A Word on Censorship

I saw this video a year or two ago and just stumbled upon it a second time. It's definitely worth watching if you're much of a reader at all.

Penguin gathers some well-known Young Adult authors to weigh in on the topic of censorship and why banning books really isn't okay.

Authors showcased in this video:
Jacqueline Woodson,
Lev Grossman,
Carolyn Mackler,
M.T. Anderson,
Sarah Dessen,
Maureen Johnson,
Lauren Myracle,
Heather Brewer,
Ellen Hopkins,
Nina LaCour,
Meg Rosoff,
T.A. Barron,
Chris Crutcher,
Rita Williams-Garcia,
Dave Barry,
Kathy Reichs,
John Green,
Laurie Halse Anderson,
Jay Asher,
and Anthony Horowitz.

Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson

I lift my arm out of the water. It's a log. Put it back under and it blows up even bigger. People see the log and call it a twig. They yell at me because I can't see what they see. Nobody can explain to me why my eyes work different than theirs. Nobody can make it stop.
The merry-go-round spins again. To get off this thing I think I have to scream. But I can't. My bone corset is laced so tight, I can barely breathe.

I have recently become a pretty big fan of Laurie Halse Anderson. As you may remember (if you've been following this blog of mine), I read her book, Speak, a few months ago and immediately added it to my list of favorite books. It's the most popular of her books and for good reason. It was amazing.

I picked up Wintergirls because she was the author and because it looked like it would be quite interesting. I saw that it was about a girl who was struggling with anorexia and, after watching our society's skinny obsession pick off my friends one by one over the last few years, I knew it would be something I wanted to read. And I was absolutely right.

Cassie had been Lia's best friends since the two of them were in kindergarten. They lived across the street from one another and were practically attached at the hip for most of their lives. In fact, it was with Cassie that Lia made the oath that they would be the thinnest girls in school. Only Cassie and Lia stopped being friends a few months ago, after Lia's second stay in New Seasons: a home for girls battling eating disorder, and her parents had her cut off all communication with Lia. And now Cassie is dead.

Alone and still battling demons of her own, Lia continues to shed weight, refusing to believe she is anything other than huge, refusing to admit that what she's doing to herself may cost her her own life-- and irreparably damage those around her.

I deeply enjoyed Wintergirls. Though it's one of those books that makes you want to cry through half of the story and keeps your stomach churning through the rest, it's the type of story our generation (and the generations coming after us) sorely needs.

Anderson handled the material extremely itself extremely well, but she also managed to create a novel whose poetic language draws the reader in more deeply than anything else ever could. Wintergirls is deeply beautiful book, even as the story itself plunges into a darkness that feels tangible at times. (Yet it is that tangibility of the emotions and the darkness surrounding Lia that makes this book so very good.)

I honestly didn't think Anderson could match the fabulous job she did with Speak, but it appears that I was wrong. This is just as good and just as relevant. It's definitely written better than the other novel. (Though I'm quite certain Speak will still continue to be my favorite of the two books, it's at least a close competition.) Also, Anderson herself is quickly climbing her way up the list of my favorite authors. She's just too amazing to not be one of my favorites!

I purchased the book immediately after having finished it and will most assuredly be singing its praises to everyone I come in contact with for months to come.

Rating: ~ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ~

We held hands when we walked down the gingerbread path into the forest, blood dripping from our fingers. We danced with witches and kissed monsters. We turned us into winter girls, and when she tried to leave, I pulled her back into the snow because I was afraid to be alone.

Top 12 Books of 2012

I know for most people that this would be considered a bit late to be putting up a "Best Books of 2012" post. But it's still January, and if it's still January, I think any reminisces on the last year are still fair game. So, whether you consider this late or not, here is my list of the top 12 books I read in the last year (listed in the order in which I read them):

1)Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix: My absolute favorite book of the series. I love Umbridge as a villain and how, within the first five minutes, you want her to die way more than you want Voldemort to be defeated.

2)The Fault in Our Stars: Definitely a tearjerker if ever I've read one. John Green once again proves that he is a master of his trade, keeping you laughing and crying all the way through this New York Times bestseller.

3)The Perks of Being a Wallflower: This one's probably an all-time favorite. It's a top-notch book and has just recently been adapted to the big screen. It's movie is almost as fantastic as the book itself . . . and with Emma Watson, Logan Lerman, and Ezra Miller playing our three main characters, how can anyone be surprised?

4)Stardust: The movie version of this story was good. The book was exceptional. I've always heard that Neil Gaiman was a fantasy genius. Now I understand how he got that reputation.

5)Fahrenheit 451: Ray Bradbury's most well-known novel is an outstanding work of literary fiction. There's no questioning why this book is as famous as it is. It absolutely deserves all the fame it has garnered.

6)Howl's Moving Castle: This was another good fantasy that I saw the movie for first. I fell in love with the movie and then fell in love with the book. I am a firm believer in the fact that the books are (with few exceptions) always better than the movies, but I was blown out of the water when I realized this book really could top its movie.

7)Crusade in Jeans: The only one of Thea Beckman's books to be translated into English, this story was simply captivating. After reading it, I'm honestly considering learning Dutch just so I can have the opportunity to read the rest of her works.

8)Speak: An honest portrait of the severe trauma of a young teenage girl, this book both heartbreaking and hopeful throughout its entirety. It has won a plethora of awards and, honestly, it needs to win a hell of a lot more.

9)Sisters Red: The first book in Jackson Pearce's Fairytale Retellings series, this book have me eagerly turning its pages from beginning to end. I especially loved the strong bonds and unfailing loyalty of its protagonists throughout every trial. Loyalty is a trait I admire above most others in real life and nearly as much in fiction.

10)Lovely, Dark, and Deep: A poetic look at one girl's deep heartbreak and her healing process is the best way to describe this beautiful novel. I can't sing its praises enough. And I can't even begin to explain how deeply beautiful it was. You need to read it for yourself if you want to understand at all.

11)The Disenchantments: This was a tale about growing up and what it's like to become disenchanted with life as you begin to fully understand the deep flaws in the world and the people around you. Yet, even through that, it reminds us that even in its heartache and pain, those beautiful pinpoints of light in the patchwork of darkness that makes life lovely and absolutely worth living.

12)Inkheart: The first in a wonderful trilogy (one I'm still halfway through the second book in), I absolutely adored this book. It's movie adaptation is fabulous, but this book series is something to be reckoned with. I still can't believe it took me this long to get to it.

What were your favorite books you read in 2012?

Top Ten Tuesday: Thought Provoking Books

Over at The Broke and the Bookish, they have this thing called Top Ten Tuesday. Each Tuesday they give other bloggers a chance to participate in making a top ten list with them. This week's topic is thought provoking books! I only chose seven this time around, though I'm sure there are plenty more I could add. Here are the ones I decided to highlight:

1) Paper Towns by John Green
Paper Towns is a personal favorite of mine for many good reasons, but one of the most important of those reasons is the fact that this book really makes you look at the way you perceive others. Throughout this book, the main character (Quentin) realizes that we tend to romanticize our friends and most especially the people we admire and look at them through those rose colored glasses instead of seeing them for who they really are. This is a discredit both to them and to ourselves. I loved that this book challenged me in the way I view others and encouraged me to accept them for who they are instead of who I want them to be.

2)The Cold Awakening Trilogy by Robin Wasserman
I think the Cold Awakening Trilogy easily qualifies for this list. The trilogy's main question permeates each of the books and begs the question: "What constitutes humanity?" Each of the books explores this question and really makes you stop and consider what it means while bringing up multiple other deep questions of morality along the way. 

3) My Secret: A PostSecret Book by Frank Warren
The PostSecret books are essentially collections of secrets that were sent in to Frank Warren anonymously, first as an art project and now as a worldwide community. Each of the books hold a plethora of secrets that allow you to see into the lives and hearts of people all around the world. It reminds you that everyone has a secret and that everyone's hurting.

4) Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
In hearing the story of a girl who underwent a major traumatic experience in the middle her most impressionable formative years, this book lets the reader see into her head and her heart. It allows them to see how earth-shattering that traumatization can be for its victims and causes the reader to reevaluate how they treat others, because it reminds us that you can't always see what's hurting someone but that doesn't mean they aren't in need of rescuing.

5) The Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling
One of the things that makes the Harry Potter series so memorable and life-changing to its readers is the plethora of questions it asks its readers. As we read these books, we walk alongside Harry and his friends as they discover that the world isn't as lovely or fair a place as we perceive it at first. We see what drives them as they choose how far they are willing to go to reach an end and what means justify those ends. We are given the chance to see them fight for what they believe and lobby for the rights of those who are beaten down by others who are stronger and more outspoken. Rowling invites the reader to make these decisions along with Harry and therefore analyze the way we think and the decisions we make.

6) The Help by Kathryn Stockett
I think that nowadays it is easy to downplay the offensiveness and overall nastiness of racism, especially for those who haven't personally experienced racism or that type of stigmatism. It's also easy to believe that the issue of racism is outdated and no longer applicable to our time. Both of these assumptions are very, very wrong. This book reminds us that racism was beyond rampant less than fifty years ago. In fact, it was a household prejudice and widely considered acceptable. The Help reminds those of us who might have forgotten that this is still an evil to be fought against and one we ought to stomp out entirely.


5) Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
I am almost to the end of this book (the actual review ought to be up by the end of the week) and I am definitely loving it. One of the reasons I love it so much is the fact that it reevaluates the meaning of childhood and adulthood, as well as deciphering where the line is between being a good person and a monster. 

Top Ten Tuesday: Favorite Books since I started Booklist That

Over at The Broke and the Bookish, they have this thing called Top Ten Tuesday. Each Tuesday they give other bloggers a chance to participate in making a top ten list with them. This week's topic is the top ten books you've read since starting your blog. 

This one's going to be fun. Difficult, but fun.

1) The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
This book lived up to every raving review I heard about it. Zusak did a wonderful job writing a compelling story from an original perspective. That, and he has such a way with words that I could read a book covering just about anything if it was written by him and still be enthralled.

2) Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling
At first, I just wanted to put the whole series on here, but thought it would only be fair if I did my favorite of the series. This book was my all-time favorite of the Harry Potter books (its movie was my favorite as well). I love the story, the villain (Umbridge), and basically everything about it.

3) The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
I pre-ordered this one and my dad ended up reading it before I did. He adored it as much as I did. The book was a work of pure genius. It will make you laugh and cry, all while filling your desire for witty commentary and great characters. Definitely a must-read.

4) The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
Upon finishing this book, I immediately added it to the ranks of my absolute favorite books. It was well-written and interesting--an all-around joy to read. I cannot wait for the movie this fall and look forward to lending it out even more than I already have in anticipation of the feature film.

5) Hold Still by Nina LaCour
This book was an emotionally driven book that drew me in from the beginning and left me happily sated at the end. LaCour's understanding of brokenness and her ability to make you feel as if you're not only walking alongside the character, but feeling the same way she does, is beautiful and spellbinding.

6) Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
It is considered a classic and for good reason. Bradbury paints a terrifying yet distinctly plausible world that makes you think and gives you the desire to do anything possible to prevent this fiction from becoming reality.

7) Crusade in Jeans by Thea Beckman
The only book by this Dutch author that I can find that's translated into English, I had to search to find this book, but it was entirely worth it. Beckman proves herself a fantastic storyteller and I would love to read more from her in the future. Hopefully, more of her works will be translated in the future.

8) Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
In this story, Anderson created a truly believable character that has had tragedy impact her in the most damaging of ways who still manages to pick herself up and heal. An entirely inspiring character, a seamless plot, and narrative that is both beautiful and compelling work together to make this book also reach my favorites shelf.

9) The Space Between Trees by Katie Williams
If any word can describe this book in its entirely it's "unexpected". Its plot draws the readers in, but the way the author uses it to deal with the nuances of human nature and to explore the way tragedy affects people was truly wonderful. I eagerly look forward to rereading this one.

10) Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones
Fantasy is almost always going to be quite an intriguing read, but Jones definitely nails it in her creation of this book. everything about it was delightful and interesting. I really enjoyed exploring the worlds she created, as well as meeting the lovely characters and creatures that fill the pages.

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

Mr. Freeman thinks I need to find my feelings. How can I not find them? They are chewing me alive like an infestation of thoughts, shame, mistakes.


This is yet another book that I read after seeing the movie, finding out it was originally a book, being frustrated, and rushing out to find a copy. I didn't even realize until I was at the library that I have already read and currently own another of the author's books, Fever, when I was in middle school. I remembered loving it, which made me even more excited for this novel.

When Melinda Sordino enters her freshman year of high school, she had already been blacklisted. Having managed to find her way into a high school party at the end of the summer, she had ended up calling the police and getting several students in trouble or arrested in the process.

But no one thought to ask her side of the story. It never occurred to anyone that she had needed to call the police--that she had been hurt. Now, entering high school friendless and traumatized, she begins to isolate herself. She stops speaking unless necessary. She shuts down.

The only place she feels safe is in art class, where her quirky teacher, Mr. Freeman, both challenges and inspires her. He shows her that, through art, she can breathe again and begin to heal.

Melinda is deeply scarred and feels trapped in the silence that once gave her a sense of comfort. She is still in danger and if she doesn't speak up, someone else could get hurt. But can she overcome her fear and finally speak? She isn't so sure she can--or that anyone will listen if she does.

Speak is a wonderfully written novel about coming of age, healing from deep wounds, and speaking up. Laurie Halse Anderson leaves no doubt through her skillfully crafted imagery that words can create just as well as paint. Her ability to mold the details and the words just the way they needed to give the reader a perfect picture that resonates with them long afterward left me awestruck.

Not only was her capability as a wordsmith one of the things that made this book easily soar to my favorites category, but her ability to capture what it looks like to be a terrified girl who feels trapped in her own emotions left me stunned. Melinda jumps off the page, as real as a character can possibly be without stepping clean out of the book and talking to the reader in person. There isn't a single moment that you find yourself battling with disbelief. Anderson lets you empathize with her character and see what it's like to step inside her mind.

This book is a must read. I cannot express enough how well written and necessary this book is to a generation that has dealt with more pain than any before it. Pick it up immediately. Whether you're in middle school, high school, or even gearing up to cash in that retirement fund: Speak is a book you have to get your hands on.

Rating: ~ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ~


David: "But you got it wrong. The suffragettes were all about speaking up, screaming for their rights. You can't speak up for your right to be silent. That's letting the bad guys win. If the suffragettes did that, women wouldn't be able to vote yet."
I blow a bubble in his face. He folds the gum wrappers into tiny triangles.
David: "Don't get me wrong. I think what you did was kind of cool and getting stuck in MISS wasn't fair. But don't expect to make a difference unless you speak up for yourself."