Thanks to everyone who stopped by, left a comment, and perhaps tweeted about Banned Books week! I've gone ahead and selected my two winners and they are:
Please email me at elschneider@hotmail.com with the following:
1. Full Name
2. Your top 3 banned book titles in order of your preference (in case The Book Depository is sold out).
3. Your mailing address where you'd like your book shipped
Thanks again and happy reading!
For as long as I'm a writer and reader, I'll always support the FREADOM to read. And I've never hidden the fact I believe that what I read, is my own decision - and not that of someone else.
So I'm proud to yet again support Banned Books Week by participating in the 2nd Annual Banned Books Week giveaway hop, hosted by the lovely ladies over at I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and I Read Banned Books.
As posted on the American Library Association website, Banned Books Week (BBW) is an annual event celebrating the freedom to read and the importance of the First Amendment. This is something the ALA has been supporting for years - in fact, this year marks their 30th anniversary of supporting the freedom to read!
Which is a good thing, because unfortunately the list of banned books is long - and grows longer every year. And we all know some of the classics that have been included on this list:
TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD, by Harper Lee, 1960: Harper Lee’s great American tome stands as proof positive that the censorious impulse is alive and well in our country, even today. For some educators, the Pulitzer-prize winning book is one of the greatest texts teens can study in an American literature class. Others have called it a degrading, profane and racist work that “promotes white supremacy.”
THE SCARLET LETTER, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, 1850: According to many critics, Hawthorne should have been less friendly toward his main character, Hester Prynne (in fairness, so should have minister Arthur Dimmesdale). One isn’t surprised by the moralist outrage the book caused in 1852. But when, one hundred and forty years later, the book is still being banned because it is sinful and conflicts with community values, you have to raise your eyebrows. Parents in one school district called the book “pornographic and obscene” in 1977. Clearly this was before the days of the World Wide Web.
WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE by the late, great, Maurice Sendak, 1963: Sendak’s work is beloved by children in the generations since its publication and has captured the collective imagination. Many parents and librarians, however, did much hand-wringing over the dark and disturbing nature of the story. They also wrung their hands over the baby’s penis drawn in In the Night Kitchen.
And as posted on the BannedBooksWeek.org website, according to the ALA, there were 326 challenges reported to the Office of Intellectual Freedom in 2011 - and many more have gone unreported. And the 10 most challenged titles of 2011 were:
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So to celebrate this great week, what's up for grabs you might ask?
The giveaway will run from Friday, September 28th - Saturday, October 6th and I'll be announcing my winners on Sunday, October 7th.
A few housekeeping rules:
PLEASE be honest with your entries. If you commit to leaving a comment - then do so! I review all entries for accuracy and honesty and reserve the right to remove any invalid entries.
Remember to stop on over at I Read Banned Books and I Am A Reader, Not A Writer to check out all of the other great participants in this blog hop!
Cracked Up to Be by Courtney Summers
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Goodreads Summary:
When "Perfect" Parker Fadley starts drinking at school and failing her classes, all of St. Peter's High goes on alert. How has the cheerleading captain, girlfriend of the most popular guy in school, consummate teacher's pet, and future valedictorian fallen so far from grace?
Parker doesn't want to talk about it. She'd just like to be left alone, to disappear, to be ignored. But her parents have placed her on suicide watch and her conselors are demanding the truth. Worse, there's a nice guy falling in love with her and he's making her feel things again when she'd really rather not be feeling anything at all.
Nobody would have guessed she'd turn out like this. But nobody knows the truth.
Something horrible has happened, and it just might be her fault.
My Review:
I was so impressed by Courtney Summers YA zombie release, THIS IS NOT A TEST, that I decided to back-track and get all of her books, starting from the beginning.
And CRACKED UP TO BE? Yeah, this one did not disappoint.
The MC Parker Fadley is insanely well written, from her anxiety-ridden finger snapping, to her issues with alcohol. The moment she stepped on the page, I knew I'd love this character.
And the supporting cast, well, they rounded out the story perfectly. The annoying wannabe Becky, so desperate to take over the pedestal of popularity that Parker has gladly jumped from. Her ex, Chris, who's still madly in love with her and quite possibly will never stop feeling that way, regardless of who else he's with. And of course, Jake - the new boy at school - who has absolutely no idea what he's just stepped into, but doesn't seem to care. Even the relationship with Bailey, Parker's newly adopted dog, played a pivotal role throughout the story - one I'll admit, I may even have shed a tear or two over.
Courtney Summers has a knack for voice, making you feel every word you're reading - and all while moving you along quickly. Each character had a reason for being there. And I loved how she injected flash-backs all along the way, which in the end, wove together and told the whole truth about what really happened.
CRACKED UP TO BE was definitely on the darker side of YA, tackling several tough subjects from start to finish. It was well written and oh-so spot on. And I loved it.
This is a definite must read if you're looking for the honest truth about some of the things that really happen in high school. I'm a fan, Ms. Summers, without a doubt.
It's Road Trip Wednesday time - and today's topic:
I was fortunate to read some really great books this month:
UNDER THE NEVER SKY by Veronica Rossi
THE STATISTICAL PROBABILITY OF LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT by Jennifer E. Smith
SUCH A RUSH by Jennifer Echols
MY LIFE NEXT DOOR by Huntley Fitzpatrick
THIS IS NOT A TEST by Courtney Summers
THE SKY IS EVERYWHERE by Jandy Nelson
I think it might even make the cut for my most favorite of all of 2012!!! And you can read my review here.
I've got some great reads coming up for September - because yes, I made another visit to Barnes & Noble last weekend, and picked up TEN more books!!! So what's coming up next?
Currently reading SECOND CHANCE SUMMER by Morgan Matson
But I've also got ENDER'S GAME, ANNA DRESSED IN BLOOD, CINDER, THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER, CRACKED UP TO BE, SOME GIRLS ARE, WHAT I DIDN'T SAY, and DON'T BREATHE A WORD. Plus many, many, MANY, more!!!
I just posted my review for THIS IS NOT A TEST last week! But... since I loved it so much - and it's this month's YA Book Club read - here it is again!
This is Not a Test by Courtney Summers
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Goodreads Summary:
It’s the end of the world. Six students have taken cover in Cortege High but shelter is little comfort when the dead outside won’t stop pounding on the doors. One bite is all it takes to kill a person and bring them back as a monstrous version of their former self. To Sloane Price, that doesn’t sound so bad. Six months ago, her world collapsed and since then, she’s failed to find a reason to keep going. Now seems like the perfect time to give up. As Sloane eagerly waits for the barricades to fall, she’s forced to witness the apocalypse through the eyes of five people who actually want to live. But as the days crawl by, the motivations for survival change in startling ways and soon the group’s fate is determined less and less by what’s happening outside and more and more by the unpredictable and violent bids for life—and death—inside. When everything is gone, what do you hold on to?
My Review:
Man I love anything Zombie. And I mean LOVE.
Carrie Ryan's series? Love. THE WALKING DEAD? Love. I AM LEGEND? Love. THIS IS NOT A TEST? Holy WTF Batman?
The last twenty pages alone, I just about fell out of bed while reading it. Courtney Summers did NOT hold back in those last few pages. And I mean AT ALL.
The beginning may have been a tad bit slow for my tastes, but once it started going, it never stopped. And all I kept thinking was what I would do if I were stuck in Cortege High School. Then again, if I were stuck with Rhys, it might not be so bad.
Then the story unfolded and it was exactly how I would've imagined it would be, if the world was suddenly taken over by zombies. Mass hysteria. A frantic search for refuge. Never being alone.
Especially that last one.
And normally you read about how slow zombies are, dragging a foot behind them. Slugging along with their arms outstretched, moaning. Zombies that aren't smart enough to climb over a fence. Or open a door. But what really did it for me, is that the zombies in THIS IS NOT A TEST were fast. They actually ran. And I think that scared the crap out of me. Something that could actually keep up? So. Not. Cool. Ms. Summers. Not cool at all.
Okay, you know I loved it. Really.
And the external battle wasn't the only one our MC Sloane was up against. Deeply flawed with her own personal demons, she struggled between fighting and giving up. In fact, all of the characters had their own issues, each bringing something different to the table.
In the end, I'll say I thoroughly enjoyed THIS IS NOT A TEST. And as sick and twisted as it sounds, I love a book that can make me pull my foot in from hanging off the edge of the bed. Or close my closet door. Or jump when my dog's ears perk up at a strange noise in the house. And THIS IS NOT A TEST? Yeah, it did not disappoint.
View all my reviews
Road Trip Wednesday is a ‘Blog Carnival,’ where YA Highway's contributors post a weekly writing- or reading-related question that begs to be answered. In the comments, you can hop from destination to destination and get everybody's unique take on the topic.
And today's topic:
Stephanie Perkin's just happens to be one of my favorite YA authors, and for good reason too! After all, she did write the amazing ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS. I mean, Etienne St. Clair? Come. On.
And I just loved the post Natalie Whipple had up earlier this year, interviewing Ms. Perkins on how she begins working on a new story idea and what helps her to keep it going. The idea was simple:
"Whenever I begin a new project, I also begin a list called “What I Love About This Story.” I start by writing down those first ideas that sparked the fires of my mind, and then I add more ideas to it as I discover them during my push through early drafts."
What a fantastic idea! Not only does it keep the creativity going, but it also keeps you in love with your writing when you're not so in love with your writing. Which we all know, happens far too often!
So with that, here's my list of love's for my current project, THE LUCKY FEW:
A few quick thoughts that keep me going, but the list could go on and on!
