Tuesday Thingers: Banned books

From Marie at Boston Bibliophile:
For this week’s Tuesday Thingers, I’ve copied the list of the most-challenged books of the 1990s straight from the ALA website. I’ve bolded the ones I’ve read. Bold what you’ve read, and italicize what you have in your LT library. ( I don't do Library Thing so I will italicize ones in my TBR pile or that I want to read)

1. Scary Stories (Series) by Alvin Schwartz
2. Daddy’s Roommate by Michael Willhoite
3. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
4. The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier
5. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
6. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
7. Harry Potter (Series) by J.K. Rowling
8. Forever by Judy Blume
9. Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
10. Alice (Series) by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
11. Heather Has Two Mommies by Leslea Newman
12. My Brother Sam is Dead by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier
13. The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
14. The Giver by Lois Lowry
15. It’s Perfectly Normal by Robie Harris
16. Goosebumps (Series) by R.L. Stine
17. A Day No Pigs Would Die by Robert Newton Peck
18. The Color Purple by Alice Walker
19. Sex by Madonna
20. Earth’s Children (Series) by Jean M. Auel
21. The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson
22. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
23. Go Ask Alice by Anonymous
24. Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers
25. In the Night Kitchen by Maurice Sendak
26. The Stupids (Series) by Harry Allard
27. The Witches by Roald Dahl
28. The New Joy of Gay Sex by Charles Silverstein
29. Anastasia Krupnik (Series) by Lois Lowry
30. The Goats by Brock Cole
31. Kaffir Boy by Mark Mathaband
32. Blubber by Judy Blume
33. Killing Mr. Griffin by Lois Duncan
34. Halloween ABC by Eve Merriam
35. We All Fall Down by Robert Cormier
36. Final Exit by Derek Humphry
37. The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
38. Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George
39. The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
40. What’s Happening to my Body? Book for Girls: A Growing-Up Guide for Parents & Daughters by Lynda Madaras
41. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
42. Beloved by Toni Morrison
43. The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
44. The Pigman by Paul Zindel
45. Bumps in the Night by Harry Allard
46. Deenie by Judy Blume
47. Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes
48. Annie on my Mind by Nancy Garden
49. The Boy Who Lost His Face by Louis Sachar
50. Cross Your Fingers, Spit in Your Hat by Alvin Schwartz
51. A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein
52. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
53. Sleeping Beauty Trilogy by A.N. Roquelaure (Anne Rice)
54. Asking About Sex and Growing Up by Joanna Cole
55. Cujo by Stephen King
56. James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
57. The Anarchist Cookbook by William Powell
58. Boys and Sex by Wardell Pomeroy
59. Ordinary People by Judith Guest
60. American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis
61. What’s Happening to my Body? Book for Boys: A Growing-Up Guide for Parents & Sons by Lynda Madaras
62. Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret by Judy Blume
63. Crazy Lady by Jane Conly
64. Athletic Shorts by Chris Crutcher
65. Fade by Robert Cormier
66. Guess What? by Mem Fox
67. The House of Spirits by Isabel Allende
68. The Face on the Milk Carton by Caroline Cooney
69. Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut
70. Lord of the Flies by William Golding
71. Native Son by Richard Wright
72. Women on Top: How Real Life Has Changed Women’s Fantasies by Nancy Friday
73. Curses, Hexes and Spells by Daniel Cohen
74. Jack by A.M. Homes
75. Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo A. Anaya
76. Where Did I Come From? by Peter Mayle
77. Carrie by Stephen King
78. Tiger Eyes by Judy Blume
79. On My Honor by Marion Dane Bauer
80. Arizona Kid by Ron Koertge
81. Family Secrets by Norma Klein
82. Mommy Laid An Egg by Babette Cole
83. The Dead Zone by Stephen King
84. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
85. Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison
86. Always Running by Luis Rodriguez
87. Private Parts by Howard Stern
88. Where’s Waldo? by Martin Hanford
89. Summer of My German Soldier by Bette Greene
90. Little Black Sambo by Helen Bannerman
91. Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett
92. Running Loose by Chris Crutcher
93. Sex Education by Jenny Davis
94. The Drowning of Stephen Jones by Bette Greene
95. Girls and Sex by Wardell Pomeroy
96. How to Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell
97. View from the Cherry Tree by Willo Davis Roberts
98. The Headless Cupid by Zilpha Keatley Snyder
99. The Terrorist by Caroline Cooney
100. Jump Ship to Freedom by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier

Cradle and All

Title and author of book: Cradle and All by James Patterson

Fiction or non-fiction? Genre? fiction, thriller

What led you to pick up this book? I've read several of Patterson's books and find them quick and easy to read.

Plot summary: Strange things are happening across the world and 2 virgins are pregnant

What did you like most about the book? It moves along fast and is a page turner

What did you like least? I didn't always understand why the characters felt the way they did

What did you think of the writing style? Patterson practically makes every 2 pages a different chapter. And almost every "chapter" ends with a cliff hanger or startling revelation.

Which of your readers are most likely to enjoy this book? Why? those who like quick moving thrillers

Have you read any other books by this author? What did you think of those books? I've read several and most read the same. Some better than others.

What did you think of the ending? Interesting with a little twist

Do you recommend this book? If you use a rating system, what’s your rating? yes, 3/5

The Magic Tunnel

Title and author of book: The Magic Tunnel by Caroline Emerson

Fiction or non-fiction? Genre? fiction, children's

Setting: New Amsterdam, 17th century

What led you to pick up this book? I like most books with magical elements to them

Plot summary: Two modern day (1950s) children go through a magic tunnel in New York City which takes them back to when the city was still New Amsterdam. The book is about their various adventures in the past.

What did you like most about the book? Learning about New Amsterdam

What did you like least? nothing

What did you think of the writing style? typical style for this type of book, easy to read

Which of your readers are most likely to enjoy this book? Why? those who like children's books especially the mid century children's books

Have you read any other books by this author? What did you think of those books? none

What did you think of the main character? John and Sarah were the two modern children taken to the past. They were easy to like and you could feel their interest in the past.

What is the central character’s biggest problem? Trying to adapt to the past and then get back to the future

How do you think he/she feels? They wondered if they would ever get to their future homes again.

Any other particularly interesting characters? the other members of their "family" in the past

Share a favorite scene from the book: going to the school in New Amsterdam

What did you think of the ending? predictable

Do you recommend this book? If you use a rating system, what’s your rating? yes, 3/5

The Family Under the Bridge

Title and author of book: The Family Under the Bridge by Natalie Savage Carlson

Fiction or non-fiction? Genre? fiction, children's

Setting: Paris, not sure about time-early-mid 20th century

What led you to pick up this book? The title, picture and back cover

Plot summary: A homeless man befriends 3 homeless children and their mother in this touching story

What did you like most about the book? I like how the old man warms up to the children.

What did you like least? nothing

What did you think of the writing style? enjoyable, easy to read

Which of your readers are most likely to enjoy this book? Why? those who enjoy children's stories, especially classics

Have you read any other books by this author? What did you think of those books? none

What did you think of the ending? It is warm and happy and nicely wraps everything up

Do you recommend this book? If you use a rating system, what’s your rating? yes, I do recommend it, 3/5

A Thousand Acres

Title and author of book: A Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley

Fiction or non-fiction? Genre? literary fiction

Setting: farm country Iowa, 1979

What led you to pick up this book? The description on the back of the book sounded interesting

Plot summary: A farmer gives his land to his 3 daughters and one backs out. The family starts to unravel with this.

What did you like most about the book? I can't think of one thing I liked most. I didn't care for this book that much

What did you like least? I didn't care for the tone and dark nature of the books. I thought about quitting it but never did. Many parts were boring for me.

What did you think of the writing style? Too dark and boring, in my opinion

Which of your readers are most likely to enjoy this book? Why? Some fans of literary fiction or those who like dysfunctional family stories

Have you read any other books by this author? What did you think of those books? I've read Greenlanders, which is a totally different book. That book is a historical novel set over several generations in Greenland. I liked this book much better.

What did you think of the main character? I guess the main character was Ginny, who was the narrator and oldest daughter. She didn't seem that interesting to me.

Any other particularly interesting characters? Jess, a neighbor who returned after being away many years.

If this book has been made into a movie, and if you’ve seen the movie, compare the book to the movie.:I just found out it was made into a movie and put it on my Netflix list. Even if I didn't enjoy the book, I'm interested in seeing what the movie is like

What did you think of the ending? It was set in the future and tied some things up.

Do you recommend this book? If you use a rating system, what’s your rating? Personally, I didn't like it but I can see that others would. 2/5

Spiderweb for Two

Title and author of book: Spiderweb for Two by Elizabeth Enright

Fiction or non-fiction? Genre? fiction, children's/young adult

Setting: upstate New York, 1940s

What led you to pick up this book? I've read the other 3 books in this series

Plot summary: Only two of the Melendy children are at home while the rest are away at school. Randy and Oliver find clues that lead them to more clues to solve a puzzle.

What did you like most about the book? I liked trying to figure out the clues with Randy and Oliver or how they figured out the clues themselves.

What did you like least? that all of the other Melendy children played a minor part in the book

What did you think of the writing style? fun and descriptive

Have you read any other books by this author? What did you think of those books? the other Melendy books, each one is better than the last

What did you think of the ending? It happily wraps everything up.

Do you recommend this book? If you use a rating system, what’s your rating? yes, 4/5

Books on the nightstand

Books on the Nightstand is asking book blogs to show us books on our nightstand. Here's mine, not staged,-only took off the non-book junk. The books are as follows:
Spiderweb for Two by Elizabeth Enright (my current read)
A Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley (probably my next read)
What to Expect When You're Expecting (due in November)
a book on hypnobirthing
The Widow's Broom by Chris Van Allenberg (a book I got from bookmooch a while back. I thought it was going to be longer and not so much of a picture book so I intend to read this some time soon)

The Kingdom Keepers

Title and author of book: The Kingdom Keepers by Ridley Pearson

Fiction or non-fiction? Genre? fiction, young adult

What led you to pick up this book? I love Disney World so I was interested in reading this book that mainly takes place in Disney World

Plot summary: Finn is a 14 (?) year old boy and also a DHI at Disney World, a holographic tour guide. He is having dreams that take him to Disney World after dark. He learns that he and the other DHI must stop the Overtakers from overtaking the park and maybe bigger things.

What did you like most about the book? I liked the scenes that took place at Disney World (mainly the Magic Kingdom and MGM) and on the attractions.

What did you like least? I felt as if I was dropped into the middle of the book when I started it. I wasn't so fond of the writing style and how the action took place. I didn't feel like much was resolved in the book and the ending was left wide open for a sequel (which there is)

What did you think of the writing style? see above

Which of your readers are most likely to enjoy this book? Why? I think those who really like Disney World would like this book. I think it is suited more towards younger teens. Although I do like lots of young adult books, I don't feel this one was written particularlly well

Have you read any other books by this author? What did you think of those books? This is my first. I have Peter and the Starcatchers in my TBR pile. I will also read the sequel to this book since I do want to know where the story is going from here.

Any other particularly interesting characters? My favorite character other than the main character, Finn, was Wayne, the old Imagineer who helped the DHI's in their quest to overtake the Overtakers

Share a favorite scene from the book: My favorite scenes were when they were on the rides, after closing mainly, looking for clues.

What did you think of the ending? It didn't resolve anything, really, and set things up for a sequel

Do you recommend this book? If you use a rating system, what’s your rating? see what I wrote a few questions above, 3/5

Then There Were Five

I am going to try a new book review system(adapting it to fit each book) that I found at The Hidden Side of a Leaf, http://deweymonster.com/

Title and author of book: Then There Were Five by Elizabeth Enright

Fiction or non-fiction? Genre? Fiction, children's/young adult

What led you to pick up this book? third in the Melendy series that I am reading through

Plot summary: This book focuses on summer time with the Melendys and the meeting a new friend in an orphan boy, Mark Herron.

What did you like most about the book? I liked all the fun adventures the Melendys had at their house and nearby.

What did you like least? I can't think of anything.

What did you think of the writing style? I like how Enright describes things in detail, especially in the outdooers. She switches between the 4 Melendy children as narrators.

Which of your readers are most likely to enjoy this book? Why? Those who like children/young adult fiction, especially older fiction (this book was written in the 1940s)

Have you read any other books by this author? What did you think of those books? I also read the first two in this series. I am liking each book more and more as I read through the series. I've also read A Thimble Summer when I was a child but I don't remember much of it so I have put it on my TBR shelf to read again.

What did you think of the main character? There isn't one main character in this book. All the Melendy children share the spotlight equally. They are all unique personalities with different interests so it's interesting to read about each of them.

Any other particularly interesting characters? Mark, the orphan boy is interesting as the stereotypical orphan boy who has to put up with a mean caretaker. I also liked the Melendy's neighbor Jasper, a bachelor, who they made friends with and he helped them with a few situations.

Share a quote from the book: The sun shining on the breakfast table turned the honey into such dazzling gold that she could hardly look at it. It tasted of summertime and sun and clover. It was a lovely thing to eat.

Share a favorite scene from the book: When the housekeeper, Cuffy, has to leave for a few days and the children are left alone.

What did you think of the ending? It fit the book.

Do you recommend this book? If you use a rating system, what’s your rating? yes, I do recommend it 4/5

After Caroline

This is the first book I've read by Kay Hooper. I picked it up ages ago and I liked its premise. Two women are in a accident, the same day, 3000 miles apart. One survives, the other doesn't. The survivor is haunted by dreams of the other woman, who looks exactly like her. She travels to the other side of the country to find out more about her dreams and what they mean. The book is a thriller to find out who killed Caroline. This type of book reads fast, although not my favorite, it's still fun to read. I usually don't read books with sex scenes and this one has a few several pages along that don't advance the plot so I see no reason for having them. And of course, it's the best sex ever for the women.

Teaser Tuesday 9/9/08

Grab your current readLet the book fall open to a random page. Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!http://shouldbereading.wordpress.com/

"I said, lend a hand!" hollered the elaborately dressed man. Behind him, more scruffy pirates-machines!-pushed and dragged the blue cars."

The Kingdom Keepers by Ridley Pearson