Literary Quote of the Month

"A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies," said Jojen. "The man who never reads lives only one." - George R.R. Martin, A Dance With Dragons

Saturday, September 26, 2009

I Read Banned Books! Join Banned Book Week to Celebrating Your Freedom to Read!

"Reading Revolutionary" cartoon created by the talented Stephanie Piro and used with her permission just for this occasion! All copyrights Stephanie Piro. Cartoons may not be used without written permission". You can find Stephanie at www.stephaniepiro.com and at her other hang-out (and business), www.thesixchix.com .

Hey Everyone! It's Banned Books Week! This is the week we celebrate the Freedom to Read!

Over the past eight years, American libraries were faced with 3,736 challenges

"Banned Books Week (BBW) is an annual event celebrating the freedom to read and the importance of the First Amendment. This years event is September 26−October 3, and is meant to highlight the benefits of free and open access to information while drawing attention to the harms of censorship by spotlighting actual or attempted bannings of books across the United States." The art of the banned book is not just happening in The United States, censorship is a worldwide! Here at Chick with Books, we are going to celebrate our Freedom to Read by highlighting some great books this week that were either banned or challenged, in The U.S or outside the U.S. So stop by this coming week to see what challenged or banned books are featured! The Sunday Salon will be a little different this week too because I'm going to feature some great books, all from the 'censorship' list. And follow my progress as I crack open the spine of Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger!

There are some other places to check out Banned Book Week at... First I'm involved in the Banned Book Challenge at The Biblio Blogazine! It's a fantastic blog and is hosting a whole bunch of people who are reading and reviewing banned books this week! There are links to everyone involved! And my friend Lisa, who has a great blog called Book Blab, is also doing her share of celebrating the freedom of choice at her blog! Stop by her blog to see what she's reviewing! Also check out the ALA (The American Library Association) website and their list of the top 100 Banned or Challenged books! Anyone else doing something special for Banned Books Week?! Share your info here so we can check it out! And share with us some great books you've read that are on "the list"!

Here are some other Wonderful Bloggers celebrating the Freedom to Read this week...

* Cait is celebrating Banned Book Week on her blog, escape through the pages ! She's having a giveaway for The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier to celebrate, as well as reviewing all sorts of books! Check her blog out by clicking on her blog's name!

* Salamandergrey is also celebrating BBW on her blog, Pencil-Pushers and Ink Splotches.
Check out her take on BBW by clicking on her blog's name!

*Jennifer is celebrating at her blog NY Book Cafe ! Check out her cool blog by clicking on her blog's name!

*Icedream is celebrating on her blog Reading in Appalachia ! Her first recommendation & review is for Looking For Alaska by John Green. Click on her blog's name to read all about it!

* Lexie is also celebrating with an amazing list of discussions! Her blog is Poisoned Rationality! Click on her blog's name to visit her events!

*Mary is celebrating on her blog The Sweet Bookshelf! She says "we are discussing some of my favorite banned books this week. At the end of the week we will be discussing ways we can get involved and how to protect our favorite books from being banned!"

*Tracie is celebrating on her blog Yule Time Reading! First post is a a list of 10 banned books and why they are banned! Click on her blog to read the list!

A Special Thanks goes to Stephanie Piro, who is the talented artist who drew the cartoon above for Banned Book Week! Thanks Stephanie! I think it encourages us all to be reading revolutionaries!

15 comments:

Beth said...

Well, well, you're finally going to read Catcher in the Rye! I remember you mentioning it on the Kindle Chronicles podcast. Thanks for bringing the banned book week to our attention. I'll make sure to grab a banned book or 2 to read just on principle!

Kimberly H. said...

Thanks for bringing the list to my attention.
I did a small post about it and linked to yours.

Literary Feline said...

I hope you enjoy Catcher in the Rye, Suzanne!

Suzanne Yester said...

Hi Beth!
Yes, I'm finally getting around to reading Catcher! And when you grab that banned book, stop back and let me know what you picked!

Hi Salamandergrey!
Thanks for linking to my post! I did the same with yours so everyone could check out your great blog too!

Hi Literary Feline!
I think I'm the only person in the world who hasn't read Catcher in the Rye! So far I'm feeling pretty sorry for Holden! Will let you know how it goes!

Lisa said...

Hey Suzanne! I am super excited to be participating in my very first Banned Books Week! I can't wait to hear what you have to say about Catcher in the Rye. I'm going to read A Wrinkle in Time instead, as I can't seem to get it at the moment. Next year I will be more prepared!

I look forward to reading everyone's blogs and following along!

Suzanne Yester said...

Hi Lisa!
You know I just loved A Wrinkle in Time! I am probably going to highlight that sometime this week.. I can't wait to read your review! Amazing that THAT is a challenged book isn't it!

Anonymous said...

Hi Suzanne,
Thanks so much for linking to my blog! I think BBW is just a wonderful idea - it always shocks me what books end up on the ALA lists.

Don't worry about never having read Catcher in the Rye...I've never read it either! So you're one step ahead of me =) I'm excited to read your review on it.

Cait

Book Bird Dog said...

I looked up the Banned or Challenged Books: Hemingway, Faulkner, Gone With the Wind!!! Amazing.

Suzanne Yester said...

Hi Cait!
I'm glad we can link up for this fun week! And I look forward to visiting your blog after BBW too!

Suzanne

Suzanne Yester said...

Hi Book Bird Dog!
I was surprised by Gone with The Wind too! Not to mention all the other authors you mentioned!

J.C. Montgomery said...

How nice!

Thank you for the mention and also for joining the challenge.

And that cartoon...wonderful!!

That would make a great badge. I may have to contact her and see if she would consider allowing it.

Alipet813 said...

Hey Suzanne! I am currently reading Playing House by Fredrica Wagman and surprised I haven't seen it on banned book lists. It is quite intense and deals with incest. I don't think it should be banned I am just surprised I didn't see it. I get so bothered by book banning. In college I got in an argument in my Lit class because someone stated that Huck Finn/Mark Twain was racist. Hello??!! How can you write realistically if you are being politically correct and not racist during that time frame?
My stepdad won't allow (yes I said allow whole 'nother story) my mom to read Dan Brown because he doesn't like his "lies" about religion. He and I can't even talk about it. It gets me too upset!!

Anonymous said...

Well, we don't have a BBW over here but now that I keep running into it on all those wonderful book blogs... ;) I think I'll be able to finish Revolutionary Road today and then I might pick a book of the 100 Banned & Challenged Books List! Probably The Grapes of Wrath since it's part of another challenge anyway (is that called multi-tasking? LOL)

Suzanne Yester said...

Hi J.C.! Thanks for organizing the BBW challenge! It's always nice to discover new blogs this way! And yes, I loved that cartoon too! Stephanie belongs to a group of women who do all sorts of great cartooning!

Hi Alipet!
The American Library Association updates their "banned" books list every year.. 2010 is the next update, maybe Playing House will be on it then! Hopefully not! I am also amazed that in this day and age Huck Finn is still getting the challenges. You're right- very hard to be P.C. and write realistically in that particular time in America. Good for you for sticking up for what you perceived as a misinterpretation of the work!! As for Dan Brown he really does stir a lot of anger... and it's unfortunate that his fiction upsets so many religious people....

Suzanne Yester said...

Hi Gnoe! I like multi-tasking with reading! :D It has been so long since I read Grapes of Wrath, I should probably reread it myself! What challenge is it for?
And as far as Catcher in the Rye, I'd give it another chance... I think I wasn't in the right frame of mind when I started reading it at first and put it down... But then of course I knew I had it to read for a challenge.. it's actually good... but different from what I normally read.

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