Censorship: a dilemma

Censorship has always been something I've been quite intrigued and interested by, but have never really had a chance to apply to a real life situation. Until now!

There has been an adult fiction series- The Assassin's Creed that has been extremely popular with primary school aged children. I know that the video game has a rating of at least R16, so naturally staff are concerned that the content wouldn't be appropriate.

We had a discussion about it and decided all we could do was let the parents know if we happened to see them that the content may be too violent or explicit etc for the children. One of our concerns is that parents may question why staff are letting these books go out to junior borrowers.

I looked back over my old Children's Literature paper I did through the Open Polytechnic and most of the readings said that librarians are there to encourage intellectual freedom. I completely agree with this but also feel that there is a fine line between being neutral and non-judgemental  when it comes to what borrowers choose to read and making sure everyone feels that the library is a safe place for families to go.

I remember my Mum not letting me read Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban when I was 11 because she thought it was too dark. At the time, I thought it was ridiculous (and I was already halfway through it!) but now I realize it was a form of censorship that parents have a right to impose. As librarians we have a different role but I still feel that we should be looking after our impressionable younger borrowers while still giving them freedom to read whatever they choose.

Of course, the dilemma I mentioned in the title is that we aren't sure what to do about this series. Do we just ignore the fact that kids are getting the books out and leave it to the parents to censor? Do we put a restriction on the series? Do we direct them to another series similar to it but more age appropriate? Is this any of our business and should we just let it be?

What are your thoughts on this library issue? I'd love to read your comments/feedback here on the blog or send me a tweet @JuliadeRuiter with the hashtag #censorship

Julia

Kate de Goldi- Changing Faces, Changing Places

Last Friday night Waitaki District Libraries, along with the Janet Frame Eden Street Trust hosted New Zealand author Kate de Goldi. 

Kate is the author several books for children and young adults, including the award winning 'The 10pm question'. Kate also regularly presents book reviews on radio and televsion. In her talk she mentioned that she reads three books every week as part of this role! I wish I had that much dedication! 

Kate is an awesome speaker. She is so warm and engaging and really gets involved with her characters. One of the big themes of her talk was the importance of place in her writing. She mentioned that her books often feature 'real' places, like her old hometown Christchurch, but may not always be geographically accurate! 

Her style of writing really appeals to me, it is very down to earth but amusing at the same time. I also feel like I can relate to the characters which is always a feature in books I enjoy. If you are wanting to read one of Kate's books, I would recommend 'The 10pm question' which is excellent. You can check out some reviews of it here. 

If you ever get the chance to hear Kate speak, I would highly recommend it. 

The library filling up before the event.

Kate in action.

Book Review: Solomon's Oak by Jo-Ann Mapson

This is an excellent novel by Jo-Ann Mapson. She is the author of eleven novels and a book of short stories. I don’t think any book review can do justice to Mapson’s writing. This book was exceptional. I was totally engrossed in this book from start to finish.

Solomon’s Oak follows widow Glory Solomon who is inwardly struggling with the loss of her husband. She holds weddings in the chapel built under the two-hundred-year-old white oak tree on their property to generate extra income for her struggling farm. Then, angry and homeless foster teenager Juniper McGuire turns up on Glory’s doorstep. Because of the disappearance of her older sister Casey several years ago, Juniper has a lot of trust and honesty issues. Glory doesn’t know if she can handle Juniper without her husband. Newcomer Joseph Vigil is a retired police officer who was shot while on duty and now lives in pain. He arrives in California to photograph the giant trees- something he has always wanted to do. The lives of these characters firstly intertwine in subtle ways, finally becoming a very close knit family.

This was my first foray into ‘grown up’ fiction for quite some time and I was pleasantly surprised. This book showed me that contemporary adult fiction can be uplifting and firmly rooted in reality, yet life affirming, rather than cynical and depressing. What really stood out for me was Mapson’s writing. She has a sense of wisdom while still writing with a refreshing take on everyday life. The world she created for her characters was full of life and special moments. I felt like Glory, Juniper and Joseph could be walking down the street, rather than just fictional people in the pages of this novel.

The book leaves you with some unanswered questions which I was very excited to discover are answered in her latest book, the (unofficial) sequel- Finding Casey.

I give this book five out of five stars.

Julia  

 

Book Review: Saving June by Hannah Harrington

This is a stunning and moving debut by new author Hannah Harrington- I devoured this in two sittings.

Saving June follows sixteen year old Harper Scott whose perfect and adored older sister June has committed suicide. This ( obviously) has shocked Harper and her unstable family, who thought June had everything going for her. Harper meets one of June's acquaintances, Jake, at her funeral. On impulse they, along with Harpers best friend Laney, decide to take a road trip to California ( where June hoped to attend university) to scatter her ashes. Without their parents knowledge, the trio embark on a trip that will change all of them. The road trip becomes a way for Harper to work through her grief and all the questions she has regarding June's death.

This book deals with a lot of things-religion, music, imperfect families, and death. The prose perfectly captures the feelings of teenage angst and rebellion. Old school music like the Rolling Stones, Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix features heavily in the book with a list of soundtracks from the book being included in the back ( one of my favourite aspects of the book). Jake, in particular, uses music as a way of expressing his emotions. If you look deep into the characters, you see that their hidden emotions are reflected in the music they choose to play on the road trip. The book also lends itself to the mysterious side, leaving you with a couple of unanswered questions.

This book really cut straight to the heart of a gritty circumstance which I appreciate. Harrington has crafted this book with skill and I can't wait to read her next novel.

Julia

Book Review: Artichokes Heart by Suzanne Supplee

Here comes book review number nine of my 30 Day Book Challenge which has gone a little over 30 days! I forgot how crazy this time of year can become! Just a brief review this time, taken from Amazon - don't really have the time right now to write a proper one! :(

 

Cursed with the nickname “the Artichoke” after wearing an ill-chosen green jacket to school way back in sixth grade, Rosemary continues to cope with the cool kids’ disdain by making food her friend. It’s a treacherous ally, though, and when she tops 200 pounds, she decides to make radical changes and begins to lose some serious weight. Then, Rosemary discovers that an A-list girl wants to befriend her, the boy she adores returns her feelings, and (most incredible of all) her mother has cancer. Rosemary’s wry first-person narration deftly portrays characters in her single-parent family, her high school, her mother’s beauty salon, and her Tennessee town.

 

Jolted by fears of losing her mother, Rosemary begins to look beyond her previous preoccupations to see other people’s vulnerabilities as well as their more evident flaws. In her first novel, Supplee brings a cast of original characters to life in this convincing and consistently entertaining narrative.

 

While I enjoyed this book;  I'm not as enamoured with it as I was with one of Supplee's later titles- Somebody Everybody Listens To.

 

I'm looking forward to finishing this challenge- though it has been fun!

 

Next ( and last) review coming shortly

 

Julia :)

Book Review: The Unfinished Journals of Elizabeth D by Nichole Bernier

Here comes another review for the 30 Day Book Challenge!

 

I came across this book after I saw it on the trolley of new items for our monthly book chat members. I've been going through a phase of picking out quite melancholy/depressing books e.g.The Provence Cure for the Brokenhearted ( Bridget Asher) and Into the Darkest Corner ( Elizabeth Haynes). When I read the back of this book and saw themes of death, family problems and secrets I knew I had to read it.

 

This book follows two friends- Kate and Elizabeth and is set in post 9/11 America. When Elizabeth passes away from cancer, Kate is left wondering how to cope without her best friend. She finds Elizabeth's journals and begins to read through them. As she does, she realises the Elizabeth she knew was very different to the real Elizabeth as portrayed in her journals.

 

 

What I liked about this book, was that it was very real. The way the characters dealt with grief was real. The relationships bewteen husband and wife and parents and children were real. Elizabeth's journals seemed real. Bernier writes with insight- something I've grown to appreciate in the books I've been reading lately. If you're after a read with some substance, I'd recommend this.

 

I'd love to hear what you think of the blog and of the books I've been reading/reviewing. Just leave me a comment here on the blog or send me a tweet @JuliadeRuiter

 

Julia

 

P.S. I think this might be the longest post title ever!

Book Review: Three Summers by Judith Clarke

This is book review number 3 of my 30 Day Book Challenge. 
 
Three Summers follows Ruth, who survived a  fatal car crash when she was a baby and now lives with her grandmother. She meets a boy named Tam and becomes somewhat obsessed by him. I'm sorry to say I didn't really enjoy this book. It might have the been the style it was written in, or the fact that I didn't really connect with any of the characters, but I just couldn't 'get into' the book. I also didn't like the fact that I couldn't figure out the date the book was set in. This made it hard for me to place what kind of society the characters lived in which was very off putting. The book wasn't awful but I've certainly read better. 
I'd love to hear what you're currently reading and if you have any recommendations for me. Just leave a comment here on the blog or tweet me @JuliadeRuiter

Julia :)

Book Review: The Last Chinese Chef by Nicole Mones

Here comes another 30 Day Book Challenge review! This is another great book written by one of my favourite authors, Nicole Mones. The Last Chinese Chef follows a widowed American food writer, Maggie, who travels to Beijing to find out more about her late husbands secrets. Her trip also doubles as work, as she is asked by her editor to profile Sam, a half Chinese American who is the last in a line of gifted chefs going back to the imperial palace. I read this in a weekend and really enjoyed it. I love reading about food and Mones has satisfied my literary cravings. As she describes the food, I feel I'm eating it alongside the character.

 

" According to the classical pattern he started with a few lacy-crisp deep-fried dishes: pepper-salt eel fillets like translucent little tiles...and an aromatic stir-fry of yellow chives studded with tiny. delicate fried oysters. Back in the kitchen, he stir-fried tender mustard greens with wide, flat tofu-skin noodles and plump, fresh, braised young soybeans. These glistened on the platter in a light crystal sauce. After that there were lamb skewers, delectably grilled and crusted with sesame".

 

The thing I liked most about this book, was how Mones described traditional methods of Chinese cooking. Publishers Weekly described the book as 'Sumptuous' and this is how I would describe it too.

 

A satisfying read but have some snacks ready to alleviate the cravings that are sure to happen!

 

I'd love to hear what you think of the blog or any of the books I've been reading for this challenge. Just leave me a comment here on the blog or send me a tweet @JuliadeRuiter

 

Julia

Book Review: Dreams of Joy by Lisa See

Right, book review number one of the 30 Day Book Challenge! I took the wrong book with me away this weekend so the Nichole Bernier book should be my next review :)
 
I really enjoyed this book. As I've mentioned previously, I'm really loving reading books about Chinese/Americans and their struggle to find their cultural identity.
Dreams of Joy follows mother and daughter Pearl and Joy.
At the beginning of the book, Joy finds out that her father committed suicide because of her and that her mother really is her aunt and her aunt is her birth mother. Shocked and betrayed by the secrets her family kept from her, she decides to leave Los Angeles and go back to China. The story is set in communist China and provides a fascinating yet shocking account of what the citizens of China at that time had to go through. Lisa See has written in haunting yet realistic prose, the memories and scenes she captured in the book will stay with me for a long time. I can't wait to read another of her books. 5 out of 5 stars!

I'd love to hear if anyone has read this and what you thought- just leave a comment here on the blog or tweet me @JuliadeRuiter

Julia

Book Review- Somebody Everybody Listens To

Hellloooo Nashville and sweet southern charm! I loved this easy yet poignant read by Suzanne Supplee. This book follows singer Retta-Lee Jones & her dreams. Retta lives in a small southern town in America. She longs to get away and follow her dream of becoming a famous singer but feels guilty because of her struggling parents. 

 Before reading this novel, I'd picked it up numerous times but always ended up leaving it on the shelf because I thought it wasn't going to have enough meaning to it. You know; girl leaves hometown, moves to Nashville, struggles away, falls in love, becomes famous, live happily ever after etc etc.
I was pleasantly surprised by Supplee's writing. While the book mostly follows the above plot summary it does so with grace, grit and a spectacular ending. 

Supplee has done a superb job of making the reader feel a connection and empathy with the characters. For me personally, it raised questions of 'what would I do in this situation?'. It's definitely a relevant read for teens wondering what to do with their life. Retta wants to pursue her singing career but feels held back by family responsibility and the realisation that she is going to be completely alone in Nashville. This book is also firmly rooted in reality, with no airy fairy descriptions of what people want to believe Nashville is like. Supplee tells it like it is, which I appreciate.

  

 “It's amazing when you think about it, all the possibilities, the things that might happen in this brief life if you're brave enough to try.” 

-Retta Jones

 After reading about Retta's journey, I wanted to go to Nashville and buy a pair of sky blue boots like Retta did for myself! 
I think the raw, honest way Supplee has gone about writing this novel, is what sets it apart from other books of it's kind. If you are after an inspiring, easy weekend read, I'd recommend this. 

I'd love to hear from anyone who has read similar books or has any recommendations. And, I always appreciate a tweet with your thoughts or feedback :)

Julia

Book Review- Divergent by Veronica Roth

Divergent is the first book by 22 year old author Veronica Roth.  I LOVED this book! It is now one of my favourite books of all time!  Divergent is the first in a trilogy. It is followed by Insurgent ( equally as good) and the last book is still being written- how will I wait??!!

Divergent is set in a dystopian world where people are divided into 'factions' depending on which virtue ( courage, truth etc) they prize most highly. It is narrated by the main character Tris. When they turn 16 they have to undergo tests that show them what faction suits them best. They then have to make their choice for life at a choosing ceremony. This was probably my favourite part of the book-something about the finality of it really resonated with me. The plot thickens when Tris ( the main character) finds out that her test showed she wasn't suited for any particular faction which makes her divergent ( something you could die for).

For me, the characters were really well crafted. I felt like they were  real people that I might run into on the street one day. They had obvious flaws but many good traits too. What I liked about it the most, is the fact that the characters had to make such hard choices. It definitely made me  think about how I  would act in similar situations. Once again I prefer teen fiction from adult because it is so straightforward. Even though the characters have been through a lot, they don't tend to be cynical or depressing. If you haven't read teen fiction before I definitely recommend giving it a go :)

If you are after an exciting, fast paced read, with some romance thrown in there too, this is the book for you!
You can also check out Veronica Roth's website: http://thedivergenttrilogy.com/veronica

I'd love to hear any feedback or other recommendations- leave a comment here or on my Twitter account @JuliadeRuiter

Have a great weekend,

Julia

Book Review- Kitchen Chinese by Ann Mah

Kitchen Chinese is the first novel by food and travel writer Ann Mah.

You can tell she loves to write about food because the descriptions made my mouth water! The first chapter opened with a extremely enticing account of the main character eating Peking duck pancakes. The book is worth reading just for that!
This is now one of my favourite books of all time ( even though it is not young adult fiction!). I love the way it is written- with a sense of humour and little anecdotes here and there that we can all relate to.

“The vibrant depiction of Beijing, lush descriptions of sumptuous Chinese meals, and Isabelle’s struggle with how others perceive her distinguish Mah’s first novel.”
–Booklist
It really transported me to Beijing ( where the book is set). I could almost smell and taste the places and food Mah was describing. 
 I enjoyed reading it so much,  I only let myself read a chapter a night so it would last as long as possible :)

Books about Chinese/American seem to be relatively common in our library so I found another author who writes similar stories- Nicole Mones ( on recommendation from a patron, actually). I am now reading 'The Last Chinese Chef' and enjoying it.
If you want something a little different, light and refreshing, I thoroughly recommend giving it a go.

Julia
P.S.- If you have any book recommendations I'd be very excited! Leave a comment here or message me on Twitter @JuliadeRuiter
:)

YA fiction- you could say I'm a fan ;)

Hi, I'm Julia and I'm addicted to reading 'young adult' fiction.
Anyone else out there love YA fiction? I'm only a recent convert to the genre but can't believe I haven't discovered it earlier!
There are heaps of things I love about YA fiction- it's to the point, there is always a conflict that actually gets resolved and they don't seem to be all doom and gloom like so many of the adult fiction I've read lately. Don't get me wrong- I do enjoy adult fiction. I've recently just finished Ann Mah's Kitchen Chinese which I enjoyed so much I read it twice :) But there is something special about YA fiction I can't define that really sucks me in. I'm a big fan of Dystopian fiction. I LOVED 'Divergent' & 'Insurgent' by Veronica Roth so much so that I think I'm going to buy my own copies. You can check out her website/blog here: ( and she's only 22!)http://veronicarothbooks.blogspot.co.nz/

There are so many exciting things happening in the world of YA fiction and I can't wait to keep you all updated :)
And of course, if you have any recommendations for good YA books, let me know,
Julia