Banned Books Week 2012 (Sept 30- Oct 6) ReadaThing?

I thought I had cross-posted this here, but apparently I forgot . . .
http://www.librarything.com/topic/141879

Anyone interested in a Banned Books ReadaThing during Banned Books Week?

I plan on reading banned/challenged books and posting about them that week, but there doesn't seem to be enough interest to do a full signup ReadaThing.

Hoping that others will join me anyway.

I'll probably won't be reading banned books exclusively (there's some stuff I need to finish for research), but I will certainly participate.

ETA: And thanks for the reminder. Since we don't have that dedicated week here in Holland, I was getting fuzzy about the dates.

I'm going to be reading and posting about banned books that week.

I'm kicking off Banned Books Week 2012 with
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
It's cute and sad and funny and won the National Book Award . . .
It was also banned and challenged:
"Banned in the Stockton, Missouri School District (2010) because of violence, language, and some sexual content. Retained in the Helena, Montana School District (2011) despite a parent’s objection that the book contained “obscene, vulgar and pornographic language.” This New York Times bestseller won the National Book Award in 2007 in the “Young People’s Literature” category, and is on many recommended book lists.
Sources: Newsletter on Intellectual Freedom: July 2010, p. 156; Sept. 2010, pp. 198–99; Nov. 2010, pp. 241, 243–44; Mar. 2011, pp. 73–74." From http://www.ala.org/advocacy/files/banned/bannedbooksweek/ideasandresources/free_...

Lucinda - I read Alexie's NOVEL, mystery, Indian Killer and it was one of my favorite all time myteries. It was a great book and I went right out to get his others, which are very different. What a great and imaginative writer, able to synthesize reality into fiction in such an amazing way. I had just picked up Indian Killer cause I like mysteries, having no idea what a real treat I was in for. Hope you enjoy True Diary!

A nice quick read. I definitely have trouble getting inside the head of teenage boys (I don't have brothers). It reminded me of Diary of a Wimpy Kid.

Switching gears now . . . either Reading Lolita in Tehran or To Kill a Mockingbird . . .

Started To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee today at the dentist. I can't believe I've never read this book.

Also started a "Banned or Challenged Books" list . . . check it out and add any that you know.
http://www.librarything.com/list/374/all/Banned-or-Challenged-Books

Eventually I'll enter most of those from the ALA lists.

Here's the ALA info on To Kill a Mockingbird:

Challenged in Eden Valley, MN (1977) and temporarily banned due to words "damn" and "whore lady" used in the novel. Challenged in the Vernon Verona Sherill, NY School District (1980) as a "filthy, trashy novel." Challenged at the Warren, IN Township schools (1981) because the book does "psychological damage to the positive integration process" and "represents institutionalized racism under the guise of good literature." After unsuccessfully trying to ban Lee's novel, three black parents resigned from the township human relations advisory council. Challenged in the Waukegan, IL School District (1984) because the novel uses the word "nigger." Challenged in the Kansas City, MO junior high schools (1985). Challenged at the Park Hill, MO Junior High School (1985) because the novel "contains profanity and racial slurs." Retained on a supplemental eighth grade reading list in the Casa Grande, AZ Elementary School District (1985), despite the protests by black parents and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People who charged the book was unfit for junior high use. Challenged at the Santa Cruz, CA Schools (1995) because of its racial themes. Removed from the Southwood High School Library in Caddo Parish, LA (1995) because the book's language and content were objectionable. Challenged at the Moss Point, MS School District (1996) because the novel contains a racial epithet. Banned from the Lindale, TX advanced placement English reading list (1996) because the book "conflicted with the values of the community." Challenged by a Glynn County, GA (2001) School Board member because of profanity. The novel was retained. Returned to the freshman reading list at Muskogee, OK High School (2001) despite complaints over the years from black students and parents about racial slurs in the text. Challenged in the Normal, IL Community High School's sophomore literature class (2003) as being degrading to African Americans. Challenged at the Stanford Middle School in Durham, NC (2004) because the 1961 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel uses the word "nigger." Challenged at the Brentwood, TN Middle School (2006) because the book contains “profanity” and “contains adult themes such as sexual intercourse, rape, and incest.” The complainants also contend that the book’s use of racial slurs promotes “racial hatred, racial division, racial separation, and promotes white supremacy.” 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. Removed (2009) from the St. Edmund Campion Secondary School classrooms in Brampton Ontario, Canada because a parent objected to language used in the novel, including the word “nigger."
From: http://www.ala.org/advocacy/banned/frequentlychallenged/challengedclassics/reaso...

Hi everybody!

I've started reading The Naked and the Dead by Norman Mailer. With 860 pages and a lot of work at my job I'm not so far I would like to have been.
It is an interesting story with many personal fates and it's really worse to read it.

I'll finish reading and I'll post my review probably next week.

I'm re-reading 1984 in honor of banned book week. I had hoped to get a couple more in, but instead will move them up in my reading queue: Of Mice and Men (re-read), The Good Earth

Officially, BBW is over, but I'm extending it for the rest of October.

I will be trying to finish up To Kill A Mockingbird today, with four baseball playoff games on in the background (Go Tigers! Go Reds!).

Also just picked up a copy of Satanic Verses from the library, so will start that next.

I read The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian by Sherman Alexie. I think it is very very silly that anyone thought to ban this book.

>11 Nickelini: Agreed, though I'm pretty sure any "young adult" book with any mention of sex at all has been challenged by parents somewhere . . .

I'm just about finished with To Kill A Mockingbird and, to be honest, if I had children, and they read it, there would be many issues I would feel needed extensive discussion: the various ways that African Americans are described, the ways rape is presented and discussed (including the idea that women lie about rape and/or that being friendly with a man "invites" rape), the presentation of poor rural people . . . .

Yes, the book does a good job of providing a critique of many of these issues by including characters with different views, but I would be concerned that much of the critique would go over the head of younger readers.

I'm against banning any book, but this one did make me realize how challenging it must be to be a parent. I can understand the urge to protect children from unpleasant topics, rather than go through the trouble of discussing them.

I've read this book for 'The Banned Books' week. I'm glad that I've chosen this one. I'm very impressed and it crept beneath the skin. The characters are thoroughly described and I got quickly familiar with each of them. It's written so lively that I've got the feeling sitting directly among them. All the protagonists are representatives for the population in their personality, thinking, belief, fear, bitchiness and hope. As a reader I've got strongly positives as well as negatives feelings for them. I started to support efforts for the weak ones and hated the unjustness of the evil ones.
I've no idea, why this book was once banned. Perhaps it's the language. In my opinion the language fits perfectly. In war time there can't be a milk and honey language, but a rough and brutal language seems to be more appropriate.
I can strongly recommend it. a German literary critic (Marcel Reich-Ranicki) said:

I'm not sure if many books about WWII will stay, but for 'The Naked And The Dead' it will be for sure.

For my favourite comment on The Naked and the Dead see then entry for 'fug' at
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Norman%20Mailer

Is that where that old band The Fugs got their name? Loved that first album.

@ 14
Eric: Thanks a lot for the link and your comment.