“Good-Bye, Testicles”

Tags

Anne Welsh Guy, Books, canines, children's, circumcision, Frank Vaughn, Good-Bye Testicles, Good-Bye Tonsils, same book cover, vet

Good-bye, Testicles (Whitman)

This children’s book is not about circumcision of humans, but canines and was to be used as a reference for why your dog needs to go to the vet for THAT visit. Great idea, but horrible execution. Good-bye, Testicles was written by Anne Welsh Guy (yep) and illustrated (uh huh) by Frank Vaughn. Ironic all the way around.

Guy also wrote Good-bye Tonsils which used the same cover, replacing the dog with a little girl. Huh.

Advertisements

“The Earth, My Butt and Other Big Round Things”

Tags

banned, Books, Carolyn Mackler, criticism, fall from grace, praise, The Earth My Butt and Other Big Round Things, Virginia Shreves, young adult

The Earth, My Butt and Other Big Round Things (Candlewick Press, 2003)

The Earth, My Butt and Other Big Round Things is an award-winning young adult novel written by Carolyn Mackler. It tells the story of Virginia Shreves, an overweight teen who feels like the weakest link in her high-powered family until her handsome, athletic, star-student brother has a shocking fall from grace. (Spoiler alert he gets suspended from Columbia University after being accused of date rape.)

As you can imagine reaction to the book was mixed. It has drawn much praise and much criticism for its sensitive subject matter. Author Mackler defends the book saying she “wanted to portray teenagers experiences realistically.” In February 2008, The Earth was removed from school libraries in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

“Dancing Lessons for the Advanced in Age”

Tags

128 pages long, Bohumil Hrabal, Books, Czech, Dancing Lessons for the Advanced in Age, events in his life, known for lengthy sentences, old man, one sentence long, six women, sunbathing, talk

Dancing Lessons for the Advanced in Age

Dancing Lessons for the Advanced in Age is a Czech novel written in 1964 by Bohumil Hrabal. It is a story of a old man who walks up to six women sunbathing in the middle of a city and just starts talking to them about things that have happened to him in his life. The story is also one sentence long. So a pretty short book right? Nope, it is 128 pages long. Author Hrabal is known for using lengthy sentences in his novels. He is also considered one of the greatest Czech authors in history and Dancing Lessons for the Advanced in Age has been called “the best book you’ve never read.”

“The Possession”

Tags

Annie Ernaux, Books, Fact or Fiction, French, jealousy, obsessive, romance, self-regard, short book, The Possession

The Possession(Seven Stories Press, 2008)

French author Annie Ernaux in a scant 62 pages examines an obsessive, jealousy-fueled romance gone bad. Is it fact or fiction? Self-regard is a common theme in Ernaux’s works so that’s a very difficult question to answer. If you’ve ever messed up a love affair, this is definitely an interesting read.

“The Mezzanine”

Tags

American, Books, debut, escalator, footnotes, lunchtime, Nicolson Baker, office, originality, The Mezzanine, thoughts, work

The Mezzanine(Weidenfeld & Nicholson, 1988)

The debut novel from American Nicholson Baker, The Mezzanine is the story of a man’s lunchtime trip up an escalator to the mezzanine of the office building where he works. It describes the thoughts that run through a person’s mind in any given few moments. The novel uses footnotes which actually compose most of the book. The Mezzanine has been praised for its originality and fierce attention to detail.

“Shit Happens”

Tags

abused, benefits, Books, DI Savage, diary, dismembered, Eileen Wharton, English, independent, Newcastle, Rose Starling, Shit Happens, sink estate, topless

Shit Happens (Byker Books, 2012)

Shit Happens is an independent book in which Rose Starling, an abused wife is living on benefits with her three children on a sink estate in a small town in the Newcastle (England)area. Her problems intensify when bits of her ex-husband turn up in various places and DI Savage seems to be bending the evidence against her. On top of that, she’s being pressured by Vera Devlin into taking a job on the estate while working in a topless bar. Desperate to extricate herself from the mess, she breaks into her former marital home to retrieve the diary of her late husband, except her former mother-in-law has taken up residence and arrives home early from bingo that evening! Now what?

Shit Happens was written by English author Eileen Wharton. She has also published a short story collection (Rainbows in Puddles and a children’s book The Shmoohly Boo). Her most recent publication is a thriller entitled Blanket of Blood.

“The Wronged Sons”

Tags

Books, British, disappearance, independent, John Marrs, lies, reappears, secrets, The Wronged Sons, world traveller

The Wronged Sons (CreateSpace, 2013)

This independent novel begs the question “what would you do if the person you loved suddenly vanished into thin air?” Catherine’s cozy life as a housewife and mom of 3 is quickly thrown into disarray when husband Simon disappears without explanation. She is convinced he hasn’t left by choice and soon confusion and spiraling debts threatens to tear her family apart. Meanwhile Simon has begun a carefree new life traveling the world. He’s determined not to disclose his past, even if it means resorting to extreme or violent measures. But why did he leave? Catherine finally gets her answer 25 years later when he suddenly reappears on her doorstep. Only during their final furious confrontation are all the secrets, lies and misunderstandings finally revealed.

The Wronged Sons was written by UK author John Marrs who moonlights as a freelance London-based journalist that has spent twenty years interviewing celebrities of TV, film and music for national newspapers and magazines.

“Summer People”

Tags

Books, Erin Hilderbrand, family secret, Nantucket, Summer People, tradition, vacation

Summer People (St. Martin’s Press, 2003)

Arch Newton, a prominent New York attorney, has died in a plane crash on his way home from a business trip. His widow, Beth, decides to continue on the family tradition of retreating to Nantucket for the summer. She invites Marcus, the son of Arch’s final client to join her and her twin teenage daughters Winnie and Garrett, who have mixed feelings about this decision. Marcus, Winnie and Garrett embark on a journey of loss, first love and betrayal. They then stumble upon a shocking secret from Beth’s past and now have to keep it from destroying the family that is working hard to heal. Summer People was written by American author Elin Hilderbrand.

“Secrets of the Realm”

Tags

18th century, Bev Stout, Books, eBook, independent, London, Secrets of the Realm, ship

Secrets of the Realm (eBook, 2013)

Available only as eBook, 15-year-old Annie is on the run after being blamed for her uncle’s death. Realizing the perils she will face on the streets of 18th century London, she disguises herself as a boy. She quickly becomes Captain Hawke’s cabin boy and must adjust to life on the Realm, working alongside the motley crew of outcasts and gentlemen while keeping them from discovering her secret. Annie quickly falls in love with her life, vowing never to leave the ship. But all too soon, her past catches up with her. Will she be able to return to her beloved new life?

Secrets of the Realm was written by American author Bev Stout as a gift to her family. It quickly found an outside audience on five continents and in 17 countries. Stout has written a second book, My Name is Nissa and is currently working on the sequel to Secrets of the Realm, Return of the Realm.

“Where Willy Went?”

Tags

banned book, Books, children, copulation, Great Swimming Race, illustrated, Mr. Browne, sperm, Where WIlly Went, yellow blanket

Where Willy Went (Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2005)

First off, know that this children’s book is on the Banned Books list. Why? Well Willy is a sperm that lives inside Mr. Browne with his 300 million friends. They are preparing for the Great Swimming Race. Through preparation for the race, the book examines the inner workings of both Mr. Browne and his good lady wife, Mrs. Browne. Oh and the prize for winning the Great Swimming Race? Meeting up with a beautiful egg inside Mrs. Browne. The race and copulation do take place under the cover of a yellow blanket, thankfully. However, we do get to see Willy burrowing into Mrs. Browne’s egg, divide and a familiar shape appears.

Produced in an effort to present the facts of life in an accessible way to appeal to both children and parents, you be the judge. Does this book deserve to be on the banned books list?