L&L: The Ginger Man by J. P. Donleavy

For an Irish Lit class, I read J. P. Donleavy's The Ginger Man. That book definitely lingered. It's a perfect post for Saint Patrick's Day, where Irish Americans are more rambunctious than anyone else.

- Sebastian Dangerfield is entirely despicable.

- The character's thoughts and actions are random and sporadic, like the book's storytelling. It's obscene and appalling, and yet also hilarious. Maybe it's a bit of an uncomfortable humor.

- It's bizarre. I think everyone should read it.

Most Challenged Books of 2013

Last week, as part of National Library Week, the ALA released the 2013 list of the 10 most challenged books.

In order of most challenged...


#1 Captain Underpants series (published 1997-present)
#2 Bluest Eye (1970)
#3 The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian (2007)
#4 Fifty Shades of Grey (2011)
#5 The Hunger Games (2008)
#6 A Bad Boy Can Be Good for a Girl (2006)
#7 Looking for Alaska (2005)
#8 The Perks of Being a Wallflower (1999)
#9 Bless Me Ultima (1972)
#10 Bone comic book series (1991-2004)

See other years' top-10 lists or read a little more about this year's list.

If you didn't get a chance to fully appreciate National Library Week by visiting a local library last week, take an opportunity sometime in the future to check out one or more of these books as a sign of support for your library's decision to carry them. We can support the freedom to read every day, and every week, not just BBW and NLW!