This coming Saturday kicks off Banned Books Week. I was very disappointed to learn that there are no events planned in Massachusetts. Check out the Web site, you may find some events in your area. They are also doing things in Second Life.
http://bannedbooksweek.org/
According to the Web site, Banned Books started more than 25 years ago in response to a sudden increase of challenges to books in schools, bookstores and libraries. More than 1,000 books have been challenged since then. The challenged books range from children's to reference to adult fiction. They include classic works such The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and popular works like the Harry Potter series.
While I understand some parents' concerns with books are serious, some border on the ridiculous. One parent wanted YA Lois Lowry's books removed because she'd objected to references to stuffing and snapping bras in the series. Really?
However, challenging books is not the answer. Just because one person finds a book objectionable does not give them the right to prevent others from reading it. It's important, I think, to remember that books are still under attack and we should continue to fight for the freedom to read.
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Banned Books Week
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Barnes & Noble may seek to buy rival, Borders
With rising food and gas prices and the current housing woes, we’re definitely entering uncertain/ tough economic times. Even the big retailing giants are starting to feel the pinch.
There’s been a lot of speculation about whether Barnes & Noble is positioning itself to buy one of its main rivals, Borders.
Borders is floundering. According to Forbes, the company posted a $157.4 million loss, roughly $2.68 per share this February. That’s an increase over the previous year, in which the bookseller experienced a $151.3 million loss.
Chains like Barnes& Noble face similar pressures to independent bookstores – competing with ecommerce giant Amazon and Wal-Mart, which is drastically lowering the prices of the books it sells.
When the last Harry Potter came out, many smaller book stores substantially decreased how many they had on hand because they just couldn’t compete. The suggested retail price was $34.99 and Overstock.com sold it for $17.95, Wal-Mart for $17.87 and Target for $17.99. Stores like Wal-Mart can afford to substantially mark down a book because they know that once they draw shoppers in, they’ll fill up their shopping carts with a myriad of other items.
I’d prefer the two chains stay separate. I think having competition in the marketplace is a healthy and good thing. I also worry the effect this would have on smaller independent book stores. I tend to lean in favor of Borders versus Barnes & Noble. I like that you don’t have to pay $25 per year to have a Borders rewards membership card. (Although they did make some changes to the rewards program that I wasn’t too crazy about.)
Borders is taking steps to stem the tide. The company is currently opening concept stores, which will feature wireless Internet service, a digital station at which customers can do a range of cool things such as create their own CDs, download books, publish their own books or create photo books.
The verdict is out whether this will help turn around sales.
Additional reading:
Borders CEO expects investments in stores, Web to bear fruit, http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2008/05/22/ap5041066.html
Barnes & Noble loss widens, weighing Borders bid, http://ca.us.biz.yahoo.com/ap/080522/earns_barnes_noble.html
No substantial talks on sale, Borders' CEO says, http://blog.mlive.com/annarbornews/2008/05/no_substantial_talks_on_sale_b.html
Would A Bigger Barnes & Noble Kill Independent Bookstores? http://blogs.wsj.com/deals/2008/05/22/would-a-bigger-barnes-noble-kill-independent-bookstores/
Borders' Popular Rewards Program Proves Both Too Popular And Too Rewarding,
The book snob reappears. Oh joy
Would you care to compare bookshelves? Should I hide my library record for fear that you’ll think it’s pedestrian or too middle-brow? Did you just shudder at my Betty Neels collection?
Yes, I’ve never read Ulysses and only read The Hobbit, but have read every Harry Potter book.
I really dislike book snobbery. If you want to plow through The Fountainhead or have Jonathan Frazer on your night stand, good for you. Let's all keep our eyes on the books in front of us!
I mention this because the can of worms surrounding Harry Potter continues.
The Guardian weighs in: “When Harry met sexism/ Critics just won't accept female fantasy writers, as the latest round of JK Rowling-bashing shows”
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/may/22/harrypotter.women?gusrc=rss&feed=networkfront
Rowling will be giving Harvard's graduation commencement address in June, which apparently has some people’s knickers in a twist.
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Writing in the university paper, the Harvard Crimson, student Adam Goldenberg rips into Rowling as "a flash in the pan", "a petty pop culture personality" who "tricked parents into letting their kids read books filled with sex, murder, and homosexual role models". Furthermore, "writing bedtime stories is lame".
If having sold 375 million copies of a book series is a flash in the pan, I’m sure there are plenty of writers who wish they could also be a flash in the pan. Meanwhile, I don’t think it’s necessarily a bad thing that Rowling explores some dark themes. The series is about the epic fight against evil therefore there is murder, betrayal and violence. There’s also love, loyalty, and bravery. And what’s wrong with having homosexual role models?! That comment is raising multiple red flags for me.
And for the kicker, writing bed time stories is lame. What?! I'm more convinced that if you want raise a child who reads throughout their life, you have to engage them while they're young. Those bed time stories are sparking children's imaginations and their love of reading. Would we prefer they were playing video games or watching television?
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“Speculative fiction - whether that is historical epic, space psychodrama or telepathic warrior quest - has always been about infinite possibilities. Why is it so hard to imagine a world which acknowledges the importance, multitude and sheer brilliance of its women writers?”
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It’s a shame that people are so eager to pigeon hole books and the people who read them. Take the label chick lit. It seems like it’s used to dismiss books like oh, that’s chick lit. Unfortunately chick lit isn't the only genre sneered at, you can add science fiction and fantasy to the occasionally sneered at group. That's unfortunate -- there's good and bad books in all genres. To me, it's not the genre but the individual book that matters. Is it a well told story? Does it have rich, complex characters or compelling dialog. Most importantly, at the end of the day am I itching to get home so I can read another chapter?
When intellectual snobbery raises its ugly head, no one wins.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Harry Potter and the accursed encyclopedia
There’s some controversy in the
Steven Vander
From Publishers Weekly: When asked if he considered himself part of the Harry Potter fan community, he broke down in tears, initially answering, “I did,” but then saying, “I do.” After regaining his composure, he said, “It’s been difficult because there’s been a lot of criticism and obviously that was never the intention.”
I’m torn. I have to say I feel badly for
However, if the book is a just a glorified cut and paste job, then I would tend to side to Rowling. Apparently,
Rowling and her lawyers have claimed that Vander Ark’s book contains “spoilers” that could ruin the books for children who haven’t read them and that it contains information from Quidditch Through the Ages and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.
According to Publisher’s Weekly, it sounds like the Judge is pushing both sides to work towards a settlement.
“Before adjourning at 4 p.m., Judge Patterson took both sides to task for what he saw as a lack of progress on addressing the case’s core issue—that of fair use—and expressed concern that “despite Ms. Rowling’s strong feelings,” the case seemed more “lawyer-driven” than “client-driven,” with “fair use on one side and a big company with a lot of money on the other.”
What do you think?
Day Two Brings Fresh Drama at Rowling Trial, http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6551810.html
Rowling Implores Judge To Block Publication of Guide, http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120838235497420841.html?mod=googlenews_wsj
At the Harry Potter Trial, the New York Papers Pile On Steven Vander
Does JK Rowling own Harry Potter? http://www.goodreads.com/blog/show/84.Does_JK_Rowling_own_Harry_Potter_
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Who says Harry Potter is just for kids?!
I came across this via Amazon: Read Roger, written by a book editor, takes adults who read children’s books to task. It reminded me a little bit of Gawker’s relentless mocking of adults who read/ were crazy about Harry Potter.
“Whatever whoever chooses to read is their business, of course, but adults whose taste in recreational reading ends with the YA novel need to grow up.”
A few examples: I thought Golden Compass was a complex work with a very imaginative world. Every person has a dæmon that is physical representation of their soul. When they’re children, their daemons can change shape from cats to mice. Philip Pullman’s books also came under fire for being anti-Christian or preaching atheistic values.
In my ‘to read’ pile is The Book Thief, a tale about a girl living in Nazi Germany who steals books.
Yes, both books are technically considered Young Adult Fiction. That shouldn’t put adults off from reading them. I’ve enjoyed lots of young adult/ children's books. I loved the Harry Potter series. I thought it was a fun read. One again, it featured a richly imagined world, the battle of good versus evil, and compelling characters. It was also incredibly suspenseful.
I say read what makes you happy.
