Survey XI

Hardback, trade paperback or mass market paperback?
Mass market paperback. Reading hardbacks and trades hurt my hands.

Waterstones, Borders or Amazon?
None of the above. I shop at Galaxy, Abbeys, Dymocks and a second hand store in Burwood that specialises in romance novels of a variety of subgenres.

Bookmark or dog-ear?
Both *sadface* I choose to use bookmarks, but I grew up using dog-ears and sometimes I forget I shouldn't. It is one of those habbits I have spent more than a decade trying to break, but sometimes I slip up. I collect bookmarks, but I can never have enough!!

Alphabetize by author, or alphabetize by title, or random?
I sort my books by genre and then by authors.

Keep, throw away, or sell?
I hoard books. I can't seem to thin out my collection. I do have a stack of books that my great aunt gave me that I want to give away, but I can't find anyone who likes chick lit. Contact me if you are in Sydney and like chick lit and I'll give them too you :)

Keep dust jacket or toss it?
I take it off when I am reading the novel, but I replace it when I reshelve the book.

Read with dust jacket or remove it?
Remove.

Short story or novel?
Both.

Harry Potter or Lemony Snicket?
Harry Potter

Buy or borrow?
Both! I have a preference of buying books, but I am skint at the moment, so I rely on my local library. It is driving me crazy though, because I've read all the books I would usually choose to read. I'm now picking books up at random and reading them even if I'm not really interested in them.

Tidy ending or cliffhanger?
Tidy ending. Cliff hangers only work if it is something like the early Morganville Vampires books. Rachel Caine was amazing. You wanted to throw the book across the room in disgust, and at the same time, grasp the following book, even if it wasn't due to be published for months.

Morning reading, afternoon reading, or nighttime reading?
All of the above.

Favourite series?
Too many to number.


Favourite children’s book?
Too many to number.


Favourite YA book?
This changes constantly. I would say The Hunger Games, however I haven't read it for two years and the hype is crazy at the moment. I'd have to reread it to make sure it does my memory justice.

Favourite book no one has heard of?
Merlin's Keep by Madeline Brent

Favourite books read last year?
The Flame and the Shadow by Denise Rossetti

Favourite book to re-read?
Merlin's Keep by Madeline Brent

Do you ever smell books?
Yes

What are you reading right now?
I'm at the library and plan to max out my card.

What are you reading next?
As above.

Book Survey IV

1) What was the major theme from the last book you read?
Depression. I read Saving Francesca by Melina Marchetta. Brilliant book!

2) Who was the best written character from the last five books you read?
Francesca from Saving Francesca

3) Is there a new genre/topic that you're really looking forward to getting better acquainted with?
Steampunk! I have read a few that have themes, but none that are regarded as steampunk - I have an obsession!

4) Three things from recently read books that made you uncomfortable or nervous?
Jane True tottering around on extreme high heels when she normally wears joggers.
I can't think of any others.

5) Something you read recently that made you gleeful or overcome with admiration?
I can't think of anything in particular. I normally find that books are a rollercoaster ride, and they have so many challenges so each has its moment of joy.
More long term gleeful encounters have been the twist at the end of The Lace Reader, the Hunger Games series, and discovering Nalini Singh's Psy series.

6) Name a literary character you 'met' recently who you really liked?
I can't think of any in particular... I am really liking the Dark Heavens series which is an urban fantasy that has delved into Chinese mythology - of those I particularly like John Wu (Xuan Wu/Pak Tai , The Black Turtle- Snake, God of Martial Arts and Warfare, The Northern Wind) and Bai Hui (The White Tiger, The Western Wind).

7) Name a doomed literary character whose death really made you miss them?
There are quite a number!

• Leslie in Bridge to Terribithia by Katherine Paterson
• Beth in Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
• Ona in The Jungle by Upton Sinclair
• Nick in the Dark-Hunter series by Sherrilyn Kenyon. He is resurrected (or whatever) but he is a different person - no longer the loving, carefree jokester but hell bent on revenge (which is silly, because he killed himself - Ash just said a word!)
• Sirrius and Dumbledore in Harry Potter by JK Rowlings

There are definitely more, but I can't think of them at the moment.

8) If you could only have access to a dictionary or a thesaurus, which would you choose?
The Complete Oxford Dictionary. I can spend hours looking at all its volumes! I used to get sidetracked when I was looking up words while researching my archaeology assignments. It is full of etymology, definitions, explanations of various meanings and damn, they just pack so much in! They also have a lot of words that are no longer common usage. I made mum buy me The Concise Oxford Dictionary for my 21st birthday (I really am a nerd!), but what I really wanted was the full dictionary - it is 20 volumes... and three grand *sigh*

9) What's the most pointless book on your shelves? The one you blink at every time you notice its existence?
The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For? by Rick Warren. It was a free book given to me, but it is a Christian life type, and so not my deal. I think I will find someone to give it to. I didn't even crack the cover and there are so many copies floating around that it isn’t even worth trying to sell *rolls eyes*

10) What's the best conversation you ever had about books or a particular book? Who was it with?
Damn! Um...... There are a couple! My presentation for Criminology at university was about the culture of Chicago, and took a leap of faith and decided to add colour to my discussion. I drew The Jungle by Upton Sinclair into it. It was meant to be the great socialist novel, but he ended up horrifying America on the practices of the meat works, and kicked off reform of the processed meat industry. It is very graphic, and I spent a lot of time feeling ill at the conditions they had to live in, the way the migrants and poor were treated, taken advantage of or blatantly victimised. Anyway, I bought all the criminal elements from The Jungle into the discussion and blew them away. Because there was now faces to the players. The Jungle has to be one of the only books I have analysed as both an English Literature and a Sociology text! I got carried away and instead of speaking for 15 minutes, I spoke for an hour LOL I got a High Distinction and my lecturer started fawning over me. Definitely a terrific book discussion, especially once I started a Q&A session after class LOL

Also, I ran a book forum, and was present at other forums. I had some terrific conversations there! Twitter is also a great place to talk books... Even if it does become a free for all!

My paranormal book club has made such a difference for me. I love those guys!

Twilight ranks among 'most challenged' 2009 books in America

 Source: ABC.net.au



The bestselling vampire-themed Twilight book series has entered the top 10 list of books US schools and public libraries were asked to remove from their shelves in 2009.

The American Library Association (ALA) report rates Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series fifth on the 2009 list -- its first year in the annual compilation.

The books, which have been turned into a blockbuster film franchise, have been challenged for their religious views, and for being sexually explicit and unsuitable for their targeted age group.

But the ALA's worst offender is Lauren Myracle's young adult novel series, ttyl, written entirely in the style of instant messages.

The series, which came top of the 2009 list, was challenged for nudity, offensive language and drugs.

And although they are no longer in the top 10, JK Rowling's Harry Potter series landed atop the 100 most frequently challenged books of the 2000-2009 decade.

Objections to the bestselling tales of the boy wizard have been raised over perceived anti-family and occult themes.

The ALA's Office for Intellectual Freedom defines a challenge as a formal written complaint filed with a library or a school's request for the removal of material from bookshelves or a school curriculum.

The ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom's director, Barbara Jones, says it received 460 such reports from a variety of sources in 2009, although few were successful.

"Even though not every book will be right for every reader, the ability to read, speak, think and express ourselves freely are core American values," she said.

Harper Lee's 1960 Pulitzer Prize-winning classic To Kill a Mockingbird came fourth because of challenges on the grounds of racism and language.

Other books in the top five included And Tango Makes Three by Pater Parnell and Justin Richardson, and The Perks Of Being A Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky.


Edit (19/4/2010)
Here is the top ten, and their reasons for censorship:

1. ttyl, ttfn, l8r, g8r (series), by Lauren Myracle
Reasons: Nudity, Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language, Unsuited to Age Group, Drugs

2. “And Tango Makes Three” by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson
Reasons: Homosexuality

3. “The Perks of Being A Wallflower,” by Stephen Chbosky
Reasons: Homosexuality, Sexually Explicit, Anti-Family, Offensive Language, Religious Viewpoint, Unsuited to Age Group, Drugs, Suicide

4. “To Kill A Mockingbird,” by Harper Lee
Reasons: Racism, Offensive Language, Unsuited to Age Group

5. Twilight (series) by Stephenie Meyer
Reasons: Sexually Explicit, Religious Viewpoint, Unsuited to Age Group

6. “Catcher in the Rye,” by J.D. Salinger
Reasons: Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language, Unsuited to Age Group

7. “My Sister’s Keeper,” by Jodi Picoult
Reasons: Sexism, Homosexuality, Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language, Religious Viewpoint, Unsuited to Age Group, Drugs, Suicide, Violence

8. “The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big, Round Things,” by Carolyn Mackler
Reasons: Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language, Unsuited to Age Group

9. “The Color Purple,” Alice Walker
Reasons: Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language, Unsuited to Age Group

10. “The Chocolate War,” by Robert Cormier
Reasons: Nudity, Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language, Unsuited to Age Group