Twitter and the Blogoverse blew up yesterday when Wesley Scroggins, an Associate Professor at Missouri State University put an opinion piece in his local newspaper blasting three books on the local high school reading list and calling for the parents to band together to have these books removed from schools.

Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse Five has already been removed, and Sarah Ockler’s Twenty Boy Summer is under review. I have not personally read either of these books, so I won’t comment on them more than to say: it is not the right of any individual or group to dictate what others have access to.

The third book being challenged in this article is Laurie Halse Anderson’s remarkable novel, Speak, which he classifies as soft pornography.

If you haven’t read the book (or seen the movie), let me fill you in on what this book is about: Speak tells the story of a high school girl who is raped by an upperclassman. She is so traumatized by the experience that, rather than report him, she shuts down completely, becoming a selective mute. Speak is about her finding her voice again.

First of, let’s get this out of the way: rape is NOT pornographic. Pornography is meant to titillate; it’s purpose is to be sexually exciting. Rape is never sexually exciting. It is not an act of sex, it is an act of violence. The rape scenes in Speak, while necessary to the book, are tastefully done and not graphic. Even if they were graphic, they would still not even border on pornography.

Let me repeat: Rape is never pornographic.

Might I suggest to Wesley Scroggins that if he truly finds rape scenes to be sexually exciting, he should seek out therapy.

Beyond his awful choice of description of the book, the problems with taking this book away from teenagers are plenty. Yes, Speak deals with horrible subjects such as rape. But they are also real subjects. Rape happens. As much as I would love to say that it just doesn’t, it does. And it happens to the high-schoolers who Scroggins wants shielded from this book. Speak is a book that has the power to connect with young people who have had to experience  these terrible things. It is a book that allows them to feel that they are not alone. And, hopefully, it is a book that gives them the strength and courage to speak out about what happened to them.

Speak gives these kids a voice. As Laurie Halse Anderson wrote at the end of the Platinum Edition of Speak:

But censoring books that deal with difficult, adolescent issues does not protect anybody. Quite the opposite. It leaves kids in the darkness and makes them vulnerable. Censorship is the child of fear and the father of ignorance. Our children cannot afford to have the truth of the world withheld from them.

Now I am going to address something that is generally taboo in conversation (and by extension, blogging): religion.

I did not write a blog post about this yesterday when tons and tons of other bloggers were coming out to speak against the injustice Wesley Scroggins is after. I didn’t write yet not because I needed time for my thoughts to stew (though the extra day did help), but because it was a Sunday. And due to my Christian beliefs, I hold Sunday as the Holy Sabbath. I do not work on Sundays, and since my writing (and by extension, my blogging) is my work, I promised I would not do it on Sundays. Because my Christian beliefs mean more to me than getting a blog post up quickly.

Now, I am not stressing the fact that I am a Christian for any reason other than this: Mr. Scroggins is calling out the community to get these books banned because they are Christian and should thus protect their children from such filth. As Christians, apparently, it is their duty to dictate how all children in their town learn and what material they have access to.

But, as a fellow Christian, I know that one of the greatest gifts God gave us is the gift of choice. Each of us has an individual choice how we live our lives and what we do. Every day, we face choices, and everyday we have to pick which way to live. Sure, we all make mistakes, but part of the great plan is that God has made a way for us, through Jesus Christ, to fix those mistakes.

What happens when we don’t have a choice? What happens if we have to do things the “right” way? Things would be easier, right, if we didn’t have the option to mess up – if the only option was the right way? That is what Mr. Scroggins is trying to do to these kids in Missouri. By taking away their access to these books, he is taking away their choice to read them. He is forcing them to do what (in his peabrained mind) is right.

You know who else wanted to take away choice and force all mankind to do what is right? We learn in the scriptures that taking away choice was Satan’s plan. When God was looking for one to send to Earth, Satan volunteered, saying that he would have all mankind do the Father’s will and bring them ALL back. Satan desired to BE God, not a servant of God.

So, Mr. Scroggins, I ask you to reevaluate what you are doing. The ability to choose is one of God’s greatest gifts – it is not your place to take that away from these kids. It is not your place to play God.

And please, please, if you truly find rape to be pornographic, seek help. Please.

EDITED TO ADD THIS:

When I first read the book, despite how much I loved it, I couldn’t help but thinking, can someone really be that duplicitous? I had a hard time wrapping my mind around how someone could seem to the people closest to her to be one person, but in reality be someone else.

You know what’s weird about when you doubt something? Life has this strange tendency to find a way (often unpleasant) to let you know, hey, it’s true, that kind of stuff really DOES happen in real life.

About a week and a half after I finished reading Beautiful Malice, I got my confirmation that people really can be just as two-sided as Alice was. Here’s the story:*

***

A few years ago, I was really close friends with this person. We did nearly everything together, and I could probably count the days in a six month period that we didn’t see each other on one hand. I knew this person inside and out. Or so I thought.

Recently I learned that this old friend of mine did something terrible. Like, really, really, makes-you-ill-to-hear-about-it terrible. And it wasn’t a one-time slip-up (though, honestly, I don’t think those exist in a case like this); it was something that had been going on for years. And nobody know. On the outside, this person was still the same wonderful, charming, fun person I knew back then. But beneath the person everyone saw, there was another, completely different person. A person who could do things that the person I knew never would. And even though the two of us have not been friends for four years, it still really made me question a lot about our friendship and my ability to see people for who they are.

My first thoughts–after the initial shock–were along the lines of what has changed? How could the person I knew have changed into this other person in the few years since we were so close? The more I thought about it, though, the more I realized that I don’t know that this old friend of mine has really changed. On the surface, people still saw the person I knew. There wasn’t a different person there as far as anyone–even those closest to this person–could tell.

After realizing this, my thought process changed. Now I wonder how long? How long has this person been living a lie? How could I not tell what was going on beneath the surface in all the time we were together? I know I shouldn’t beat myself up about it–I mean, everyone else was fooled by the same act that fooled me. But at the same time, I can’t help it. I guess I am still just in a little bit of shock.

In the end though, one thing I do know is that Rebecca James got it right when she wrote Beautiful Malice. People like Alice really do exist. This is not a comforting thought.

***

*Yeah, so I tried to keep the story as ambiguous as possible while still getting my point across. Maybe I just made a confusing mess of what I was trying to say. If so, sorry about that. I just didn’t want to spell out details about what happened. Many of my readers already know who and what I am talking about (and many more of you can probably take a pretty close guess at the what based on what I wrote), but I feel no need to be specific.

1. Andrew’s Bad Girl BlogFest is tomorrow.

Yeah, I don’t have a new post for this one. My time is in short supply these days, so any writing time I have goes to So97. Sometimes I can write a blogfest entry as part of So97, but it didn’t work for the bad girl fest. Might I suggest you check out this post? It’s pretty “bad girl” if I do say so myself.

2. I weep for Tennessee.

I have spent quite a bit of time in Nashville and I absolutely love that city. Some of my dear friends live down there and are out of their houses for now. How has this not gotten more media coverage than it has? More importantly, how is that when a natural disaster occurs in Haiti or Chile, it is all over our news reports and our government jumps in immediately to help, but when it happens in our own backyard, it is nearly ignored?!

Please pray for those who have been devastated by the flooding. If you can help in any way, please don’t hesitate to do so.

3. How I know I have watch Grease too many times recently:

Every time I have booked a movie for one of our Drive-In Theatres, I can hear Danny singing stranded at the drive-in…branded a fool…what will they say Monday at school?

Yeah. Too much Grease. But that doesn’t mean I don’t want to watch it again.

4. The end of Monster TV.

A few months ago, Bubba and I got a free TV. The thing had been sitting in my office, unused, for years so we finally decided to take it home and put it to use. Now, Monster TV is not your average TV. It is a 46″ TUBE TV, meaning it is a beast. It take two people to move, and even with two it is not easy.

This weekend, I decided I wanted to rearrange my living room (’cause I was bored with the old arrangement and that was making me super restless). Bubba and I got Monster TV out of our TV hutch, moved everything around, and then made to put the TV back. The only thing was: lifting that TV was about the last thing we wanted to do. Ever again.

So, we decided to splurge and just get a new, fancy-pants, light TV. We had our eyes on a 32″ 60Hz LCD. But when we got to the store, they didn’t have any in. Not ones to be discouraged, we went ahead and decided to splurge more and get a 37″ 120Hz LCD. Now this is where it gets good: they only had the floor model left, so we bought that one for less money than the other TV would have cost us!! Not that I am excited or anything.

5. Someone should tell Mother Nature…

May is supposed to look like this...

...not this!!

I am certain that if I can heal fully from one illness before being exposed to another, my little immune system will be better equipped. Maybe I should just quarantine myself for a month. I am sure my boss would love that.

So, with all the sickness, I definitely did not get Darken all written last month. And you know what? I am not upset about that at all. The whole point of NaNoWriMo is for writers to prove to themselves that they can write a (nearly) novel length piece of work. I already know I can do that. I have before, and I will again. I have written a novel in a month before-it is an intense, exciting experience. But I don’t need that to get a book done.

I would have rather been healthy and writing during the month of November, but I will not beat myself up for not making my goal. Sometimes life happens and we just have to roll with it.

Why is this bad? I could rant about it here, but I have found that when I rant about it, eyes start to glaze over. Instead, I will share a delightful picture that makes me smile and a bunch of links to information about Harlequin’s terrible decision. That way you can choose how much you want to know.

As for smiling at the picture? Well, that you have no choice over.

Popples...of the Ninja variety

And the linkage:

The official Harlequin Horizon’s website.

A statement where Harlequin says they will be changing the name of Harlequin Horizons to just Horizons, effective immediately. Note that the official website still has the Harlequin name attached. Also, in the same post is a statement from the Mystery Writers of America regarding Harlequin Horizons.

A nice breakdown of the new vanity line, courtesy of Writers Beware.

The Romance Writers of America’s stance on the issue.

A great breakdown of the Harlequin Horizons legalese by paranormal author Jackie Kessler. Also, her follow up post is definitely worth a read.

And, in true shark style, Janet Reid weighs in with her open post to Donna Hayes, CEO of Harlequin.

There are more. Oh boy, there are a LOT more. These should get the idea across though. Enjoy your reading!

Dear Immune System;

It has come to my attention that you have been severely slacking on the job. Germs are not being blocked, and viruses are partying behind your defense post. Your behavior is completely unacceptable, and there is no reason for it.

Immune System, the administration has decided to give you one last chance to redeem yourself. Prove yourself worthy of your position as Head of Defense; block all future germs, and expel all viruses. If you step up to your responsibility and do these two things, no further action will be necessary.

I look forward to an improved working relationship. Do not let me down.

Rachel

*Sigh* I am going back to Great Falls tomorrow to visit some friends I haven’t seen in years. I really don’t want to be all grossified and sick for the weekend.

(Also, it makes me happy to see that others love this cover as much as I do. How awesome is this*?)

*Yeah, that’s sidewalk chalk. Wow.

I have thought a lot this week about what constitutes a great book. Just the classics? Only popular works? Who declares a book great? Well, in my life, I do the declaring.

To me, a great book has many different qualities. The writing is superb and it has a timeless sense to it. The characters have depth and the story meaning. But the most important thing about a great book? The thing that really makes it great not just good or well done? Impact. Great books touch me. They speak to my soul and resonate with my being. When I finish reading a great book, I may put it down, but I never put it away. Great books don’t allow me to put them away. They stay with me, haunting my remembrance until one day I pick them up again. A great book changes me, if only minutely.

I love great books.

Today’s prompt is another tough one. Those NAIWE folks sure know how to make a girl think!

When I want to give someone a special gift, I give them … because…

I have no one answer for this question. When I give a special gifts, I try to find what book will be the most special to the person I am giving it to. This is not the same for all people. Sometimes the most special of gifts is the one nobody else would have thought of.*

Since it is pretty much impossible for me to say what book I would give someone without knowing who that specific someone is, I am going to answer this question a little differently.

These are the great books I have recommended/gifted a LOT recently:

My mom lent me her copy of this book, insisting I would love it. Boy was she right! I couldn’t put it down. Diane Setterfield weaves an intriguing story, with all the necessities of a great gothic novel. This book is beautifully and masterfully written. Since first reading The Thirteenth Tale, I have pushed it into the hands of anyone who will listen long enough. I even demanded Bubba and I read it together (we usually try to stick to middle grade and young adult when we read to each other). This book is simply amazing.

If you read agent blogs, you have probably already heard many wonderful things about this book. I first heard about it on an agent’s blog. Then on another. And another. And another. All of these literary agents had great things to say about it. One of the blogs belonged to Garth Stein’s agent, so of course the book got rave reviews, but two other agents said they wished they had represented this book. After all that hype, I knew I had to read it. I actually ended up listening to the audiobook on a long drive-and didn’t want to get out of the car. Ever. All I wanted was to sit and listen to Enzo’s words. I cannot remember another time a book touched me in quite the way this one did. After finishing it, I immediately began recommending it. To everyone. Consider this my recommend to you: go out and get yourself a copy of The Art of Racing in the Rain. It is well worth it.

This is not a happy book. It is gritty and real and heartbreaking and beautiful. I was first introduced to Bastard Out of Carolina when I saw the movie on TV as a kid. When I realized the movie was an adaptation of a novel, I sought out the book. I have read this book multiple times, and every time it cuts me to the core. My heart breaks for poor Bone, the young narrator. I cry, I cringe, I stew with anger. I love. This is a haunting story of a young girl just trying to fit in the world and be loved by the mother who is not strong enough to care for her. Bastard Out of Carolina is not for the weak of heart,  but it is a great read for anyone who likes a little truth.

Have you heard about this one enough yet? There is really not much for me to add about Crime and Punishment. In case you missed that I love it, I totally do. I recommend this book quite frequently (always the Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky translation). If you haven’t read this book yet, repent and get a copy. Seriously.

Okay, I think I gave enough suggestions to keep my followers busy for a while!

*For my high school graduation, my sister Rani gave me a copy of Space Cat (complete with an upside-down, backwards note:) ). Is it a great book? Not really, but it was one of the most memorable gifts I have ever gotten.

***

If you are wondering what the craptastic tag on this post is all about, read this blog post about Victoria’s Secret being disgusting and discriminatory and find out.

I hated … when I had to read it in high school, but when I read it on my own later, I loved it because….

My junior year of high school, I was in Honors English. We all thought our teacher, Miss Karnop, was completely evil (I had her for AP English senior year as well–she wasn’t so evil that year…she was actually pretty cool). While none of the books we read stand out as being particularly enjoyable, one does stand out as being more miserable than the rest.

Pretty sure we read the Constance Garnett translation in high school. This is a better translation.

We took well over a month (and possibly even more than two) to get through Crime and Punishment as a class. Every chapter was analyzed, every scene picked apart. Single sentences were scrutinized for full class periods. Often, class time was spent on one single word, trying to discern why Dostoevsky used it (was I really the only one who remembered we were working off a translation and not Dostoevsky’s words?).

I loathed every single second we spent on Crime and Punishment that year.

***

Fast forward two years. I am finishing up my first semester of college–and my first Russian language course. Summer is fast approaching and I need a good book. I head to the trusty bookstore to look over their shelves. My eyes alight on a shiny new copy of Crime and Punishment. ‘Well,’ I think, ‘my Russian class was interesting. Perhaps now that I have a better knowledge of the language and culture I will enjoy it more.’ I leave the store with Crime and Punishment tucked under one arm.

***

So, as I traveled to Hawai’i, I read the book again. And I freakin’ LOVED it.

The story! The characters! The depth! The beautiful writing! The biblical allusions! The amazing, amazing, amazing book! (The exclamation points!)

I love Crime and Punishment. Once I read it freely, without all the intensive scrutiny, I was finally able to see it for what it really is: a wonderful, thought-provoking novel. In high school, I was overburdened with analysis and critiquing. I was unable to look past the assignments we were given to just enjoy Dostoevsky’s story. Which is really sad; it is definitely a story worth enjoying.

Have you ever read Crime and Punishment? Leave a comment; let me know what you think of it.

I don’t review books on my blog. I considered the idea–and even thought it was a great one–before I launched my site, but eventually decided against it. Why? Because I am a fairly selfish person. Book reviews take a lot of time, and I would rather spend that time writing my own books than reviewing someone else’s. I have a great respect for people who take the time and energy to write very informative, comprehensive reviews. My to-be-read pile has multiplied thanks to their efforts.

I might occasionally recommend a book on my blog. When I find something I really love, I want to share it to the world (read: my three followers). Thus (in the spirit of full disclosure and all):

An official declaration to the FTC:

In the event that I recommend a book on my blog, consider it a paid endorsement. Heck, if I talk about a book on my blog at all, even negatively*, consider it a paid endorsement.

I may have been paid in any of the following ways:

• Free book
• Big, fat check**
• Pirate booty
• Galleons
• Knowledge
• Warm, fuzzy feelings

Let it be known: Rachel Bateman is all about paid endorsements.

In other news…

Thanks to Debbie Ridpath Ohi for the laughs

*This won’t happen. Why would I waste my time writing about a book I didn’t even like?
**Um, yeah. Not likely.

Every Wednesday night, there is a YA lit chat on Twitter. A bunch of YA authors, editors, readers, whatever get together to talk about all things Young Adult. Some weeks we just have free discussion; other weeks there is a specific topic. I was not able to participate in YAlitchat last night, but Georgia McBride is great. She posted the full transcript of the chat on her blog. I just finished reading it.

The topic last night was “Teens and intimacy: how much is too much?” This topic spurred a great chat. The conversation started out very thoughtful and productive. There were parts I didn’t agree with (“Thing is, YA authors are right up there w/teachers, parents, mentors.” Um, no we are not. Things that should be taught by parents, teachers and mentors should be taught by parents, teachers, and mentors, not us). However, people are entitled to their own opinions, and while some did not match mine, they were still part of a really productive discussion.

What irritated me as I read the transcript is that a really great discussion turned into a Twilight bashing session at the end. Not only did this have nothing to do with the topic at hand, it is something I am really sick of seeing people do. As YA authors, we should be happy about Twilight and its success. We all have our own opinion as to whether we like it, but there is no need to openly bash it if we do not.

I have thought about this a lot over the last few months, as I have seen more and more authors bash on Stephenie Meyer and Twilight. I find that when the subject comes up, they are usually hitting on the same points over and over:

1. Poorly written! Purple prose!
   Stephenie Meyer is still a new author. Twilight was her first novel. Just like all other writers, she improves with practice. So the writing isn’t the strongest; you know what is strong? The story. She wrote a story people want to read, and that is a powerful thing (this same sentence can be applied to Dan Brown, by the way). As for the “purple prose“, refer to Natalie’s post, Teen Girls LOVE Adverbs.
2. Bella sets the feminist movement back 30 years!
   Apparently this argument comes from the fact that Bella chooses to get married at a young age instead of pursuing education and a career. The key word in that sentence is chooses. Choice is what the feminist movement is all about–the choice to work outside the house, the choice to remain unmarried, the choice to receive benefits equal to men’s, the choice to, the choice to, the choice to…The choice to marry young, if one wants. When the world is telling a young woman a career is the most important thing, Bella goes against the norm and chooses a family. At its core, it was actually a very feminist choice. And the education and career? Really? She is now immortal. She has all the time in the world to pursue those things.
3. Breaking Dawn promotes teen pregnancy!
   And Harry Potter promotes murder. I mean, Harry did kill Voldemort, right? Get a grip; just because something is in a book, it does not mean the book is promoting that thing. If that were the case, we would be hearing the same people who are crying, “Breaking Dawn promotes teenage pregnancy,” cry, “Twilight promotes saving sex until marriage,” and, “Breaking Dawn shows consequences for actions–unprotected sex can lead to pregnancy, even if it is not thought possible.” Why don’t we hear more of that from the nay-sayers?
4. Bella is weak! She is a poor role model for young girls!
   First, we should not be expecting our daughters, our sisters, our friends to find role models in books. Role models help shape a person, give them someone to follow. Role models are parents, siblings, teachers, friends, aunts, uncles, coaches. I could go on for pages, but “characters in books” will not make that list. Bella is a character, not a role model for girls. I have heard many reasons for the Bella is weak argument:
   1. She is wishy-washy and doesn’t know what she wants.
      Who remembers being a seventeen-year-old girl? Being wishy-washy is totally normal at that age. One week, you are sure of your life goal. The next, you are still sure of your life goal–it is just a different goal. This is not a sign of weakness; it is a sign of normalcy. Teenagers are still learning all about themselves and the world around them. It is completely normal for their minds to change in the process.
   2. She is a pushover and does everything Edward wants her to.
      Am I the only one who remembers her running away from Alice and Jasper to meet James, against Edward’s will? Or running to La Push to spend time with Jacob, against Edward’s will? Or convincing Carlisle to make her a vampire, if necessary, against Edward’s will? Or not aborting her baby, against Edward’s will. There are more examples, but I think I made my point. Things she was passionate about, she did, whether Edward wanted it or not. And the things Edward wanted her to do? When one is in love, sacrifices are made. Things are done for the other person. I have done things that I didn’t want to do for my husband, because he wanted me to. This does not make me a pushover. He also does things for me that he doesn’t want to. This is called compromise.
   3. She falls for Jacob even when she says she loves Edward.
      For the life of me, I cannot see how this makes her weak. Love is a strange thing. It is powerful, overwhelming, scary. Sometimes everlasting. Many people never lose the love they had for their “first love”. It is not uncommon for people to still love one person as they grow to love another (it is also not uncommon for that to happen when they are still with the first person, but that is another post for another time). The love Bella has for Edward is intense. It came along quickly and burns brightly. The love she has for Jacob is another creature altogether. Bella chose to love Jacob. Their love developed slowly (from her end at least). They got to know each other first, and let the passion come later. If anything, I think Bella’s choice to move on and find love after Edward makes her strong.
5. Edward thinks Bella is incapable. He won’t let her do anything for herself!
   This is by far the most ridiculous cry I hear. And I hear it regularly. The Twilight bashers have decided that Edward opening doors and pulling out chairs for Bella means he thinks she is incapable. People, this is how a man should treat a woman! It has nothing to do with him thinking she is unable to do it herself; it is about respect. He respects her and he treats her accordingly.

Oy. I think I have strained my ranting muscle.

Whether we love the book, hate the book, or fall somewhere in between, I think we YA authors owe a lot to Stephenie Meyer and Twilight. Young Adult books have always been around, but Twilight really put them on the map, so to speak. YA has been much more prevalent in the media and in the bookstores in the last few years, and for a large part, we have Stephenie to thank for that. Teenagers are reading because of her books; someday teenagers might be reading my books because Stephenie Meyer blazed a trail for me. Like her books or not, I am indebted to her for opening the door of opportunity.

*Rant over. Feel free to go about your normal business now. Unless, of course, your normal business involves bashing Twilight and Stephenie Meyer.*

Their post on Banned Books Week lists the books that have been banned and challenged in 2008-2009, highlighting the ones they have read. As I read over their post, I was curious to see how many of these books I have read (or have on my to-read list). So, without further ado:

Books banned and challenged in 2008-2009:
*Books I have read
*Books on the to-read list

A
Alexie, Sherman. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part?Time Indian.
Anaya, Rudolfo A. Bless Me, Ultima.
Anonymous. Go Ask Alice.
Avi. The Fighting Ground.

B
Bailey, Jacqui, and Jan McCafferty. Sex, Puberty, and All That Stuff: A Guide to Growing Up.
Barron, T. A. The Great Tree of Avalon: Child of the Dark Prophecy.
Berendt, John. Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil: A Savannah Story.
Bowden, Mark. Black Hawk Down: A Story of Modern War.
Brannen, Sarah. Uncle Bobby’s Wedding.

C
Chbosky, Stephen. The Perks of Being a Wallflower.
Colfer, Eoin. The Supernaturalist.
Collier, James Lincoln, and Christopher Collier. My Brother Sam Is Dead.
Comfort, Alex. The Joy of Sex.
Cox, Elizabeth. Night Talk.
Crutcher, Chris. Chinese Handcuffs.

D
de Haan, Linda, and Stern Nijland. King & King.
Drill, Esther. Deal With It!: A Whole New Approach to Your Body, Brain, and Life as a gURL.
Dubberley, Emily. Sex for Busy People: The Art of the Quickie for Lovers on the Go.

F
Follett, Ken. Pillars of the Earth.

G
Gardner, John C. Grendel.
Green, John. Looking for Alaska.
Grove, Vicki. The Starplace.

H
Harding, Kat. The Lesbian Kama Sutra.
Harris, Robie H. It’s Perfectly Normal: A Book about Changing Bodies, Growing Up, Sex, and Sexual Health. Hartinger, Brent. The Geography Club.
Heinlein, Robert A. The Day After Tomorrow.
Holmes, Melisa, and Trish Hutchison. Hang?ups, Hook?ups, and Holding Out: Stuff You Need to Know about Your Body, Sex, and Dating.
Hosseini, Khaled. The Kite Runner.
Huxley, Aldous. Brave New World.

J
Jackson, Jon A. Dead Folks.
Jahn-Clough, Lisa. Me, Penelope.

K
Kaysen, Susanna. Girl, Interrupted.

L
Lee, Harper. To Kill a Mockingbird.
Lockhart, E. The Boy Book: A Study of Habits and Behaviors, Plus Techniques for Taming Them.

M
Maguire, Gregory. Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West.
Mason, Bobbie Ann. In Country.
Meyer, Stephenie H. Twilight Series.
Morrison, Toni. The Bluest Eye.
Myers, Walter Dean. Fallen Angels.
Myers, Walter Dean. Hoops.
Myracle, Lauren. ttfn.
Myracle, Lauren. ttyl.

N
Naylor, Phyllis Reynolds. Alice on Her Way.
Nixon, Joan Lowery. Whispers from the Dead.

O
Oh, Minya. Bling Bling: Hip Hop’s Crown Jewels.

P
Picoult, Jodi. My Sister’s Keeper.
Picoult, Jodi. Nineteen Minutes.
Pullman, Philip. The Golden Compass.

R
Rennison, Louise. Angus, Thongs and Full?Frontal Snogging: Confessions of Georgia Nicolson.
Richardson, Justin, and Peter Parnell. And Tango Makes Three.
Riley, Andy. The Book of Bunny Suicides: Little Fluffy Rabbits Who Just Don’t Want to Live Anymore.

S
Salinger, J. D. The Catcher in the Rye.
Schreier, Alta. Vamos a Cuba (A Visit to Cuba).
Sebold, Alice. The Lovely Bones.
Seierstad, Åsne. The Bookseller of Kabul.
Silverstein, Charles, and Felice Picano. The Joy of Gay Sex.
Sittenfeld, Curtis. Prep: A Novel.
Stroud, Jonathan. The Amulet of Samarkand.
Stroud, Jonathan. The Golem’s Eye.
Stroud, Jonathan. Ptolemy’s Gate.

T
Tarbox, Katherine. A Girl’s Life Online.
Taylor, Mildred D. The Land.
Tucker, Todd. Notre Dame vs. the Klan: How the Fighting Irish Defeated the Ku Klux Klan.
Twain, Mark [Samuel L. Clemens]. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

W
Walker, Alice. The Color Purple.

Z
Zinn, Howard. A People’s History of the United States.

My list of to-be-read books is much longer than my list of have-read books. This seems to be a trend with me; for every book I read, I think I add three to the to-be-read list.

In other censorship news:

For the third year running, a children’s book about penguins takes the #1 spot on the Top Ten Most Frequently Challenged Books of the Year list.

Wow. Just wow.

Yesterday when I got home, I took some time to look around our house. Disgusting. I have been pushing aside real life responsibilities for manic writing for a bit too long. So, I declared this week “Rachel has a real life week” (AKA “Get this pit cleaned up week”). I am on a writing hiatus this week* so I can focus on all the things I have pushed aside for writing the last few weeks (okay, okay months). It will be tough, but I can do it! Bubba will be pleased to have his wife back. And, well, Critter and The Turds will be happy to not be living in a biohazard area.

Our linkage today has nothing to do with writing for once! Shocking, I know. But, this is something I am wildly passionate about, so I will share it:

Phones in theatres. NO. BUENO. People, no one spent their hard earned money to listen to your phone ring. It appalls me how many people refuse to turn their phones off in theatres. Apparently, some think text messaging is an okay thing to do since it is quiet. Well, let me tell you–that cell phone light in my face is just as irritating as the ringing. Here’s a thought: turn off the phone or don’t go to the theatre. Simple.

Okay. I will be calm now. Hugh Jackman and Daniel Craig do a much better job addressing this problem than I do:

(Sorry…no more video. Trust me: it was good. The actors’ frustration was palpable–even through the computer screen.)

What amazes me the most is how long the phone continues to ring after the actor gets so fed up he actually stops the play!

I cannot wait for the day when all theatres adopt the Russian theatre plan of making cellular use impossible.

*Who am I kidding? There won’t be a complete writing hiatus, and we all know it. I will still write all I can during work (shhh, don’t tell) and lunch hour. Once I get home, however, I will focus on other things. Or at least pretend to.

So, I had started writing a different post today (which will now be posted tomorrow), but after reading Jamie Harrington and Elana Johnson‘s blogs today, I decided it was time for me to address this as well. This is a topic that has been on my mind for quite some time.

I have heard (okay, probably read) people talk before about Young Adult authors being responsible for what their audience is reading. “We are the adults,” they say, “we need to use our writing to teach the readers about life and the world.” Jamie wonders if by having her characters engage in bad behavior, is she promoting bad behavior or telling it like it is? Elana, on the other hand, believes young adult authors have a solemn responsibility to show readers the consequences of bad behavior. So where do I stand on this?

As a young adult author, I believe I have these responsibilities:

• Tell a great story.
• Write real, believable characters.
• Stay true to my characters and plot.
• Entertain.

You will notice that nowhere in this list is the term “teach readers morals and good judgement.” That is not my job. My job as a writer is to entertain the reader, nothing more. Morals and good judgement should be taught by the parents. Unfortunately, the sad fact is there are parents out there who do not teach their children these things. But that doesn’t mean the bill falls on authors.

If an author puts a scene in her book of characters participating in underage drinking at a party, it does not mean the author is trying to promote underage drinking. The author is merely putting a real element of life into her book (and hopefully it propels the story, so it isn’t just gratuitous). Yes, there are consequences of underage drinking, and maybe the author will show these. Maybe not. It should be shown only if it helps move the story forward.

Young Adults are smart, perceptive people. They will know if they are being preached to. I believe it is only appropriate to put lessons and consequences in a novel if they directly help move the story along. Are these lessons being learned by a character? Then great, they are an important part of character development. But if we as writers put lessons into our books to try to teach our readers morals, we are doing them and ourselves a disservice. Teenagers hate to be preached to, and they know when you are doing it. Chances are, they will put a preachy book down and not pick it up again.

I write novels, not lesson manuals. I am not writing to teach a moral code.

As many of you already know, Ellen Hopkins is feeling the burn of book banners. She was set for a school visit in OK; when a couple days before the visit, one parent demanded her books be taken off the library shelves. Her appearance at the school was canceled (though the librarian was great and found an alternate venue for her to speak at). Read Ellen’s story on her blog.

For Banned Books Week, Ellen wrote a poem, “Manifesto”. It is all kinds of powerful. Here is Ellen reading it:

To read the words of “Manifesto”, visit the Banned Books Week site.

I have actually never read Ellen’s books, though they are on my (incredibly long) list of books to read. Here is what I do know about them: my seventeen-year-old sister is not a big reader. There is a small handful of books she will actually read. But she devours Ellen’s books. She loves them. No matter what the subject matter of a book, I think that is a powerful thing.

If a person wants to protect their child from a certain book, that is fine. They should keep it from THEIR child. I will not stand for others telling my (future) children what they can and cannot read.

And now…

Personality Toolkit: Drive

Writing is a solitary process. Sure, writers have support systems. I have Bubba, who is always encouraging me, my first readers, my friends and family, who help me along, and countless others. But, when it comes down to it, getting the writing done is on me and me alone.

Without the drive and self-motivation to get things done, novels would never be written. There are too many things in life to distract from writing (except, of course, when I am really in it and writing becomes an almost unsafe distraction from the rest of life). Nobody else is going to motivate me to work (though Bubba does a great job of trying), so I need to motivate myself.

I have found the source of self-motivation is a sense of accountability.

Ways I have given myself a sense of accountability:

• I tell people I am a writer. I don’t write in the shadows, but out in the open.
• I share my writing goals with others.
• I built a website and put myself out there.
• I talk about writing and my journey to complete strangers (and friends as well) on this blog.

All of these things-and many more-keep me accountable. Accountability motivates me. So, even on days when I don’t really feel like writing, I put words on the page. I push the distractions aside and tell my story.

How do you motivate yourself?

(Full Disclosure: this is the only part of Meet Joe Black I have ever seen.)

So, what with me feeling like I was hit by a car–er, two cars, there will be no real blog post today. Sorry, friends, but thanks for stopping by anyway! What? Is that chicken noodle soup? How thoughtful of you.

Don’t you fret, though. The Personality Toolkit series will continue tomorrow. (I know I am sick when I spell tomorrow incorrectly. Twice.) AND, since I am not posting today (no, really, this is all an illusion*), there will be a Saturday post this week. How ’bout that?

*Since even an imaginary post is not a post without some fun linkage, I leave you with this: because a little nostalgia always makes the day better.

I work in the movie business, so I have a LOT of movie news coming in every day. Normally, I will not be posting about movie news (unless, of course, I learn that y’all actually like for me to), but this one is too good (read: BAD) to not mention.

Rob Zombie, who apparently only wants to make horror remakes (that really should not be remade), has just announced he will be doing a remake of the 1958 film “The Blob”. The original holds a special place in my heart. If you remember-my first book was inspired by “The Blob” when I was seven years old. 

Now, here is what I don’t get: According to Zombie, “My intention is not to have a big red blobby thing — that’s the first thing I want to change.” What?! “The Blob” with NO BLOB? It just doesn’t make sense. Or maybe it’s just me. 

Here’s a thought Rob: why don’t you try your hand at something original, instead of just crappy remakes. Or, you know, stick to music. 

We will return shortly with our regularly scheduled, writing-related, blog post.