Banned Book Week : Top 10 Banned Books for 2009

Like I said, this week's blogs will be dedicated to Banned Book Week and spreading awareness. The American Library Association listed the top 10 banned books for 2009, and many of them are well-known favorites.

The top 10 are as follows.

1. ttyl; ttfn; l8r, g8r (series), by Lauren Myracle
Reasons: drugs, nudity, offensive language, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group

2. And Tango Makes Three, by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson
Reasons: homosexuality

3. The Perks of Being A Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky
Reasons: anti-family, drugs, homosexuality, offensive language, religious viewpoint, sexually explicit, suicide, unsuited to age group

4. To Kill A Mockingbird, by Harper Lee
Reasons: offensive language, racism, unsuited to age group

5. Twilight (series) by Stephenie Meyer
Reasons: religious viewpoint, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group

6. Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger
Reasons: offensive language, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group

7. My Sister’s Keeper, by Jodi Picoult
Reasons: homosexuality, offensive language, religious viewpoint, sexism, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group, violence

8. The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big, Round Things, by Carolyn Mackler
Reasons: offensive language, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group

9. The Color Purple, by Alice Walker
Reasons: offensive language, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group

10. The Chocolate War, by Robert Cormier
Reasons: nudity, offensive language, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group

I've read several, including The Color Purple and To Kill a Mockingbird, and not once did I think the subjects were inappropriate. Surprisingly enough, the reasons for banning the book seem to be popular topics and focus in society, and most people encounter these issues in everyday life.

Point Park University's Library : A great place to explore.

For those of you that don't know, I am a student at Point Park University in downtown Pittsburgh. Surprisingly, our library is great. They have tons of books and a variety of resources. I figured I'd give everyone a quick tour ( I am also attempting to learn to take decent photos. As you can see, I'm still learning.)

Banned Book Week ! Sept 25 - Oct 2 2010

For those of you who don't know, and for those that do as well, Septmember 25-October 2 is Banned Book Week. The week long event, according to the American Library Association, is an  "annual event celebrating the freedom to read and the importance of the First Amendment."

Banned Book Week is meant to draw attention to the harms of censorship by focusing on actual banned books in the U.S. The ALA stresses the importance of intellectual freedom, or the freedom to access information and express your ideas. This emphasis is the basis for the week.

As I visited the ALA web site I found a shocking figure. According to the site, over the last nine years American libraries were faced with 4,312 challenges.

• 1,413 challenges due to “sexually explicit” material;
• 1,125 challenges due to “offensive language”;
• 897 challenges due to material deemed “unsuited to age group”;
• 514 challenges due to “violence”
• 344 challenges due to “homosexuality”; and

Another, "109 materials were challenged because they were “anti-family,” and an additional 269 were challenged because of their “religious viewpoints.”

The site explained that "1,502 of these challenges (approximately 34%) were in classrooms; 33% were in school libraries; 23% (or 1,032) took place in public libraries.  There were 100 challenges to college classes; and only 29 to academic libraries.  There are isolated cases of challenges to materials made available in or by prisons, special libraries, community groups, and student groups.  The majority of challenges were initiated by parents (almost exactly 48%), while patrons and administrators followed behind (10%).

When I read this, my jaw dropped. Most notably when I saw that 100 challenges have come from college classes. My thought was that college was the time to experience new literature and readings.


Nonetheless, in honor of this week, and because I think that this is really interesting, I am going to dedicate the blog to helping spread awareness.


 All information and statics can be found at the American Library Assoication - http://www.ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/banned/frequentlychallenged/21stcenturychallenged/index.cfm . In the meantime, feel free to visit for more inforamtion !

Looking for a Great Way to Relax ? Pick up a Book !

I tend to be a high-strung person by nature, and over the years I've found two things that help me relax and clear my head- reading and exercise. While there are other benefits to working out, nothing is better than coming home at the end of the day and picking up a book.

Originally used at Book Blog

There is just something about focusing on the words that seems to melt everything else away. Books provide us with an escape, a way to forget about that big test or to forget about the work load pilling up.

While reading tends to be relaxing, there are others benefit from picking up a book. Reading allows the mind to branch out, and according to Impact Publishing (http://impactpublishingonline.com/index.php/reading/), those that read on a regular basis have improved moods.

And although your reading that book on sports or that love story for fun, it can also help to increase your brain function and teach you better grammar and comprehension.

It has even been shown that reading at least once a week can prevent illnesses such as dementia (http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/06/18/earlyshow/contributors/emilysenay/main559301.shtml).

I can't tell you the number of times that I've been stressed out  and picked up a book. Just yesterday I had trouble sleeping  because I was worrying about pointless stuff. So I picked up a book and after ten minutes, I fell asleep.  Out cold.

So the next time you start to worry about your research paper, pick up a book and read. It doesn't have to be for an extended period of time, just 15 minutes to a half an hour. Afterward, you'll feel like a new person !

Gawker and the New York Review of Books- Great lists and previews of what's to come !

So while I'm waiting for some more feed back, which once I get I will settle into a routine, I've decided to search around for some interesting sites that feature books or reading.

And so far, the result have been pretty satisfying. Gawker recently came to my attention by accident. I've always heard that fall, and depending on who you talk to summer, are the best times of year to read. So I google searched "best times to read," and up pops Gawker with a list of books to read this fall. Most of which are recent releases or books to be released in the upcoming months.

Several of the titles I've seen quite a bit in recent weeks in promotions and such. I thought I'd share, and give you a preview of what I hope to accomplish- a weekly list of ten or so books accompanied by a short synopsis/review. It's an attractive site, and after reading previews/reviews of books I think its time to add to my Goodreads account before I forget !

Also, one of my readers, ABR, recommended the New York Review of Books. The New York Review of books, according to its web site, is "the premier literary-intellectual magazine in the English language." The site discusses current books and issues in depth.

While Gawker seems to have something for everybody, the The New York Book Review is for more of the niche reader. It's a great site and interesting to read, but the content maybe not be for everyone.

Anyways, check them and see for yourself. In the meantime, don't forget to tell me what genres interest you !

Gawker -http://gawker.com/5636022/what-to-read-this-fall

The New York Review of Books-http://www.nybooks.com/

Nook Adventures Part 1 : It Really Works !

So writing this blog has given me a new found hope for using my nook, and I've been playing with it for couple of days now with no luck. When I was just about to abandoned all hope yet again, the boyfriend surprised me.

(He's very upset by the fact that I've had it for almost three months now and I haven't read a book on it.)

Being the nice guy he is, he took it upon himself to set up my account. For those that aren't familiar with the nook, in order to buy books and ( correct me if I am wrong) to borrow books, you must have an account. The account requires a credit card number. Each time you purchase a book, the purchase immediately goes onto your card. While it sounds simple enough, I am not brave enough to own a credit card.

Regardless, after months of it sitting in my desk I finally picked it up and purchased my first book. I decided to try Charlie Wilson's War, and once I get deeper in, I'll post a review. In the meantime, the nook feels almost foreign. It is so different, yet so easy to hold and read compared to a book.

While I love the fact that the commands are done through a touch screen, I dislike the fact that there is not a back light. While a light can be purchased off of the Barnes & Noble web site, it is just like a normal book light, and seems a bit awkward.

But aside from the lack of light, it truly seems like it is and will be a great investment. And I'm pretty sure you can e-borrow text books. My goal is to eventually blog about this after I do some more research. I'm not sure if your college or university has to have an account or anything like that. If anyone knows more feel free to send a comment. I'm sure we would all appreciate it !

Due to the fact that I am still learning how navigate my way around ( I will say though that it is very easy to use ) I figured I'd post this video from YouTube. The creator offers an in depth look at the nook and it's features. Enjoy !

What Do You Like To Read ?

It seems that with the older generations, they find a genre and stick with it. But that doesn't seem to be the case for college students. It seems, at least to me, that we read whatever meets our fancy.

My goal is to provide you with a what I'm going to call, "the weekly list." This list will contain ten books, each accompanied by a short synopsis and possible reviews. But before I start this,I want to know what other college students are interested in. Do you like short stories or poetry? What meets your fancy? Take my poll and help me. The results will help me provide you with what you are looking for. And who knows, maybe I'll find something new to read.

Can't remember ? Get Goodreads.

I am always finding a new book that I want to read, and it always seems to happen at the most inopportune times. To make matters worse, I'm one of those people who needs to write things down, otherwise I forget.

So I write them down on a piece of paper and start a "reading list." But this list always seems to disappear. With the stress of the semester, I forget where I put the original list, make a new one, and eventually misplace that one too. Well after hundreds of "misplaced lists, I've finally found a solution. Goodreads. Goodreads is a web site that allows users to create reading lists online. The site is easy to navigate and offers numerous reading related activities. Users can create a profile, meet and find friends, post their favorite literary quotes and find events such as author readings in their area. The site also allows users to review and recommend books.

Although I am still getting familiar with the site, I am really impressed with it. It provides even the occasional reader with a plethora of information and books. And best of all, other than the fact that I CAN'T misplace it, is that it is FREE to join ! Check it out !


http://www.goodreads.com/

A New Journey

I've always felt that starting a new book was like starting a new adventure. From the moment I opened the cover, as long as it is interesting, to the moment I snap it shut I immerse myself into the pages. (I'm one of those people who always try to relate to the characters and the scene). And if it is truly interesting read, I can't put the book down.

This blog, in a sense, is like reading a book. Each new post is a journey. While you are hoping to find something interesting, I'm looking to both provide useful tid bits and to learn along the way.

Many of my how-to posts will especially be a learning experience for me. For my recent birthday the amazing boyfriend bought me a nook. I was so happy I screamed. That excitement has dwindled since I've first attempted to turn it on in July. Hopefully we can teach each other, and I mean those technically inclined, some helpful tips for using the thing.

So join me for this hopefully long and eventful journey into the literary world through the eyes of a fellow college student.