Banned Books Week Four!
See Banned Books Week rant here!
Banned Book Week One.
Banned Book Week Two.
Banned Book Week Three.
Link of the week:
Self-Censorship is when a book gets rave reviews, yet isn’t placed on the popular lists, gets recommended, or bought at all because someone doesn’t like it or is afraid of the complaints. This is something that teachers, booksellers, and librarians do, but won’t admit it. Everyone has some subject that makes them uncomfortable, but they have to get beyond it to recommend a book that someone may need. To understand a little more about self-censorship here is an article about author Barry Lyga and his book Boy Toy.
Banned Book of the Week:
Brannen, Sarah. Uncle Bobby's Wedding. Putman. Challenged at the Douglas County Libraries in Castle Rock, Colo. (2008) because "some material may be inappropriate for young children." The children’s book features two gay guinea pigs. A resident requested that the book be removed from the library and placed in a special area or labeled "some material may be inappropriate for young children." Source: Newsletter on Intellectual Freedom. Sept. 2008, pp. 183-84.
On to the book reviews -
Book Review by thrihyrne
Diana Gabaldon is a marvelous storyteller. Her knack for writing historical fiction in which the characters truly come to life and are compelling is evidenced in her ongoing very popular Outlander series, but the series that I absolutely inhaled and was asked to review is the Lord John Grey Series: Lord John and the Private Matter, Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade, and Lord John and the Hand of Devils, a collection of three novellas (Lord John and the Hellfire Club, Lord John and the Succubus, and Lord John and the Haunted Soldier).
In these novels, the protagonist John is a major in his brother's regiment and a career soldier in England around the 1750s. He is also definitively gay. Gabaldon loves her research, and in reading the books of this series, one learns about various wars and military life of the time, what daily life was like for someone of his station, and also about the Molly houses where men like John could go -- always at risk of being discovered, of course, at a time when sodomy was a crime punishable by a death sentence -- to seek out other men who shared his desire for his own gender. While John does have two relationships which last several months apiece, Gabaldon appears unwilling to allow him to have a happily ever after. That said, in that time in history, a long-lasting same-sex relationship would have been nearly impossible without the cover of a heteronormative marriage and a spouse willingly not asking questions. John is also hindered in the pursuit of a long term relationship because he holds a flame for a man he can never have (because said man is quite the heteronormative bloke) who I, too, would swoon over, the captivating red-haired Scotsman and Jacobite, Jamie Fraser.
The books in this series provide a detailed, fascinating look into the risks and subculture of male gay life in England in the 1700s. While Gabaldon sadly tends to fade to black in regards to any actual sex, there is one memorable scene in Brotherhood of the Blade in a chapter appropriately titled "Finally," which is highly erotic. Gabaldon herself in that book in the Acknowledgments section includes this nod of research she put out prior to publication:
... The assorted gentlemen (and ladies) who were kind enough to read and comment on sex scenes. (As a matter of public interest, a poll regarding one such scene came back with the following results: "Positive: I want to know more-- 82%; Negative: This makes me uncomfortable--4%; Slightly shocked, but not put off--10%; Neutral--4%.)
That said, here's a wee snippet that's quite hot and even delves into a daring, brief-lived moment of John Grey's needing to experience something he can't allow himself to dwell on for very long. Gabaldon's imagery and word craft shines throughout all of the novels, but it's especially potent here (taken from Chapter 21, Cowardice from Brotherhood of the Blade):
"Turn around," Percy said, and he did, facing the horse. [a punishment horse, not a real one- Thev's note]
The cords struck across his shoulders like the sting of a jellyfish, sharp and sudden. His hands closed tight on the horse's back.
"Again," he said, half breathless.
He heard Percy shift his weight, felt his interest shift as well, from the sense of nervous excitement to something more.
"Sure?" said Percy softly.
He bent a little forward and spread his arms, taking a fresh grip, exposing the full reach of his bare back. The stroke caught him just below the shoulderblades, with a force that drove the breath out of him and stung to the tips of his fingers.
"More?" The word was whispered. He could feel Percy's breath, warm on the back of his neck, feel him close, the touch of a hand light on the naked skin of his waist.
God, don't touch me! he thought, and felt his stomach clench as his gorge rose. But what he said, hoarse and low was, "Again. Don't stop."
Three more blows, and Percy stopped. Grey turned round to see him gripping the cat in both hands, face white.
"I've cut you. I'm sorry."
He could feel the weal, a vivid line that ran from his right shoulderblade, angled down across the center of his back. It felt as though someone had pressed a hot wire into his skin.
"Don't be," he said. "I asked."
"Yes, but--" Percy had seized his shirt, draped it across his bare shoulders. "I shouldn't have started it. It-- I didn't mean-- I'm sorry."
"Don't be," Grey said again. "You wanted to know. So did I."
The very good news about this series is that Gabaldon is working on another novel, according to her entry in Wikipedia, Lord John and the Scottish Prisoner. Given the title, I'm hoping that it features Jamie Fraser, though by default, this will mean a lot of unrequited sexual tension for poor John. He suffers enough of that via Gabaldon's exquisite descriptions.
I'll also note that I didn't visually read this series, I listened to all of them as audiobooks read by Jeff Woodman. As a narrator, he excellently and deftly handled the various accents with aplomb and to me is the voice of Lord John.
Book Review by lorien_eve
For Banned Book Month, I chose to read Slammerkin by Emma Donoghue. I'm a huge fan of Victorian Era novels, so this was an ideal book for me.
The title comes from a British word for "a loose gown," and can also be translated into "a loose woman."
Mary Saunders wants more from life. She doesn't want to be among the poor in London. She doesn't want to live in a basement apartment. She doesn't want to be a seamstress like her mother. Instead, she wants to be the one wearing the nice gowns, living in a fine manor with servants at her call. Her father died when she was very young and she has few memories of him. Her mother has remarried and had a son by her new husband. The male child gets all the attention, and Mary is just an afterthought. However, her mother allows her to go to school, even though she is the oldest student at 14 years old, because one of her father's deepest wishes was that his daughter have an education.
Mary's mother warns her of the Seven Dials, a dirty area in London where prostitutes and other riffraff hang out. But Mary is intrigued by it, the sounds and smells, and particularly a certain prostitute who wears a red ribbon in her hair. One night Mary is sent to buy dinner for the family, but she loses part of the money due to a hole in her dress pocket. Her mother and stepfather accuse her of keeping the extra money and a heated argument ensues. Mary runs from the house and out into the street.
She finds herself at the Seven Dials, scared, but relieved to be away from home. A peddler on the corner is selling ribbons. She inquires about a red one, though she has no money to afford it. She peddler offers her a trade - sex for the ribbon. Before Mary realizes what is happening, the peddler pushes her against the wall and consummates the trade. Mary returns home, terrified and used, but still proud of her new red ribbon.
A few months later, Mary's mother receives a note from a stranger that gives away Mary's secret - she's pregnant. Her mother and stepfather are horrified, angry, and ashamed. Mary's mother packs up what few belongings she has and tosses Mary out into the street. She tells her that she no longer has a mother, that she doesn't care what happens to her or her baby. Mary again finds herself at the Seven Dials.
As the months go by, Mary's pregnancy becomes more and more obvious. She doesn't want the child, so Doll convinces her to have an abortion. But an abortion costs money, and Mary doesn't have any. It's this necessity that forces Mary into prostitution. After only a few tricks, Mary has enough money to terminate her pregnancy.
She learns that the only way she's going to survive is to learn the trade. Although she has an education, she has no work skills, no dowry, nothing. Prostitution is the easiest thing. Plus, all of the women wear fine, colorful gowns to attract the tricks, and Mary has a definite interest in the clothing.
Because of an incident with her landlord and money, she decides to take a stagecoach to Monmouth, the town that her parents lived in before moving to London. She had heard her mother talk about a woman named Jane Jones, so she makes up a story about her mother being dead and she has nowhere else to go. She even writes a letter and forges her mothers name. In the letter, it is her mother's dying wish that Mrs. Jones take Mary in.
Mr. and Mrs. Jones own a dress shop. Mrs. Jones believes Mary's story and hire her as a seamstress. Monmouth is very different from London. It's a small, rural town, and Mary is very unhappy there but she doesn't have anywhere else to go.
Daffy is a hired hand of the Jones'. He and Mary don't get along at first, but then they find a mutual attraction to each other. Daffy proposes, but Mary can't marry him because she doesn't want him to find out about her past.
Over time, Mary saves up a large sum of money. Mrs. Jones finds the money and demands to know how Mary got it. Mrs. Jones thinks that Mary stole it from them, but Mary insists that she didn't though she doesn't tell her the true way that the acquired the money. A few nights later, Mary tells Mrs. Jones that the money was a last gift from her mother and asks for the money back now that she has proven it wasn't stolen. But it's too late because Mrs. Jones had already put the money in the poor box at church.
Mary's reaction to finding out that her money is gone is the climax to the story. I won't give the ending away, but I definitely recommend reading this book. It's a page-turner from the start, very well-written, with developed characters and a great storyline.
Banned Book Week One.
Banned Book Week Two.
Banned Book Week Three.
Link of the week:
Self-Censorship is when a book gets rave reviews, yet isn’t placed on the popular lists, gets recommended, or bought at all because someone doesn’t like it or is afraid of the complaints. This is something that teachers, booksellers, and librarians do, but won’t admit it. Everyone has some subject that makes them uncomfortable, but they have to get beyond it to recommend a book that someone may need. To understand a little more about self-censorship here is an article about author Barry Lyga and his book Boy Toy.
Banned Book of the Week:
Brannen, Sarah. Uncle Bobby's Wedding. Putman. Challenged at the Douglas County Libraries in Castle Rock, Colo. (2008) because "some material may be inappropriate for young children." The children’s book features two gay guinea pigs. A resident requested that the book be removed from the library and placed in a special area or labeled "some material may be inappropriate for young children." Source: Newsletter on Intellectual Freedom. Sept. 2008, pp. 183-84.
On to the book reviews -
Book Review by thrihyrne
Diana Gabaldon is a marvelous storyteller. Her knack for writing historical fiction in which the characters truly come to life and are compelling is evidenced in her ongoing very popular Outlander series, but the series that I absolutely inhaled and was asked to review is the Lord John Grey Series: Lord John and the Private Matter, Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade, and Lord John and the Hand of Devils, a collection of three novellas (Lord John and the Hellfire Club, Lord John and the Succubus, and Lord John and the Haunted Soldier).
In these novels, the protagonist John is a major in his brother's regiment and a career soldier in England around the 1750s. He is also definitively gay. Gabaldon loves her research, and in reading the books of this series, one learns about various wars and military life of the time, what daily life was like for someone of his station, and also about the Molly houses where men like John could go -- always at risk of being discovered, of course, at a time when sodomy was a crime punishable by a death sentence -- to seek out other men who shared his desire for his own gender. While John does have two relationships which last several months apiece, Gabaldon appears unwilling to allow him to have a happily ever after. That said, in that time in history, a long-lasting same-sex relationship would have been nearly impossible without the cover of a heteronormative marriage and a spouse willingly not asking questions. John is also hindered in the pursuit of a long term relationship because he holds a flame for a man he can never have (because said man is quite the heteronormative bloke) who I, too, would swoon over, the captivating red-haired Scotsman and Jacobite, Jamie Fraser.
The books in this series provide a detailed, fascinating look into the risks and subculture of male gay life in England in the 1700s. While Gabaldon sadly tends to fade to black in regards to any actual sex, there is one memorable scene in Brotherhood of the Blade in a chapter appropriately titled "Finally," which is highly erotic. Gabaldon herself in that book in the Acknowledgments section includes this nod of research she put out prior to publication:
... The assorted gentlemen (and ladies) who were kind enough to read and comment on sex scenes. (As a matter of public interest, a poll regarding one such scene came back with the following results: "Positive: I want to know more-- 82%; Negative: This makes me uncomfortable--4%; Slightly shocked, but not put off--10%; Neutral--4%.)
That said, here's a wee snippet that's quite hot and even delves into a daring, brief-lived moment of John Grey's needing to experience something he can't allow himself to dwell on for very long. Gabaldon's imagery and word craft shines throughout all of the novels, but it's especially potent here (taken from Chapter 21, Cowardice from Brotherhood of the Blade):
"Turn around," Percy said, and he did, facing the horse. [a punishment horse, not a real one- Thev's note]
The cords struck across his shoulders like the sting of a jellyfish, sharp and sudden. His hands closed tight on the horse's back.
"Again," he said, half breathless.
He heard Percy shift his weight, felt his interest shift as well, from the sense of nervous excitement to something more.
"Sure?" said Percy softly.
He bent a little forward and spread his arms, taking a fresh grip, exposing the full reach of his bare back. The stroke caught him just below the shoulderblades, with a force that drove the breath out of him and stung to the tips of his fingers.
"More?" The word was whispered. He could feel Percy's breath, warm on the back of his neck, feel him close, the touch of a hand light on the naked skin of his waist.
God, don't touch me! he thought, and felt his stomach clench as his gorge rose. But what he said, hoarse and low was, "Again. Don't stop."
Three more blows, and Percy stopped. Grey turned round to see him gripping the cat in both hands, face white.
"I've cut you. I'm sorry."
He could feel the weal, a vivid line that ran from his right shoulderblade, angled down across the center of his back. It felt as though someone had pressed a hot wire into his skin.
"Don't be," he said. "I asked."
"Yes, but--" Percy had seized his shirt, draped it across his bare shoulders. "I shouldn't have started it. It-- I didn't mean-- I'm sorry."
"Don't be," Grey said again. "You wanted to know. So did I."
The very good news about this series is that Gabaldon is working on another novel, according to her entry in Wikipedia, Lord John and the Scottish Prisoner. Given the title, I'm hoping that it features Jamie Fraser, though by default, this will mean a lot of unrequited sexual tension for poor John. He suffers enough of that via Gabaldon's exquisite descriptions.
I'll also note that I didn't visually read this series, I listened to all of them as audiobooks read by Jeff Woodman. As a narrator, he excellently and deftly handled the various accents with aplomb and to me is the voice of Lord John.
Book Review by lorien_eve
For Banned Book Month, I chose to read Slammerkin by Emma Donoghue. I'm a huge fan of Victorian Era novels, so this was an ideal book for me.
The title comes from a British word for "a loose gown," and can also be translated into "a loose woman."
Mary Saunders wants more from life. She doesn't want to be among the poor in London. She doesn't want to live in a basement apartment. She doesn't want to be a seamstress like her mother. Instead, she wants to be the one wearing the nice gowns, living in a fine manor with servants at her call. Her father died when she was very young and she has few memories of him. Her mother has remarried and had a son by her new husband. The male child gets all the attention, and Mary is just an afterthought. However, her mother allows her to go to school, even though she is the oldest student at 14 years old, because one of her father's deepest wishes was that his daughter have an education.
Mary's mother warns her of the Seven Dials, a dirty area in London where prostitutes and other riffraff hang out. But Mary is intrigued by it, the sounds and smells, and particularly a certain prostitute who wears a red ribbon in her hair. One night Mary is sent to buy dinner for the family, but she loses part of the money due to a hole in her dress pocket. Her mother and stepfather accuse her of keeping the extra money and a heated argument ensues. Mary runs from the house and out into the street.
She finds herself at the Seven Dials, scared, but relieved to be away from home. A peddler on the corner is selling ribbons. She inquires about a red one, though she has no money to afford it. She peddler offers her a trade - sex for the ribbon. Before Mary realizes what is happening, the peddler pushes her against the wall and consummates the trade. Mary returns home, terrified and used, but still proud of her new red ribbon.
A few months later, Mary's mother receives a note from a stranger that gives away Mary's secret - she's pregnant. Her mother and stepfather are horrified, angry, and ashamed. Mary's mother packs up what few belongings she has and tosses Mary out into the street. She tells her that she no longer has a mother, that she doesn't care what happens to her or her baby. Mary again finds herself at the Seven Dials.
As the months go by, Mary's pregnancy becomes more and more obvious. She doesn't want the child, so Doll convinces her to have an abortion. But an abortion costs money, and Mary doesn't have any. It's this necessity that forces Mary into prostitution. After only a few tricks, Mary has enough money to terminate her pregnancy.
She learns that the only way she's going to survive is to learn the trade. Although she has an education, she has no work skills, no dowry, nothing. Prostitution is the easiest thing. Plus, all of the women wear fine, colorful gowns to attract the tricks, and Mary has a definite interest in the clothing.
Because of an incident with her landlord and money, she decides to take a stagecoach to Monmouth, the town that her parents lived in before moving to London. She had heard her mother talk about a woman named Jane Jones, so she makes up a story about her mother being dead and she has nowhere else to go. She even writes a letter and forges her mothers name. In the letter, it is her mother's dying wish that Mrs. Jones take Mary in.
Mr. and Mrs. Jones own a dress shop. Mrs. Jones believes Mary's story and hire her as a seamstress. Monmouth is very different from London. It's a small, rural town, and Mary is very unhappy there but she doesn't have anywhere else to go.
Daffy is a hired hand of the Jones'. He and Mary don't get along at first, but then they find a mutual attraction to each other. Daffy proposes, but Mary can't marry him because she doesn't want him to find out about her past.
Over time, Mary saves up a large sum of money. Mrs. Jones finds the money and demands to know how Mary got it. Mrs. Jones thinks that Mary stole it from them, but Mary insists that she didn't though she doesn't tell her the true way that the acquired the money. A few nights later, Mary tells Mrs. Jones that the money was a last gift from her mother and asks for the money back now that she has proven it wasn't stolen. But it's too late because Mrs. Jones had already put the money in the poor box at church.
Mary's reaction to finding out that her money is gone is the climax to the story. I won't give the ending away, but I definitely recommend reading this book. It's a page-turner from the start, very well-written, with developed characters and a great storyline.