You'll love this one...!! A book club & more discussion

Banned Books week is observed in September. I hope you don't mind that we observe this week with our September challenge when we just finished the same theme for our August monthly "read". I think it's an important observance for all book lovers.

The challenge, therefore, is to choose a book that has been banned or has been nominated to be banned.

Here are some links to banned/challenged books:

http://www.goodreads.com/list/show/13...
http://www.goodreads.com/list/show/22...
http://www.goodreads.com/list/show/32...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_....

Challenge rules:

The book you choose for this challenge must be started no earlier than September 1st and be finished before October 1st. In other words, it is to be read between September 1 and 30th.

The book may be in any format - hardcover, paperback, ebook, or audiobook.

It must be at least 200 pages long. To determine the number of pages, do a search for the book using the Goodread's search. The first version that comes up will be the one we use to determine the number of pages regardless of the version you read or listen to.

Point qualifiers - 1 point each except where otherwise noted.

Themes:
Betrayal
God & Spirituality
Conformity
Sexuality
Suffering

Genre:
Steampunk (loved it so much we want to read more, right?)
Young Adult
Crime
Fantasy
Contemporary

Location/Setting:
Scotland
Germany
China
Virginia
Texas
Anywhere on the continent of South America

Author:
Last name begins with B
French
Has three names
Has the word "son" included (eg Johnson)
Female

Titles Contain:
Two word title
Has the name of a flower in it
Has an animal in it
Begins with "The"
Has an eight lettered word

Covers:
No picture - just the title & author

Predominantly green
Has a child on it
Title is in white


BONUS POINTS:

September Events - 2 points each

Dear Diary Day - is a memoir.
National Fruits and Vegetables Month - has a garden in the story
Sea Cadet Month - has a ship or boat in it
International Literacy Day - is about books
Remembrance of 911 - has war or massacre in it

Page Length:
200 - 299 pages - 1 point
300 - 399 pages - 2 points
400 - 499 pages - 3 points
500 pages or greater - 4 points

Thanks for the wiki links. They're not 100% reliable, but since we're not at all sure about Listopia, I'm using them. I've chosen, and ordered from my library system, Annie on My Mind.

I wanted to read Voltaire - looking for a good "excuse" to read this classic AP lit novel but it's only 94 pages :-(

I think I am going to read July's People instead.

I was curious so looked at that book Kate - it too is under 200 pp, at least in the two editions I checked.

Oh crud. I didn't even look at the pages for that one. Shoot.

Hey I know - maybe Janice would let you read that plus Voltaire?

There you go! But then how to calculate points?

LOL - I've read so many off the first list I feel like a total degenerate. Might go for Fanny Hill as it's a freebie.

heh :)

Kate wrote: "There you go! But then how to calculate points?"

Hmmm. It would be difficult to calculate points. I think there are enough books on the various lists that have 200+ pages, that we wouldn't need to resort to trying to combine 2 books.

I editted the original email because I noticed there was a deduction for less than 200 pages which is not necessary if the rules state that the book must be over 200.

I just finished reading Fahrenheit 451 so can't use it. I will use it for the scoring example. I'm going to read Uncle Tom's Cabin.

Here's another site - America Library Ass'n. Scroll to the bottom of this page for links to pdf's by year. The problem with these lists are that they are dense with graphics.

I have read several books on the lists. But there are a few I believe I have not that I probably should have...so many great books to choose from. I might go with the Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girlor A Wrinkle in Timeor Twilight. I'd like to read The Hunger Gamesbut I'm fairly sure I can't get it at the library. I could probably borrow Twilight from my sister...and I suppose I should read those books since everyone else has...I have been told I will like it. haha...but I am tempted to go with something else like one of the first ones I've mentioned. Choices!

Good advice, Judy. Don't read something just because 'everyone else is.' To channel most of our mothers, would you jump off a cliff just because all your friends are doing it? ;)

Of course I wouldn't! :) I will go with my heart. Thanks for the advice, Judy.

Amber I didn't even go to the ALA site...that would be interesting to explore as well...there are so many good titles to choose from...it is a hard choice.

Do we need a separate thread to do our reporting? How about we just use this thread?

I'm going to refer you to past threads for examples of how to report because there is no change.

Fine with me! :)

Fanny Hill, or Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure . 5 points. And it was rubbish!
www.goodreads.com/review/list/5041120... review

LOL! If you've finished reading it, go ahead and score it. :)

Annie on My Mind

Themes:
Betrayal
God & Spirituality
Conformity
Sexuality
Suffering

Genre:
Young Adult
Contemporary

Author:
Female

Covers:
Has a child on it

BONUS POINTS:

September Events - 2 points each

National Fruits and Vegetables Month - has a garden in the story

Page Length:
200 - 299 pages - 1 point

12 points if I counted correctly. Biggest boost was that it hit all the themes. Good book - a love story about two teens, one of whom has figured out that she's a lesbian, the other comes to realize it. The author certainly had an agenda, but it's not preachy.

I count 12 points as well, Cheryl. :)

LOL! Yes, I can appreciate that. I've done similar things as well.

I take mine to my OBCZ for bookcrossing. Science fiction doesn't move there - I'd be glad to trade a box of that for a box of picture books or old bestsellers or for domestic arts (all the crafty & decor books I put out vanish immediately)

That does sound like fun. I've just passed a bunch of books on to my dad, and what I have is either not read yet or keepers.

I read The Bluest Eye
by Toni Morrison. I started and finished it last night, because I literally could not put it down. I picked it to read, because I saw that it took place in the author's hometown of Lorrain, OH and I grew up around there.

Themes:
Betrayal
God & Spirituality
Conformity
Sexuality
Suffering

Genre:
Contemporary


Author:
Has the word "son" included (eg Johnson)
Female

Titles Contain:
Begins with "The"

Covers:

Has a child on it
Title is in white


BONUS POINTS:

National Fruits and Vegetables Month - has a garden in the story

Page Length:
200 - 299 pages - 1 point


Total: 13

Don't you love a book that you can't put down?

I count 14 points, Emma. The bonus points are worth 2 points.

Yes, and it was good too, since I couldn't sleep and would have just been bored otherwise.

Judy I'll PM you. :)

*snort*

Just for that... let's see what evil I can come up with for October's challenge. Heehee

I have been stuck reading Eat, Pray, Love (and class stuff and research ) almost all month so I didnt get a around to getting anne frank from the library. That was what I was going to read. Ah well looking forward to seeing themes for upcoming monthes.

That's too bad that you didn't get a chance to read the book for this challenge. The next challenge has been posted and Judy inspired me to be evil with it, so it's a doozy. :)

I finished Uncle Tom's Cabin last night.



Themes:
Betrayal - 1 pt
God & Spirituality - 1 pt
Suffering - 1 pt

Author:
Has Three names - 1 pt
Female - 1 pt

Title:
No picture - 1 pt
Title in white - 1 pt

Bonus:
Sea Cadet, has a boat - 2 pts

Pages: 438 - 3 pts

Total: 12 points

I hope everyone enjoyed reading a banned book for this challenge. It's quite an eye-opener when you see some of the titles that are on the various lists.

The scores are:

Emma - 13 points
Cheryl - 12 points
Janice - 12 points
Amber - 9 points
July - 8 points
Alison - 5 points

Congratulations Emma. Here is your badge:



The participant badge for everyone else is:


Right click to "save as" and download to your computer.

Thanks so much :) Do we just put the badges on our Good Reads profile?

You may put it on you profile page if you like. :)