Article: 10 Banned Books That Made a Comeback

Banned Books Week is coming to an end.  I've really been enjoying watching my family's reactions to books that have been banned or challenged.  I've also enjoyed reading different opinions on book banning during the week.

 A great article, titled 10 Banned Books That Made a Comeback, was recently brought to my attention (thanks Tim!) and I hope you all will take a minute to check it out.
Here are the 10 books that are on the list:

1. And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell:  I recently read this children's book (checked out from my local library) and thought it was so great!  I plan on buying a copy for my niece.
2. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee:  I read this book in a high school English course.  I wasn't crazy about it back then, but I would be really curious to read it again.
3. Go Ask Alice by Anonymous:  I read this book for fun when I was a teenager.  I really loved it at the time.  I'll have to see if I can find my copy and reread it!
4. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck:  I read this book in high school as well, I think I was in 9th grade.  So yeah, many many years ago.  I don't remember much about it.
5. I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou:  This one has been in my TBR pile for years!  Maybe eventually I will read it. 
6. Harry Potter (Series) by JK Rowling:  I read this series a couple of years ago (late to the party) and loved it.
7. Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger:  I've read this book twice, once in high school and once in college.  I loved this book so much and it's sitting in my TRA (to read again) pile.
8. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky:  Just read this book a couple of weeks ago. I checked it out from my local library.  It was okay.
9. The Color Purple by Alice Walker:  Another book that I read in high school, and then I read it once again for fun later on.  I've also seen the musical (just FYI).
10. The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier:  I've never read this one.

What do you think of this list?  I'm pretty impressed that I have read 8/10 of these books.

Don't forget to enter the Banned Books Giveaway!

Wicked Games by Sasha Wagstaff

Wicked Games by Sasha Wagstaff

Feuding families, star-crossed lovers... let the fireworks begin!

Debonair and dynamic, millionaire Judd Harrington is back at Brockett Hall. With his socialite wife and family in tow, he’s returned from LA a glittering success. But as he stares across the valley at Lochlin Maguire’s beautiful country house, all he can think of is revenge. 

Meanwhile Judd’s arch-rival has troubles of his own. Lochlin’s record label is losing major talent to an unknown competitor, his wife Tavvy is distracted and he can’t seem to see eye to eye with his son Shay. And, unbeknownst to Lochlin, his talented singer daughter Iris has fallen for irresistible racing driver Ace Harrington out in LA. Ace is under orders from Judd to break Iris’s heart. What he hadn’t bargained for was losing his own in the process. Can he go against his father's wishes? Or will Judd’s wicked games ruin love’s young dream? -- From Amazon

Can I be honest with you all?  As much as I love chick lit (and I love it lots) I had a super hard time with this book.  I was so confused by the end of the first few (60-ish) pages that I felt like I needed to lie down.  There were so many characters to keep track of and so many story lines to remember, I felt like I couldn't keep on top of it all!  After weeks and weeks of reading, I finally gave it up.  I could not finish this book and it feels so good to finally get that off my chest!


On a positive note - the cover of this book is awesome!  I prefer the paperback to the hardcover by a long shot.  I just think the paperback is more "wicked" if you know what I mean plus it matches the Changing Grooms cover nicely.  I'm going to give Changing Grooms a shot, and maybe even reread Wicked Games


Sorry for being such a Debbie Downer.  For some great reviews with a different perspective check out some of these: Novelicious, Chick Lit Reviews, Scribbles.

*book was provided by Headline for review.

TLC Book Tours: The Life You've Imagined by Kristina Riggle

The Life You've Imagined by Kristina Riggle
Is the life you're living all you imagined?
Have you ever asked yourself, "What if??"  Here, four women face the decisions of their lifetimes in this stirring and unforgettable novel of love, loss, friendship, and family.

Anna Geneva, a Chicago attorney coping with the death of a cherished friend, returns to her "speck on the map" hometown of Haven to finally come to terms with her mother, the man she left behind and the road she did not take.

Cami Drayton, Anna's dearest friend from high school, is coming home too, forced by circumstance to move in with her alcoholic father ... and to confront a dark family secret.

Maeve, Anna's mother, never left Haven, firmly rooted there by her sadness over her abandonment by the husband she desperately loved and the hope that someday he will return to her.

And Amy Rickart - thin, beautiful, and striving for perfection - faces a future with the perfect man ... but is haunted by the memory of what she used to be.

Kristina Riggle's The Life You've Imagined takes a provocative look at the choices we make - and the courage we must have to change. (Source)

This was an interesting book for me to read at this point in my life because I am at that age where I keep thinking, "this is not what I imagined my life would be like at 26".  So, I was very excited to read this!

What I found most interesting about this book is that Cami, Anna and Amy were all previously friends in high school but when they all came back, they didn't instantly become best friends again.  I can tell you now - that is way more realistic than all those other books where people become instant friends immediately.  Nope!  It's awkward and sometimes painful and I think that the author did a great job of portraying that.  Also, each woman had something different going on in her life and each story was not connected.  I kind of loved that.

I found Maeve's sections to be odd.  I felt that she didn't really belong in the stories and I much preferred reading about Cami, Anna and Amy.  Her story of lost love was boring and kind of predictable how it ended.  I was sad about her store closing, but I would have been fine without her point of view.

My favorite character was probably Cami.  I thought her gambling addiction was quite different from what we usually read about.  Her home life wasn't pretty either, and Ms. Riggle was not scared to get nitty gritty with it!

I liked Anna as well, although I do wish we could have had more of a back story with her.  I wanted to understand her past relationships more.  I did enjoy watching her evolve from cranky daughter to supportive daughter and friend though.

Amy was interesting for me.  She had struggle with her weight for a long time, lost it and found the "perfect" man.  Maybe it's the cynic in me, but I wanted her to leave Paul almost immediately because he seemed like a jerk to me.  When Ed was introduced, I was like yes!  Unfortunately that went nowhere...

I think this would be a great book to read with friends because I think each person would take something different away from this book, and isn't that a wonderful thing?!  

Visit Kristina Riggles' website, twitter, and facebook.

Thank you to TLC Book Tours for allowing me to read this book as part of their program.  Here are the stops for The Life You've Imagined TLC Book Tour:


Thursday, August 19th:  Sara's Organized Chaos
Monday, August 23rd:  Lisa's Yarns
Thursday, August 26th:  The Book Faery Reviews
Thursday, August 26th:  Reading at the Beach
Wednesday, September 1st:  Rundpinne
Thursday, September 2nd:  Helen's Book Blog
Wednesday, September 8th:  Book Club Classics!
Monday, September 13th:  All About {n}
Wednesday, September 15th:  Thoughts from an Evil Overlord
Tuesday, September 21st:  Book Addiction
Thursday, September 23rd:  Confessions of a Bookaholic

*book was provided by the publisher for review at confessions of a bookaholic...as part of the TLC Book Tour

CSN Stores

CSN Stores has over 200 online stores where you can find everything from luggage, to cookware, or even a new twin bed set or desk for the kids' room.  I just spent over an hour on just one of their websites, and there are over 200 more to browse!


I'm very excited to have an opportunity to review something from CSN Stores.  So while I am browsing, how about you all head on over and check out their amazing selection!

Banned Books + Giveaway

I am a huge supporter of banned books.  It is so ridiculous to me that it's 2010 and we are still challenging and banning books.  How can people still be so old fashioned? Scroll to the bottom for a giveaway!


Banned Books Week is rapidly approaching and I took this opportunity to check out some books from the library:

• The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
• I felt so sad when I was reading this book because Charlie was such a sympathetic character.  He broke my heart because he was so sweet and I didn't want him to get hurt!  It was a quick book to read, but I had some issues getting past the format of the letters.
• And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell
• I thought this book was so sweet!  It was a story of two male penguins who genuinely loved each other and tried to act like all the other couples.  The only thing they couldn't do was have a baby together until Mr. Gramzay found an egg and gave it to them to hatch.  Tango was born into their sweet family.  This is based on a true story at the Central Park Zoo, and I read that after 6 years together Roy and Silo split up.  I know they are penguins, but I felt so sad when I read that.

I love Sarah Ockler's post on Censorship.  She brings up a valid point.  If you want to "protect" your children, why not start a conversation?  Your kids probably have a lot of questions.  You know what?  I grew up in a very open household.  All of my questions were answered truthfully (sometimes too truthfully) and I think I turned out okay.  In fact, I think I turned out great because I am open-minded.  If a child really wants to read a book, shouldn't we be encouraging them instead of banning books?!  


Anyways, I had this post scheduled for September 25th to coincide with Banned Books Week, however, with the Wesley Scroggins situation I just had to post this now.  You need to read these posts from Sarah Ockler (here) and Laurie Halse Anderson (here).  For a list of links, check out Bookalicio.us (here) and check out the link.  Read them.  They are all so powerful and all say much more than I ever could on the subject.

I don't have children, so some may think I'm not qualified to be offended by banning books, but as a book-lover you can darn right bet that I am offended.  I'm going to take the time to celebrate my freedom to read.  I suggest you do the same.    


P.S. Check out the Listmania! I made with all the banned and challenged books from this year.  Since there were more than 40 books, I had to list some of them at the top.

Blog Status

I've been reflecting about this blog for awhile now and I've reluctantly decided to blog less.  For the few of you who read this blog, you may be thinking that I don't post all that often and it's true, but I'll get to that in a minute.  


Two years ago this blog was started with the best of intentions - a place to keep my list of books I've read and my thoughts on them.  Over time, I've felt pressure to read what every one else was reading and in the process have somewhat lost the joy of reading.  There are a lot of fabulous book bloggers out there, and it's tough to try and keep up.  In the process, I've been reading less for joy and more for "requirement".  Believe me, I am thankful for the books I've been able to review as I've truly read some great ones but I need to learn to be more selective and realistic.


So here is where this blog stands.  I won't be doing What's In Your Handbag? posts anymore and I won't be posting reviews of every single book I've ever read (with the exception of review copies).  At the end of each month, I will probably post a slight recap of some books I read that month...if I read anything good.  I will definitely keep my list updated because I do want to keep track of what I read. I believe this will be much more manageable for me and will help me enjoy the books I'm reading.  As for the books that I promised to review - don't worry, I will still be reviewing those books on the dates scheduled and I'm always open to review more...I just will be more selective. 


Also, I think I need to distance myself from the computer.  I am on the computer between 8 and 5 every day, I don't need to be on when I'm home too!  I need to start enjoying my free time a little more and to me, that involves unplugging a little more.


I will keep up with Dancing Through Life because of the 365 day project.  I really want to accomplish that New Year's Resolution and so far so good.  Once I finish, I will probably post there more about my everyday life. 


So there it is.  Bloggy break...kind of.  

TLC Book Tours: Vanishing by Deborah Willis

Vanishing and Other Stories by Deborah Willis


A French teacher who collects fiancés; a fortune-teller who fails to predict the heartbreak of her own daughter; an aging cowboy seduced by a city girl ... these are some of the unforgettable people who live in these pages.


In Vanishing and Other Stories, secrets are both kept and unearthed, and lives are shaped by missing lovers, parents, and children.  With wisdom and dexterity, moments of dark humor, and a remarkable economy of words, Deborah Willis captures an incredible array of characters that linger in the imagination and prove that nothing is ever truly forgotten. -- from the back cover


I love collections of stories (fiction and non-fiction) and essays. The reason?  If there is one story you do not like, the next chapter is a fresh start and doesn't effect the overall book.  Genius, right?


Deborah Willis wrote some great stories, but my favorite was This Other Us.  I don't know why this one spoke to me so much, but I personally found it super heartbreaking.  I really felt for Lise (was that her real name?) when she was dressing up in Karen's outfits just so that her boyfriend would "like her" even when it was clear he didn't really love her.  When Karen came back in the end and it was like nothing even happened, my heart broke.  I wish that story was longer though!


Overall, I cannot think of one story that I did not enjoy in some way.  The title of the book is Vanishing and I like that Deborah Willis doesn't give us all sunshine and rainbows.  There is a lot of heartbreak and tragedy in this book, and it worked in these stories.  I personally find it amazing she was able to fully develop these stories of heartbreak and loss in approximately 20 pages at a time, what a gift!


Be sure to check out Deborah Willis' website.


Thank you to TLC Book Tours for allowing me to read this book as part of their program.  Here are the stops for the Vanishing TLC Book Tour:

Tuesday, August 17th: Booksie’s Blog
Wednesday, August 18th: Eleanor’s Trousers
Tuesday, August 24th: The Lost Entwife
Thursday, August 26th: Raging Bibliomania
Monday, August 30th: All About {n}
Wednesday, September 1st: In the Next Room
Tuesday, September 7th: she reads and reads
Wednesday, September 8th: Cozy Little House
Monday, September 13th: Rundpinne
Tuesday, September 14th: Confessions of a Bookaholic
Thursday, September 16th: Life in the Thumb

*book was provided by the publisher for review at confessions of a bookaholic...
as part of the TLC Book Tour.

What's In Your Handbag?

Welcome to my weekly meme, "What's In Your Handbag"? Do you always have a book in your handbag? If you can't leave home without something to read, then "What's In Your Handbag?" is the post for you! Every Friday, I will be posting what book is currently in my purse. 

Do you smell that?  It's the smell of fall!  I'll be curling up this weekend with a pumpkin spice latte (heaven) and Red Hook Road by Ayelet Waldman.  I saw this book in People magazine a couple of months ago and it sounded so good!  I was so shocked when it ended up at our library because we never get books that I would like.  I can't wait to read it!  

Leave the link to your "What's in Your Handbag" post in the comments! Also, feel free to grab the button, the HTML is posted on the right sidebar.

September 6, 2010: I Am Number Four

I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore


John Smith has just arrived in Paradise, Ohio, just another stop in a string of small towns where the 15-year-old has been hiding out from the Mogadorians.  Those terrifying aliens are hellbent on destroying him and the other nine Loric children who have sought refuge on Earth.  The Mogadorians are picking off the surviving kids in numerical order.  The first three are dead and John's number is up.  Will his Legacies, his defining super powers, develop in time for him to fight against the enemy?  I Am Number Four is a breathless page-turner of a sci-fi novel that will have readers rooting for the teen alien who must unleash his fire power to save himself, his human friends, and the planet.  This is the first of a slated multi-book series that, judging by this first book, will help reinvigorate a traditional YA genre that's grown a bit light on strong character development.  So gear up sci-fi fans, the battle for Earth is on and there's a new kid in town!  (Source)


Wow.  I loved this book.  No lie.  I normally don't read a series until all the books are out already, but for some reason I picked this book up at the book store and then promptly read it.  This is a sci-fi book, which means it sounds weird...but I think I kind of like sci-fi sometimes.


I loved John Smith so much, and I can't wait to see the movie (February 2011), especially to see how that fight scene plays out on screen.  It was intense.  In fact, I'm planning on reading it again very soon (like tomorrow).  


Okay.  Pittacus Lore.  I kind of didn't pay attention to the author, I just assumed it was some new author.  In fact, Pittacus Lore is from Lorien (he's from the book!), so yeah it's a pseudonym.  Who might the author be?  Well, unfortunately I found out that it is James Frey.  If I had known that before, I probably wouldn't have read the book...but I am hooked.  Now I have to wait until Spring 2011 for the next one!

What's In Your Handbag

Welcome to my weekly meme, "What's In Your Handbag"? Do you always have a book in your handbag? If you can't leave home without something to read, then "What's In Your Handbag?" is the post for you! Every Friday, I will be posting what book is currently in my purse. 

Happy Weekend everyone!  Labor day = long weekend = one happy lady over here!  Saturday I am sleeping in, but after I do that I plan on reading Best Friends Forever by Jennifer Weiner and hopefully I can read all day and work on the nice big library pile I have going on right now!

Leave the link to your "What's in Your Handbag" post in the comments! Also, feel free to grab the button, the HTML is posted on the right sidebar.