a useful list of must-reads

[realthog]

Thanks to t'Grauniad for adding to my mental list of books to be added to the to-be-read pile with a story headed

Kite Runner joins gay penguins on top 10 books Americans want banned

Yes, folks, the American Library Association has just released its annual list of the books most complained about by those who would wish morality to be defined according to their own hatred-derived constrictions -- the group who think it's okay to drop bombs and napalm on kids but not to expose them to alternative lifestyles.

Hm. Wonder what Amazon's going to make of all this . . .

The full article is well worth reading. Here's its summary of the Top Ten in the Hall of Pride:

1. And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell
Reasons: anti-ethnic, anti-family, homosexuality, religious viewpoint, unsuited to age group

2. His Dark Materials trilogy by Philip Pullman
Reasons: political viewpoint, religious viewpoint, violence

3. TTYL; TTFN; L8R, G8R series by Lauren Myracle
Reasons: offensive language, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group

4. Scary Stories series by Alvin Schwartz
Reasons: occult/satanism, religious viewpoint, violence

5. Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya
Reasons: occult/satanism, offensive language, religious viewpoint, sexually explicit, violence

6. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
Reasons: drugs, homosexuality, nudity, offensive language, sexually explicit, suicide, unsuited to age group

7. Gossip Girl series by Cecily von Ziegesar
Reasons: offensive language, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group

8. Uncle Bobby's Wedding by Sarah S. Brannen
Reasons: homosexuality, unsuited to age group

9. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
Reasons: offensive language, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group

10. Flashcards of My Life by Charise Mericle Harper
Reasons: sexually explicit, unsuited to age group