Book Bans or Protections

 

Please SUPPORT 

The Books Save Lives Act (HR 8235)

The Right to Read Act (HR 6440)

The Fight Book Bans Act (HR 7691) 

Diverse books are important and should be in school libraries. 

Federal Funding must be given to increase LITERACY, as it is the building block of all civilized cultures. Libraries should be extremely well funded! 

OPPOSE HR 7661 until the language of the bill is more clearly defined. While children shouldn't be sexualized, the wording excludes everything, including biology and health textbooks. It is a hate weapon against some children rather than a shield of protection against pedophiles. 

HR 8705 and HR 2616 are equally problematic as they target elimination of all books where race and gender are mentioned, thus banning most history books and causing prejudice rather than promoting equality and harmony. 

Books are too important. And getting real reading material into the hands of children has never mattered more than it does in this digital age. We must do better!

IWSG, Literacy, and #AtoZChallenge Reflections #Crossword Answers

https://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/p/iwsg-sign-up.html

handle is @TheIWSG and hashtag is #IWSG.The awesome co-hosts for the May 6 posting of the IWSG are Jenni Enzor, Jemima Pett, Jamie of Uniquely Maladjusted but Fun, and Kim Lajevardi!

Remember, the question is optional! 

May 6 question - What was the most inspiring feedback you received from readers, including agents, editors, and beta readers?   

Beyond my ghost writing (which has been published and, I'm told, sells well), and my published poetry, there's one YA novel I've been working on for a few years. The agents who have read it so far suggest I make my protagonist 15 before she celebrates her quinceañera. 

Now, in case you didn't know why that's not practical, here's the reason in a screenshot from Google, explaining that a quinceañera is the celebration of the fifteenth birthday. 

"So why is she at the end of her 8th-grade year if she's about to turn 15?"

Well, if you make it through the first three pages, you find out she was held back a year due to her mother's incarceration. 

(Because the book is partly about the injustice faced by children of incarcerated parents. Which is where the idea for the book comes from, because it actually happened to a child I know. Her stepmother was a drunk driver who committed a hit and run, resulting in the death of a classmate of the girl, and the girl was forced to leave school for a year because she was bullied to the point that "her presence causes a distraction to her peers." -- They kicked her out for being bullied. They kicked her out for what her drunken stepmother did. An absolutely brilliant girl who had been top of her class. 

And she was forced to sign a nondisclosure, despite being a minor child, so she isn't even allowed to tell her story! 😔 

But I didn't sign anything. And I'll write whatever fictional story I damn well please, thank-you-very-much. So her story is gonna exist!
I just have to find an agent who understands why someone would not be 15 before turning 15.
Or I have to self-publish, but I have no idea how to properly market a YA book. How to get it in schools. And there's a lot about discrimination and stuff in the book. Under the current political situation, it'd be banned before any publisher would even consider it. So, not hopeful right now.)

And none of that is inspiring! 😅

Well, I did a slice-of-life last month for the A to Z Challenge. And it included characters from an Adult Paranormal story I've been kicking around with friends for a few years. 

Comments included "fun" and "interesting."

I'm hosting this month and look forward to reading YOUR answers!

---

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1D4VhSc3Uy/

What if we tried to raise the literacy rate in Pennsylvania? Too many adults don't read for fun! What if there was an incentive? The return of the BOOKIT program, where children read and earn goodies. Why can't we do something similar for adults? @resist.bot text SIGN PYSFRR to 50409 #literacy

[image or embed]

— Jamie (@jamiewriter.bsky.social) April 23, 2026 at 9:55 PM

https://bsky.app/profile/jamiewriter.bsky.social/post/3mk7g5wkbfs2x

---

{Story ending} 

Wren Noel's casts are finally off. We watch one more movie together before they go home. It's a romantic comedy, kidding! It's a psychological thriller with blood and gore and some amazing plot twists. SEND HELP. Rachel McAdams and Dylan O'Brien do an amazing job.

"Someone needs to earn an award for making Rachel McAdams look so unattractive and homely."

"Agree," Wren Noel says between bites of popcorn. 

"Are you going to fix the crossword error 26 Across, where I accidentally wrote the third movie instead of the fifth?"

"Nah. Let the fans write the magazine about it. That shows they're playing along and interested, which means the editor will keep hiring me to make more word puzzles."

I laugh. "Never thought about it that way. Intentional errors."

We discuss our desire to never be forced to try to survive on a deserted island.  Or some billionaire's private island. 

"But being stranded at your place while mostly helpless for a few weeks was a great time. You're an amazing friend, Liv."

"Aww. Love you, Wren Noel," I say as we hug goodbye. 

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8036976/   🎥🎬 SEND HELP 📺

The crossword clue will contain the LETTER of the day, though it might not be the *first* letter in the word. 

My April 2026 Blogging from A to Z Challenge Theme was a slice-of-life short story with two characters binge-watching shows and movies while creating a crossword puzzle. Read and play along!

• A 19 across — ANTARCTICA
• B 21 across — BETTY
• C 20 across — CLARITA
• D 24 down — DADDY
• E 14 across — ESPHENI
• F 22 down — FRANKIE
• G 10 down — GUMMIES
• H 9 across — HAWKINS
• I 13 down — GABRIELLE
• J 18 down — JACKRABBIT
• K 17 down — JEKYLL
• L 16 across — LAWS
• M 11 down — MAJUMDAR
• N 3 across — NORMA
• O 8 down — OKAY
• P 15 across — PAMELA
• Q 4 across — QUEEN
• R 26 across — ROY
• S 12 across — SCARAB
• T 2 down — EATS
• U 1 down — UNKNOWN
• V 23 across — VERONICA
• W 7 down — WISH
• X 25 across — MATRIX
• Y 5 down — YIPPEEKIYAY
• Z 6 down — FONZIE

Please check out the April Blogging from A to Z Challenge
#AtoZChallenge
a-to-zchallenge.com

I like the theme reveal. The reflection post gives me a reason to look back at the month. I have only seen a few people visit via the "road trip" on my blog. 🤷‍♀️ I definitely use the HTML badges to make my posts. I have met my blog posting goals, but didn't get to visit as many blogs as I had intended, which is probably why I didn't get a ton of comments. I don't know that I have favorites. Charlotte - MotherOwl- had a cool theme with the Wordle words. I did get comments from at least two co-hosts (J and Ronel). Liz A., Anne E.G., and Ronel left me the most comments this month. Pretty sure Blogger is open to everyone. IWSG is the other blog hop I normally do. Yes, I'll do this hop again next year. And I do visit the A to Z site a few times a year. 

https://uniquelymaladjustedbutfun.blogspot.com/2026/04/sorry-i-didnt-love-you-atozchallenge.html -- That's the post I'll pick for the Road Trip. Lots of emotion.

https://uniquelymaladjustedbutfun.blogspot.com/2026/04/hamburger-bowl-atozchallenge-shortstory.html...However, if you want a recipe and Netflix nostalgia, I'd suggest "H" 😉 


April Blogging from A to Z Challenge 2027 SIGN-UP March 29 -April 10 a-to-zchallenge.com

Book Party, goals, and #IWSG gift 🎁

 

Magnetic bookmarks 

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1BU5GYe3BS/

My name starts with J. I'm torn between two indie books! Jewels of Darterra is a novella by my friend (and cousin in law) J Lenni Dorner. Juliana Lopez is Fu*king Fire is a Latinx Romance by my friend Dori Aleman-Medina. 

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1QbGyRCX4B/

Every writer needs to set their own goals. 

If YOUR goal is to traditionally publish, then you don't need to understand what other people are doing self publishing. 

But that is NOT the goal for EVERY writer. 

Your characters will get better when you realize that not everyone has the same goal.

🤔 

Actually, it's also a big core idea in sociology and philosophy. So the mind really expands when the revelation is learned and accepted that not everyone has the same goal.

🤯

Apply it to politics and suddenly so many news items will click in the mind. We don't all share the same "Utopia" idea. 

Seriously, this is a life changing realization.

Childhood Books #IWSG

 

https://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/p/iwsg-sign-up.html

These are some of my favorites. I loved the Little Bear book. I actually picked this copy up at a thrift shop 20 years ago. No idea what happened to my childhood copy. 

Then there were these other books. (Sorry it blurred, I couldn't steady myself today.) I love the art! 

Not pictured, the "Little Miss" and "Mr." Books. I had so many of those! I loved when my mom read them to me. They were so silly. Great memories. 

I have lots of great memories of reading and being read to. I LOVED library day at school. And PizzaHut Book It, I earned free pizza every month! 

In April I posted about being a volunteer librarian in middle school. It was awesome. If it weren't for my health issues, I'd probably try to get a job as a librarian. (In my country that is actively trying to shut them down🤦‍♀️ by defunding. Talk about no job security. Sigh. Political 🤐) But anyway, I love books. I think literacy is the most important non-survival gift a child can be given. (Meaning food, water, and health come first. SORRY, that really shouldn't be political. My bad...🙊🙉🙈 ) I believe in reading. I loved watching Reading Rainbow. (Crap, political again.🫣)

🌈

Screw it, I can't figure out how to not sound political, even when I'm honestly trying not to. But, since I guess the liberal Democrat is just woven in me, I'm gonna go for broke and all in with:

🏳️‍🌈 HAPPY PRIDE MONTH 🏳️‍🌈

LGBTQIA+ and allies, I hope you celebrate well. 

Black Saturday #atozchallenge blog hop

A memory I regret having. A moment I am forced to live through. "B" was going to be for "books," and I was going to try to find a way to discuss how valuable libraries are to authors and book lovers. Libraries in Switzerland, of course, because they are known for being politically neutral. (In America, libraries are now political fodder due to an executive order against them.)

😖
As a writer and book lover, I have BIG, STRONG feelings about that, as it does impact my writing life. MY GOAL of publishing a book that is popular at the library cannot happen if there aren't libraries, which is how the order will eventually result.

But that's political! So I can't, won't, and am not posting this in a post with the Insecure Writer's Support Group label or banner.
I'm skipping creating a post for IWSG this month. 

It would be a self-betrayal not to discuss how scary that order is and how I feel about US public libraries losing their primary funding source. 
As pictured above, you can see I wrote my Congressional representatives. However, not only do I lack faith they'll read it, I now also don't believe they have the power to help.

Black Saturday- March 15, 2025 https://theintellectualist.com/black-saturday-us-constitutional-crisis-2025/

"laws are only as strong as the institutions willing to enforce them."

That quote fits my life. See, I was a ridiculously well-behaved child. (https://www.additudemag.com/autism-in-girls/ ) At one point, I was moved to another class to "set a better behavioral example" for other students. (What idiot came up with that bullshit??? Can I tell you how much no one wanted to be me? OMG.) 

But, I have a younger brother. Unlike me, he has never focused on PERFECT behavior. 

No... no... he was a little troublemaker from the start. He'd push every boundary to see what he could get away with. And whatever punishment or discipline you might think would have worked, you are wrong. Because people tried them all.  ALL. Social Workers were called on a daycare worker, so no, physical violence did not deter him.  It did teach him that hitting was okay, so there went that boundary. Bravo.

Anyway, here is what I know from being stuck with the "juvie" crew and watching my brother grow up. There is absolutely no point to rules when there are no consequences. 

"Don't eat the candy."

And if a kid eats it? The kid has had the reward.

"Seriously, no candy!"

Okay. Kid has more candy.

"What did I say? You're in a time-out!"

That sounds like a punishment. Someone like me would have been absolutely devastated. My brother? He'll piss in your corner. NOT a metaphor. 🍆💦

Eventually, the disciplinarian gives up. 

And that's America now.

The court ruled. A judge told the MAGA to go stand in a corner, stop doing the illegal actions.

But nope!

And now the corner is pissed on. The carpet stinks. And even if someone says to clean it up, it's not gonna be cleaned right. 

No enforcement.

Oddly, people are getting deported and denaturalized (that's where someone born in a country is stripped of citizenship and chucked off to some other country, a citizen of nowhere with no identification or passport) left and right. But they're skipping due process, so the justice system is again cut out.

I'm sure Elon and his DOGe team will be firing all the judges soon. 

"That's not legal! You can't just do that!"

Who the fuck do you think is gonna stop it? 

No, seriously. No one has stopped anything else.

Oh sure, there will be some protestors. Maybe even a war. 

Keep in mind that we're dealing with someone who already wanted to use a nuclear ☢ weapon on a hurricane. And he has now shut down the agencies with the scientists who explained why that would be a bad idea. 

So, if you believe he wouldn't nuke his own country... he already wanted to do that and has fired the people who told him no.

He's pissing in the corner. 

It's not an overreaction. It's a prediction.
But hell, the doctors say my husband and I are gonna die in the next four years. 

And if social security and Medicaid get shut down in the next few months, well shit, I probably won't see my 46th birthday in August. 

But this blog may survive. 

Maybe someone in Switzerland will read this one day and say, "Oh look, an American knew and cared but didn't have the power to do a damn thing about it."

(Additional follow-up from March 18, 2025: )

Just call her Joanne

I came across an online discussion about how the Harry Potter books can't count as representation (for the LGBTQ+ community) because things were only implied not flat out stated.

My problem, where I take issue, is that everyone in the thread called her JK, JKR, or or Rowling.

If this is going to be a fair debate, EVERYONE needs to call her Joanne (maybe Jo). Because she wasn't allowed to publish under her name. "Boys don't read books by women."

This matters because the argument is that she could have gotten away with being more blatant about the characters she,  AFTER THE BOOKS WERE OUT AND HER CONTACT WAS FULFILLED, now says were gay. Joanne told people that the subtle hints were real. Joanne did that publicly.

The argument is that Joanne had the ability to make that distinction clear in the books, but that she, JOANNE, made the choice not to do so. No one in the debate stated if they had read her contract. No one in the debate claimed to be on the editing team or working as someone in that publishing house who was in charge of approving the words JOANNE submitted.

All I'm saying is that we should use her name,  Joanne, because she wasn't allowed to. But yeah, she probably could have been plain as day clear about gay characters and had zero repercussions... as long as she didn't write the name JOANNE on the cover,  because that was a power she didn't have at that publishing house.

Just call her by her real name when you're criticizing her for not wielding power that you've proven she must have had.

And maybe drop a statistic about how many books that do have representation have come since she made her announcement, forcing the publishing company to no longer say they don't publish that sort of thing. Just throw out a stat.

Because when book one came out,  Joanne was a zero-power no -influnce author and she signed whatever just to get the book out there.

You can say a lot of things about her,  but at least call her by her real name when you do so. Why? Because boys read her books, and kept doing so even after she CAME OUT as being a woman. (Feel free to also drop a stat about how many books the first one had to sell before she was allowed to reveal that.)

#tackletbr childhood book challenge

http://kjhstories.blogspot.com/2016/09/tackle-your-tbr-read-thon.html

So I have to figure out how to get this into 1 picture on Instagram. PicShop layers I guess.....

I had to use Goodreads because all of these books are at my parents house or my grandfather's house. I assume. I hope they didn't get lost, sold, or injured! :'(

Now I'm worried.

#tackleTbr

A pic of the first sentence from the book I'm reading. :)

#TackleTBR goals

http://www.wishfulendings.com/2016/09/were-kicking-off-tackle-your-tbr-read.html

There are some freaking sweet books I received for my birthday last month. My goal is to read the preciousessss. ;)

And if I manage that,  then perhaps dive into books I got for Christmas last year. Ha ha, whoops.

Tackle my TBR book pile

http://www.wishfulendings.com/2016/08/tackle-your-tbr-read-thon-sign-up.html

I'm signed up for the Tackle Your TBR reading challenge. Yay!

Printed page book lovers

I think you'll like 5x Multifunction Thumb Thing Book Page Holder Convenient Bookmark AZD. Add it to your wishlist! http://www.wish.com/c/566948d95f207b464d8b9e5c

For those of you who read real books (not just ebooks), this is a godsend. My best friend bought this for me last year. I love it. I found them on this site today and had to share.

Liebster Award

Thanks for thinking of me,  Nicki! ♥

http://offthebeatenplan.com/whatever/liebster-ed/

Thank the person who nominated you, and post a link to their blog in your post.
Display the award on your blog — by including it in your post and/or displaying it using a “widget” or a “gadget”.
Answer 11 questions about yourself, which will be provided to you by the person who nominated you.
Provide 11 random facts about yourself.
Nominate 5 – 11 blogs that you feel deserve the award, who have a less than 1000 followers.
Create a new list of 11 questions for the nominees to answer
List these rules in your post (copy and paste).
Once you have written and published it, you then have to:
Inform the people/blogs that you nominated that they have been nominated for the Liebster Award and provide a link for them to your post so that they can learn about it (they might not have ever heard of it!)

11 Questions Nicki asked:

1- Whatchya doin’? (Besides answering these questions.)

Watching Stargate. Hoping to go to sleep soon. I'd like to leave for Knoebels in 5 hours. (Which won't apply when you read this, because I'll finish this post later.)

2-Do you find these types of awards to be genuine, or just another “chain mail of the Internet” kind of thing?

In a world where "world's greatest (whatever)" is mass produced on mugs, shirts, etc... This award at least makes no such claim. It just says you're here, you blog, and someone recognized that effort. It isn't Writer's Digest top 100 or something, but not everyone blogs to such a purpose.

3- Why do you blog? (Or if you haven’t been for a while, why not?)

For fun, to vent, to express myself.

4- Over or under? (toilet paper)

Nope! Okay, it'd be over, but my apartment is set up in such a way that I wouldn't be able to reach the tp while on the toilet. So I set it on the towel rack. Thereby it is neither over or under.

5- Name one thing that other people do that drives you nuts (doesn’t have to be the worst thing).

There are those who believe they have the only right way. "Cups should go in that cabinet, not this one." You know what? It's my damn house. I'll put my cups wherever I damn well please. So when they try to change things that are, seriously, of no real consequence, that drives me nuts. Genuine improvement, okay. Minor nitpick crap, shut the hell up.

6- Which of the following would you prefer:
To be rich, but lonely and without friends.
To be poor, but to have lots of friends who love you.
Or to assign the person who thought you could only have one or the other to write “I will not live in absolutes” on the blackboard 1,000 times?

I already am the second one!  I'm still lonely some days, but not rich. I like the third choice because it adds to Nicki's word count, and that'll make her happy.

7- What’s your favorite quote?

Don't be afraid to take a big step. You can't cross a chasm in two small jumps.

8- Do you get your energy from solitude, by having other people around you, or a mix of both?

Solitude gives me no energy, it's just what I survive in because that's what there is. People... Seriously depends on the peoples. I ♡ Tuesday.

9- Have you ever learned to use chopsticks?

Yup. When I was in Canada. But I only use them once in a great while, when social situations that I care about for a logical reason dictate it appropriate.

10- Are you living your dream right now?

No. With the exception of a great husband, basically everything else has gone wrong. Every fix I work on makes it worse. I know it can be even more worse than it is, but that doesn't help because it actually does keep on declining. I've also tried reducing the dream, being more realistic, aiming lower. Didn't help. Now I can't even manage a tiny dream. I tried just reach little goals for 1 hour one day... The power went out and I couldn't breathe, I ran out of gas, and my credit card went over the limit trying to fix that. 1 HOUR. Raise your hand if you know what a curse is.

11- What is your preferred writing implement?

Pilot Easy Touch pen, especially fine size.

11 random facts about me:

1- I'm writing these facts 24 hours after I started the above stuff.
2- I drove past Centralia twice in that time period. It's been on fire since 1962. I think that's fascinating.
3- I hate rollercoasters. Most of my family loves them.
4- I love to ride the Ferris Wheel. Most of my family hates that ride.

 

5- I love toffee, but am frequently disappointed by toffee flavored items (especially coffee).
6- My mom HATES dinosaurs. Which wouldn't be about me, but I took this picture:

7- I love me some Starbucks.

 8- DrawSomething is my favorite Android App Game.

 9- I made a friend (Dori) playing app games on MySpace a dozen years ago. Still friends! <3
10- I started a mini journal on Tues, May 3rd. This is largely because of Nicki.
11- My husband and I have the same initials. (So does his uncle, grandfather RIP, some cousins, etc.)

I'm nominating these 11 (without regard to number of followers) :

1. http://thenovelorange.com/
2. http://brandysbustlings.blogspot.ca/
3. https://franklparker.com/
4. http://mommyrnblog.com/
5. http://stephaniesstuff84.blogspot.com/
6. http://pensivepenspost.blogspot.com/
7. https://nananettie1969.com/
8. http://n8ltg.blogspot.com/
9. https://mhsusannematthews.wordpress.com/
10. http://mjfifield.blogspot.com/
11. http://obliqview.blogspot.in/

Your 11 Questions:

1- What's your favorite book with a strong female protagonist? 

2- Have you ever been dead in this lifetime?

3- How many books do you own, approximately? 

4- Would you rather see (as recorded footage) 1500 years in the past or the future and why?

5- Have you ever genuinely tried to USE THE FORCE? (Telekinesis)

6- Would you want your face to be depicted on money?

7- What's the best drink recipe? 

8- Can you contribute answers to any of these: https://www.quora.com/profile/Jamie-Dorner/questions

9- What books, if any, have you read where the protagonist has a close relative in prison?

10- What color pen ink do you prefer?

11- Any exciting plans for the next few months?

Age Based on Reading

http://en.what-character-are-you.com/m/en/4767/index/30119.html

It's just a silly Facebook quiz thing. But I loved my answer! I thought I'd share with my fellow book lovers.

Reading Challenge and Philosophy

Thinking about doing this challenge.
https://m.facebook.com/coffeandagoodbook/photos/a.284326781684444.65232.284148681702254/880027748781008

Looks like fun.

--------------------------------

Philosophical debate:

I was watching a television show.
Why is it that,  on a first date,  the person can buy you flowers,  balloons,  food, tickets to entertainment, or even gifts; but if the person gives you money (the equivalent of any of that),  it's a bad thing? It's possibly prostitution. So it's illegal (in many places).

Any thoughts on either topic?
Have a friend that would like to weigh in?