affixed to the first page. It was titled Mark of the Reader and had a series of columns beneath it. I Googled it and couldn't find anything so, assuming it was a place for the reader to leave a sign they had read the book, I drew a small flower on the first line. The book was brand new (an additional copy acquired by the library to ease the burden on the queue) so there was no example to follow.  Have any of you seen something like this on a library book? I think it's pretty neat.

I did something similar with The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society earlier this year. I wrote a short note and affixed it to the back of the paperback cover. I asked readers to sign the book with initials and location and pass it along. I included an email address to which they could send an email stating they had read the book and passed it along. I would then send a homemade bookmark if they wanted one. Unfortunately, the person I mailed the book to has not read it and it's sitting in her home. Maybe one day it will get passed along.

 

@Negin - I think I'm going to make an upcycled book table. There is something warm and cozy about those tables. I'm sure they are heavy, even if you leave the center hollow and only use the books along the outer portion. Thank you so much for sharing that library with us.

[Kareni]

I recently finished Gravedigger's Brawl by Abigail Roux.

I'm not sorry that I read this contemporary romance, but it was a little too eerie for my taste. (Adult content)

"Dr. Wyatt Case is never happier than when he’s walking the halls of his history museum. Playing wingman for his best friend at Gravedigger’s Tavern throws him way out of his comfort zone, but not as much as the eccentric man behind the bar, Ash Lucroix.

Ash is everything Wyatt doesn’t understand: exuberant, quirky, and elbow deep in a Gaslight lifestyle that weaves history into everyday life. He coordinates his suspenders with his tongue rings. Within hours, Wyatt and Ash are hooked.

But strange things are afoot at Gravedigger’s, and after a knock to the head, Ash starts seeing things that can’t be explained by old appliances or faulty wiring. Soon everyone at Gravedigger’s is wondering if they’re seeing ghosts, or just going crazy. The answer to that question could end more than just Wyatt and Ash’s fragile relationship—it might also end their lives."

Regards,

Kareni

[Kareni]

Some bookish posts ~

7 Speculative Stories About Stories

https://www.tor.com/2021/09/01/7-speculative-stories-about-stories/

Virtual Vacay–My Father’s Island by Jilly Wood

https://eightladieswriting.com/2021/03/21/jilly-virtual-vacay-my-fathers-island/#comments

Five Extremely Unscientific Methods for Picking Your Next Book

https://www.tor.com/2021/09/07/five-extremely-unscientific-methods-for-picking-your-next-book/

Regards,

Kareni

[mumto2]

I have been too distracted trying to finish JD Robb (Nora Roberts) latest In Death book to post on the thread.  First Hubby and our morning walk interrupted a nice morning snuggled up with a good book and I never made it back to ether the book or BaW........but I have been to the zoo!😂. I can’t believe it’s the 53rd episode of Eve and Roarke and I am still riveted every single time. I already have number 54 on hold!😂. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56269213-forgotten-in-death?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=ZCbfHGMLsH&rank=1 

My audiobooks for the week are exactly the same series as last week I believe.....more Libary Lover’s and more of my favorite ghost in the wool shop. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24453044-knot-the-usual-suspects
 

I also had a chance to read the latest Elly Griffith https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53997118-the-night-hawks. I always enjoy Ruth and Nelson and sort of live in hope that they will finally be a couple!

[tuesdayschild]

I ended up with a small gush of holds becoming available, a great problem to have though it has required some juggling and returns, so I’ve ended up starting a few books all at once.

I’m enjoying my first few chapters in Becoming Jane Austen ~ Jon Spence,  and here are the other titles I’m sip reading from:

Prince Philip Revealed: A Man of His Century ~ Ingrid Seward, narrated by Julie Teal (12h 9m)

The Diary of a Bookseller ~ Shaun Bythell, narrated by Robin Laing (9h 41m)  Even though this doesn’t have super high ratings on Goodreads, so far, 15% in, I’m finding it interesting and entertaining, and discovering titles I’m not familiar with (ie: Any Human Heart ~ John Boyd).

Help, I'm Drowning: Weathering the Storms of Life with Grace and Hope ~ Sally Clarkson  (256pgs)

Emily Dennistoun ~ D. E. Stevenson, narrated by Emma D'Inverno (9h 3m)

[Junie]

So I've finished quite a few books since I last listed what I'm reading:

First, some puppy books for the girls:

Bailey's Story

Toby's Story

Shelby's Story

Bella's Story

These are cute books, although some are scarier than others

Then some books for me:

Taken at the Flood -- Agatha Christie

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn -- I've been wanting to read this for a long time.  It didn't disappoint -- the writing is lovely -- but it is long.

The Prayer that Changes Everything -- Stormie Omartian

A book for learning French (I'm a beginner...):

Les Enfants de la Bible

And... I finished:

The Count of Monte Cristo -- I really enjoyed it, but once I got to about 85 percent finished, I just kept going. :)  This will definitely be a re-read in a decade.

[Kareni]

Currently FREE to Kindle readers ~

Movie Club Mysteries: Books 1-3 by Zara Keane

Urban Farm Fresh Romance Series 1-3 (An Urban Farm Fresh Romance Box Set series Book 1) by Valerie Comer 

An Unexpected Family (Orphan Train Romance Series, Book 1): A Clean Historical Western Romance by Zoe Matthews

Heart Of Fire (Legends of the Storm Book 1) by Bec McMaster

The Last Sky (Atrophy Book 1) by Jess Anastasi

ETA: The Wedding List: A sweet and clean Christian reunion romance set in London (Love In Store Book 1) by Autumn Macarthur

Regards,

Kareni

[Kareni]

I was up late last night finishing The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood; I quite enjoyed this contemporary romance. It made me reflect on some of my own grad school experiences -- Chemistry in my case versus Biology for the book's heroine. I look forward to the author's next book. (Adult content)

"As a third-year Ph.D. candidate, Olive Smith doesn't believe in lasting romantic relationships--but her best friend does, and that's what got her into this situation. Convincing Anh that Olive is dating and well on her way to a happily ever after was always going to take more than hand-wavy Jedi mind tricks: Scientists require proof. So, like any self-respecting biologist, Olive panics and kisses the first man she sees.

That man is none other than Adam Carlsen, a young hotshot professor--and well-known ass. Which is why Olive is positively floored when Stanford's reigning lab tyrant agrees to keep her charade a secret and be her fake boyfriend. But when a big science conference goes haywire, putting Olive's career on the Bunsen burner, Adam surprises her again with his unyielding support and even more unyielding...six-pack abs.

Suddenly their little experiment feels dangerously close to combustion. And Olive discovers that the only thing more complicated than a hypothesis on love is putting her own heart under the microscope."

Regards,

Kareni

[Kareni]

This is the final week of my reading challenge on a different site. This week's challenge was to read a book whose cover art you love. I wouldn't say that I "love" the covers of these books, but they are all attractive to my eye. (Adult content)

++Tattoos & Teacups by Anna Martin
This romance featured men who were quite different -- Robert (Scottish, tea drinking, rather staid 32 year old professor of literature) and Chris (23 year old, tattooed, motorcycle riding, rock band and symphonic percussionist). I almost didn't finish the book several times in the first half, but then the book became more engaging. I'd describe the book as low angst. 

**

Honeytrap by Aster Glenn Gray

I quite enjoyed this cold war era romance featuring an FBI agent and a Soviet agent who are paired to find the person behind an unsuccessful assassination attempt on Khrushchev during his 1959 visit to the US. The first segment of the book takes place over three months or so as the men drive through various states seeking information; during this time, they get to know and care for each other. The next two sections take place a number of years later. I expect to re-read this book.

**
 A Ferry of Bones & Gold by Hailey Turner
This book has mages, werewolves, seers, vampires, demons, succubi, Greek and Norse gods and goddesses manipulating others to their own ends, witches, a number of governmental agencies, and let's not forget the villains; I'd describe it as busy! Our main leads are Patrick (a mage with metaphysical, physical, and emotional scars) who is sent to NYC to work on a serial killer case and Jono (a British alpha werewolf who is packless in NYC). This is the first book in a series; I enjoyed it, but I'm unsure whether I'll read on. 

**
Dalí by E.M. Hamill
This science fiction work is set in space in the future; the title character is an empath, an ambassador, and a changeling third-gender (an intersex human able to assume a male or female form at will). Dalí's husband, wife, and unborn child were killed in a bombing six months ago and, when the novel begins, Dalí is grieving. Other third-gender changelings have gone missing from various worlds, and Dalí is recruited to go undercover to learn more. I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading the sequel. 

Regards,

Kareni

[Kareni]

I just finished Murder in Material Gain: A Doyle & Acton Mystery by Anne Cleeland; it's the new Acton and Doyle book (attention @mumto2), and I enjoyed revisiting the characters. This is the latest book in a series that needs to be read in order.

Yesterday I read the novella The Furthest Station by Ben Aaronovitch; I enjoyed it. This is part of the Rivers of London series, another series that should be read in order.

Regards,

Kareni

[mumto2]

@KareniI need to go ahead and finish the Doyle and Acton series.  I keep getting side tracked by my hold’s list which I am incredibly efficient at keeping full!  I probably hesitate more because I know they are reliably good which makes no sense!
 

i have been reading cozies this week.  Nothing seriously awesome just happy bookish cozies (library lovers) and more of my wool shop ghost.  I am currently reading the latest Lady Adelaide which has a ghost if anyone is looking for spooky. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56438130-farewell-blues and listening to a bookshop ghost in a Cleo Colten series that @Robin M has also read https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1332918.The_Ghost_and_the_Dead_Man_s_Library?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=kHwmvRkNhg&rank=2

[bookbard]

I missed two sequels to Juliet McKenna's Green Man series, so it was good to find both and start reading them. I have tried to read McKenna before but this has been the only series I've enjoyed as it is 'urban fantasy' rather than 'high fantasy'. Set in modern day UK (the most recent book is set during lockdown, first book like that I've read), it has a lot of British fantasy eg dryads, the Green Man, Swan Maidens, dragons (wyrms) etc. The Green Man's Heir eBook by Juliet E. McKenna - 9781908039675 | Rakuten Kobo United Kingdom

[Kareni]

2 hours ago, bookbard said:

...Juliet McKenna's Green Man series...

Thank you! This does sound intriguing, bookbard, so I've downloaded a sample.

3 hours ago, mumto2 said:

@KareniI need to go ahead and finish the Doyle and Acton series....

You do! I've realized that I don't read the books for the mystery aspects so much as to revisit the characters.

Regards,

Kareni

[Kareni]

And speaking of revisiting characters, I just finished rereading  Stray  ETA: and  Lab Rat One  by Andrea K. Höst which I enjoyed once again. NOTE: Stray is FREE for US Kindle readers. The book is appropriate for teen and adult readers.

"On her last day of high school, Cassandra Devlin walked out of exams and into a forest. Surrounded by the wrong sort of trees, and animals never featured in any nature documentary, Cass is only sure of one thing: alone, she will be lucky to survive.

The sprawl of abandoned blockish buildings Cass discovers offers her only more puzzles. Where are the people? What is the intoxicating mist which drifts off the buildings in the moonlight? And why does she feel like she's being watched?

Increasingly unnerved, Cass is overjoyed at the arrival of the formidable Setari. Whisked to a world as technologically advanced as the first was primitive, where nanotech computers are grown inside people's skulls, and few have any interest in venturing outside the enormous whitestone cities, Cass finds herself processed as a 'stray', a refugee displaced by the gates torn between worlds. Struggling with an unfamiliar language and culture, she must adapt to virtual classrooms, friends who can teleport, and the ingrained attitude that strays are backward and slow.

Can Cass ever find her way home? And after the people of her new world discover her unexpected value, will they be willing to let her leave?"

Regards,

Kareni

[bookbard]

1 hour ago, Kareni said:

Thank you! This does sound intriguing, bookbard, so I've downloaded a sample.

5 hours ago, mumto2 said:

There is actually another series which is similar but is m/m which I know you read. I can't remember what it is called offhand, but I will look it up later. It wasn't bad but I preferred the other series.

[Kareni]

Yes, please do let me know, @bookbard.

Regards,

Kareni

[Robin M]

It's been a stressful week so I dove into the last book in the Wheel of Time, A Memory of Light which is the distraction I needed. 

We're trying to re finance our SBA mortgage loan from variable to fixed so lots of paperwork and lots of questions.  Fingers crossed the bank will approve the loan. 

Would appreciate some prayers and good vibes for my sister and her family. All their reasons why not to vaccinate turned out to be bad ones. I am so mad at her right now.  She, my niece and nephew have Covid.  My nephew Joe is in ICU with double pneumonia as well as blood clot in one lung.  They were talking of possibly intubating soon.  

[Kareni]

Sending good wishes, @Robin M, for your sister and her family and peace of mind for you.

Regards,

Kareni

[Junie]

Praying for your family, Robin. 😞  I have family members who also refuse to vaccinate.  It's hard.

[bookbard]

20 hours ago, Kareni said:

Yes, please do let me know, @bookbard.

 

Silver in the Wood (The Greenhollow Duology, #1) by Emily Tesh (goodreads.com) - found it!

[Kareni]

4 minutes ago, bookbard said:

Silver in the Wood (The Greenhollow Duology, #1) by Emily Tesh (goodreads.com) - found it!

Thank you for searching! Funnily enough, I have read that. It's good to know you found the other series more enjoyable.

Regards

Kareni

[bookbard]

I'm finding the book set during early UK Covid (summer 2020) both interesting and slightly 'triggering' - I am a bit stressed re Covid right now as we are in a lockdown and so usually I read to escape. On the other hand, it is fascinating to realise how far we've come since then, with vaccines available and better medicines. 

5 hours ago, Robin M said:

My nephew Joe is in ICU with double pneumonia as well as blood clot in one lung.  They were talking of possibly intubating soon.  

Robin, I am very sorry to hear this. All the best for your family. 

[Robin M]

Link to week 40