Category: Banned Book Week

Banned Book Week Day 3 – OH! The Giveaways!!!

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)30 Comments

Day three!  Are we having fun yet?  I sure am!  I hope you had a chance to check out the Day 1 posts and giveaways and the day 2 posts and giveaways.  There is a lot of great information in the posts and a lot of wonderful books and gift cards being given away.  I hope you can take some time to visit these great blogs and bloggers. 😀
Here’s a little Banned book Video to get you in the mood:

Now that you are warmed up!  Here are todays wonderful bloggers that are going to share with you some of their thoughts on banned books:

Laura from A Library Of Clean Reads is going to share with us her thoughts on The Great Gatsby with a gift card giveaway!

 

Daenel from Living Outside The Stacks is also going to chat up To Kill A  Mockingbird today and she is also giving away a gift card!  NICE!!!

 

Charity from The Bookworm Fairy returns with her trilogy watp up as she shares about Mockingjay (yes that is a mocking bird above and now we have added a mocking jay…) Charity’s giveaway of the trilogy and the movie is a do not miss!

 

Lisa from Lit and Life is going to talk banned books today – have you seen her incredible blog layout?  Go take a peek!

 

The Brunette Librariankeeps things going with The Glass Castle and a gift card giveaway!

 

And here comes Jennifer from The Relentless Reader covering an old favorite of mine, Are You There God, It’s Me Margaret.

 

Stephanie at On Page And Screen is talking about one I am really curious about, American Psycho and offering a gift card giveaway!

 

Joy from Joystory is going to discuss Judy Blume (SSSSQQQUUUEEE!) and will be having a crocheted book mark giveaway!

 

Sue from Great Books For Kids and Teens has a little Banned Book talk for you.

 

Sue also has a post at Book by Book which if her adult blog!

 

 

Suko’s Notebook talks banned books and what she is reading this week.

 

 

Jennifer from Book Den is going to discuss A Wrinkle In Time – one I have yet to read but  want to!!!

 

Wendy from Musings Of A Bookish Kitty is going to discuss The Absolute True Diary Of A Part Time Indian (LOVE this one!)

 

*Remember all comments on all posts this week that are linked here (including my own) will go into a drawing for a prize package of banned books and a gift card!

 

How is that for an amazing line up? 

 

and this great link about banned books will give you a chance to win 30 e-books!  Apparently people are backing up Banned book Week and I am loving it!

If you have missed the last two days posts and giveaways do not fear – they are active and could use a visit from you:

Banned Book posts and giveaways day 1!

Banned Book posts and giveaways day 2!

Are you reading banned books this week?  How about movies off of banned books – there are some great ones out there… Hunger Games, Harry Potter, The Lorax, Charlotte’s Web…

Banned Book Week Day 2 Posts And Giveaways!

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)14 Comments

Good morning!  I normally do not post on Mondays but instead let the Monday meme ride, but it is banned book week so if you are looking for Monday, What Are You Reading, link up here to that.

However – if you are those book readers who enjoy bad horrible filthy books… this is where you want to be.  😀 

LOL…. just kidding… but if you have followed the Banned Books lists and reviews then you know… there are some WONDERFUL and AMAZING books that have been banned and challenged through the years and honestly?  I just think it is really fun to celebrate them!

Today I have a whole other group of Banned Book reviews and giveaways and I am hoping you will take time to show them some comment love and check out what they have to say!  😀  Remember, I am running a giveaway package this week and all comments on all the banned book posts that I have shared with you during this week will be entered. 

 

 

Here are todays posts:

 

Liesel from Musings On Fantasia has a post up called:  Three Reasons Why Banning Is Not The Answer and a sweet giveaway!

 

Tracy from Pen and Paper (she cracks me up!) has a post up of Dr. Suess’s Green Eggs and Ham – see I told you the bans would surprise you!

 

Sarah from Sawcats Book Blog shares her thoughts on the book 1984 (one I have yet to read!) and a great giveaway!

 

Charity from The Bookworm Fairy continues her banned book series with Catching Fire and if you have not seen the awesome package she is giving away you really need to check it out!

 

Shannon from Giraffe Days is talking about The Color Purple (amazing book if you have not read it yet!) and another great giveaway!

 

Rachel at Resistance Is Futile has a post about The Headless Cupid (new to me) and it looks interesting!

 

Stacy from A Novel Source is posting about The Dead Zone (perfect for Halloween!!!) and she is also having a giveaway!

 

Shelly Rae at Book’d Out is sharing her thoughts on The Perks Of Being A Wallflower  ( a book I will be reviewing this week too!) 

 

 

So that is today’s list!  I have several reviews ready, not sure which way I am going today yet but know… there will be something banned going on here 😀 

In recap – all of yesterdays posts and giveaways  from Banned Book Day 1 are still going all week so please stop by and check them out as well!

Do you see any books on this list today that surprise you?

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)45 Comments

Welcome to It’s Monday!  What Are You Reading!  This is a great way to plan out your reading week and see what others are currently reading as well… you never know where that next “must read” book will come from!

I love being a part of this and I hope you do too!  As part of this weekly meme I love to encourage you all to go and visit the others participating in this meme.  I offer a weekly contest for those who visit 10 or more of the Monday Meme participants and leave a comment telling me how many you visited.  **You do not have to have a blog to participate! You receive one entry for every 10 comments, just come back here and tell me how many in the comment area.

Since I was out of town last weekend I never got the previous winner posted so this is the two week ago winner and this past weeks winner using random.org (because that is how I roll!)

Last weeks winner: Lisa from Lisa’s World Of Books!!!

Congratulations!  Please choose a book or bookish item from the Reading Cafe!  And for those of you waiting on a win, the book room as you will see below is now done so I can find the books to mail you 😀

What a great and crazy week!  The construction finished on Wednesday for the book room, I set up and had a family reunion at my house on Saturday and I am tired but now geared up for Banned Book Week!

Here are the posts worth checking out from this past week:

 

We Need To Talk About Kevin – book and movie reviews – I read this book so long ago but it still haunts me

 

There And Back Again by Sean Astin – an interesting take on being a hobbit and the working behind the scenes of the Lord Of The Rings

 

Defending Jacob by William Landay – OOOHHHHHH lets just say….oooooohhhhh!!!!

 

Back Seat Saints by Joshilyn Jackson – wow!  I think I found another author to wacth!

 

SSSQQUUEEEE  The book shelves are finished!!!!  Here are the pics and the final room look!

 

PREP by Curtis Senterfield – my first banned book review and a giveaway of a gift card!  (OOH – everyone likes gift cards!)

 

Banned Book Blog Hop is going on and I am doing a giveaway as well as many MANY more blogs check it out – its a good week to win some great books!

 

Banned Book Week kicked off on Sept 30 and I will be hosting blogs and giveaways all week long!  Here is the first post and amazing book giveaways you will not want to miss!

 

 

It was a great week but thank goodness for audio because I have been not getting any book time lately.  I set the book room, cleaned the house and garage all to audio.  Because of this I am ahead for banned book week with two more banned audio books to review and a third being listened to right now.

So as I said, it is banned book week and if you know me – you know I love chatting Banned Books!  Here is what I will be reading/listening to this week:

 

In a world with no poverty, no crime, no sickness and no unemployment, and where every family is happy, 12-year-old Jonas is chosen to be the community’s Receiver of Memories. Under the tutelage of the Elders and an old man known as the Giver, he discovers the disturbing truth about his utopian world and struggles against the weight of its hypocrisy. With echoes of Brave New World, in this 1994 Newbery Medal winner, Lowry examines the idea that people might freely choose to give up their humanity in order to create a more stable society. Gradually Jonas learns just how costly this ordered and pain-free society can be, and boldly decides he cannot pay the price.

A banned book and one that has graced me shelf way too long unread.

 

 

 

Long before saving the earth became a global concern, Dr. Seuss, speaking through his character the Lorax, warned against mindless progress and the danger it posed to the earth’s natural beauty.

One of the funnier banned books – I want to review book and movie.

 

 

 

On the night of October 6, 1998, a gay twenty-one-year-old college student named Matthew Shepard was lured from a Wyoming bar by two young men, savagely beaten, tied to a remote fence, and left to die. Gay Awareness Week was beginning at the University of Wyoming, and the keynote speaker was Lesléa Newman, discussing her book Heather Has Two Mommies. Shaken, the author addressed the large audience that gathered, but she remained haunted by Matthew’s murder. October Mourning, a novel in verse, is her deeply felt response to the events of that tragic day. Using her poetic imagination, the author creates fictitious monologues from various points of view, including the fence Matthew was tied to, the stars that watched over him, the deer that kept him company, and Matthew himself. More than a decade later, this stunning cycle of sixty-eight poems serves as an illumination for readers too young to remember, and as a powerful, enduring tribute to Matthew Shepard’s life.

On October 6 I am going to break away from the banned books to review this sad book about Matthew Shephard on the anniversary ate of his brutal murder.

 

Ok I plan to fit in more banned books but we will see how this week goes.  Now I am so excited to see what you are reading!  Please add your link below where it says click here.  😀

 

 

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and those of you who read mainly children’s through YA reads – please ALSO link your post here:

Banned Book Week Kick Off! Seven Days of Books, Reviews, and MANY Giveaways!

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)29 Comments

It’s here!  It’s finally here! Today officially kicks off  Banned Book Week

and I am going to ask you to bookmark my blog this week and keep on stopping by because many awesome book bloggers have signed up to celebrate these books with me!  They (as well as myself) will be doing this by posting about banned and challenged books, as well as many will be having a giveaway.  Each morning I will list which blogs on participating on that day and I hope you will stop by their blogs and show them some comment love.  😀

I will be putting together a banned book package that will be given away to one of the commenters on these posts – that means that I will be counting all the posts that I link this week as well as my own banned book posts and entering those who comment in a drawing for the package.  The more posts you comment on, the more times you will be in the drawing.  The package will include several banned books as well as a gift card.  Winner will be announced at the end of the banned book event, next Sunday morning here. 

So let’s get this party started right?

Elida at My First, My Last, My Everything is posting about Bridehead Revisited and she giving away a copy of the book!

Shelena at Writer Quirk is talking about Killing Mr. Griffin by Lois Duncan and she has not one, but TWO prize packages she is giving away!

Kelly at The Well-Read Redhead is chatting up One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest and offering up a giveaway copy as well.

Bex at An Armchair By The Sea is talking about banned books and offering a giveaway for a choice of a Banned Book!

Charity at The Bookworm Fairy is reviewing The Hunger Games Today as well as offering up a copy of the book giveaway!

Elisha Of Rainy Day Reviews is discussing The Adventured Of Huckleberry Finn.

Pam at Unconventional Librarian is posting about To Kill A Mockingbird and hosting a giveaway for that book as well.

Jennifer Of The Bookie Nook is talking about SPEAK today (love that one!) and giving away a copy of it as well.

Laura at Owl Tell You About It is reviewing The Perks Of Being A Wallflower and offering up a giveaway copy as well (SQQQUUUEEEE!  I don’t have that one in book format!) 

I am also participating in The Banned Book Hop – lots and lots more of banned book giveaways 😀

and I will be posting my review of Prep later today with a giveaway 😀

Some of these books I have read, some are new to me and I want to read them!  If you already own any of the books listed above, enter anyway because you can always give these great books to another reader.  😀

Are you reading any banned/challenged books this week?

Banned Book Hop!

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)153 Comments

Banned Book Week is coming and if you have been around here at all you know I am hosting a Big Banned Book Week Party with giveaways and reviews of Banned Books and Banned Book topics.  This is my third year hosting a banned book event!

This time I am also participating in the Banned Book Hop as well hosted by the awesome I Am A Reader, Not A Writer!  There are so many Banned Books I love:  To Kill a Mockingbird, SPEAK, The Perks Of Being A Wallflower, Hunger Games, all the Harry Potter books and more!  For a list of banned/challenged books check it out here.

My giveaway is for a $15 Amazon Gift card for hopefully a Banned/Challenged Book!  To enter, simply leave a comment here letting me know which banned book you would purchase if you were to win.  For one bonus entry, subscribe to Bookjourney by email – see upper right sidebar and let me know you did in a comment.  If you already subscribe, let me know and I will count you as well. 😀

Check out all the other participants here!

Morning Meanderings… Bloggiesta Start up, Banned Book Hop, and An EPIC Meryl Streep fail

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)11 Comments

Good morning!  Today is the official starting day to Bloggiesta Fall 2012!  Bloggiesta is an awesome time to out and do a little blog maintenance, learn some new tips (yes, even us long time bloggers can learn something new!) and just overall come out the other side feeling awesome about out GREAT blogging community and our blogs.  I love being a part of Bloggiesta!

For me this time around Bloggiesta is going to be surrounded by major going ons in my life and on the blog but I am going to do whatever I can to participate as much as I can.  I am hosting a mini challenge and a gift card giveaway for the event.  I am also hosting a huge Banned Book Party for Banned Book Week that starts Sunday and I am organizing that and participating in the banned book hop (I know, I know….I have said yes to too many things…. 😀 ) with a giveaway as well as the daily giveaways and awesome Banned Book posts that will start up here on Sunday and go through next Saturday.

Did I mention that tomorrow I am hosting a family reunion here at my home for about 50 people?  😯

Life….

is never dull.  😛
For my hopes and dreams of Bloggiesta this time around here is my to do list:

1.  Catch up on the reviews I need to write (currently that is 4)

2.  Visit at least 10 new blogs a day throughout the weekend.  (I love visiting blogs!)

3.  Update my side bar to my current reads

4.  Participate in as many of the mini challenges as I can.

That’s it for now – due to obvious reasons (see above) I am going to keep it small and if I can add to this, which I suppose as I look at the mini challenges I will)….

Meryl Streep Movie Night – 1st night…

Quick update on last nights movie night at my home.  I had rented from Netflix the movie The Deer Hunter for our first Meryl Streep Movie night gathering.  You can catch all the details on that here.  So I prepared some cheese and grapes and crackers for my guests and when they arrived we proceded to go watch the movie. 

Except…

the movie wouldn’t load. 

I took it out of the DVD player and it was cracked on the bottom.  NO KIDDING!  😯  By the time we were deciding what to do it was 7:30 pm, we called out one local video store who did have a copy but when I looked on line I realized it was 3 hours long.  3 HOURS????  I didn’t even know they made movie that long in the 70’s!  SO…. instead we watched My Sisters Keeper as sadly I had no Meryl Streep movies that I own (s0 my bad!).  My plan is today to pick up the video store copy and I will watch it perhaps tonight or tomorrow night – but I will get it done and we will have our discussion… it may just now have to wait until after Banned Book Week.  😀

So that is what is happening here.  I would love to hear about your weekend plans.  Are you participating in Bloggiesta?  In banned book week? 

Morning Menaderings…If You Are Looking For Ways to connect – the book bloggin world is BUZZING!

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)14 Comments

 

You know I hate to admit it… but September is clearly here.  I have been fighting the rumors that summer is over even through the signs are here – my lawn has turned a little darker in color and no longer seems to be growing, the leaves are changing colors… and now – I see activities are multiplying across the blogosphere.

If you just want to chill into your fall with a good read and a cozy blanket, I recommend you join my Bel Canto read-a-long.  I am reading it now and really enjoying it. 

 

Next week is Book Blogger Appreciation Week (that snuck up on me!) Sept 10 -14 and that is so much fun – check it out here.

 

Is it time for that fall blog tune up?  Side bars neglected, links no longer working – or maybe you just do not have a clue how to do something?  Bloggiesta is for you – Sept. 28-30th

 

And I posted yesterday about Banned Book Week coming Sept 30 – Oct 6 and this will be my third year hosting a banned book week party here with daily book reviews and giveaways as well as inviting other blogs to participate and also have a chance to win! 

Judith over at Leeswammes blog has even more events posted so be sure to stop and see what she has to offer as well.

 

So now I am off to the YMCA.  I am already late but was so tired last night that I could not prep this post.  After work today I hope to come home and catch up on some bloggy stuff and some prep work I am doing for our librarys display for Banned Book Week. 

Have a super day! 😀

Banned Book Week Needs You! Looking for Host Blogs to Celebrate With Me!

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)64 Comments

*Note:  This is a sticky post.  All new postings are below this one.

Banned Book Week is coming!  Banned Book week is coming!  This is my third year being involved in Banned Book Week and I enjoy being a part of helping others experience the great banned and challenged books out there! 

According to the ALA (American Library Association) website, this is the definition for challenged and banned books:

A challenge is an attempt to remove or restrict materials, based upon the objections of a person or group. A banning is the removal of those materials. Challenges do not simply involve a person expressing a point of view; rather, they are an attempt to remove material from the curriculum or library, thereby restricting the access of others. As such, they are a threat to freedom of speech and choice.

What draws me to celebrate banned books is that many of these books are among some of my favorite reads:  The Harry Potter Books, To Kill A Mockingbird, The Color Purple, Hunger Games, SPEAK, and so many more.  For a full list of banned books see this ALA page.

This year I am looking for bloggers to participate in Banned Book Week by Choosing to read one or more of the Banned Books on the list or to write a post about banned books week.  All participants will go into a drawing for a $20 Amazon gift card as my thank you for participating in a week that is near and dear to me.  I would like each participant this year to consider hosting a giveaway along with their post.  Some giveaway suggestions are:  A copy of the book you reviewed, a gift card, book marks, or some other bookish item. 

To participate please fill out the form below.  I will be in contact before banned book week to confirm your day and what you will be posting.  I will also promote your post from here on the day you are posting.  If you plan on doing more than one post, please fill out one form per planned post. 

Thank you in advance!  This is going to be a lot of fun!

A Prayer For Owen Meany by John Irving

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)38 Comments

Johnny Wheelwright lives in New Hampshire with his mom who “chose to have me and to never explain a word about me or to her mother or to her sister”.  Johnny never knew who his dad was, and his mother seemed to like it that way and went about with her tranquil and modest nature the rest of her days.

Johnny was rather scrawny and wimpy so it was only natural for him to find a friend in Owen Meany.  Owen was small for his age – freakishly small due to a mysterious growth disorder.  he also has damage to his larynx which leaves his voice very squeaky and needless to say, the blunt of many jokes.  But – Owen is wise beyond his years and knows more about life at the age of ten than most people do well into their later adult years.

When a tragic accident happens at a baseball game involving Owen… Owen feels this was foreseen by God, therefore – Owen is an instrument of God.  The book goes on to play on this “instrument of God” piece (even to the point that Owen predicts his date of death) throughout the childhood of both boys – and into adulthood as well as Johnny continues the story.

 

 

 

A little history.  Last year this book was recommended to me for banned book week.  AND in typical Sheila style, I ran to my library and checked this out along with several other banned books.  AND in typical Sheila style… I had more books than I could read. It was returned… unread.

There are books out there that continue to call to me, for whatever reason they stay on my radar as “must reads” and this book was one of them. I checked the book out again this year, now not only for Banned Book Week, but I had also chosen it as the Wordshaker fall opener read to force my hand.  (I sometimes, have to trick – myself.)

I had seen the movie Simon Birch long before I knew of a book called A Prayer For Owen Meany.  I enjoyed the movie, finding it funny, and sad, and a mixture in between.  The book left me feeling much of the same emotions. 

In the early pages you are hit with the shocking plot starter that really kicks off the story.  Owen then takes on this role as instrument of God which at times is funny, but admittedly – at times, a bit disturbing as well.  For me, reading this book as the fictional story it is, made it enjoyable, and in the end, although not always the easiest book to follow (flash back and forwards tend to mess me up), I am thankful I had the opportunity to read it.  

John Irving and I have had a rocky relationship.  He has a knack for creating quirky characters and then writing stories around them.  In the early years of our book club we had read (under my suggestion) The Fourth Hand by him.  Lets just say that I never have really ever lived down the choosing of this book that as a group we all disliked very VERY much.

John Irving, in my eyes, redeems himself in this interesting and profound read that would make an incredible book group discussion read.

 

 

FYI:  Did you know the movie Simon Birch is based loosely on this book?

Simon Birch is a 1998 American comedy-drama film loosely based on A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving. It was directed and written for the screen by Mark Steven Johnson. The film stars Ian Michael Smith, Joseph Mazzello, Ashley Judd, Oliver Platt, and Jim Carrey. It omitted much of the latter half of the novel and altered the ending. The movie does not share the book’s title at Irving’s request; he did not believe that this novel could successfully be made into a film. The name “Simon Birch” was suggested by him to replace that of Owen Meany. The main plot centers around 12-year old Joe Wenteworth and his best friend Simon Birch.

 


Why Was A Prayer For Owen Meany a Banned Book?

Banned and censored around the United States for its stance on religion and criticism of the US government regarding  the Vietnam War and Iran-Contra.

 

 

For those of you who joined me for the Wordshakers read a long of this book – as you are posting your reviews this week, please respond to one or two of these questions within your reviews.  When your review is up, please link here.

1.  What do you think of Johnny as the narrator of this read?  What is his motivation for writing this story?

2.  How does Owen develop as a character throughout the novel? 

3.  Why do you feel so such emphasis is put on Owen’s voice?

4.  Reverend Merrill always speaks of faith in tandem with doubt. Do you believe that one can exist without the other or that one strengthens the other?

5.  Owen Meany taught John that “Any good book is always in motion–from the general to the specific, from the particular to the whole and back again.” Do you think Irving followed his own recipe for a good book?

6.  Several reviews call A Prayer for Owen Meany “Dickensian,” and Irving himself incorporates scenes from Dickens in the story. In what ways does Irving’s writing remind you of Dickens? What other writers would you compare Irving to?

I will be answering my thoughts on these questions through commenting on your reviews.  Be sure to use the Wordshaker widget to connect your review as part of the Wordshaker Read-A-Long.

Link your Word Shaker read-a-long review here: (linky open through October 8)

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I borrowed this book from our local library

Morning Meanderings… The Ban Is Lifted (almost) w/ The BIG Giveaway

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)8 Comments

Good morning!  😀

I can not believe it is the last day of Banned Books week!  It has been a fun week and I have had a blast reading the other banned posts.  So today I have the final clue to give you and then for those of you who have gathered them all – figure out the 9 letter answer and pop back here and fill out the form I have up….

 

The final clue comes from Tif at Tif Talks Books with her review and thoughts on The Diary Of Anne Frank

 

AND if you did not catch the clues because life happened… no worries, this link will let you catch up on the nice reviews that gave you the clues…. as well as a list of the bonus entries.

The giveaway package w/ $10 Amazon card

Thank you to all the awesome people who participated in Banned Books Week.  I know I learned a little more about some of the books this week and was able to even read a few that have been on the TBR for a long, long time. 

Did you learn anything abut banned books this week?  Maybe a title that surprised you on the list, or a new/old book brought to your attention that now you would like to read?