read the top 50 censored books

I finished Fallen Angels. This was a good book for me to read. I have generally avoided war stories whether they are movies or books. I saw Saving Private Ryan and almost could not handle the first 5 minutes. Although I loved MASH and China Beach it’s not the same.

The book offered me great insight into post traumatic stress disorders and why they happen. I believe it is most likely an accurate account of life in Viet Nam for soldiers of color. By the end of the book, I was picturing/imagining the right races. I guess I just had to get to know the characters a little better.

To say the book moved me would be an understatement. It’s not the kind of moving that makes you weep, but it touched me deeply in a very human way. Understanding the horror of war, the difference between ally and enemy being such a fine line when you are trying to survive.

I can appreciate why it was banned. There are some horrible images many would like to keep from our children. But I do think it’s appropriate for a junior high school reader. It’s about the time in life when you realize life sucks anyway. It’s probably a great book if you want to keep your kid away from the army recruiters.

All in all I highly recommend this book and I’m glad I read it.

But I have begun reading Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Meyers. It’s a fairly easy read. Good for the airplane.

I’ll tell you one thing. It’s about soldiers in the Viet Nam War and I haven’t figured out why it’s banned yet. But perhaps there’s going to be a lot of violence (I really have just started). But It has shown me my racial biases. I am having a tough time picturing the main characters as being black. It is so stupid. Probably because they don’t fit my stereotypes for language or something. I am trying. It’s a good learning experience.

A Handmiad’s Tale by Margaret Atwood. I swore I had it on one of my book shelves. Now I can’t find it. It’s hubby’s and he has read it, but it is one of the only Margaret Atwood books I have not read yet.

I started reading the Headless Cupid last night. Hehe. How perfect? And it appears to include the occult. Excellent.

Once I read HP5, I had to keep going. Now, I almost regret it. I don’t think I want to read 7. It’s just too much. Poor Harry.

I am in the middle of reading HP 6. I finished 5. It is not on the original list I posted, but it turns out, HP is evil, promotes witchcraft, and that can lead to feminism and homosexuality. I really love the religious right. True amusement.

I have been bringing this up at parties and family get togethers. Everyone is very interested in what’s on the list and why I think so many of these books have been challeneged. I wish the ALA would give more specifics on each book beyond what I have read. But this has been awesome. I am so glad I am doing this!

I was doing so well. But after I saw the last Harry Potter movie, I had to start reading the Order of the Phoenix. This has pushed back my non censored reading of the World According to Garp. So who knows when I’ll get back to the list?!

I am almost done with “Bridge to Terabithia” and I can;t figure out what is so blasphemous about it. I wish the ALA would explain the controversies for each of the challenged books. Although the ALA has an updated list of 100 now
http://www.ala.org/ala/oif/bannedbooksweek/bbwlinks/100mostfrequently.htm

I think I will just keep going.

Only a few pages in. Should go fast though.