Banned Books Week

Today marks the beginning of Banned Books Week 2010.  In our department we have two different displays for banned books: one in the children's area and one near the young adult area.  They've only been out for a few days but we've gotten comments and surprised questions about some books that have been banned or challenged.

Those of us who truly love books understand how important it is to keep the freedom to read alive which is why we celebrate the freedom to read during banned books week.  It's a reminder that, by speaking loudly our favorites are available for others to choose and to love or to hate and disagree with.  But the fundamental element of freedom to read is the freedom to choose. 


Below are a few of my favorites:

Speak - Laurie Halse Anderson
A Light in the Attic - Shel Silverstein
The Harry Potter Series - J.K. Rowling
The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things - Carolyn Mackler
Catcher in the Rye - J.D. Salinger
A Clockwork Orange - Anthony Burgess
James and the Giant Peach - Roald Dahl
To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
King and King -  Linda da Haan

There are many more that I've read and/or enjoyed that I didn't add.  But it's safe to say I read banned books.  Do you?

Banned Books Week runs from September 25 - October 2, 2010.

Between a Rock and a Hard Place

Between a Rock and a Hard Place by Aron Ralston 

New York: Atria Books, 2004

ISBN: 0743492811

342 pages

4 out of 5

One of the most extraordinary survival stories ever told--Aron Ralston's searing account of his six days trapped in one of the most remote spots in America, and how one inspired act of bravery brought him home.

It started out as a simple hike in the Utah canyonlands on a warm Saturday afternoon.  For Aron Ralston, a twenty-seven-year-old mountaineer and outdoorsman a walk into the remove Blue John Canyon was a chance to get a break from a winter of solo climbing Colorado's highest and toughest peaks.  He'd earned this weekend vacation, and though he met two charming women along the way , by early afternoon he finally found himself in his element: alone, with just the beauty of the natural world around him.

It was 2:41 p.m.  Eight miles from his truck, in a deep and narrow slot canyon, Aron was climbing down off a wedged boulder when the rock suddenly, and terrifyingly, came loose.  Before he could get out of the way, the falling stone pinned his right hand and wrist against the canyon wall.

And so began six days of hell for Aron Ralston.  With scant water and little food, no jacket for the painfully cold nights, and the terrible knowledge that he'd told no one where he was headed, he found himself facing a lingering death--trapped by an 800-pound boulder 100 feet down in the bottom of a canyon.  As he eliminated his escape options one by one through the days, Aron faced the full horror of his predicament: By the time any possible search and rescue effort would begin, he'd most probably have died of dehydration, if a flash flood didn't down him before that.

What does one do in the face of almost certain death?  Using the video camera from his pack, Aron begins recording his grateful goodbyes to his family and friends all over the country, thinking back over a life filled with adventure and documenting a last will and testament with the hope that someone would find it.  (For their part, his family and friends had instigated a major search for Aron, the amazing details of which are also documented here for the first time).  The knowledge of their love kept Aron Ralston alive, until a divine inspiration on Thursday morning solved the riddle of the boulder.  Aron then committed the most extreme act imaginable to save himself.

Between a Rock and a Hard Place--a brilliantly written, funny, honest, inspiring, and downright astonishing report from the line where death meets life--will surely take its place in the annals of classic adventure stories.

So Aron Ralson is pretty cool guy.  His life is about adventure and being outdoors.  The book outlines his life before the accident and it's a life many guys (and perhaps some ladies) undoubtedly dream of.  What could be better?

This book happens to be about what could be worse.  But this isn’t exactly a book with spoilers: Ralston’s story was all over the news in 2003, the book was published in 2004 and now in 2010, Ralston is being played by James Franco in the upcoming movie 127 Hours. 

But sometimes it’s not about the ending; it really is about the journey.  The mental and physical difficulties of what Ralston went through during his week trapped by the boulder, his recovery, and his return to the outdoor life.  His story is about bravery, determination, and ultimately the will to survive. 

In My Mailbox (4)

IMM is a meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren.  She was inspired by Alea of Pop Culture Junkie. Since the idea is to share titles, I'm including everything.  

ARCs:

You Killed Wesley Payne by Sean Beaudoin


Dark Song by Gail Giles

 








The Saga of Larten Crepsley: The Birth of a Killer by Darren Shan




    





Jane by April Lindner



                        










Borrowed:


The Rise of Renegade X by Chelsea M. Campbell

Split

Split by Swati Avasthi

New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2010

ISBN: 9780375863400

288 pages

4.5 out of 5

Sixteen-year-old Jace Witherspoon arrives at the doorstep of his estranged brother, Christian, with a re-landscaped face (courtesy of his father's first), $3.84, and a secret.

He tried to move on, going for new friends, a new school, and a new job, but all his changes can't make him forget what he left behind.  His mother is still trapped with his dad.  And his ex-girlfriend is keeping his secret--for now.

Turns out there are some things you can't just walk away from.

Swati Avasthi gives us a riveting portrait of what happens after.  After you've said enough, after you've made the split--how do you begin to live again?  Readers won't be able to put this page-turner down.

This book had me from the first line, "Now I have to start lying."  Going into a novel cold and catching that line is as close to magic as you can get.

Jace has lived his entire life in a home where his father took out his aggression on his wife, on his oldest son, then finally his youngest.  But this is not the story you'll be reading.  As the description says, this is a novel about what happens after. Usually when someone finds a way out, that's the end, but this novel reveals that there is so much more.  Even Christian, who escaped years before, continues to struggle with his former life. 

Jace's voice is honest and open. The greatest part of this perspective is that it allows the reader to know not only what he does and says, but what he thinks and feels.  This, to me, is one of the most important aspects of this novel.  It's clear that his experiences forced him to grow up too soon, but it's also clear that he's still just a kid trying to figure it all out. 

Split takes a serious look at what it's like to be trapped by domestic violence even after you've escaped.  I highly recommend it.

__________________________________
Split is the second novel I've read for the Debut Author Challenge.
A "booktalk" version of this review will appear on my library's website.  I can't help but share great books!

Tuesday Mash-Up

I'm starting to have a few ideas of what to do on Tuesdays, but they aren't fully formed so today's a mash-up of things.


First up I found a new book!  Dust City by Robert Paul Weston. It's available Sept. 30!

Next, here's the trailer for The Magnificent 12: The Call by Michael Grant.  You need sound for this one.








Finally, Jessica over at I Read to Relax has a fun little give-away going on.  Click to take a look.

That's all for Tuesday!