Amanda A. Allen's Blog, page 8

Blathering about Banned Books Week

My good friend over at pastelninja asked me to write about Banned Books this week.  Pastelninja and I became good friends talking about books.  We have similarly over-sized libraries.  We are passionate about the stories we love.  And we have been known to talk an ear bloody trying to convince said random individual to read the books we recommend.  (Harry Potter, Flavia de Luce, Maggie Stiefvater, Georgette Heyer, Jane Austen, etc, etc)  We’re also both young writers–young in experience of writing.  I am not, alas, a spring chicken.

It is my philosophy that if you aren’t a reader, you just haven’t found the right book.  When you sink into an imagination that aligns with your own, there is a kind of refreshing, awe inspiring, mind changing glory that comes with reading that book.

That being said… I do think that it is the job of parents to monitor the books that their children read.  (I just so rarely agree with their choices.)  And I’ll tell you why:

Example One:  No one knows their kid better than that parent.  My sister-in-law once asked me for book recommendations for my nephew Nathan when he was a tot because he loved to read, but he had some things that she knew would be concerning to him.  He wasn’t going to want to read any story that got too intense.  Not at that point in his life.  She was his mom and she knew him well enough to recognize it.  Seeing his needs and helping to guide his reading was being a good parent.

Example Two:  When I was a tot, I was a rabid reader.  (I still would be except I have tots and they suck my time.)  I was the kind of reader that book lovers dream of coming across when they’re young and can direct them to the best of books.  Except—I didn’t have a book mentor.  And I read a lot of stuff that I regret now.  It wasn’t right for the child I was then.  And oh how I wish I’d found Roald Dahl when I was little.  The BFG blew my mind as an adult.  It would have rocked my world if I’d read it at the right age.

As a writer, I write for my childhood self.  For that sweet, lonely girl whose salvation was books.  I needed them during much of my adolescence.   And I had such a hard time finding them.  I read far and wide trying to find the books that spoke to my soul.  And because I read far and wide, I read things that were totally inappropriate for children.  Before I had sex education (I’m old–they did it in middle school then), I read a pretty darn graphic Harlequin Romance Novel.  My mom tried to re-direct me, but I wouldn’t let her.  I wish I had.  Because, that book, was inappropriate for me and should have been banned from me.  I am one hundred, one thousand, one million percent for parents guiding the reading of their children.

I am not, however, for institutions banning books.  Guiding the reading of children and ourselves is the job of our parents or, when we’re old enough, ourselves.  I choose to not read some things.  Because once you sink into a story, that’s inside your head forever, and even now, I’d prefer for some things not to be in my head.  I didn’t read the rape scene in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and I chose, as an adult, to not carry on with the story.  I didn’t want it in my head.  (I’m not judging you here.  That book presses triggers in me that it might not in another.  Banning that book from my life was the right choice.  You make your own.)

That being said, WTF with Harry Potter dudes?!?

I’ll tell you what Harry Potter is–it’s a magical adventure of a boy who gives up everything for the people he loves.  It’s the story of friendship and love and kindness and just being good.  It’s being willing to love and protect.  Every single page of Harry Potter is infused with love.  The love of friends.  First love.  The love of adults towards the children in their lives.  The love of families that we create from among our friends.  It’s infused with a Mother’s love.  I expect my next reading will have a different flavor since I’ll be reading it as a mother.

It makes me sad that some people won’t give it a chance.  It makes me sad that somewhere out there it has been judged for including magic without ever realizing that Harry Potter is as much of an allegory as the Lion, the Witch, and The Wardrobe and the other tales of Narnia.  (Which have one of the most beautiful explanations of the atonement I have ever read.) It also makes me bitterly jealous of every single child who picked up Harry Potter during this Renaissance of YA literature and got to read these books when they were children.  I am jealous of every single person who gets to read them for the first time.  I CAN NOT WAIT to read them aloud to my children.  I would give a lot to be able to go back and read them again for the first time.  And in celebration of Banned Books Week, I will venture into the series again. JK Rowling is a master of the craft and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is my favorite book of ALL TIME.  To give you a bit of perspective, I’ve literally read thousands of books including many of the great classics.

JK Rowling dethroned Jane Austen for me.   It still shocks me.  I put myself to sleep imagining packing my trunk for Hogwarts.  Oh, oh, oh, how I wish I could go to Hogwarts.

Speaking of things that are shocking to me, I have been told, to my face, that my book was pretty good except for the witchcraft in it.  I have no doubt that my book, had it the popularity of Harry Potter, would be banned for the dark magic.  Except, I was writing about sisterhood and loneliness and for the childhood self who couldn’t find enough books that spoke to her soul.

Every image in this blog post is a book that has been banned.  A book that has been banned and a book that I LOVED.  Every single one of these books is a book I’d give 5 stars to.  These books left a flavor of their own in my mind.  They’re books that spoke to my soul, blew my mind, made me think in a new way, and changed me forever.  Thank Goodness for the writers who write despite the judgements of others.  Thank goodness that people like Marjane and Anne wrote their stories so we can understand that not everyone is blessed with an American Entitled Middle Class Life.  That some people have and deal with the most horrific of wickednesses.

Thank goodness for writers who need to write.  To tell the stories that blossom in their minds and hearts.  Thank goodness for writers like C.S. Lewis who didn’t just tell a wonderful story–he taught principles that can be difficult to understand.  Thank goodness for JK Rowling who showed that even Dudley can recognize that his parents were unkind to Harry and finally learn to stand on his own.  (Among a multitude of other beautiful things.)  For J.R.R. Tolkein who wrote about Boromir and the path of repentance.  For Victor Hugo who did the same with Jean Valjean.  Thank goodness for writers who tell the stories of those who rise above their circumstances.  For those who try to make the world a better place.  For those who show the way so that their readers can imagine and perhaps enact similar changes in their own lives.

Thank goodness, just thank goodness, for writers.

Thank goodness for all the good they do.  Books and writing and the art of storytelling is, in my firm opinion, one of the many gifts of God.  In fact, excuse me for being super-Mormon here, but:

“Seek ye out of the best books words of wisdom; seek learning, even by study and also by faith.”

We can and do learn by both fiction and non-fiction.  We can and are blessed by the best books.  Don’t let anyone tell you what to read.  Don’t let anyone choose your box.  Choose a box.  There is only so much time to read–read the best books.

And for goodness sake, read Harry Potter.

~Amanda

A countdown of princesses*

*This blog is written from the perspective of a mother of little girls.  That has forever changed how I view the princesses.  And I am not, spoiler-alert, against them.

In fact, hello–She-ra, Princess of Power warped my mind forevermore.  But I’m focused on Disney Princesses.  If I were looking at all princesses, you She-ra, are my number one.

My Feisty Pants loved princesses more than words could say.  They had what she loved–ie sparkly shoes, talking animals friends, and amazing dresses.  The princesses sang songs that soothed her little heart and that made her happy.  Her being happy made me happy.  Princesses = goodness.  Greatness even.  I hate it when people rule out princesses as quickly as they rule out guns.

When I was a tot, I read Royal Pain over and over again.  Everyday girl becomes a princess (like unto Princess Diaries but it came first). I loved princesses. I think I’m okay. Princesses aren’t evil. :)

That being said, I definitely have some thoughts regarding the Disney Princess.

Ariel, my love, I don’t care that you gave up your fins for legs.  You were passionate about the human world before you ever fell in immediate and creepy love with a guy who had a flute.  Whateves…I do care, however, that Eric is kinda dumb.  You can do better my love.  I mean…even small children know you can temporarily lose your voice.  And your love is too obsessive.  Creepily obsessive.

Belle, my long time favorite, you fell in love with your captor.  I get that it was over books, and I’m all for love and getting to know each other through fiction.  And I get that your love literally transformed him.  That’s lovely in theory.  But falling in love with an actual beast, one that threw your dad out into the snow, and kept you as his one sole chance at love, it’s just creepy. I mean, were you a person to him?  Or were you just the ONLY AVAILABLE POSSIBILITY OF BREAKING THAT SPELL? Falling in love with your captor is kinda like falling in love with your vampire, stalker, boyfriend.  No, is the answer to both of those scenarios.

And Cinderella, I love your movie.  The detail in the art is amazing.  Your voice is lovely.  The side characters are perfect.  You’re the best possible first choice movie for little girls because unlike almost every other Disney movie, you’re not too scary for the delicate heart of a very, very small child.  But your prince had to use your SHOE to find you.  I know you were dressed all pretty and in rags later, but your face is the same.  Just where were his eyes?  And there is more to you than being lovely.  In fact, the reason I heart you so is because of your goodness.  You are, in fact, my number five princess.

#4  Mulan

To save your Dad, you joined an army, overcame your lack of abilities, and saved a nation.  Why aren’t you my number one?  I don’t know.  But I know that you’re the Alanna (Tamora Pierce fiction series) of princesses and I can’t wait to see my Smiley Pants and the Lamb discover you.

#3  Merida

My friend hates your movie, Merida.  But I think she’s wrong.  I think that you were put in a box, and you did your best with it. I think you love your parents and you had your own dreams that didn’t add up to the same dreams that your parents had for you.  And that’s okay.  It’s okay that you made a terrible mistake.  We all do.  And it’s okay that you did every thing possible to save your Mother.  In so doing, you discovered each other’s hearts, each other’s dreams, and you bonded in a way that will last you through your fictional life.  In the process, you rescued your people from a terrible evil.  That’s lovely.  Plus, if Boyo were big enough to have crushes, he’d have one on you, because watching your movie rocked his world.

#2  Rapunzel

Tangled is my favorite Disney movie now.  Boys and girls enjoy it.  The art is amazing.  When the lanterns fill the sky, it is jaw-droppingly beautiful.  This movie is funny.  It’s clever.  It’s not too scary for the little ones.  And, and this is why I love it so, at the end—-the two characters who love each other have had the time to fall in love.  And though, they’re uncertain in their new found love, they save each other.  Flynn saves Rapunzel.  And Rapunzel saves Flynn.  It is utterly perfect.

But lets go ahead and add to why you’re so great–you figure out who you are all on your own.  You love your evil mother who tears you down emotionally, but given the chance, you take your freedom.  All of us have to someday.  You’re not twelve.  In fact, you’re 18.  That’s old enough to fall in love, and I like that you got to be a child–not fall in love as a child.  (I’m looking at you Snow, Ariel, too many others.)  You developed mad skills in your prison and use your hair Indiana Jones style, cook and beat up intruders with your frying pan, and have a song in your heart.  You’re awesome, Rapunzel.  Just so damn awesome.

#1  Anna

One of my defining features is being a sister.  I was blessed with the most wonderful of sisters.  And the love that sisters can have for each other is beautiful.  It’s a blessing, and it’s in the princess who is a sister first that I see the best of princesses.  Anna, you were house bound.  You lost your parents and in many ways, your sister.  But you’re full of excitement.  You’re funny.  Though Elsa is amazing and has flipping super powers AND is the queen, you save the day.  Not just with your final act, but with your willingness to go after your sister.  You don’t have special powers.  But, you are willing to sacrifice everything to make right a wrong.  What are you going to do?  You’re going to talk to your sister.  Your love for her is enough to save her.  You sacrifice your life for hers and in so doing, you save the day.  You are absolutely my favorite princess.  And though Frozen is not even close to my favorite princess movie, we watch it often because you are GREAT.

~Amanda

 

Random Ranting

Today was my foster son’s 4th birthday party.  He’s been in my home a year, and I love him like crazy.  And he loves heroes like crazy.  The other day, I was playing a game with him where I’d say, “Do you like elephants?”  He’d answer.  “Do you like dinosaurs?”  He’d answer.

It was just silliness.  As I asked him, “Do you like antelopes?”  He goes, “I just like heroes.  And t-rex.”  

Which is why I bought him a crap-ton of the Imaginext Heroes and paraphernalia for his birthday.  Because I’m a spoiler, and I love him, and he loves heroes.  Which you would think would lead to more about him, but it doesn’t.  When I was searching for these heroes, I was determined to get all the girl ones too, so that when my Smiley Pants was playing with her brother she’d be able to play a girl if she wanted.  (Right now she wants whoever he has.)

Now I’ve been on a bit of a soap box about toys and options for girls lately, but for the love of Peter, Paul, and Mary.  

WE CAN DO BETTER THAN THIS!!!!!!

And this, my friends, is the point.  Where the heck are the girl heroes?  As I was buying for Boyo, I found Wonder Woman–who dresses incomprehensibly–I mean even Super Boobs have to obey gravity, and she’s a consent breath from wardrobe malfunction.  I found Cat Woman–a shady character at best.  And I found villains.  

I was like screw this, I’m gonna get some marvel chicks from the Playskool line.  Oh…  Oh, Playskool I have words for you and they’re not nice.  There is one.  That’s right ONE marvel character that’s been made for the Playskool line.  The Black Widow (of course) and you can’t even find her.

SCREW YOU, PLAYSKOOL/ MARVEL.

And while I’m at it.

SCREW YOU, DC COMICS/ FISHER PRICE.

SCREW YOU.

I’m not even a huge comic book nerd and I can list more than that?  Fisher Price, you’ve got Batgirl in the Little People set.  WHERE IS BAT GIRL?  WHERE’S SUPER GIRL?  WHERE’S MS. MARVEL?  WHERE ARE ALL THE CHICKS FROM THE X-MEN?  Or that invisible girl from the Fantastic Four?  Why can’t Marvel do better than sex changing Thor?  Why haven’t you done better by my daughters?

Why is it that when I found the Superman Golden Book for Boyo, I was offered Flower Power which covered Wonder Woman and Batgirl.  There’s a series of Superman/ Batman ones.  And for the girls?  Flower, effing, Power.

Now, I like flowers and I’m a girl.  And I like pink.  And dresses.  And shoes.  And BAGS.  I love bags.  But must everything be about that for me as a woman?  Must we just assume that because many girls like flowers that even the girls who want hero books really want books that connect to those supposedly girly things?  

Stop putting my babies in a box.  Just stop it.

Quit making the girl lego sets about going to the beach, shopping, and princesses.  I don’t give a crap if that’s what my girls want.  But don’t force them into that box.  My Feisty Pants loved princesses more than words could say.  That’s cool.  But you know what?  My Smiley loves trains and cars and wrestling and teasing.  And when she wants a lego set with trains, have some with girl conductors.  Have a girl astronaut.  Or a girl with a space jet.  Or a freaking girl hero.

Don’t put her into a princess box unless that’s the one she chooses.  And for the LOVE, I can assure you that girls like heroes too.  That girls dream of flying.  And being strong.  Maybe even being strong and beautiful and kind and fighting bad guys.  Quit making the only girl character for your Knights line be the token princess.  Give my daughters a girl with a sword.  

Give them a hero with a costume that makes sense, and a backstory that is stellar, and a villain to make Lex Luthor weep in the fetal.  And while you’re at it, give that hero a killer handbag.

~Amanda

 

Dear World…

Thank goodness it’s Friday.  This lady needs to sleep past five.

As evidenced by sleeping through three alarms this morning.

Amanda

PS Tomorrow, Guardians of the Galaxy.  (Without kids!)   Wooooo hooooooo

I guess some people hate Thursdays. I like ‘em.

For the rest of you, here’s a dog to help you through your day.

Amanda

PS Tomorrow’s Friday.

Just a little dog to get you through the day.

Amanda

 

July / August To Be Read

There was this one time, before I got sucked into the Wheel of Time, where I read a classic every month.  It’s time for that goal to come back.  In fact, I decided to go ahead and start with the TBRs again.  To be perfectly honest…it’s rare that I fully accomplish my goals, so we’ll see how I do with these ones.  Like with all my goals, I expect I’ll read some but not all.

One of my neglected puppies.  For your viewing pleasure.

So here’s the list:

The Elusive Pimpernel.  Third book, I think, in the Pimpernel series.  Super fun.  Also the classic.

 

The beautiful Marguerite.  If I recall correctly, the Pimpernel once kissed the ground where she walked.  It wasn’t my favorite part of the book.

A Memory of Light.  The final book in the Wheel of Time.  Me and the Wheel of Time had to take some time off.  It was irritating the shiz out of me.  But how could I not read the 14th book of a series I’ve been reading for…possibly forever?  And I also love huge pieces of it.

Also for your viewing pleasure.

The Book of Life.  The end of a trilogy.  There’s witches and vampires and time slipping (not my favorite).  We’ll see.  It’s super bulky but also super fun.

Daughter of Smoke and Bone.  One of my favorite books of a year or two ago.  The trilogy is done now, and I’m re-reading the first and then adding books 2 & 3 which are: Days of Blood and Starlight and Dreams of Gods & Monsters.  

I also plan on re-reading whatever Jane Austen book that is chosen by TheBookRat for Austen in August.  The good news is that she did Mansfield Park last year, so that one I like the least isn’t on the table.

Also on my radar but may not happen:

Monster Hunter International and These Lying Eyes.

Why yes that is my own book.  I’m writing the sequel and want to make sure that all the questions I intended to answer this time around are, in fact, answered.  Does it seem insane that I need to re-read my own book?  I suppose so.  What’s that irritating phrase again?  Mom-Brain?

~Amanda

PS The neighborhood kids just came to tattle on Boyo (who is 3) was “being mean” to them.  There’s this part of me that wants to flick the shiz out of them.  If I didn’t already hate their parents, I might have had given them some crap.  But I recently took the bitch quiz on Facebook, I had to answer that I’d once “bitched” out a kid.  I figure I’m better than that now.

PPS They also tried to get him in trouble for stepping on Smiley.  She didn’t make a squeak, I assume because the 1-year-old is the toughest of them all.  Or they’re terrible liars.

I said, “Okay,” and then shut the door in their faces.

PPPS: Random facts.  This month I bought a My Little Pony purse, and the newest member of my house, the baby whom I have named The Lamb is quite the farter.  Like all the time.  Despite that, she’s also very close to sleeping through the night, so she’s now my favorite child.

5 Things Moms Know

5.  Brushing your teeth is a luxury when there’s a newborn in the house.

4.  If you have dogs and a baby, you need an “I’m not effing around trash can.”  Otherwise the dogs eat dirty diapers.  It’s okay to vomit now.

3.  There is a magical luxury in having your children in their car seats.  Especially once you tightened the last strap, closed the doors, and have 2.8 seconds to yourself.  Take a deep breath woman, you deserve it.

2.  There is a level of tired where you function but your brain goes on 2-second delay.  You sound like an idiot everywhere.  Starbucks dudes think you’re an idiot.  The three-year-old mocks you when your back is turned.  Your mom friends who sleep through the night titter and go, “Mom Brain.”  Shut the hell up about mom brain.  2-second delay also means I might punch you in the throat.

1. Because you’re a good mom, you worry constantly.  Is that the baby crying?  Is the toddler even eating food?  Is the boy feeling neglected?  Is he sad?  Is happy enough?  Are you seeing to his needs, to her needs, to the baby?  The poor dogs, for the love of goodness, someone SNUGGLE that dog.  This happens every night until you drop into an exhausted collapse only to snap awake the first snuffle of said baby/ toddler/ boy and yet sleep through the jerks upstairs or the a-holes across the way who apparently don’t believe in bedtimes or watching their kids.

And yet……..

It’s magical.

~Amanda

Review: The Discovery of Witches

This review may strike you as a little crazy and bipolar.  Get over it.  In my opinion, the book is a little bipolar.

So, I first read A Discovery of Witches because the Borders chick was like, hey, check this out.  I loved the Borders chicks.  I almost always read what they recommended.  Because of the Borders chicks, I found Donna Andrews, Christine Feehan (shut up), a serious amount of smut, and Janet Evanovich.  (In my experience, the dudes were pretty douchey.  Note the phrase, in my experience, before you get up in arms.)

Anyhow, A Discovery of Witches.  I read it and I loved it.  In fact, I even convinced my Mumma to read it.  She also loved it.  I loved the phrases from old alchemy texts.  I loved how the pieces of those alchemy texts made the words sing.  I loved the vampire in it (I have a problem with most literary vampires these days.)  I absolutely bought how protective and predatory and domineering he was.  He’s absolutely believable.  I loved the witches.  I’m not a fan of witch / vampire fiction where they aren’t equal enemies.  They should be able to smash the shit out of each other.  Same with werewolves.  I loved the fun of it.

So, when the sequel came out, I was already in the dry spell of children/ writing/ who has time to read.  **wail**

I figured then I’d have to wait for the third, re-read the first, and then carry on through.  Except, I didn’t notice when the third one came out until it came across my Goodreads feed.  Here’s the deal of Discovery of Witches, for the second time, a few years later.

Man–Matthew’s kind of a domineering a-hole, yeah?  Like to the point where I’m having a hard time not wanting to smash him AND Diana in the face.  Let alone that flat, boring, vampire mom.  Oi, get a new grudge.  Also grudges against entire species and/or races are hard to buy or forgive.  For Matthew, there’s a difference between being protective and an ass, am I right?  I’m not sure he’s ever not being an ass.  Except for when he’s secretly protecting her for the sake of protecting her.  That’s all right, I guess.  :)

What the HELL is that witch water scene?  It’s ridiculous like the beginning of the second Twilight book.  You know where each page is just the name of a month?  September, October.  That was powerful.  That made me tear up. And if at the end of the Twilight Saga everyone, baby included, had died a horrible death, I would have been like this: Sawweeeeettt.  But, Bella!  Bella makes Diana’s emotions seem fake and weak.  Bella thought Edward was gone forever.  Whereas, Diana knows that Matthew is fine.  And he’s coming back.  And maybe he’ll break up with her.  But what’s it been?  3 weeks with slight contact?  I mean I know this love is epic and instant or whatever.  But I only know that intellectually at this point in the story.  The story hasn’t made my heart believe that.  I’m gonna have to WTF that scene.

Also the whole SPOILER time jump at the end.  Man, it works for the story, but I hate that kinda shit.

And speaking of nonsense, what’s the deal with the vampire that comes out of nowhere to kill Matthew and steal Diana and Matthew is helpless?  I mean, he’s an OLD vampire right?  Other vampires hesitate to mess with his family, and there’s maybe 2 vampires older than him in that family?  He runs the secret Knight organization that supposedly absorbed the Templars?!??! and yet this little girlie vampire, who’d been created for him to love or what-not, can kill the shit out of him and his wife?  Please.

Puh-lease.

Then again, the magic is fun, the chemistry between them (which is sometimes believable) is fun, and my current plans are still to read the second one immediately.

We’ll see.

So all that being said: 3.5 stars erring towards 4 because sometimes the words just sing.

~Amanda

PS Marcus in New Orleans makes me think of Vampire Diaries.

Top 5 Books of 2014

In a lot of ways writing this was hard.  It’s sad to look at my goodreads challenge and see how sadly lacking it is.

For me.

I have read 51 books this year.  I realize that’s a lot for most people.  I would guess that my pre-child, pre-writing number of books read could easily been over 150.  I wouldn’t trade my life as it is now for more reading time.  I wouldn’t trade having to listen to audio books in the car and in snatches for rocking babies or the fun of discovering my own tales.  So I should suck it up.

Anyhoosen: I enacted only one rule.  I’m not including books I read in previous years.  These are books that I read for the first time this year.

5.  Wool

I 100% read this one because someone told me that Hugh Howey made 50k+ a month, and he was an indie author.  Who wouldn’t want to see what the shiz was happening there?  It was good.  It haunts my mind.  I find myself thinking about Bernard and what’s her name and the poor sad couple from the first story.  You should check it out.  Excellent stuff.

4.  Fortunately, the Milk

Neil Gaiman.  Enough said.

3.  MASH

Yes that MASH.  This is the shocking one.  I bought the audio on a whim.  I started it right away because I liked the blurb.  Too few hours later I was looking for more books by the author.  (No such luck.)  Check MASH the heck out.  It’s like Bulldog Drummond humor with blood and guts and overlooming tragedy.  I loved it.  I seriously thought it might make my number one spot until I remember that I was on the year of Maggie Stiefvater.

2.  Forever

1.  The Dream Thieves

If I had included re-reads, this top 5 would have been all Maggie Stiefvater.  I re-read Shiver, The Raven Boys and intended to hop back into Scorpio Races.  I also read for the first time Linger.  Sinner is out now.  (Woot.)  Blue Lily, Lily Blue (Can. Not. Wait) is coming soon.  If you like YA, read Maggie Stiefvater.  Now.  If you kinda like YA, read Maggie Stiefvater.  If you like books, read Maggie Stiefvater.  Just read her.  Go ahead.  Do it.  I love her and can not imagine my number one book for this year being anything other than The Dream Thieves or Blue Lily, Lily Blue.  In fact, maybe I’ll re-read Raven Boys and Dream Thieves right before Blue.  After all…it’ll have been weeks or something since my last time through.

LOVE.

LOVE.

LOVE.

~Amanda

PS.  Check out Maggie.