Leigha's Little Library

Some of you might have seen in previous posts me talking about a "Blind Date With A Book," and a video showing me unwrapping them. In this post, I will post pictures and more details about the banned books! Some I might have talked about before, some might also prove hard to find reasons it was banned.

Here is the group photo. Were you surprised by any of them? I am not surprised they all turned out to be classics or that several were school read in my time (probably still school reads today?)

 Of Mice and Men

Two migrant field workers in California on their plantation during the Great Depression—George Milton, an intelligent but uneducated man, and Lennie Small, a bulky, strong man but mentally disabled—are in Soledad on their way to another part of California.

Banned or Challenged:

The Red Pony

The Red Pony is divided into four stories. Each story centers on a boy named Jody; the four together show him in a critical time of his childhood. In the first story, Jody is ten years old.

Banned or Challenged:

I had trouble finding out why other than what the paper says in the picture.

 The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

On its surface, Mark Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a straightforward story about a boy and a runaway slave floating down the Mississippi River. But underneath, the book—which was published in the U.S. on February 18, 1885—is a subversive confrontation of slavery and racism.

Banned or Challenged:

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

An imaginative and mischievous boy named Tom Sawyer lives with his Aunt Polly and his half-brother, Sid, in the Mississippi River town of St. Petersburg, Missouri. After playing hooky from school on Friday and dirtying his clothes in a fight, Tom is made to whitewash the fence as punishment on Saturday.

Banned or Challenged:

I had trouble finding more reasons, but it is probably clear that the reasons are similar to Huck Finn.

The Canterbury Tales

At the Tabard Inn, a tavern in Southwark, near London, the narrator joins a company of twenty-nine pilgrims. The pilgrims, like the narrator, are traveling to the shrine of the martyr Saint Thomas Becket in Canterbury. The narrator gives a descriptive account of twenty-seven of these pilgrims, including a Knight, Squire, Yeoman, Prioress, Monk, Friar, Merchant, Clerk, Man of Law, Franklin, Haberdasher, Carpenter, Weaver, Dyer, Tapestry-Weaver, Cook, Shipman, Physician, Wife, Parson, Plowman, Miller, Manciple, Reeve, Summoner, Pardoner, and Host.

Banned or Challenged:

I couldn't find much info other than language, sexual innuendo, critical of powerful constituencies (the church)

Gulliver's Travels

Gulliver's Travels Summary. Gulliver embarks on four separate voyages in Gulliver's Travels. There is a storm before every journey. All the four voyages add new perspectives to Gulliver's life and also give him new opportunities for satirizing the ways of England.

Banned or Challenged:

 Twelfth Night

Twelfth Night, or What You Will is a comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written around 1601–1602 as a Twelfth Night's entertainment for the close of the Christmas season. The play centres on the twins Viola and Sebastian, who are separated in a shipwreck.

Banned or Challenged:

Le Morte d' Arthur

Le Morte d'Arthur is the tale of King Arthur. It begins with the formation of the Knights of the Round Table and follows the rise of King Arthur and his tragic fall. The story begins with Uther Pendragon, the King of England who lusts after Igraine, who happens to be the wife of the Duke of Tintagil.

Banned or Challenged:

I had a hard time finding more reasons other than what the paper in the photo says.

The Catcher in the Rye

The Catcher in the Rye is set around the 1950s and is narrated by a young man named Holden Caulfield. Holden is not specific about his location while he's telling the story, but he makes it clear that he is undergoing treatment in a mental hospital or sanatorium.

Banned or Challenged:

 To Kill A Mockingbird

Scout Finch lives with her brother, Jem, and her father, Atticus, in Maycomb, Alabama, during the Great Depression. Scout spends her summers playing with Jem and their friend Dill, who visits his aunt in Maycomb each summer. The children become obsessed with Boo Radley, the reclusive neighbor rumored to have stabbed his own father in the leg with a pair of scissors.

Banned or Challenged:

Starting with some Frankenstein. I am also listening to the Frakenstein soundtrack. It really sets the mood! Books in the Freezer is a podcast celebrating their 1 year anniversary.

A podcast discussing the deliciously disturbing world of horror fiction!

Owners of podcast (from their website)

Stephanie lives in Pittsburgh, PA with her husband, son, Beagle and cat. When she’s not working on the podcast, she makes YouTube videos, and watches horror movies (as research for the podcast of course!)

Rachel lives in Canada with her husband and hedgehog, Vegeta. She makes YouTube videos on her channel TheShadesofOrange where she reviews horror, thrillers, and sci-fi books.

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Books In The Freezer Readathon - Oct 1-15th

1. Read a horror book by a female author

[Frankenstein by Mary Shelley]

1. Read a horror anthology or short story collection

[Ordinary Souls by J.S. Bailey]

1. Read a horror book featuring or by an POC or LGBTQ+ person

[Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde]

1. Read a horror book that has a movie adaptation

[The Women in Black by Susan Hill]

1. Read a book we’ve recommended on the podcast

[The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson]

The Reveal! Please excuse how awkward I am! Also I had some technical diffuculties at the end, so I am sorry that the video cuts off.

My local store is really stepping it up with their banned book section.

Today when I went in they had a bunch of wrapped banned books. I know it is a gamble to take a book only based on why it was banned, but I couldn't resist. I like the mystery behind "Blind Date With A Book." I bought most of their wrapped books. Oops.

There is a chance I own some of these. The reason for banning sounds familar. If I do own them, I will find them a good home. Stay tuned for a video of me upwrapping these!

Please put your guesses below!

I recently did a couple posts about banned books, but this is a topic that could sadly go on forever.

I decided to look up and see which books are banned or challenged that I have either read or know a lot about (because of maybe media, it was made into a movie...etc.) I will leave links to my resources. (Most will probably have more books that I don't list here.) Please note that I do not think any book should be banned, even "bad" ones, even problematic ones. Problematic books can start discussions. Trigger Warning: The last book mentioned is about the subject of rape.

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1. Tarzan series by Edgar Rice Burroughs

 Edgar Rice Burroughs' classic series about a man living in the jungle was pulled from the shelves of a public library in the appropriately named town of Tarzana, California. Authorities thought the adventure stories unsuitable for youngsters, since there was no evidence that Tarzan and Jane had married before they started cohabiting in the treetops. 

My thoughts: I never read the books. I saw the movie version, but I can't imagine the books were worth banning. The reason for it being banned speaks of the times from which it was published, I suppose.

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2. Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak

 When the book was finally published in 1963, the book was banned because adults found it problematic that Max was punished by being sent to bed without dinner, and they also bristled at the book's supernatural themes. A 1969 column in Ladies Home Journal deemed the book "psychologically damaging for 3- and 4-year-olds."

My thoughts: Aw, really? I love this book and also the movie. I don't think we have to worrry about a 3 or 4 year old being damaged from it. I mean, know your child before reading a book that might be too scary for them.

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3. Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh

 Some schools blocked Louise Fitzhugh's book from shelves when it came out in the 1960s because of concerns that the 11-year-old child's penchant for peeping on her neighbors, jotting down her brutally honest observations, and being generally disagreeable could negatively influence kids by setting a bad example. Early critics argued that Harriet "didn't spy, but rather gossiped, slandered, and hurt other people without feeling sorry about her actions," Thought Co. said.

My thoughts: I have a blind spot for this book. I loved it as a child and it is one of the first chapter books that really got me into reading and grew my love of writing. Why shouldn't Harriet be allowed to write her true feelings? Her notebooks were stolen; they were never meant to be read. My reading this at 11/12 turned me into a spy! I kept a journal and everything. I "spied" on people, but I wasn't cruel. I just wrote what I saw. Looking back, I see that as a kid, you see and hear more than you should. Harriet should not be banned.

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4. Charlotte's Web by E.B. White

 A parents group in Kansas decided that any book featuring two talking animals must be the work of the devil, and so had E.B. White's 1952 work barred from classrooms. The group's central complaint was that humans are the highest level of God's creation, as shown by, they said, the fact we're "the only creatures that can communicate vocally. Showing lower life forms with human abilities is sacrilegious and disrespectful to God."

My thoughts: *sigh* This book is harmless. It's sad, sure! It is going to give a bunch of kids their first good book cry, but I don't see how anyone could think this book should be banned. I loved this as a child, still as an adult.

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5. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

Parents have taken issue with its “excerpts on masturbation,” claiming it “encourages pornography.” According to PBS, the novel has also come under fire for “vulgarity, racism and anti-Christian content.” But Alexie himself seems unfazed about his popular book being banned, saying in 2013, “I knew it would.”

My thoughts: I have yet to read this book, so I can't say if the masturbation part was explicit. I've heard a lot about the book and about how important the story is. I don't think the masterbation scene is grounds to ban the book. Young people (the character is 14) are starting to learn about their bodies. We need to stop making the subject so taboo. For the most part, I think kids, especially teenagers should be able to read what they want, but parents should be aware of the content of the media they are consuming, because of course there are things that go over the line. The line is something you and your child should discuss.

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6. Forever by Judy Blume

 This book has been banned a lot, for many reasons. Here are some. Promoting "the stranglehold of humanism on life in America. It demoralizes marital sex. Language, masturbation, birth control, and disobedience to parents. Pornography and explores areas God didn't intend to explore outside of marriage. It's basically a sexual 'how-to-do' book for junior high students. It glamorizes sex and puts ideas in their heads.

My thoughts: I'll be honest. I do not like this book. It is a fast read, so quite easy to read. Several things in this made me feel like I was all slime covered and uncomfortable. It is really a shame; I do remember her children books with fond memories. I still believe she is a good writer. I understand why this book may have been important for the time period it was written in, but I still think the relationship in the book was toxic and should not have been anyone's reference guide to love and relationships. I STILL DON'T THINK IT SHOULD BE BANNED! However, I would say this is a "how not to" guide in my opinion.

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7. Goosebumps by R. L. Stine

Most of the reasons given for banning or challenging these are "too scary for intended age group."

My thoughts: Come on! Most of us on here enjoy horror, right? These books were so important to me when I was a kid. I loved reading them. (And Fear Street) I never thought they were too scary. Some people like the feeling of being spooked, even kids. If your kid is too scared of these books...news flash, they don't have to read them until they are ready. If they insist on reading them, despite getting nightmares, fear not, they are just horror lovers in training!

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8. Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling

A vocal group of Christians has been resistant to Harry’s charms from the start. Members of this community, who believe the Bible to be literal truth, campaigned vigorously to keep J.K. Rowling’s best-selling novels out of classrooms and libraries. They even staged public book burnings across the country, at which children and parents were invited to cast Rowling’s books into the flames. Their reasons: Portrayal of magic is likely to attract unsuspecting children to real-world witchcraft. When Harry disobeys his cruel Muggle guardians or flouts Dumbledore’s rules to save his friends, he actively encourages child readers to engage in lying and disobedience, which are explicitly forbidden by the Bible. The morals and ethics in Rowling’s fantasy tales are at best unclear, and at worst, patently unbiblical.

My thoughts: I cry. Book burning? Just no. I love these books, of course. I grew up with them. I can't imagine there are people out there not allowed to go to Hogwarts. To each their own, but please don't hurt the books.

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9. Carrie by Stephen King

Another book with many reasons for being banned. Here are some: Trash (Stephen would hope you mean "good" trash, at least.) It could “harm” students, especially “younger girls.” It does not meet the standards of the community. Language, sexual descriptions and satanic killings.

My thoughts: It is horor. What do you expect there to be? Sunshine and daisies? I don't think King should be banned, though he does have *cough* some eyebrow raising content in his books (IT). I think, once again, parents should be aware of what their kids are reading. If you're an adult and think it should be banned for the above reasons... well, just don't read it and let others read it who might enjoy it. For the record, I enjoyed the book.

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10. Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

Reasons for banning: It is soft-pornography and glorifies drinking, cursing, and premarital sex, as well as teaching principles contrary to the Bible.

My thoughts: I am disgusted. Do they not even read books before banning/challenging them? They are calling rape soft porn?! The underage sex was rape. Teens are not angels. Some do drink and curse, but this book did not go over the line as far as drinking and cursing. It tells the stories of a girl coping with the aftermath of being raped... ugh, I can't even. It is an important book. All ages and genders should read it. It ends, giving the reader a sense of hope. Imagine if you were raped or asulted or had another hard thing you were going through and you read a book like this that ended with "I am healing. I will be okay." It is the hope that one day you will also be okay.

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Resourcs:

I took some photography of the banned book display at my local used bookstore. Are you shocked by some of these books?

Read Banned Books!

Reaching out to those of you who have and are active on Goodreads. I need some more variety in my feed! So please add me as a friend! I feel really awkward about adding people, most are random people from Booktube, or people whose reviews I've liked. What if they don't add me back? What if they think I'm creepy?

Sure, some of these people, I really like and wish they would notice me and take me under their wing, but it isn't like I binge watch their videos for hours or something. *cough*

Goodreads is like Tender for book lovers... 9 times out of 10, I don't get a match. (I've never used Tender. I'm married, plus I'm Asexual. What do I know?)

Don't mind me. Making friends as an adult is hard. You know, I'm just a tad bit sleep deprived. Some nights I just can't sleep. It is almost 6am, so tired, so headache... ugh. So snorey husband!

I'm lonely. There. Said it.

Leigha's Life [My Goodreads]

I will tell you what, I do not like William Goldman, the author (who is pretending not to be...) The parts where he talks about his "fat" son and his "cold" wife...etc. It is gross. Why is it needed in this book? Is that how you truly treated your family? Please tell me that part is fiction, too. I grew up with my stepdad always mocking my weight... you can imagine how that messes with your head, even as an adult.

I'm reading the kindle verson, which I beleive is still $2.99!!

I like it so far. Of course, I know the story (from the movie, and I think I might have read some of the book as a kid.)

I got a little head start on 31 Days of Halloween, so here are some movies I've seen recently. I know it isn't books, but I thought I would drop some reviews/ratings/thoughts here as I watch the movies.

Sept 7th, 2018 I watched The Sixth Sense (1999) 10/10

This was my third time watching this. It is a great movie in my opinion. After you've watched this movie once or more, watching it again, it is really interesting to see the subtle clues that point to the twist that happens later on.

I feel like everything is done really well and it all makes sense at the end. This is the type of movie that makes you think, even months and years later. The acting from child actor Haley Joel Osment is top notch; I think he had a natural talent.

 Sept 8th, 2018 I watched Sharknado (2013) 7/10

My review: Totally awful! But I still enjoyed it. My favorite character was the stool. The best actor out of the cast. Go into this one thinking of it as comedy, and a parody at that. The acting is bad and sometimes it feels purposely bad. Nothing in this makes sense or could even remotely happen. You can't go into this expecting it to be realistic. Haha

My notes while watching because there is a lot about this movie that makes you take pause. Spoilers ahead. As if you care.

1. The movie starts with people cutting the fins off of sharks for shark fin stew. As far as I'm concerned these people deserve to be attacked, and it's only fitting that they get attacked by tornado sharks.

2. There's a business man in a suit negotiating a price for all of the fins, I'm assuming for a restaurant. I just got to wonder why doesn't he just negotiate the price on land? He's like a fish out of water, and he's going to get what's coming to him! I'm guessing the fisherman didn't want to do it on land because it would take away from their time hunting the sharks.

3. The first person to get eaten by a shark is hilarious! Hilariously bad, sharks don't eat like that.

4. Marcus Choi's character Palmer got shot by Israel Saez de Miguel's character, Captain Carlos, then eaten by a shark. Carlos got shredded pretty much and got what he deserved.

5. Haha, Steve Sanders is in this movie. He was known for the 1990 90210. Now known for Sharknado. I grew up watching the show. Never realized he was just 2 years younger than my mom, yet he played a teenager.

 6. These beachgoers have no idea that they're not safe when they see the sharks in the water. They start running and screaming and I'm thinking typically you wouldn't think you were in danger if you're on the beach! 12 minutes into the movie. At this point, nobody knows the sharks can attack on land.

 7. "Don't you ever make fun of my stool again." 20 minutes in. Old dude comes through.

 8. You were wearing a red shirt! What did you expect?

9. Sharks growl... um...

10. How many more people are going to come out of the shark and be totally fine? It's a miracle...

Sept 9th, 2018 I watched The Diabolical (2015) 6/10

Once you know the twist, any scary factor it might have is out the window. That being said, I did not find this scary or even spooky. I'm not an expert, but I don't think that is how "blank" works. "blank" = the twist. The acting from the mom and children were okay, I guess. I liked Ali Larter in the Resident Evil movies, which is a nostalgic franchise for me. That is the reason I decided to watch this.

Cliche elements, predictable, and slow paced. Don't get me wrong, I love a good slow burn horror film. This isn't one.

Sept 10th, 2018 I watched The Conjuring (2013) 8/10

I don't have a proper review, but I liked the movie and think the child actors were great.

Sept 11th, 2018 I watched Casper Meets Wendy (1998) 10/10 (haha)

Don't judge me. Nostalgia wins. Bad special effects, super cheesy, hey it was the 90s, but the movie hits a warm and fuzzy spot. I needed a light-hearted movie. My mood was really low. This movie has some dark undertones, but it is a kids movie and it made me happy for an hour & a half.

Sept 12th, 2018 I watched Monster Family (2017) 6/10

Slow to start, boring, and I was thinking "what the heck is this movie?" Monster Family doesn't pick up until after the family is transformed. There is a lot of adult humor. Dracula trying to woo a married woman is one of the reasons I wonder if this was never meant to be a "kids" movie. The description of this movie is wrong. Dracula is the one who makes the "evil witch" curse the family.

The movie had some humor and some heartfelt moments and of course some good old fashioned life lessons. Always be yourself; it doesn't matter what people think of you, beauty doesn't last...etc.

The voice acting sounds a bit off as if these are actors who have never done much voice acting.

Sept 13th, 2018 I watched Piranah (2010) 4/10

 A 4 might be a bit generous. This is really just a gory version of GIrl's Gone Wild, even the movie people know it. Look at their tagline. "Jaws Gone Wild." Ugh. I'm not a prude, but seriously if I see one more pair of boobs, I might scream. Also, Jerry's character was just disgusting. How he treats women, how the movie treats them... ugh ugh ugh. The 4 is for Christopher Lloyd, even if his part was so cringy. Hey, it was all cringy. I guess it was entertaining, but I lost some brain cells. lol

Sept 15th, 2018 I watched Hereditary (2018) 9/10

 I don't want to say much because this is something you should go into not knowing much. I believe the ending is the type that you love or hate, but I'm not going to say why. Huge spoiler if I do. I liked the ending, though I can't deny I wished it went a slightly different way. Milly Shapiro, the child actor was great. Chills.

Alex Wolff, who played the son, is amazing in his role. He sold the emotions he was going through. There was a scene that really made my heart pound (I'll just say in the car, you'll know when you get there) and Alex's (Peter's) reaction was spot on. 

Toni Collette, the mother... another spot on performance, chills and lots of emotions felt with her character.

Over all, this movie scared me. It also scared my sisters and that is saying something. There are some scenes toward the end... ho boy.

Kind of a slow burn horror at first, but in a good way. But when the nitty gritty stuff starts, boy does it start. I don't know if that made sense.

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Please, take all my ratings with a grain of salt. As with books, I really struggle on how to rate some movies >.<

A mostly nostalgic book haul. Excuse my awkwardness and sound quality. It has been a while. Also, it is hot, so I wasn't going to turn off my fans!! If you have an OCD about stickers on books, you've been warned. (I do, but some of the stickers are a pain to remove!)

It has been a while since I've done a Kindle book haul and I thought I better do it, because they are adding up. 99% were bought on monthly or daily deals discounts so $.99 to $2.99. The most I think I spent is $4.99. I've collected these since March.

In no particular order:

Storm Front [#1]

Talon [#1]

Say Goodnight, Gracie

If I Was Your Girl

Himself

The Tail of Emily Windsnap [#1]

The Strain [#1]

The Secret Hour [#1]

Double Exposure

Caraval [#1]

The Virgin Blue

The Strange And Beautiful Sorrows Of Ava Lavender

These Broken Stars [#1]

Neverwhere

The Crown [This is #3. I own #1 on Kindle and not #2 yet. I will wait for a sale]

K2: The Life and Death On The World's Most Dangerous Mountian

How Dare The Sun Rise: Memoirs of a War Child

The Grave Tender [Read 4/5]

The Secret Mother [Read 4/5]

The Child Next Door

The Golem And The Jinni

Meg, includes Meg: Origins [#1] [Read 4/5]

The Trench [Meg #2] [Read 3/5 Trigger Warnings: Rape & Attempted Rape]

Primal Waters [Meg #3]

Everybody's Son

My Life As A White Trash Zombie [#1]

The Princess Bride: Illustrated Edition

The Hobbit

My Best Friend's Exorcism

The Girl Who Drank The Moon

Let The Right One In

Ghost Story

Jaws [Read 4/5]