Banned Books

It's Banned Books Week! And I actually remembered to mention it before it was (completely) over! Yay me.

Which banned books are you reading to celebrate? 

Confession: I haven't been reading any banned books this week at all. Isn't that sad? I'm still trying to get through my list of half finished books that I started all at once. I did finish two of them yesterday, so at least I've accomplished some tiny little thing this week. 

It's all about looking on the bright side, right? Now if I can just get through my library books before they're due...

Since I did manage to remember it was happening, even if I didn't actually get as far as reading any for myself, I took a few minutes to look up a few banned books. (See? I was totally planning to read one... Ah, well. The best laid plans, you know...) Here's a short sample of some of my favorite banned books.

Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card

Go the F*ck to Sleep by Adam Mansbach

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Drama by Raina Telgemeier

Angus, Thongs, and Full-Frontal Snogging by Louise Rennison

Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George

Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling

and many more, it turns out.

Here's a link to one of the articles I found. 

I'm a little surprised at some of the titles on these lists I've looked at. For a lot of the books on the list, it's easy to figure out why some obnoxious people decided to whine about them. Anything that deals with sex education is apparently challenged/banned instantly. Heaven forbid kids learn any basic human biology, right? Any reference to LBGT themes, sex of any kind, or anything someone deems profane is also an instant tantrum.

But I cannot figure out what line of reasoning people used on some of these books. If any. Take the aforementioned Drama. One list I found claims it to be sexually explicit. Obviously, I need to reread this book. I think I missed something the first time. I don't remember any sex happening anywhere. 

I'm also seriously amused by the fact that anyone actually thought Go the F*ck to Sleep was a picture book meant for kids. I can't think of any other reason anyone would complain about that book. It's very obvious to me that whoever filed that complaint cannot possibly be a parent. Parents of small children feel that book deep in their souls and it was very clearly intended for that specific audience. Some people really do not have any sense of humor at all. Or the need to know that others have experienced that very specific torture only toddlers and preschoolers can dole out. (Infants can also be very talented in that area, as well, actually.)

I have to go cram some kids into their beds, so goodbye for now. Happy reading! 

My Reading Log- August 2021

 Hello again from the school pickup line! (Seriously, these people need hobbies...) I'm gonna be here for a while. I've put a loaf of dough to rise for the girls' sandwiches for the rest of the week. It should be ready to mess with when I finally get home.  Thankfully, it won't need too much work. (That's why I adore this recipe.) Work has about finished me off. If only I knew what I was feeding them for supper...

Anyway...

As promised, I've got my very short little list for August with me. I have really got to make some progress on these half finished books! September's finished list is only one (!) book long so far- one of my daughter's books that she made me read. (It was good. I liked it. But still...)

August 2021

Graphic novels/comics:

The Legend of Korra: Turf Wars

The Legend of Korra: Ruins of the Empire

Fiction:

All Systems Red

Artificial Condition

Rogue Protocol

Exit Strategy

"Home"

Network Effect

Fugitive Telemetry       all by Martha Wells

So, there you go. That's all for August.

Playing... But Only a Little

 I spent the last week without water (for most practical purposes). We had a boiled water advisory. We've had a lot of those this summer. I am officially over it. This one was the longest so far and it just made me cranky.  I had the day off today (to take my daughter to an appointment) and I've spent most of the day trying to get caught up on laundry- and more importantly- dishes! Ugh!

After a week of no real cooking and no way to safely wash dishes (that didn't involve a lot more effort  than I have energy for after work) my kitchen was a huge disaster. It's about half tamed now. This weekend I have planned a thorough cleaning and organizing spree. Hopefully two days will be enough time to finish the project.

Unfortunately, the boil water advisory has precisely coincided with an urge to get in the kitchen and make messes. So instead, I spent the week flipping through cookbooks and wishing I could bake something. Now that I can finally mess in the kitchen again, I have no idea where to start.

My birthday is over for another year, so I can officially throw myself into pumpkin season wholeheartedly and without regret or reservation. Only now I have no idea what to make first. Pumpkin bread? Pasties? (I think my daughter is voting for this one, actually, Harry Potter nerds that we are.) Doughnuts? Something else entirely?

I made a loaf of sandwich bread today. And I rummaged through the pantry looking for supper ideas. They were few and far between, but I finally settled on fettucine alfredo. And I think I'm going to make a peach crisp for dessert if I don't run out of steam before then.

This isn't really helping my urge to bake, though. Everyday, boring cooking never does. I might have to find a more involved project for the weekend. I think my other daughter is voting for macarons... (That would certainly qualify as more involved, for sure. Not very fall-like, though.)

In other news, I'm still reading half a dozen different books at once. And still making next to no progress on any of them. My August reading list (coming next post) will be correspondingly short. You have been warned.

Part of my reading time has been taken up by a project for my sister. She has asked for a matched set of Christmas stockings. Preferably before Christmas. I'm hoping to be finished by Thanksgiving, to allow time for delivery. But fortunately, I know someone with a big red 'sleigh' who would willingly deliver them with very little notice if I miss my deadline. And I am very bad with deadlines. The self imposed ones, anyway.

Here's a peek. This is what's on my needles today....

As you can see, I've only just started this one. Still a looooong way to go.

However, I do have a little more progress than that on the project as a whole. Thank goodness. Here's a quick shot of the whole thing. 

These two have turned out bigger than I remember the others ever being. (Yes. I have made many of these in the past with this exact pattern.) I'm sure it's the yarn that we chose this time around. It's soft and floofy and lovely. But it isn't knitting as I expected from studying the label. It was listed as a chunky yarn but it seems to be knitting up at more of a bulky gauge instead. Which I'm sure the kids will never complain about- more room for stuff in a big stocking after all. But the grown-ups might have a time filling them.

Then again, maybe not. My biggest challenge with stockings is finding enough things to fill it without spending a fortune. Tiny things are so expensive! (Why is that? They're so tiny!) These stockings are big enough for stuffies, and one thing stuffies are good for is taking up space... 

Anyway, my day of relaxing and getting chores done is over. I'm typing this in the school pickup line. Yes. The whole entire post. That's how early I have to get in line before school is out, just to get my daughter before she decides that we've abandoned her. Plus I checked my emails and loaded my pictures before I started typing this! 

It has always baffled me. Every school my kids have so far attended is like this. People start lining up hours before the kids can be released. Why? Do they have nothing better to do all day than sit here?

On the plus side, all this sitting and waiting has always been good for reading and knitting. Or sewing. Or apparently, blogging! But the buses are finally loading, so it's time to sign off. Until next time!