Ask me how much I love this necklace. Yeah, it’s a little clunky, but if you’re a dedicated reader and you agree that censorship is a dirty whore, it makes quite a statement.
I Read Banned Books Necklace.
Love the name. I remember being a child/teen and being so absorbed in stories, so carried away by them. They were crucial to my existence. And, once or twice, I did read by flashlight. Hell, I’m still a sucker for a booklight. Every freaking time.
So, there’s a site. Flashlight Worthy Books. And it has reading lists. Over 300 of them. Awesome? I think so.
Seriously, take a look at some of these.
Heh. I just made a list of booklists. But, seriously, go there, now, and find your own must-reads.
Almost forgot to add: I follow FLW books on Twitter. Always great info on books, authors, and–naturally–lists. You should, too.
I had a yay! moment when I received this.
Dear Lori,
This is just a friendly email to confirm that your request for the book ‘Helter Skelter : The True Story Of The Manson Murders’ by Vincent Bugliosi, Curt Gentry has been accepted into our system at PaperBackSwap. In the next couple of days you should receive an email stating that the book is on its way!
You know, like normal people would when someone says, “I baked you some cookies.”
I’m almost finished with this book, and I’ll probably update this post when I do, but I just wanted to jot down some observations about the book. I’m not a reviewer, and there’s a good reason for that. I’d have a hard time slamming a book even if it really deserved it (not that this one does–I usually take the ‘if you don’t have something good to say’ road) and as strange as it sounds from a writer, I don’t think I have the words. Despite my attempts to prove otherwise, you really can only say awesome so many times (I do try to limit it to one per post).
Having said all of that, I’ll tell you what I liked about this book. First, I didn’t know it was novelized non-fiction until I received it and read the flap copy. I’d watched the movie, and my general rule of thumb is if I like the movie, I’ll love the book. There’s just more to a book, and it’s usually more of what you loved about the movie in the first place (if the moviemakers did a good job). So, that was my sole basis for ordering it. I was not disappointed.
It may be because I did see the movie, and the actors done an amazing job, but the characters are all just so real and yet, at the same time, so eccentric and out there. (My fave? Chablis. The Lady Chablis, to you!) How hard can it be to make real people interesting? My guess: plenty hard. We’re boring! Think of all the hoops you have to jump through to make a fake person seem real enough and yet elicit some emotion or connection to the reader. And you get to create them made-to-order!
I also loved the setting. This is a perfect example of a setting being a character in the book. Savannah. It’s beautiful, and secluded, and dark, and crazy. A lot like most of the characters in the book, actually.
I also found this out: Kevin Spacey looks a LOT like Jim Williams. Or he did in the movie. But then I love Kevin Spacey–but that’s another blog.
What I didn’t love? The book is a bit of a slow starter. I don’t mind that, I read Stephen King, but in the world of romance writing this is one of those Rules-with-a-capital-R: start your story when the action starts. Or something to that effect. Look up the Rules, you’ll see what I mean. It’s also said that there are a lot of romance novels released (true) and you’ve got to get the reader’s attention right away.
Either way, I’d highly recommend the book.
I’m linking today to a beautifully written site. It’s the heartbroke daily and the stories there are the type that stay with you, haunt you, jog your memory and your senses, and make you feel like you’ve just taken a deep, secret peek into someone else’s life. Whether you’re a reader or a writer, you will find satisfaction and inspiration there.
Hey, get over it. It’s not like Santa forgot Christmas or something. ANYWAY, going on the all writers are readers theory (I totally just made that a tag), which I have invoked several times, I believe, I found these adorable custom name stamps while looking for book plates on etsy. Also, one of them has the sample name “Blythe,” which called to me since my mom harassed gently attempted to persuade me to name one of my daughters that. Maybe I’ll use it in a book. But she’ll probably be a totally evil villainess. Or the catty town slut. Oh, yeah. I’m liking that one.
I give up. I can’t fight this feeling anymore. I want a kindle!
You can pick out a book and buy it, for a lesser price, in minutes. You can take it anywhere. Imagine how easily this baby would fit in your purse. If I had a kindle, I’d never go anywhere without it. It’d be like my American Express. I can’t imagine any reader not being in love with this baby. And, since writers are readers first… it’s today’s Material Girl pick.
And, on that premise, the thing I am intensely lusting for is… this. I nearly choked on my coffee when I happened to see it in an email from Overstock this week.
Want to hear something amusing? It occurred to me that my mother might read this, or my aunt, both of whom I love dearly (who will call me on this)…and I nearly censored myself. Ironic? I think so. So sorry Mom and Auntie T., but that’s just what censorship is.
Ooookay, and this post starts now. Today’s link is to 25 Banned Books That You Should Read Today.
The idea of banning books amazes me. The only reason I can think of that libraries and schools would ban books is because parents are too lazy to parent their children. We’re not talking going into the corner store and buying a dirty mag, here. We’re talking Bridge to Terabithia, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, and Harry freaking Potter (which I personally push on my kids like crack–it’s a damn good story. That’s right. I said it. I read children’s books. I’m not a book snob sobiteme.).
Granted, American Psycho is on there as well. And, honestly, I felt a little squeamish reading it when my daughter was in the same room. But banned? No. What about The Color Purple? Sure, there’s the beating and the molesting and teen pregnancy and lesbianism, but at it’s core is a beautiful story of hope, of a woman, several women, overcoming crippling adversity and finding themselves. In the world we live in, maybe it’d be a good thing for a kid who is able to read at this level to understand there are worse things in the world than NOT getting an iPod Nano in orange. You know who you are, Miss C.
So, to summarize. Censorship is a dirty whore. Sharing books with your children, discussing them, and guiding them with literature is… whatever the opposite of a dirty whore is. A clean lady who only has sex for free? Whatever.
I know, I missed the schedule this week. I promise to do better next week, though I make no promises beyond that. Except I’ll try to do better. Really.
Instead of posting, among the day to day blah, I was reading Mirror, Mirror by Gregory Maguire (he of Wicked fame, linked in the Sites to See section, fyi). I don’t know what it is about these stories of his, but he manages to take a story that we know so well, it’s part of our psyche, turn it into something completely different, and yet… the same. The stories suck you in, and it’s not Snow White you’re reading about, it’s Bianca de Nevada, and her father, and the dwarves–Heartless and Mute, Mute, Mute, to name a couple–and the Borgias (real dead people, Lucrezia being cast as the evil stepmother/witch, jealous of “Snow White’s” beauty).
Anyway, all I can say is: if Gregory Maguire wrote it, you should read it. Right now.
