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.

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.