Read Banned Books
A bit late on the uptake with this one. London has been keeping me v busy. But it's banned books week and my publisher, Random House, has scaled Mount Awesome and is offering free banned books (while supplies last) to anyone who posts about it.And I quote:
Dear Colleagues,Banned Books Week is September 26 through October 3As you all know, we should never take for granted our freedom to read. Case in point: four library board members in West Bend, Wisconsin, lost their jobs this year when they tried to keep young adult books on the YA shelves where they belong, rather than on the adult shelves, with warning labels affixed. Read more here on CNN: http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/07/22/wisconsin.book.row/index.html?iref=newssearchIt's time to help increase awareness of censorship issues like this one. And you can do it all with the attached graphic and by linking to our First Amendment Web site: http://www.randomhouse.com/banned/We’re asking you to forward this email to five people you know this week — authors, artists, bloggers, industry contacts, friends, or family — and ask them to post the graphic to their blog or Web site in support of Banned Books Week. They can also embed this graphic onto their web page, using the code below.For more detailed instructions, valuable information, and interesting thoughts on censorship from some of our authors visit: http://www.randomhouse.com/teens/firstamendment/resources.htmlBonus! We’ll send a free banned or challenged book (while supplies last) to anyone who posts the graphic or blogs about Banned Books Week. Tell us about it at firstamendment@randomhouse.com.Let’s make this year's Banned Books Week a time to celebrate the freedom to read — and to remember and remind others never to take that freedom for granted.—The Random House First Amendment Committee
Some good friends of mine have had their books banned or challenged by people who apparently have difficulty thinking for themselves. So if you're curious about which banned or challenged books to read, here are some to consider:The Bermudez Triangle by Maureen JohnsonLooking for Alaska by John GreenWhale Talk, by Chris CrutcherThe Golden Compass by Philip PullmanBeloved by Toni MorrisonTTYL Lauren Myracleand, of course, the perennially challenged, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark TwainRead one today!