My soap box: keeping them innocent

So, I have been reading a lot lately and I have a few things I want to get off my chest.

First of all, before I get into my little tirade, let me start by saying I am whole heartedly for the first amendment. I am a huge advocate of freedom of speech and press. Furthermore, I do not believe in the banning or burning of books. Government should not play that kind of censorship roll in our community.

However, I do think it is our responsibility as parents to censor what our children read; but, how do we do this without discouraging our children from reading all together?

Most of the books I have been reading lately have been young adult fiction. I choose to read these because they are entertaining, usually well-written, and they don’t include a lot of the “sexier” scenes that adult fiction usually has. I’m not a prude, I just don’t like to blush while reading a novel : )

The thing is, the more I read young adult fiction, the more I realize how much the times have changed. Maybe I was ignorant and naive during my adolescent years, but I honestly don’t remember adult language and sexual content being embedded within the books I read.

I realize that kids are going to hear bad words at school and hear about who is sleeping with whom; but shouldn’t we try to protect their innocence for as long as we can? To me there is no need for our children to be bombarded with these sorts of things 24/7; but I am at a loss for how to do this without discouraging my children from reading.

What are your thoughts on this? If you have young adults, how do you go about “censoring” (for lack of a better word) what they read or do you at all? With a five-year-old and a two-year-old, I am obviously not to this hurdle quite yet, but I would love some ideas for future reference.

Crazy stalker fans

So last night, I could have easily qualified for a stalker. I went to PW’s book signing in Oklahoma City with my friend Kaci (another crazy fan who you can see more of on my photography blog).

(can you tell I’m just a tad bit excited!?!? – so pathetic!)

We weren’t alone though. There were hundreds and hundreds of people there all to see Ree (I can call her that now…we bonded). I even got to see one of my old college buddies, who appears regularly on my blog during Flashback Fridays, Mandy.

We saw Ree’s punks; and the girls even came around to sign the cookbooks.

And I even got a couple of seriously creepy stalker photos of Marlboro Man (me being the stalker, not Marlboro Man). 

And so, after waiting in line for three hours, it was my turn! Of course, as my luck would have it, my camera malfunctioned, aka – it ran out of batteries because I’d been taking too many pictures. But eventually I got it to where we could at least get a few photos, in focus or not. 

And somehow, during this fiasco with the camera, Ree and I started to mess with our hair and then we got on the subject of our annoying cowlicks. 

We sympathized with one another, we felt each other’s pain, and like I said earlier, we bonded.

“Catching Fire”

Holy cow! Do you realize it has been a little over five months since I last reviewed a book I have read? That is almost insane to me knowing how many books I actually read over the summer.

From The Mortal Instruments trilogy by Cassandra Clare to other young adult novelists like Alyson Noel, P.C and Kristin Cast, and Aprilynne Pike, I was in no shortage of fantastical worlds filled with fairies, vampires, werewolves, and other immortal creatures. Not to worry though, I of course varied my genres with a few adult books by authors like Jodi Picoult and Adriana Trigiani. Why I didn’t review any of these novels is beyond me because some of them were truly riveting and I would have highly recommended them.

As for my most current read though….well, I just couldn’t let the moment slip by without mentioning a little something about it.

A little less than a year ago I reviewed a book by Suzanne Collins called The Hunger Games. If you were around then, you may remember that I absolutely loved the book but hated that it was a series. I am, without a doubt, an instant gratification kind of girl; and knowing that I would have to wait a whole year for the second book to be released…well, let’s just say that doesn’t sit too well with me.

But on September 1st, the second book in The Hunger Games trilogy, Catching Fire, was released.

Although I have had it since then, I finally picked it up yesterday (not that I really had the time) and finished it last night – no lie – it was that stinkin’ good! And talk about a major cliff hanger at the end…I am about to pull my hair out knowing that I am going to have to wait, yet again, another year for the final book to be released.

I don’t want to give you a play-by-play review of Catching Fire because if you have yet to read the first one, I would hate to spoil it for you.

Unlike most second installments of a series though, Catching Fire jumps right into the action and heart of the book. There is really no backtracking to fill you in or remind you of what happened in The Hunger Games. So again, if you have yet to read the first, do so…NOW! I promise you won’t be sorry with this series. {Don’t tell anyone; but…I may just like it more than Twilight (insert sounds of shock and awe) – but I’ll hold out on that judgment until after I have read the third and final book.}

So, what good books have you all read lately?

Graceling

I just finished reading yet another young adult book and I loved it! In Kristin Cashore’s debut novel Graceling, she weaves together a magical story full of suspense , romance and self discovery.

Lately my husband and I both have been shocked by the books I have not only chosen to read but that I have also enjoyed. Graceling proved one of those books.

In a world of seven kingdoms ruled by kings, certain individuals are born with Graces that let them excel in certain trades or areas of life.

Katsa’s Grace of killing is discovered at a young age when she accidentally kills an uncle who tries to touch her inappropriately. From that point on, she is trained in her Grace and taught how to control it.

Because of her unique “gift", her king, King Randa, uses and exploits her. Unhappily she submits to her role as punisher and executioner for the king.

Only when she meets Po, a graced prince of Lienid, does she discover that free will exists. She breaks free from her king and sets off on an adventure with Po to discover the truths behind a kidnapping. What they will find will not only appall them but test their Graces like never before.

Graceling is very well written with an exciting and intricate plot. Like most books, the first few chapters are a little slow due to a lot of back-story; but once I got into it I was so enthralled with it that I couldn’t put it down. I am looking forward to reading more from this new and budding author and am happy to highly recommend this one to everyone.

**This book contains no explicit language and only references sexual content.**

Dear John

I am a sucker for a good romance novel; and to me, you just can't beat a Nicholas Sparks book. The hubby makes fun of me for reading all of Sparks' books because he says they are too formulaic...but what does he know, he's never read any of them?!

Actually, if I am honest with myself, the hubby is right (don't you dare tell him I said that); Sparks' books do seem to fall into a sort of routine: all of them take place in a small town in North Carolina, a few of them use dogs as a main character, there is usually some kind of tragedy, etc, etc...but what can I say, I just can't help myself.

Sparks weaves such a beautiful romance within each of his books that I just can't seem to put them down.

I just finished two of his more recent novels: The Lucky One and Dear John. I am not going to write about both of them in the post because, well, I just like to keep things separated like that.

Dear John, although the majority of it too took place in a small town in North Carolina, actually veered from Sparks' norm. I believe he stepped outside his comfort zone and wrote a modern-day war love story, complete with scenes from Iraq.

John Tyree, an angry young man raised only by his father, enlisted in the army right after high school in order to escape the destructive path in which he saw his life heading.

During one of his leaves, he meets Savannah Lynn Curtis, his polar opposite and yet his compliment in life. It is an immediate attraction between the two and when it comes time for John to return to duty, they vow to make their relationship last.

Little did they know that 9/11 was right around the corner and that their love would face some of the largest hardships and decisions known to man.

I would highly recommend this book to all those who love a good love story; but like any Nicholas Sparks book, be prepared for some inevitable heartbreaks.

What good books have you all read lately?

She's Come Undone

I realized the other day that it has been quite a while since I reviewed a book I have read. So since there is nothing else really exciting going on in my neck of the woods, here goes nothing...

A few weeks ago, my cousin suggested I read She's Come Undone by Wally Lamb. Written in 1992 and placed on Oprah's Book Club list in 1997, She's Come Undone is a timeless novel of a young girl coming of age.

I have to say that while I was reading this book, I kept asking myself why in the world would I subject myself to something like this. The story line possessed the most depressing and tragic sequence of events.

Dolores Price, the female protagonist of the book, grows up during the 1950s when television is a novelty and when walking on the moon is the dream of every young person. Dolores Price, however, did not fall into that category.

At the age of 13, Dolores has already faced more than any one adolescent should: her mother lost a baby, her father left her mother for another woman, her mother is put into a mental institution which thus forces Dolores to go and live with her devout Catholic grandmother. In essence, Dolores is bound to say farewell to her childhood.

In her grief, Dolores turns to food as comfort. By the time she reaches young adulthood, she weighs well-over 200 pounds making her the butt of everyone's jokes which thus sends her into deeper depression.

With one tragic even after the other, She's Come Undone is a difficult book to read but the last couple of paragraphs of it make it well worth your time. Dolores Price, although an unlikely heroine, makes one believe that if she can do it, anyone can.

**As a side note, this novel is filled with explicit language and overt sexual content and should not be read by young adults.**

"The Hunger Games"

I just finished reading one of the best books I have read in quite a while, besides Twilight that is. The whole time I was reading it I couldn't wait to tell you all about it. Then I reached the ending and realized I had been suckered into yet another series. I was so angry. For someone who is into immediate gratification, series just do not work for me unless all of the books have been written and published. For this particular series, book two is not even due out until next fall. So if you are like me, disregard the following book report until the entire series is out or else, like me, you will let it fester in the back of your mind, day in and day out, until you can finally put it to rest - which only happens when you have finished the entire story.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins is a thrilling novel that you just won't be able to put down. Again, this book was outside my norm because it is set in the future, possibly post-apocalyptic.

I am not even real sure how to describe the contents of this book, especially in a way to do the book justice. America has been reduced to 12 districts and a Capitol. The districts are spread far and wide away from the Capitol and the farther away a district is, the poorer the district proves to be.

Katniss, a 16-year-old girl lives in District 12, the district in charge of mining coal and the furthest away from the Capitol, where starvation is a way of life. Years ago, Katniss lost her father in a mining accident and was thus placed in the leadership role of her family, she has been forced to provide for her mother and her 12-year-old sister.

The actual Hunger Games are the Capitol's way of letting the districts know who is in charge. An annual event and one that scarily resembles our obsession with reality television, The Hunger Games force each district to provide one male and one female between the ages of 12 and 18 to take part in a brutal event where in the end only one person is to remain standing.

After Katniss's 12-year-old sister's name is drawn, Katniss jumps up to volunteer in her place; and this is where the real action begins.

As I stated earlier, I hate that I fell into the trap of yet another series of novels; but having said that, The Hunger Games was truly a great read. An entertaining page turner and I am anxiously awaiting book two (and however many happen to follow after that).

"The Host"

I was so enthralled with Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series that I decided to read her newest novel, The Host.

The Host was an intriguing story; and although it dragged in places, mainly in the beginning, it proved to be an in-depth look into the human psyche by exploring the many facets of relationships and ultimately human nature.

Like the Twilight series, this book too was out of the norm for me to read and enjoy. The Host is a science-fiction book about aliens that have come to Earth to make it a more peaceful environment by taking over human bodies. These peace-loving aliens, or souls rather, are implanted into the human body and from there push out the human who lives within, all the while keeping the memories of said human host.

The story revolves around one such alien - Wanderer - and her difficulty in adapting to her new human host. Wanderer not only keeps her host's memories but she also keeps her host's emotional attachments to the people within those memories; in fact, she is ultimately unable to flush out her host's thoughts and feelings and thus concludes that the two can live in harmony within this one body. So Wanderer sets off to find her host's family and is surprised that she finds a family of her own.

The flap of the book calls The Host a love story but it proves to be so much more than that. Meyer, through her creative story telling and captivating writing skills, is able to take a hard look at the internal struggles of our human make-up.

I am not normally a sci-fi fan by any stretch of the imagination; and although I did not enjoy The Host as much as Twilight, I would still recommend it.

Out of practice

I promise I am not neglecting my blog; there is just not much going on right now. I guess you could say we are enjoying a little bit of down time.

I did, however, finish Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series and if you like to read, I would highly recommend these books. They were originally written for young adult readers but have gained a much larger audience.

At first, I was a little skeptical of the whole series simply because I am not a huge fan of vampire/goth reads. (Of course, I am not usually a huge fan of wizardry books either but I fell in love with Harry Potter.) But, after being recommended the books for the ten-millionth time, I finally decided to pick it up and give it a try and, sadly, I finished all four books in one week. I just couldn't put it down.

The Twilight series is a wonderful love story filled with action and emotion. I found myself laughing, crying, and biting my fingernails throughout each novel.

The best and most surprising part of these novels though, is the fact that very few, if any, curse words are used and there are even pro-life and abstinence until marriage undertones (mainly in the last book). Therefore, if you have teenagers this book is completely safe for them to read but still mature enough for us older kids. However, for those of us who are older and married, heed this warning: when you finish reading said books, you will wonder why it is that your husband can't be more like a fictitious bloodsucking vampire named Edward.

Anyway, read it and tell me what you think and if you don't want to read it there is a movie coming out in November.

Books in the series include: Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse, and Breaking Dawn.

I realize that this is probably the worst book review ever written, and for that I apologize; but seriously, this is probably the first book report I have written since middle school. I will work on bettering my skills in this area for next time; that is, if you all enjoy book recommendations.