Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Happy Halloween! Trick or Treat Edition of Alliteration

Wishing you a delightfully delicious, ghoulishly great, simply sweet, hopelessly haunted, cryptically creepy, gloriously ghostly, fantastically freaky, super silly, terrifically terrifying, shrilly shocking, chillingly charming, cunningly cute, ridiculously rowdy, whimsically wondrous, utterly utopias, steadily sticky and unanimously unique Halloween! 

Monday, October 29, 2012

Haunted Indie Monday: Wolf Sirens by Tina Smith & Giveaway

Welcome, welcome! This is the beginning of a terrifically terrifying week at Writing Belle, so allow me to begin with a haunted Indie Monday featuring a novel with plenty of Halloween spirit! Or should I say...spirits? Check out the giveaway underneath this post, too, for some Halloween fun!

When Lila unwillingly moves to the country town of Shade, she can’t imagine the life-altering events that lie in wait for her. Shade has a curfew and has always been surrounded by myths. A central feature of the town is its famous statue of Artemis, Goddess of the Hunt, whose spirit is said to protect the innocent.
Lila falls in with a group of intriguing teenagers with luminescent eyes and soon she is drawn into the shadowlands of fantasy and reality, where destiny collides.
A mysterious local girl, Cresida, warns her to stay away, but Lila is drawn to them like a moth to a flame.
Cresida knows their fatal secret and she is honour-bound to protect those who are endangered. But she underestimates Lila’s passion for the mysterious and charismatic clan of youths. Lila begins to feel a call she cannot ignore. Yet her heart is filled with vulnerable desires that begin to turn the underworld upside down, for both hunter and hunted, as she learns they have been waiting for her…
Inspired by the legend of the mythical femme fatale, Wolf Sirens is an intimate tale of unrequited and forbidden love in the underworld, a masterpiece of romance fantasy.
(Synopsis provided by Tina Smith)

Check out Wolf Sirens on Kindle, add it to your To-Read shelf on GoodReads or visit the mythical world created by Tina Smith on Facebook!

Enter to win a free copy of Wolf Sirens below! If you happen to live in Australia, Tina is giving away one signed copy of her book for anyone with an Aussie address.
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Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Agents of Change: Book Review

What if there were more to a person than meets the eye? What if the most obscure generous action was planned?Calculated, even? Welcome to the world of the Agents of Change, an adventure novel penned by Guy Harrison. (You may remember that I featured Guy for an Indie Monday a few weeks ago) What he has done is create a thrilling joyride that reads like so: 
A likable, successful guy named Calvin makes a living as the CEO of an online dating company. In other words, the dude has a thing for playing cupid. And in exchange? He makes some nice cash. However, when he's picked up by a secret organization that uses science-fictioney technology to transform their agents into various members of society, he knows he has an opportunity: a chance to change people's lives for the better. Plus, it's just a cool gig. 

So what did I think about this book? First, I think it's an awesome idea. Imagine a secret agency that kind of acts as the "good karma" of the earth. Their goal is to make people happy, period. Calvin was also a pretty likable main character. However, I did have a slight problem with some of the aspects of dialogue (not as smooth as it could have been), and the believability of the plot. There were snags that suspended my belief and made me stop and say: That couldn't happen. It doesn't make sense! But it is very thrilling, very adventurous, and I love how Guy Harrison takes us right into the action without hesitating for a second. I like that. No wasting time. Dive right in. 

Monday, October 22, 2012

Dust (A Review of Devon Ashley's Faerie Novel)

I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. Therefore...here it is! 

Rosalie is a pixie. She spends her days lounging in the soft green grass of her hollow, leisurely taking one day at a time: unconcerned, happy and free-spiritied. Too bad for her, she gets captured by Spriggans and Faeries who enslave her kind and force them into strenuous labor. After days, weeks, and months of abuse, Rosalie begins to wonder if she can ever escape. 
Or if she'll even survive. 

This was a fairly short read. The pages went by quickly. I love faery-lore, so this was an enjoyable story for me. Rosalie was a pretty spunky character, which I liked, and the setting was very believable - even though you know that it's is faery-land, you believe it anyway. A good sign. The only thing I would say that I didn't like (and this is just my personal preference), is that I felt like there was a build-up to the "day the faeries will regret taking me." I felt like there could have been a "sweet revenge" scene, so to speak, but that's just how I felt about it. Because I can't stand it when the protagonists don't get their comeuppance!

A sweet, adventurous read that puts the storyworld in an entirely new perspective: that of a 6-inch-tall faery.  
Brought to you by Indie Monday! :)

Friday, October 19, 2012

Rachael Wade: Interview plus Autographed Goodies and Book Set!

Welcome to the world of a #1 Amazon bestselling author. And, I might add, a New Adult author. Rachael Wade is not only a great writer, but a passionate humanitarian. Today she's going to give us a sneak peek at her current New Adult novels, and her upcoming romance novels that are sure to have you (and me!) wanting more!* There are TEN autographed bookmarks, a complete e-book set of The Resistance Trilogy and a single e-copy of Preservation up for grabs at the bottom of this interview! 

The ultimate question: why did you start writing? Tell us a little about The Resistance Trilogy.
The Resistance Trilogy is considered a New Adult/Mature YA paranormal romance series. At its heart, it is a story about love, closure, and acceptance, and a young girl’s quest to help a movement known as the Resistance find freedom. It is a high-fantasy series with witches, magic, and vampires.

Your upcoming books are The Tragedy of Knowledge, Love and Relativity, and Repossession. Can you give us a sneak peek of what’s in store?

Sure. The Tragedy of Knowledge is the third book of The Resistance Trilogy, and it answers a lot of questions from the first two books and introduces some new characters as well. It focuses a lot on the witches and their tension with the frozen souls (the vampires), with more magic and action.

Love and Relativity is my second New Adult/Adult Contemporary Romance novel, due out on 12/12/12, and it’s about two friendly enemies who share one tragic memory. They can never quite seem to make a relationship work, and even when they try,  their differences get in the way. It’s all about forgiveness, closure, and being true to yourself.

Repossession will be the first book in my new post-apocalyptic sci-fi series, The Keepers Trilogy. It involves aliens—yes, aliens—a lot of action, some steamy romance, and explores why humans have an innate desire to find purpose in life, and why they want to feel like they need to contribute or leave a legacy. One of my favorite quotes captures the trilogy’s theme: “There are no passengers on Spaceship Earth. We are all crew.” --Marshall McLuhan.


 I noticed that the cover models for Love and Relativity are Pepe Toth and Tszella Tziotziosz. That must be pretty awesome.

Yeah, I’m thrilled to have their image for this cover. :) I looked at so many couples when browsing for a cover couple, and no matter how many I tried to picture as Jackson and Emma, none compared to Pepe and Stzella. They just have great chemistry, and it shows. I had the opportunity to meet them at one of Jennifer L. Armentrout’s signings this summer, and they are just as beautiful (and sweet!) in person as they are on their covers.

You’re involved in a lot of humanitarian work. Can you tell us more about that and the Lights ON project?

Yes, thanks for asking! Lights ON is an environmental and humanitarian advocacy blog I launched in August that focuses on providing petitions for a variety of causes I’m passionate about to my readers and the general public. It is also a platform for various fundraisers I run throughout the year and allows me to raise awareness for those causes. Right now, there is a fundraiser running for Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, to aid them in their efforts to stop cruel marine life slaughter and to protect our oceans. You can check it out here:
Lights ON Outreach

I was inspired to create Lights ON because of my favorite musician, Brandi Carlile, and her Looking Out Foundation, and the way she uses her public image to give back in such a personal way. She doesn’t just have her PR people running around doing all of this for her. She’s directly involved, very vocal about each cause, and really sees her role as a public figure an honor. I really admire and respect that and hope to turn Lights ON into a full-blown foundation someday. I believe it’s our responsibility and a privilege to take care of our planet and to be a blessing to everyone we meet. Lights ON is dedicated to doing that and hopefully inspiring others to want to do the same. I feel that life is a gift and everyone has a role to play. Eleanor Roosevelt said it best: "For evil to flourish, it only requires good men to do nothing." Ignorance really is our enemy when it comes to improving the world we live in.

What’s your favorite writing snack?

Hhhhmm, anything chocolate! I’m definitely a chocoholic.

Thanks so much for stopping by, Rachael!

Thanks for having me, Summer. I greatly appreciate your time!

To visit Lights ON Outreach, just click HERE! 
To win a free complete e-set of The Resistance Trilogy, an e-copy of Preservation, or to snag an autographed bookmark (I have 5 of Love and Relativity and 5 of Preservation), just enter the form below! (e-books are available in any format the winners wish)

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*Rachael Wade's novels can contain mature thematic elements. Please exercise discretion with children under the age of 17.  You have been warned! :) 

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Indie Monday: Dust (Of Dust and Darkness #1)

4. The number of times my delicate wings have been broken and clamped behind my back.
68. The number inked upon my skin, marking me the sixty-eighth pixie to be stolen.
87. The number of days I’ve been wrongfully imprisoned.
88. The first day the faeries
will regret stealing me.


Devon Ashley has penned a novel full of romance (my weakness!), adventure and intrigue. Oh. And faeries!!! (also another weakness of mine) I have yet to review this book - I will very soon - so I will let the interview with Devon speak for itself!

Me: Where did you get the idea for this book? 
Devon Ashley: Hmm...for once I'm not really sure. I wanted to create something you don't see too often in YA lit: a prison theme. Sometimes you'll see a character get thrown in for awhile (like Ana in The Glimpse) but rarely will you find a YA book that centers around that location. I also knew I wanted to write something about the fae, particularly the pixies, so I incorporated them in, making the faeries come off more negatively than you find in most books. So I hope what I created for you guys will be seen as fresh and original, even if the slave camp makes the pace come off a wee bit slower than my other books. But even though Rosalie's days are quite repetitive, I made sure the chapters don't read that way. :)

Me: I love faeries. Did the fantasy in this book come from you, or did you do a little research, too? Both? 
Devon Ashley: This was all me. But I won't lie, occassionaly some kind of Pixie Hollow show will be running in the background as my son watches the Disney channel, so it's always possible some of that seeped into my brain's subconscience without me knowing! And it was kind of a relief not researching more than a few tiny details for once. I've always taken a lot of time to do that for my Immortal Archives' books so the magical aspects come off as authentic as possible. And seriously, do you know how silly I felt buying wicca and tarot books when that cashier gave me that funny look? :) He probably thought I was ready to strip down and dance naked around a tree under the next blue moon. Anyways, I typically like to research basic facts and beliefs, leaving the base of the story to me, cause I don't wanna write another story you've read ten times over from various authors.


Me: Do you have any advice for self-published authors? 
Devon Ashley: For the love of God, don't torture yourself reading one star reviews. I know, I know, it's like that annoying cavity in your mouth. You know it's gonna hurt like hell if you suck air through it or bite down on, but you just can't help yourself! But seriously, if you want decent feedback and criticism of your work, read the three star reviews, cause they typically put in what they did and didn't like about it, and they'll say it without ill-intentions. I scan through a lot of reviews on goodreads for books I'm interested in, and most of the one stars out there are intended to be mean in an attempt to get attention. It's rare you'll find someone willing to write an honest one star review that isn't just a nasty hate-bomb. Besides, you're not writing the books for the haters, you're writing them for the people who gave you 3-5 stars, so focus on improving your writing and story-telling for them.

Me: What's your favorite writing snack? 
Devon Ashley: M&Ms. And York Peppermint Patties. And Gobstoppers. (Are you seeing a pattern here?)
For more information on Dust, you can check out the Official Book Page!

(Synopsis taken from GoodReads)

Sunday, October 14, 2012

Cover Reveal: CRIMSON HUNT!!

OMG. I'm so, so, so excited to get to take part in this blogger-to-blogger cover reveal for Victoria H. Smith's novel, The Crimson Hunt. I've been super psyched for this book to come out, because I know Victoria has been working on it for a long time, and she's an awesome writer. 
So....without further delay....here is the GORGEOUS, PURPLE cover for The Crimson Hunt: (Eldaen Light Chronicles #1)!!!
I know!!! It's so beautiful! And romantic! And purple! And purple! (oh, I said that twice)
Here are the juicy deets on this awesome novel: 
Release date: November 12th, 2012
Genre: New Adult Science Fiction Romance
Author: Victoria H. Smith 
Book Description: 

College junior Ariel Richmond is working on year three of Project Normalcy.

Her house reeks of keggers past and her bestie is just a slight bit vulgar. But the thing is—they both aid in making life refreshingly uneventful.

So much for hard-earned mediocrity when Luca Grinaldi appears on the scene.

Luca’s sudden presence on campus is hard to ignore. Those bright eyes act like a beacon to unsuspecting females, and with features like his, he’s got to be moonlighting for GQ. Luca hopelessly captivates Ariel with his confidence and charisma, but the mysteries surrounding him make him nearly untouchable. And just when Ariel grows close enough to unlock his secrets, a tragic event sends her life in a downward spiral.

That steady life is no longer an option and allies quickly become scarce. The mysterious Luca seems to be the only one willing to help her—but with that trust comes the burden of his secrets. He has a dark mission of otherworldly proportions, and is willing to sacrifice as many lives as it takes to see it completed.

Gone are the days of simply maintaining normalcy, and if Ariel isn’t cautious with her trust, so soon may be her future.

Stow this baby away on your To-Read Shelf on GoodReads!
Check out the playlist for The Crimson Hunt right HERE.

About the Author
Victoria H. Smith has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. She puts it to good use writing romance all day. She resides in the Midwest with her Macbook on her lap and a cornfield to her right. She often draws inspiration for her stories from her own life experiences, and the twenty-something characters she writes give her an earful about it.

In her free time, she enjoys extreme couponing, blogging, reading, and sending off a few tweets on Twitter when she can. She writes new adult fiction romance in the sub-genres of science fiction, urban fantasy, and contemporary, but really, anywhere her pen takes her she goes. 


Write the release date down on your calendars. Set an alarm on your smartphone. Text yourself. Post a sticky note to the dashboard of your car. Write it in big letters across the wipe-off board on the fridge. Tattoo it to your forehead...well. You get the idea. 
Support a great New Adult author and check out The Crimson Hunt!
You can get a sneak peek of the first chapter on Victoria's blog today: Author Victoria H. Smith 


Friday, October 12, 2012

What's Up With Me!

San Diego. I get to visit this lovely city about once per year (I don't live too far away), and this time, I was there for a few days with a busy agenda. I visited the beach, ate some Mexican food in Old Town, and even visited something called The Mormon Battalion Museum. But perhaps the most telling place I visited was the San Diego Natural History Museum. Here's what happened: 
We had planned to go the San Diego Zoo (my favorite place on planet earth besides Baskin Robbins and Disneyland), but it was pouring down rain and it looked like the weather canned our plans. So, instead, we went to the Natural History Museum because it was indoors. And famous. And also right next door. 

Oh, what a tragic mistake. The museum itself was five stories from basement to roof, but only one level was open as an exhibit - and even then, half of it was under construction. The walls were white, cold and sterile. The bottom level consisted of a bunch of pop-up tents for kids to run around and scream in. There were some imitation dinosaur bones here and there. And a giant beaver that was supposed to be 50 million years old or something. Whatever. It was lost on me what the message of the museum was after I walked onto the fourth level and saw that the only thing on the entire level was a bronze statue of a wood beetle sitting on a paper mat. 
No, I'm not kidding. (I wish I was)
I would like to say that the featured 3-D movie about dinosaurs awed and amazed me, but I can't. Because it didn't. In fact, my brother and I were so bored that we started poking each other every time the narrator mentioned the words, "evolved," "millions," and "over time." Even the gift shop was sad. Unless you're into buying overpriced muumuus, paper insects, or expensive play-dough. 

So...my trip to San Diego was fun. There was sun, food and lots of imported goodies from Guatemala and Mexico in Old Town. But please...for the love of science - and respect for dinosaurs everywhere - don't visit the Natural History Museum! All you'll get there is a bunch of dry information about how the geographic strata tells the age of the fossils, and how flying dinosaurs were smart enough to stop growing tails so they could walk around on their legs. 
Big whoop.
Or should I say...whoops?

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Guest Book Review (By My Brother!)


The other day, my brother wrote a book review. It was so great, I thought I'd post it on my blog. The book in question is 90 Minutes in Heaven.    Here it is!

Do you believe it is possible for someone to go to Heaven and then come back to Earth? That’s what Don Piper says happened to him in his book, 90 Minutes in Heaven.
Piper, a preacher, had just left a church conference in Texas on January 18, 1989. For unknown reasons, he decided to take a different road home and for the first time wear his seat belt. While crossing a bridge, his car was crushed against the guardrail by an 18 wheel truck. The EMTs arrived shortly after and checked for his pulse. Without finding one, they pronounced him dead. His entire left leg had been crushed under the dashboard and was held onto his body by only a few pieces of skin and crushed bone.
Another Pastor named Dick Onerecker was driving not far behind Piper on the freeway. When traffic came to a sudden stop due to the accident, Onerecker and his wife realized they would not be moving for a while, so they got out of their car and walked toward the accident to see what happened.
When he arrived at the accident scene and saw Piper’s crushed car, Onerecker received a message from God that he should go to the dead person in the wrecked car and pray for him. An EMT on the scene, knowing the horrible condition Piper was in, tried his hardest to discourage Onerecker from going into the car.
Onerecker insisted despite the officer’s attempts to stop him. Somehow, he managed to get inside the destroyed car and to check Piper’s pulse. It was as the police officer had said, the man was dead. However, he put his hand on Piper’s shoulder and began to pray and sing hymns. A short time later he was shocked to hear that the victim was singing with him! The man was alive after having no pulse for over 90 minutes!
Don then describes what he was certain had been Heaven. He also remembers waking up in his battered body inside a barely recognizable car after being in heaven.
Only two chapters in the book tell of his heavenly experience. In the two chapters he describes all the people he had known on earth who were now in Heaven. He claims to have had no recollection of anything he left behind, including his family.
After many, many months of extreme pain, Piper finally realized why God had taken him away from heaven. He found that he was able to give hope to many people who had lost loved ones or who were struggling with painful illnesses of their own.
However, a remarkable part of the story is that Don says he put off writing this book or even talking about going to heaven for many long years. He found it difficult to put into words and to talk about his emotional trauma.
This book is an easy read and can be finished after a short time.  It makes you think about the short time we have on this Earth. It shows how quickly our lives can be ended and the 
importance of living our lives to serve God.

My brother also makes stop-motion movies on YouTube. His channel is RockysToys, and he has garnered more than 50,000 views! :) 

Monday, October 8, 2012

Indie Monday: Flappers, Flasks, and Foul Play (& Giveaway)

The days of the Prohibition were packed full of crazy action and adventure. While the "Noble Experiment," may have been a worthy idea at the time, things didn't work out quite the way the government planned it. Unsurprisingly, a decent amount of chaos ensued.
 Ellen Mansoor Collier, the author of this week's featured Indie Book, Flappers, Flasks, and Foul Play, obviously had some thoughts on the subject of the Prohibition. Because she wrote a novel about it. A New Adult novel that features a young lady named Jazz (a nickname for Jasmine) who gets mixed up in the middle of a murder mystery. Oh, and everything centers around the Prohibition. I personally loved the historical setting, then-contemporary lingo and the lovely descriptions Ellen used to depict the atmosphere of the era.  It kind of reminded me of a very modern Great Gatsby (which is funny, because it turns out this is also an inspiration of her's!). It's a book that I can say with all honesty had a proper balance of historical tidbits and fictional adventure. Definitely recommendable. I loved it. You can WIN a free copy of Ellen's book underneath the interview. (Ellen's giving away three copies - so 3 winners!) 


Me: New Adults and flappers. Where did you get the idea to write a story that combines two elements like this?

Ellen: Ever since I read the Great Gatsby, I’ve been fascinated with the Jazz Age.  Originally the idea materialized years ago when I visited a speakeasy-turned-diner in Galveston.  Women’s liberation really happened during and after the first World War, when women got the right to vote in 1920. It’s such an exciting time in history, but it wasn’t all about parties and boys and nightlife:   I wanted to portray the reality and the struggles of a single young woman--not a wealthy debutante or socialite--in her 20s trying to make an honest living during Prohibition. A flapper in her 20s during the 1920s seemed a natural fit!

Me: When did you start writing?

Ellen: I started writing as a kid and my mom, who was a teacher and part-time writer, gave me my first functional toy typewriter when I was about 10.  I took my first journalism class in high school, served on the school newspaper and won a couple of writing awards (including a UIL award in News writing).  In college (the University of Texas at Austin—hook ‘em), I majored in magazine journalism and wrote for the college magazine.  I’ve been working as a freelance writer and editor most of my adult life. 

Me: Do you have any advice for self-published writers/ Why did you decide to publish FLAPPERS as an e-book?

Ellen: I had quite a bit of interest from agents, including a couple of R & Rs, but it seemed each one gave me conflicting advice: Some suggested I make FLAPPERS more hard-boiled, but other agents wanted it to be more of a YA romance.   I kept revising for each agent, but after two-plus years of querying and pitching my book as a YA/NA mystery, I finally decided to do it my way. 

The New Adult years (18-30) are such an important and critical time in a person’s life, when opportunities and possibilities seem boundless, ideal for fiction. Like YA, I think New Adult can appeal to all ages:  I’ve had readers of all ages, from their 20s up to their 60s, tell me how much they enjoyed my novel. I still would like an agent, but agents and publishers don’t seem convinced that there’s a huge market for NA fiction---yet. Thank goodness for NA Alley!!

Me: What's your favorite writing snack?

Ellen: I don’t really snack while I write, but I do listen to soft jazz and drink iced tea. When I’m on a roll, I get in such a trance that I often forget to eat!  Afterwards I may reward myself with ice cream or popcorn, especially if it’s late. I tend to be a night owl and midnight snacks are my downfall...

Visit Ellen's website, where she dabbles in the selling of vintage awesomeness: DecoDame!

Read the first chapter of Ellen's novel here and get an extra entry if you comment with the answer to the question asked below. :)

Win a copy of Flappers, Flasks & Foul Play by filling out the form beneath these words!
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Thursday, October 4, 2012

How to Submit Your Book for Review

There's been a rising increase of book review/feature requests on my blog lately, so I just wanted to set down a few pieces of advice before authors submit their books to me for review. 


  1. I can only review books that are available on Kindle or as a physical hard copy. It's too hard for me to read a dozen books on a computer screen, so no PDF files or Kindle Application copies, please! 
  2. When you pitch your novel to me, please make sure that the plot summary is no longer than two easy paragraphs. Think of it as a query: short, straightforward, and to-the-point. 
  3. I love doing interviews with authors. If you are up for an interview, tell me in your email! I love it when you ask. :)
  4. Sometimes I don't have time to read and review every book that is sent to me. In this case, I simply feature the book and include an interview. It's still fun for you - and me! 
  5. Lastly, I just ask that you begin your letters with Dear Summer or Dear Ms. Lane. Trust me when I say that opening a letter professionally and ending it professionally will not only up my positive impression of you, but it will also help you out with any business opportunity that you encounter in your life.
What Kind of Books do I Review?
I review both fiction and nonfiction. Here's what you can submit to me: 
  • YA Fiction/NonFiction (I love YA/NA Romance Stories!)
  • NA Fiction/NonFiction 
  • Historical Fiction 
  • Historical NonFiction 
  • Paranormal Romance (Preferably YA, but NA is awesome, too)
  • Biographies 
What Kind of Books do I NOT Review? 
Writing Belle is read by adults, teens and children. I try to keep a certain selection of writing showcased. Therefore, don't submit: 
  • Adult Romance, etc. 
  • Adult Fiction 
  • Political Books
As a side note, I have received submissions over the past year that pitched novels to me as YA, but were explicit in subject matter and were suited for upper adults. Please be honest about what's in your books when you're asking me to feature your book. Simply tag your novel appropriately: YA, NA, Adult, etc. I appreciate it so much.  

Voila! If you want to submit a book for review, want to swing by for an interview, or feel like asking for a feature spot on Writing Belle, simply contact me at the email listed below: 

writingbelle18@gmail.com

For more information on Writing Belle's Indie Monday features, click here. It's a great opportunity for self-pubbed authors to get the word out about their books!

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Belated National Banned Books Week

As you might have heard (and I'm sure you most certainly did), this past week was National Banned Books Week. It's a time when book lovers rejoice - and opponents of creative expression sit in the corner and sulk like an overly emotional child. So in honor of last week's celebration (yup, I'm late to the party, but at least I made it), here are some of the most popular books that you may have never thought would be in danger of being banned. 


The Hunger Games
Place of Proposed Banishment: United States (Seriously)

What? You thought that the pure message of fighting against a tyrannical regime and igniting a spark of hope throughout a desolate world was reason for libraries to consider banning it from their shelves? Oh. You didn't. Well, apparently somebody did. A couple years ago they tried to ban The Hunger Games from libraries because somebody said it was "too violent." 
Like a history book about World War II isn't violent, too? 
Give me a break. 

Huckleberry Finn 
Place of Proposed Banishment: United States 

Who doesn't love the genius of Mark Twain? Between his brilliant wit and his awesome way of stating the obvious to the oblivious, it's hard to believe that they have tried to both ban or change the original text of this classic. It's outrageous, really. 


To Kill a Mockingbird 
Place of Propose Banishment:  United States

This is one of my all-time favorite books. When I read it in High School, I was glued to my chair (which, I realize, is an awkward way to be glued down, but you get the idea...). Libraries, schools - they've tried to get rid of this book for reasons unknown to me. I don't know how you could. It's an epic tale of loyalty, friendship, morality and the faultiness of human nature. 

The Complete Fairytales of The Brothers Grimm 
Place of Proposed Banishment: United States (Are you starting to see a pattern here?) 

I know many of you may find this strange, but when I was little, I was fascinated with Grimm's Fairytales. This is funny, because Grimm's fairytales were stories originally penned to entertain adults - and they could be scary. It was Walt Disney who turned them into age-appropriate happily-ever-afters. 
Regardless, they are still great stories. GREAT! Why ban ancient literature? Don't people like fairytales? 
Apparently they're too busy living their own version of one. 


The Lion, The Witch, & The Wardrobe 
Place of Proposed Banishment: You guessed it. USA. 

This is my personal favorite selection of children's literature. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, Aslan the Lion. He's just so awesome. (and you know how I feel about members of the cat family) Of course, this story is also an allegory that portrays the everything from the Creation to Jesus's death on the cross to the Second Coming. Really very interesting how CS Lewis managed to pull that off. 

I could go on all day about books that are always in danger of being pulled off our shelves. James & The Giant Peach, The Grapes of Wrath, Harry Potter, Little Red Riding Hood, Call of the Wild, Gone with the Wind, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, 1984, The Diary of Anne Frank (this particular book is frequently under attack), and so many more. 

Look. Books are powerful. They say that the pen is mightier than the sword? It is. Because words convey ideas, and ideas give way to feelings, and feelings can lead to movements or cultural changes. Book banning (and their subsequent burnings) didn't work out well in Nazi Germany, and it sure won't work out well here. Writing and reading is a form of Freedom of Speech.
Stand up for our rights and keep reading! :)