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Category Archives: Books

“An Area of Darkness”

17 Sunday Feb 2019

Posted by jocelynmcbride in Books

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1960s, An Area of Darkness, banned, Books, disillusionment, Indian, travelogue, triology, V.S. Naipaul

An Area of Darkness (Andre Deutsch, 1964)

An Area of Darkness was written by Trinidad-born British writer V.S. Naipaul, whose grandparents emigrated from India. The travelogue details Naipaul’s first visit to his ancestral land and the sense of disillusionment he experienced in the early 1960s. It was the first book of his acclaimed Indian trilogy (followed up by India: A Wounded Civilization and India: A Million Mutinies Now). Unsurprisingly, the trilogy has been banned in India for its “negative portrayal of India and its people.”

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“Another Country”

03 Sunday Feb 2019

Posted by jocelynmcbride in Books

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1960s, Another Country, Australia, banned, bisexuality, Books, extramarital affairs, Greenwich Village, interracial relationships, James Baldwin, Rufus Scott, Taboo, Vivaldo

Another Country (Dial Press, 1962)

Another Country was a novel written by American novelist and social critic James Baldwin. Set in Greenwich Village, in the late 1950s, the novel portrayed many themes that were taboo at the time, including bisexuality, interracial relationships and extramarital affairs. The novel was divided into three parts. The beginning of Another Country is that the main character, Rufus Scott, dies. He leaves behind, his sister, Ida, and his friends. They include Vivaldo; a struggling novelist, Richard; another writer, Richard’s wife; Cass, Eric; an actor returning from Europe, Ellis, an executive, and Leona, who was Rufus lover, but is in a mental hospital in the south now due to a mental collapse. A relationship develops between Vivaldo who is Italian, and Ida who is black. Eric’s male lover is coming to New York to be with him, and Eric is dealing with renewing relationships with everyone who he has not been around in a couple of years. Ellis is interested in Ida, and Richard and Cass are dealing with their marriage.

Another Country was banned in Australia in February 1963 for being “continually smeared with indecent, offensive and dirty epithets and allusions” by the Literature Censorship Board. They did recommend that the book remain available though for “the serious minded student or reader.” The ban was lifted in May 1966.

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“Bubble Gum, Bubble Gum”

20 Sunday Jan 2019

Posted by jocelynmcbride in Books

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animals, big blue truck, Books, Bubble Gum Bubble Gum, grumpy black bear, Harriet Kasak Portfolio, Laura Huliska-Beith, Lisa Wheeler, LIttle Brown Books for Young Readers, melting, stuck

Bubble Gum, Bubble Gum (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2004)

In Bubble Gum, Bubble Gum a wad of bubble gum is melting in the road, one by one a variety of animals get stuck in it and have to survive encounters with a big blue truck and a grumpy black bear.

Bubble Gum, Bubble Gum was written by Lisa Wheeler and illustrated by Harriet Kasak Portfolio and Laura Huliska-Beith.

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“The Chocolate Touch”

06 Sunday Jan 2019

Posted by jocelynmcbride in Books

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1950s, Book, children's, illustrated, John Midas, King Midas, legend, Margot Apple, Mildred Coughlin, Patrick Skene Catling, The Chocolate Touch, William Morrow

The Chocolate Touch (William Morrow, 1952)

In a twist of the legend of King Midas who turned everything he touched into gold, John Midas is a young boy who through a magical gift, everything he touches to his lips turns to chocolate. It is quite the predicament for a boy whose doctor warns him that he needs to change his diet and eat more healthy foods. Predictably, John gets sick of chocolate and begins to view nutritious foods as delicacies. So how does he rid himself of this Chocolate Touch?

The Chocolate Touch is an illustrated children’s book written by Patrick Skene Catling and at first illustrated by Mildred Coughlin. A “newly illustrated” edition (also released in 1952) had a longer story and new illustrations by Margot Apple.

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“Like Water for Chocolate”

23 Sunday Dec 2018

Posted by jocelynmcbride in Books

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Book, cannot marry, Como agua para chocolate, cooking, family tradition, film adaptation, Laura Esquivel, Like Water for Chocolate, marries sister, Mexican, Pedro, take care of mother, Tita, until death

Like Water for Chocolate (Doubleday, 1992)

Like Water for Chocolate (Como agua para chocolate) was originally published in 1989 by Mexican author and screenwriter Laura Esquivel. The novel follows Tita, who longs for her lover Pedro but can never have him because of her mother’s upholding of their family tradition: the youngest daughter cannot marry and must take care of her mother until she dies. She is only able to express herself through cooking. It takes on a special significance as Pedro marries her older sister to stay close to Tita. Therefore, Tita is able to “please” and “love” Pedro through food.

The book was adapted into a Mexican film in 1992.

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“Your Name Shall Be Tanga”

09 Sunday Dec 2018

Posted by jocelynmcbride in Books

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Anna-Claude, Book, Cailthe Beyala, Cameroon, dying, French, Heinemann, insane, personality meld, prison, South Africa, Tanga, Your Name Shall Be Tanga

Your Name Shall be Tanga (Heinemann Educational Books, 1996)

Tanga, is a young woman dying in a West African prison. Her fellow prisoner, Anna-Claude may be going insane. Tanga tells Anna-Claude all about her life in an attempt to not disappear completely. As their personalities begin to meld, it looks like it worked.

Your Name Shall be Tanga was written by Cameroonian-French writer Cailthe Beyala and was originally published in French.

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“Dating for Under a Dollar”

18 Sunday Nov 2018

Posted by jocelynmcbride in Books

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1999, Blair Tolman, Books, Dating for Under a Dollar, Mormon, teenagers, youth leaders

Dating for Under a Dollar (Legacy Book Press, 1999)

A quote on the cover says, “Dating will never be the same again!” And if you use any of the 301 ideas presented, you can be reassured that you will never get a second date. Blair Tolman is one brave soul for allowing his name to appear on the cover. Published not during the Depression or during the World Wars when money or times were tight, but in 1999. Okay, let me explain a little more. Dating for Under a Dollar was intended for teenagers and youth leaders within the Mormon religion.

He must have been on to something because he published many other “guides:” The Do’s and Dont’s of Dating: A Dating Guide for LDS Girls, Group Dating! 301 Ideas, Young Women Mutual Activies, Young Men Mutual Activities, The Dance Book: 555 Ways to Ask, Answer and Plan for Dances among others.

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“Good-Bye, Testicles”

04 Sunday Nov 2018

Posted by jocelynmcbride in Books

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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.

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

21 Sunday Oct 2018

Posted by jocelynmcbride in Books

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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.

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“Dancing Lessons for the Advanced in Age”

07 Sunday Oct 2018

Posted by jocelynmcbride in Books

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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.”

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