Do you read Banned Books?

Heh heh. I do!

Probably write them, too, considering I write erotic romance with adult themes.

Each year on my blog, I do a whole week of posts devoted to Banned Books week and anywhere I post during that week I write about the subject.

You might ask "why?" "Why is this subject so important to this woman?"

Because I love books.

I always have. They were my friends from the moment I learned to read. My parents never censored what I read. It was a great way for the shy girl from the country to get exposed to new ideas, new places, new times, and new people without leaving the place where I lived.

I can't imagine what would have happened if people had said, "No no, you can't read that book!" And taken away the stories I loved.

Actually in high school, Salem's Lot by Stephen King was yanked from the shelves of our school library. I didn't understand the idea that this book was so dangerous, it needed to be pulled. Heck, there were books with more offensive ideas in them on our shelves than this one. I'd already read Salem's Lot as a younger student anyway.

One of the first things dictators do is take away books. Because we can't have free ideas floating around. The Nazis burned books they found offensive. Taking away books is a way to control thinking. If you don't expose people to ideas, it's a lot easier to make them think like you do.

If my child picked a book that was completely inappropriate, I might talk to them about why I felt it wasn't right for them yet. I just recently had the case where the youngest discovered a new author, Bill Wallace. I read the summary of a A Dog called Kitty and didn't check it out for the youngest because of something I read about happening in the book. Of course, she brought it home from the school library that very day. I discussed with her the thing I thought might upset her. Prepared her for it. And then we read the book. I didn't yank it away from her. I didn't tell the school they needed to get rid of the book because of the part I felt might upset my child. I acted like a parent and dealt with it. She's fine and still loves the author.

Find out why books are challenged. Then go read them. See what you think. But just remember, today it might be the school or school library. Tomorrow, it might be trying to erase that book permanently.

Mechele Armstrong aka Lany of Melany Logen
Where Sensuality and Wonder collide
http://www.mechelearmstrong.com/
http://www.collector-series.com/
The future's never been so sexy
http://www.melanylogen.com/