Tilly Greene's Blog, page 30
October 5, 2011
A NFL Hump Day Treat
This pic of Clay Matthews of the Green Bay Packers depicts why I'm thrilled the lockout from earlier this year was resolved. Did you know Matthews was born a So Cal boy and later became a Trojan? Nice!Thank you Muscle and Fitness Magazine for picking such a wonderful photo for your cover, although I prefer it without all the words covering the subject. It's also nice to see, I mean know, how fit these players are sans pads.
By the way, you can enjoy the cover models gallery from the shoot here - again, ta very much, Muscle and Fitness!
Tilly Greene
Scorching romances full of twists, turns and ties.
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October 1, 2011
Saved the Most Ridiculous for Last
Are you ready for this?
The most ridiculous challenge for a book to be found on a shelf is Banned Books by Robert P Doyle was banned from a display at Spotswood High School in Harrisonburg [VA - 1999] when a parent decided that "some materials listed in the publication were inappropriate for students."
Neither the book nor any of the books listed were required reading, but it was still inappropriate.
Wow!
There you have it - the ugly side of our society - but the light has begun to shine more brightly with the onset of eBook. Many of these books are starting to show up in a different format that can't, as yet, be banned. So, go forth and read with pleasure what others are trying to bury.
Visit the ALA to find out more about Banned Books Week and maybe pick up the latest copy of the Banned Books Week Resource Guide to see what and why has been challened and/or banned over the years.
The most ridiculous challenge for a book to be found on a shelf is Banned Books by Robert P Doyle was banned from a display at Spotswood High School in Harrisonburg [VA - 1999] when a parent decided that "some materials listed in the publication were inappropriate for students."Neither the book nor any of the books listed were required reading, but it was still inappropriate.
Wow!
There you have it - the ugly side of our society - but the light has begun to shine more brightly with the onset of eBook. Many of these books are starting to show up in a different format that can't, as yet, be banned. So, go forth and read with pleasure what others are trying to bury.
Visit the ALA to find out more about Banned Books Week and maybe pick up the latest copy of the Banned Books Week Resource Guide to see what and why has been challened and/or banned over the years.Tilly Greene
Scorching romances full of twists, turns and ties.
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September 30, 2011
Making Public Decisions TOO Personal
In 2006 a Buffalo Grove [IL] High School board member, elected amid promises to bring her Christian beliefs into all board decision-making, challenged The Botany of Desire: A Plant's-Eye View of the World by Michael Pollan and others based on "excerpts from the books she'd found on the Internet." The books were all retained.Wow, this one stunned me and, after reading about it a few years ago, I still find it deeply disturbing. Okay, scary actually, really very scary.
Visit the ALA to find out more about Banned Books Week.Tilly Greene
Scorching romances full of twists, turns and ties.
Facebook│Twitter│Blog│ARe Cafe
September 29, 2011
The Queen of the Week
I remember reading and loving Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret, Blubber, Forever, Otherwise Known as Shelia the Great, The One in the Middle is the Green Kangaroo and many many more by Judy Blume, a anti-censorship advocate who has written many books that have been challenged and/orbanned. Most were retained, some out right banned, and others had rules applied in order to keep them somewhat available.13 books have been challenged, for a variety of reasons, and thankfully she continues to write today!
Visit the ALA to find out more about Banned Books Week.Tilly Greene
Scorching romances full of twists, turns and ties.
Facebook│Twitter│Blog│ARe Cafe
September 28, 2011
Snow White was Challenged?
Back in 1992 students in Duval [FL] County public school libraries restricted students unless they had parental permission to check out Snow White by Jacob Grimm because of it's graphic violence: "a hunter kills a wild boar, and a wicked witch orders Snow White's heart torn out."I remember watching the Disney movie based on this story as a child and, yes, I was scared, but not tramatized. It didn't teach me to kill or wish to tear out someone's heart either. What it did was encourage me to see every Disney fairy tale flick up through adulthood when Entangled was released and for my imagination to feel free to explore and grow exponentially.
If you're interested in fairy tales in their original format, a book I frequently revisit and highly recommend is The Annotated Brothers Grimm by Maria Tatar. It delves into the brothers mindset at the time they were written as well as how they were altered over time.Visit the ALA to find out more about Banned Books Week.
Tilly Greene
Scorching romances full of twists, turns and ties.
Facebook│Twitter│Blog│ARe Cafe
September 27, 2011
My All Time Favorite Banned Book
Every year I reread the same book, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, which has gone through many many challenges that seem to change over the decades.In the 70's the complaints were to the words "damned" and "whore lady". The 80's saw the most progression with challengers claiming it was a "filthy, trashy novel" to the book doing "psychological damage to the positive integration process" to finally the use of the word "nigger". The latter issue is the one that has carried the most weight ever since.
This is a book I remember reading in high school and, probably because it was "required", I didn't take all that much away from it - not like I did the movie. It was because I reread this book as an adult that I took so much more away from it and thoroughly appreciate Harper Lee's claim that she doesn't need to write another book because she said it all in the first one.
I like going back and reading those books we were told to read in school, under a timeline and with a test at the end, and discover all that I missed the first time around.Visit the ALA to find out more about Banned Books Week.
Tilly Greene
Scorching romances full of twists, turns and ties.
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September 26, 2011
A World Without Dictionaries is Unimaginable
Yes, Dictionaries are another surprising area where books are often challenged/banned - shocking!We used them when we were first learning to read and write, and I still use them today as a writer. My favorite happens to be the frequently challenged American Heritage Dictionary and I often refer to it and my theausarus. Fortunately, students in Sparks [NV] elementary school classrooms had 1100 Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary returned to their classrooms in 1993 after a sixth grade teacher objected because it contained obscene words.
Visit the ALA to find out more about Banned Books Week.
Tilly Greene
Scorching romances full of twists, turns and ties.
Facebook│Twitter│Blog│ARe Cafe
September 25, 2011
Religious Texts Are Not Exempt from Challengers
The Bible, Koran and Talmud are only three of the many religious books to be challenged and/or banned.
In 1993 a challenged from the Noel Wien Library in Fairbanks [AK] claimed the Bible was "obscene and pornographic", but was retained. This isn't an old problem or found just a US problem. 1986 found Ethiopia under a socialist military government who confiscated and/or destroyed the Koran.
My personal opinion is that intolerance, ignorance and general lack of respect for other religions plays a big part in todays troubles. They shouldn't be ignored or insulted, that path will never end well.
Visit the ALA to find out more about Banned Books Week.
In 1993 a challenged from the Noel Wien Library in Fairbanks [AK] claimed the Bible was "obscene and pornographic", but was retained. This isn't an old problem or found just a US problem. 1986 found Ethiopia under a socialist military government who confiscated and/or destroyed the Koran.
My personal opinion is that intolerance, ignorance and general lack of respect for other religions plays a big part in todays troubles. They shouldn't be ignored or insulted, that path will never end well.Visit the ALA to find out more about Banned Books Week.
Tilly Greene
Scorching romances full of twists, turns and ties.
Facebook│Twitter│Blog│ARe Cafe
September 24, 2011
Banned Books Week is, Unfortunately, Here
Unfortunately, it's that time of year when the ALA let people know that they are those amongst us that try to BAN a book(s). Sad, but true. What I wish these folks would do is very simple: If a book does not appeal to you, close the cover and pick up another.
We aren't all the same and many of us like to think for ourselves, so, with that in mind, here's the list of the Top 10 Challenged* Books for 2010.
1. And Tango Makes Three by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson [print]
2. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie [print]
3. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley [ebook and print]
4. Crank by Ellen Hopkins [ebook and print]
5. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins [ebook and print]
6. Lush by Natasha Friend [ebook and print]
7. What My Mother Doesn't Know by Sonya Sones [ebook and print]
8. Nickel and Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich [ebook and print]
9. Revolutionary Voices edited by Amy Sonnie
10. Twilight by Stephenie Meyer [ebook and print]
My suggestion is to pick one of these books or another from the list - so easy now that most are available in an ebook format - and read it with the pleasure of knowing you can choose to read any book you want to read, not only what someone else think you should read.
*=Challenged does not always lead to a book being banned, but it is still of great concern. Each challenge of a book is one made against our personal freedoms.
Tilly Greene
Scorching romances full of twists, turns and ties.
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September 23, 2011
Moon Over Paradise went to...
Moon Over Paradise by Tom Brown
Love this little gem of a painting. When I first saw it, besides reminding me of Missing in Paradise which had just been released, it brought to mind many nocturnal happenings that take place beneath a moon which make us happy, and hopefully Sweet Vernal Zephyr will be just as inspired.
Congrats, darlin', and enjoy!
Thank you all for entering - I had fun doing this contest and, if I find another painting inspiring and want to share, I'll definitely do this again.
Missing in Paradise by Tilly Greenecontemporary erotic romance + bondage
When the love of Mike's life breaks up with him abruptly, he doesn't know where to turn. Mary is an emotional mess who reacts without thinking, and immediately regrets her decision. Making things right with Mike isn't easy. It requires privacy to rebuild their love and share their lust. Neither expects their getaway to become a major news story.
The tattooed retired surfer and daytime TV star are opposites, yet perfect for each other. But paradise isn't easy on them. Their bond will need to stand up to the strain of a public-relations nightmare if they have any hope of making it work.
Mistakes are made and they need privacy to fix things, but what about the media?
Buy from Ellora's Cave│All Romance│Amazon│BN
Tilly Greene
Scorching romances full of twists, turns and ties.
Facebook│Twitter│Blog│ARe Cafe
