My husband (gee, ya think he knows I like to read ;) ) sent me a link today talking about Banned Books. The article recommended checking out Google Book Search.
This page lists books whose presence in libraries around the country has been challenged.
I'll mention some of my favorites that I've seen scanning through the list, and can't imagine being denied the opportunity to read them (most in high school, some in college):
Catcher in the Rye
1984
Lord of the Flies
Grapes of Wrath
Of Mice and Men
Brave New World
Their Eyes Were Watching God
Gone With the Wind
The Call of the Wild
Good stuff there... maybe I should check out the rest of the books on that list, which I haven't yet read.
Tuesday, September 12, 2006
Monday, September 11, 2006
Book Review: Intensity
Title: Intensity
From: Dean Koontz
Cost: $7.99 paperback, $20 hardcover, $40 audio cd
The story starts out with two friends, Chyna Shepard and Laura Templeton, driving to Laura's home on a college break. I don't know if it matters, but, they were psych majors.
After a great time with the family, they head to bed. Someone breaks into the home and... well, to not ruin the suprise, does some very bad things.
Chyna is trying to escape and jumps into his motorhome... where she finds a photo of a young girl.
She becomes determined to rescue her. Why does she stand up to protect this girl? Because of her troubled and scarring past.
When Koontz delves into the Chyna's past, which she grudgingly shares with her best friend, it is so compelling. Shocking, and yet, believable.
The story rockets along, giving on brief rests, but, you don't take them, because you just HAVE to turn the page and find out what happens next.
This is purely a mystery. Delving into the human psyche, and situations/characters possible in the everyday world.
Perhaps that's why I didn't care for it too much. Because I identified with too much of it? or because I could picture it happening just as he's laid it out, and it's awful to contemplate?
Overall Rating: Good
The reviews published in the front of the book are apt.
Koontz redefines suspense. Intensity is a coiled spring that winds ever tighter... A novel about catharsis, about the power to wreak change and to do good as well as evil. There are sound undercurrents in Koontz's work, and they run deep. - London Times
A pin-you-to-the-chair tale of suspense, with a protagonist who is possibly the best female character yet in the thriller genre. Classy... swiftly paced, and as largely and sharply detailed as an IMAX movie. - Austin Chronicle
I could go on, but, you can find those reviews anywhere... check it out, I think you'll enjoy the thrill.
If you've read this book, chime in and let me know what you thought about it.
From: Dean Koontz
Cost: $7.99 paperback, $20 hardcover, $40 audio cd
The story starts out with two friends, Chyna Shepard and Laura Templeton, driving to Laura's home on a college break. I don't know if it matters, but, they were psych majors.
After a great time with the family, they head to bed. Someone breaks into the home and... well, to not ruin the suprise, does some very bad things.
Chyna is trying to escape and jumps into his motorhome... where she finds a photo of a young girl.
She becomes determined to rescue her. Why does she stand up to protect this girl? Because of her troubled and scarring past.
When Koontz delves into the Chyna's past, which she grudgingly shares with her best friend, it is so compelling. Shocking, and yet, believable.
The story rockets along, giving on brief rests, but, you don't take them, because you just HAVE to turn the page and find out what happens next.
This is purely a mystery. Delving into the human psyche, and situations/characters possible in the everyday world.
Perhaps that's why I didn't care for it too much. Because I identified with too much of it? or because I could picture it happening just as he's laid it out, and it's awful to contemplate?
Overall Rating: Good
The reviews published in the front of the book are apt.
Koontz redefines suspense. Intensity is a coiled spring that winds ever tighter... A novel about catharsis, about the power to wreak change and to do good as well as evil. There are sound undercurrents in Koontz's work, and they run deep. - London Times
A pin-you-to-the-chair tale of suspense, with a protagonist who is possibly the best female character yet in the thriller genre. Classy... swiftly paced, and as largely and sharply detailed as an IMAX movie. - Austin Chronicle
I could go on, but, you can find those reviews anywhere... check it out, I think you'll enjoy the thrill.
If you've read this book, chime in and let me know what you thought about it.
Monday, September 04, 2006
Reading Challenge - Help Rebuild
I saw a post today about helping to rebuild libraries ruined by Hurricane Katrina last year. Find links on this page telling you how to help rebuild these libraries.
From 'Romance Novel Reviews' "School libraries in the Gulf region are seriously hurting, because they are a “lower priority among philanthropists than public libraries,” though school libraries are struggling to rebuild their collections as well. Further, school libraries are funded through individual school boards, which are also pressed with the absorption of new students from other communities, and the rebuilding of their own physical buildings.Since there’s no shortage of paperback donations winging their way to the Gulf region, Candy and I thought we’d focus on the children’s libraries and reading programs that need help, and specifically, the green paper donations that make a difference directly. Here’s a list of a few organizations that can help get children’s books back in the Gulf region"
From 'Romance Novel Reviews' "School libraries in the Gulf region are seriously hurting, because they are a “lower priority among philanthropists than public libraries,” though school libraries are struggling to rebuild their collections as well. Further, school libraries are funded through individual school boards, which are also pressed with the absorption of new students from other communities, and the rebuilding of their own physical buildings.Since there’s no shortage of paperback donations winging their way to the Gulf region, Candy and I thought we’d focus on the children’s libraries and reading programs that need help, and specifically, the green paper donations that make a difference directly. Here’s a list of a few organizations that can help get children’s books back in the Gulf region"
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