Time is ticking

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Friday Five

1. Writing continues. I'm less than 10 K away from my target. So I'm definitely plodding along. Haven't really been working on Code Monkey too because of 2.

2. Cold and flu season struck! Nasty cold or flu? I dunno but geesh, it sucked. I was ready to throw in the towel a few times. Youngest didn't feel well and got better quicker than I did. *sigh* I think I'm old.

3. I was feeling pretty lousy last Friday so not only did I read Hunger Games but I read the second book by Suzanne Collins, too. Wow. The dystopian universe that's been created is bleak and utterly captivating. Katniss is a wonderful protagonist. She's not perfect and I identified with her immediately. Gale and Peeta are both engrossing characters and I find myself liking both of them. Oldest and I definitely want the third book soon!

4. Oldest can't decide what to be for Halloween. We have a Halloween party tomorrow night. Not sure what we're going to do about that. I told her she should be Katniss. Youngest wanted to be a Daleck but wound up going for a devil because she wasn't sure she could or would have time to make something.

5. Pssst??? Get ready for Sam Cheever's Trick or Treat contest!

May the muses have treats
Mechele

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Friday Five

1. Ugh. I have a cold. Or rather "I hab a code." You know it's bad when you tell the kidlets you don't think you can do something fun that you've offered up because you're not up to it and they say, "We know. we can hear it in you voice. You don't look like you feel good."

2. Writing is going. Not sure what I will write today LOL. I actually wrote on Code Monkey and my special moonlight story both this week. I'm over half way done with moonlight, which makes me very happy. I don't usually write on two things at once so am very surprised at being compelled to do it now. I need to find a title...

3. Kidlets and I did three hour long shifts in the banned books reading room at our local library. I was so so excited. Books we read for the hour: It, Harry Potter, Boys are Dogs, The Color Purple, A Light in the Attic, Scary Stories, The Supernaturalist, Are you there God? It's me Margaret?, and Salem's Lot. Salem's Lot has special significance for me as my own school library pulled the book from the after one complaint :(. I'd read it as a 10th grader and done a book report on it. The girls and I discussed book banning/challenges and why I think it's the wrong thing to do. Lots of discussions, which was great.

4. Castle and Big Bang are awesome this year. Both shows are keeping me captivated. We discovered Eureka over the summer, watched the new season. We've been going back and watching the older ones.

5. I'm getting into Young Adult books. Holy wow are there some good choices out there. Oldest recently read the Eragon trilogy. She was upset there isn't a 4th book out yet when she finished the 3rd one. I'm reading Eragon and enjoying it. Melissa Marr is coming to the local library system so I checked out Wicked Lovely and read it. Haunting book. It didn't end like I thought it would, definitely not romance. I'm intrigued. I've checked out the next two books from the library. Oldest also read Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins and told me I should read it. I'm a 100 pages in and think it will be a book I can't put down until I'm done. Oldest asked me at our last banned books room stint had Hunger Games been banned anywhere. I looked but didn't see anything, which disappointed her because she wanted to read more in the second one LOL. I already knew what it was about and said I wouldn't be surprised if it does show up on a banned books reading list sometime soon. As engrossed as I am in it, I find that thinking sort of sad.

May the muses have books to read
Mechele

Friday Five (banned books edition--double list)

All week long I've been discussing challenged books and why we should celebrate the freedom to read, the freedom to think for ourselves, and the wisdom to allow others to do the same. I've discussed why I think it's important, what books have been challenged, and why they are challenged.

I thought I'd list some of my favorite challenged books and also explain a personal reason why I feel so strongly about this subject.

1. Stephen King-A lot of his books have been challenged. King is one of my favorite authors. I love his older works (Cujo, Firestarter, Night Shift, Different Seasons, etc) and some of his newer stuff. The Stand always makes my list of favorite books. King is a writer who made me want to write. He gave me hope that one day I could write my own stories.

And with Stephen King lies a personal reason why this matters so much to me. When I was a senior in high school, my high school library pulled Salem's Lot from the shelves. This was based on the complaint of ONE parent who felt it was inappropriate for their child to read. ONE parent. I had read this book and done a report on it for my Honors English class in 10th grade. Neither my mother or my teacher felt there was a problem with my reading it. Instead of simply telling their child to take it back, this parent felt it necessary to make sure no other child in my high school could check it out. I didn't understand it then. I still don't. I questioned it then, but the book was not reinstated because of one person's objections. I think that's a scary precedent.

2. Are You There God? It's Me Margaret by Judy Blume. Blume is another author who makes the challenged lists all the time. I remember reading this book and loving it. I'm actually reading it again right now because I'm wondering if my youngest would like to read it.

3. To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee. When people write their lists of favorite books, more often than not, this book is on it.

4. Harry Potter is a series that makes the list quite frequently. It's also the set of books that propelled a generation toward reading. My oldest is a Harry Potter fanatic and she's appalled that anyone would want to ban these books.

5. Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell. Another book that often makes the lists of favorites. It's also been challenged. I loved reading about Scarlett.

6. The Color Purple by Alice Walker. This is a book I love and that I own. It's moved with me every time I move. It's also a book that's frequently cited.

7. Their eyes were watching God by Zora Neale Hurston. I read this in college. Thought it should be required reading.

8. Toni Morrison. Her books frequently make the lists from Beloved to The Bluest Eye. Her books aren't easy reads, they are thought provoking.

9. Summer of my German Soldier. This is a book I remember reading and rereading when I was a tween.

10. Olive's Ocean. This is a book that I read last year when Banned Books Week came around. It's a wonderful coming of age story.

May the muses have banned books
Mechele