Yeah, so I'm a little late to the party, but this week is Banned Books Week.

For your reading enjoyment here is a list of the top 100 challenged books from 1990-2000. Since some of these books looked strange to me (why are they on the list) so I decided to investigate. If I found a reason I listed it... in my own special way. Pardon some of my more snarky comments.

The comments are not synopsis of the books. (edit: some that I couldn't find a reason for, I wrote the main theme of the book) My new goal is to read all of these books, except the development ones, I know how they end. I marked the few that I have read already. Hell I've even written term papers on a few.

~Scary Stories (Series) by Alvin Schwartz - probably the same reason Goosebumps in on here, but I get ahead of myself
~Daddy's Roommate by Michael Willhoite - Even Sarah Palin tried to get this removed off the library shelved in Wasilla
~I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou - Apparently true stories are too harsh to be read. And my god there was pre-marital cohabitation!
~The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier - beware bullies and sexual ponderings
~The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
~Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck - offensive and vulgar language
~Harry Potter (Series) by J.K. Rowling - promotes witchcraft and the occult
~Forever by Judy Blume - teenagers having a mature discussion of sex, and a girl is on the pill
~Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson - kids shouldn't know about death, and secular humanism is a bad thing
~Alice (Series) by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor - #1 in 2003 on the challenge list for sexual content

~Heather Has Two Mommies by Leslea Newman - do I need to explain?
~My Brother Sam is Dead by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier
~The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger - in 1981 it was both the most banned book and the second most taught book in public schools in the US
~The Giver by Lois Lowry - "inapropriate for young readers"
~It's Perfectly Normal by Robie Harris - What do you mean you want to know why your body is changing? you aren't old enough to know yet.
~Goosebumps (Series) by R.L. Stine - sometimes violent content
~A Day No Pigs Would Die by Robert Newton Peck
~The Color Purple by Alice Walker - explicit content and violence... and real life.
~Sex by Madonna - if I have to explain this you have been leading a very sheltered life
~Earth's Children (Series) by Jean M. Auel - unconventional sexual practices

~The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson - language and subject matter
~A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle - "challenges religious beliefs" and lists Jesus "with the names of great artists, philosophers, scientists, and religious leaders"
~Go Ask Alice by Anonymous - sex, drugs, rape, profanity, this book has it all
~Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers - two words, Vietnam War
~In the Night Kitchen by Maurice Sendak - naked kid
~The Stupids (Series) by Harry Allard - may encourage children to be disobedient, like they need encouragement
~The Witches by Roald Dahl - One would think the crazies would love a book where a kid is trying to kill witches (I've seen the movie but haven't read it)
~The New Joy of Gay Sex by Charles Silverstein - duh.
~Anastasia Krupnik (Series) by Lois Lowry - references to beer, Playboy and suicide (though no suicide actually occurs)
~The Goats by Brock Cole - nudity and bullying

~Kaffir Boy by Mark Mathabane - child prostitution and sodomy
~Blubber by Judy Blume - offensive language
~Killing Mr. Griffin by Lois Duncan - kids kidnap a teacher. he dies when he can't get to his medication
~Halloween ABC by Eve Merriam - WTF. possibly age inappropriate, but WTF?
~We All Fall Down by Robert Cormier - adult themes
~Final Exit by Derek Humphry - assisted suicide
~The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood - anti-religious content and sexual references
~Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George - attempted rape
~The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison - racism, incest and child molestation. What being on the Oprah book list isn't enough of a reason?
~What's Happening to my Body? Book for Girls: A Growing-Up Guide for Parents & Daughters by Lynda Madaras - yet another book on development.

~To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee - rape, profanity, racial slurs
~Beloved by Toni Morrison - sexual abuse and violence in slavery
~The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton - violence, drug and alcohol abuse, all the kids were from broken homes (I wrote my honors senior English term paper on SE Hinton)
~The Pigman by Paul Zindel - can't find the reason, but based on the summary, probably death themes and the kids relationships with their parents.
~Bumps in the Night by Harry Allard - kids have a seance
~Deenie by Judy Blume - masturbation and sexuality
~Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes - main character struggles to express his sexuality. (I need to re-read this book. it has been a long time...)
~Annie on my Mind by Nancy Garden - main character "discovers" she is a lesbian
~The Boy Who Lost His Face by Louis Sachar - occult and youthful sexuality
~Cross Your Fingers, Spit in Your Hat by Alvin Schwartz

~A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein - no, seriously.
~Brave New World by Aldous Huxley - it "centered around negative activity"
~Sleeping Beauty Trilogy by A.N. Roquelaure (Anne Rice) - a very good read. not surprised to see it here. If you haven't read it I highly recommend it.
~Asking About Sex and Growing Up by Joanna Cole - are we really trying to keep generations of kids ignorant of the changes they go through as they grow up?
~Cujo by Stephen King - so we know they weren't trying to ban this one "for the children"... so why?
~James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl - anther one with death and killing
~The Anarchist Cookbook by William Powell - duh
~Boys and Sex by Wardell Pomeroy - see above
~Ordinary People by Judith Guest - sex (one scene at the end)
~American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis - you name it, its here.

~What's Happening to my Body? Book for Boys: A Growing-Up Guide for Parents & Sons by Lynda Madaras - see the 3-4 others exactly like this further up the list
~Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret by Judy Blume - what is it about girls getting their period that makes people want to ban books?
~Crazy Lady by Jane Conly - use of profanity
~Athletic Shorts by Chris Crutcher - teenagers talking about racism, homophobia and sexuality
~Fade by Robert Cormier - incest, violence, murder
~Guess What? by Mem Fox - leads people to develop a positive impression of a witch
~The House of Spirits by Isabel Allende - rape, murder
~The Face on the Milk Carton by Caroline Cooney
~Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut - realism in war, sex
~Lord of the Flies by William Golding - downfall of society, violence (even though I found this book disturbing as hell, I still liked it. I'll have to dig it out)

~Native Son by Richard Wright - their reasons: rape, violence, murder... the real reasons: depicts racial inequality and social injustice
~Women on Top: How Real Life Has Changed Women's Fantasies by Nancy Friday - not even going to explain this one
~Curses, Hexes and Spells by Daniel Cohen - or this one
~Jack by A.M. Homes - homosexuality
~Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo A. Anay - witchcraft and not so positive views of Christianity
~Where Did I Come From? by Peter Mayle - illustrated facts of life
~Carrie by Stephen King - violence, supernatural powers
~Tiger Eyes by Judy Blume - death, grief
~On My Honor by Marion Dane Bauer - death
~Arizona Kid by Ron Koertge - sexuality, gay uncle

~Family Secrets by Norma Klein - divorce, sexuality, drug use
~Mommy Laid An Egg by Babette Cole - another "don't tell the kids what happens after sex"
~The Dead Zone by Stephen King - violence, supernatural powers... it's Stephen King, you can pretty much put anything here
~The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
~Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison - I have no idea, but the summary of this story is bizzare
~Always Running by Luis Rodriguez - vulgar language, sexual realism
~Private Parts by Howard Stern - yeah.
~Where's Waldo? by Martin Hanford - WTF you ask? all because the beach scene has a woman with bare breasts
~Summer of My German Soldier by Bette Greene - abusive family, prejudice
~Little Black Sambo by Helen Bannerman - it was published in 1899, give me a fucking break.

~Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett - rape, violence, affairs
~Running Loose by Chris Crutcher
~Sex Education by Jenny Davis - 3 guesses?
~The Drowning of Stephen Jones by Bette Greene - prejudice, gay rights, religious hypocrisy
~Girls and Sex by Wardell Pomeroy - gee, another sex book?
~How to Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell - seriously, just because they eat worms? really??
~View from the Cherry Tree by Willo Davis Roberts - kid witnesses a murder and fears for his own safety
~The Headless Cupid by Zilpha Keatley Snyder - witchcraft
~The Terrorist by Caroline Cooney - negative portrayal of Arabs and Muslims
~Jump Ship to Freedom by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier

Oprah must have a thing for this list, she has a fair few of them as book club choices.

I haven't updated since before thanksgiving, I think. It isn't that I'm trying to stay away. I'm here every day. It isn't even that I'm that busy. I just don't really have anything to say. Same shit, different day.

I will say that I still love my job. If anyone says you can't ever be happy working retail, tell them they just haven't found the right company to work for. My company is fantastic. They TRULY believe in superior customer service, and they support their employees. What more can I say about them.

I also have to make the obligatory Pats Playoff reference. My score prediction for the Pats/Jags game was 31-27. Well I was close. Tom Brady was awesome, Kevin Faulk was right back in his 2003/2004 role. And even though he was taken out of the passing game, Randy Moss was bringing the cold darkness of his Viking roots with his blocks. My boy, Mike Vrabel, had a fumble recovery and the linebackers were rocking the offense in general. I can't wait for next week! Too bad I have to work. At least I made sure I have the weekend of the Superbowl off.