So, are words really that dangerous?
I thought that I'd throw together just a few quotes from some of the books featured on the 'most challenged' list of 2015. See what you think ;)
All quotes are from the Goodreads page for that title.
"I am going to take this bucket of water and pour it on the flames of hell, and then I am going to use this torch to burn down the gates of paradise so that people will not love God for want of heaven or fear of hell, but because He is God." - Looking For Alaska by John Green
"Don't place some vague moral judgement on yourself based on what others might think. Don't waste your energy." - Fifty Shades of Grey by E L James
"There is no reason that we should ever be ashamed of our bodies or ashamed of our love." - Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan
"What would happen if we spoke the truth?" - Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic by Alison Bechdel
"The Sufi saint Rabi'a Al-Adawiyya was seen carrying a firebrand and a jug of water - the firebrand to burn Paradise, the jug of water to drown Hell...
So that both veils disappear, and God's followers worship, not out of hope for reward, nor fear of punishment, but out of love." - Habibi by Craig Thompson
(Yes I chose this one because the similarity to the Looking For Alaska quote struck me!)
Amazon links: UK - US
Amazon links: UK - US
"I think prime numbers are like life. They are very logical but you could never work out the rules, even if you spent all your time thinking about them." - The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon
Amazon links: UK - US
Amazon links: UK - US
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I love this post, because I don't think books should be banned. There are some that I'm like 'please save everyone the pain of reading this book', but I'm a firm believer that people should read whatever they want. Sure, some books aren't 'appropriate' for certain age groups but people mature at different rates—who's to say when someone is mature enough to read certain books.
ReplyDelete*sigh* I am calm.
As long as you're calm Ely! ;) And I understand not giving 50 Shades to - say - an 8-year-old or something. But I think if you keep things open - which is not the same as encouraging people to read them - then you allow discussion, which will also allow you to put your point of view forward.
DeleteThat said, maybe I'm being hypocritical: I still wouldn't've read And Then There Were None with its original title!
Omg these are all beautiful! Especially the Looking for Alaska one, I have a strong connection to that book and I refuse to let anyone tell me that it should be banned.
ReplyDeleteHa, good for you Em! :)
DeleteI'm not surprised Two Boys Kissing is banned...but that's even more reason for me to buy it and read it!
ReplyDeleteI read Looking For Alaska around the time it came out, at my high school book club! I didn't know it was banned. Thankfully, it doesn't stop people from reading it. lol
Apparently it gets banned a lot because there's a sex scene or something...? I haven't actually read any of the books on this year's list (but Two Boys Kissing is now totally on my TBR!)
DeleteIt really says something that the only book on the 2015 list without any of what the ALA considers diverse content is 50 Shades! All of the rest have PoC or LGBTQ+ characters or authors. (Yet people say there's no problem... *sigh*)
By 'it' in the first sentence, I meant Looking for Alaska!
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