Annie on my mind

Over the last few days I've read so many glowing reviews for Annie on My Mind that it's on my summer TBR list for sure. It's a coming-of-age tale of two girls whose friendship turns to love. Their relationship, for various reasons both predictable and not, is forbidden.

So I went to Goodreads to update my list and to read the reviews there. After all I'd heard of this book, these reviews surprised me. Tons (like 85) Barnes and Noble readers give the novel 4.5 stars. Goodreads gives this book about 3. So I'm reading and then, then, I hit this review.

You'll enjoy it. I did.


"Had to read for controversial/banned books lesson for YA lit. class. Review: Dated (1982) book about a girl in high school who falls in love with another girl. Aside from being confused about their sexual orientation, the girls are not very good at practicing restrain or self-control. Personally, a disturbing subject and more so because of the point of view.


...


...Wait for it...


I am forever grateful for my friends in BYU 32nd ward who were with me throughout the day helping me get through this book. It was a serious ordeal for me and their love and support was the only thing that got me to the end." -- Goodreads (emphasis added)

sigh. I'm happy she was able to "get through" her "serious ordeal." Later she says she wanted to read an LBGTQ book, so props to her. Still, "serious ordeal"? I hope she came out with a greater appreciation and less "ew, gross."

(can i also just say that I want to take a YA lit class? PLEASE?)


Anyway, on my TBR list. So many books are. I'm in a little over my head, but oh well. I always romanticize things in my head. Summer will be wonderful. I will stay within a really air conditioned home and read in a quiet room (HA!). I will do all these things. I forget how tired the heat makes me. Or how easily distracted I get.



ALSO.

(Because I posted on it yesterday...)
As for the bin Laden thing: I've heard so many different reactions. Mine, obviously, was one of "glee." We got the bastard! But I have appreciated hearing different perspectives. They made me think and continue to think. Still, as of this moment, I'm glad the asshole is gone.


And for right now, that's all I want to say.

11 Better Places to Spend Your Tithing Money

1. Therapy

2 Charities, duh. But reputable ones, otherwise you're making the same mistake you were when you paid tithing.

3. Do something about that savings account

4. More/better food for your family.

5. Books--fiction or non-fiction, doesn't matter. Just books.

6. School--for yourself and/or your kids

7. Clothes.

8. House--y'know all that crap you need to fix but couldn't afford before. Or, you know, rent and bills. That way you might not need church assistance.

9. That medicine you couldn't afford before.

10. Credit card bill. I love how the church insists on tithing (yes, insists) and then has to tell everyone every fucking year to live within their means and stay out of debt all the while preaching that the wimminz stay in their place at home having too many babies before the family can fucking afford them. Live within your means, indeed.

11. Flush it down the toilet.

Because, really, the church is doing well enough on its own and should probably build its own goddamn buildings and temples. I actually have no problem with members helping to clean the buildings (I really enjoyed it despite my grumblings; it helped me feel a pride for the building and a sense of ownership I hadn't felt before).

Jesus didn't want alms for the temples. He wanted alms for the poor, and as anyone could notice if they thought about it for more than two seconds--fast offerings, those offerings actually meant for the poor--come in second place.

And y'all, the church ain't poor.

Stupid Church

I know I already posted today and I worked on it and yadayada, but here's something that needs a bit of awareness:

LDS Church Buys Ogden Motel: Closes the Doors

"Residents of the Ogden Lodge were scrambling to find a new place to live Thursday as The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints finalized the purchase of it and plans to demolish the motel to pave the way for future development...The property is of interest to the church because of its proximity to the Ogden Utah Temple and the church's well-established support of downtown redevelopment efforts," [Scott Trotter, a spokesman for the church] said, adding that plans for the land have not been determined.

Now it seems the seller (not the church) was responsible for giving the residents sufficient time to get the fuck out, but one guy says he only got notice last week. The Church is throwing it's arms in the air "we were assured!"

But does it matter?

The Church doesn't even know what the fuck they're going to do with the property. And it's their property now, not the other dude's. Can't they just say "okokok, you know what, Christ would let you keep your home or at least give you somewhere else to live. At the very least we could wait until next year. It's not like we're hurting financially or plan on doing anything until next summer. Merry Christ-Christmas-Christ."

Naaaah.

"My name is Tom Monson. I oversee '13 million' members of the Church. I wax poetic about widows so y'all know how compassionate I am. I call myself a prophet, a seer, and a revelator; even a businessman who represents Christ. As such, I needlessly kick the unfortunate out of their crappy but needed homes right before Christmas for our financial benefit. And I'm a Mormon."

Keep paying your tithing, good members. It's doing awesome things.

Call for Help: Creating Avid Readers

My students are bright and inquisitive about the things that interest them. Many of them come from lower-income neighborhoods. They have been told that their voices and opinions don't always count because they don't have lots of money, or they don't speak English fluently. But they have a fire in them to be heard, and they have a curiosity about the world. They are just now learning how valued and important they are, that their choices matter, that they have a right to know things about their world. - Ms. B, Creating Avid Readers

You may remember some months ago when I plugged a project of a long-time friend of mine, a teacher down in Austin, Texas. After the success of said project (asking for help in acquiring a variety of fiction books to appeal to her specific student demographic), she's now hoping for help in acquiring a variety of non-fiction books for her students.

And today is her birthday.

Anyway, if you have the extra cash and willingness (these kids need support), please visit her project page at DonorsChoose.org and donate whatever you can to help. One dollar, five dollars--whatever you can. The site makes payment really easy, and you don't have to make an account to do so.

Speaking as the wife of a teacher and friend of many teachers, our educators severely lack support, financially and otherwise. Consider making this your monthly charitable action, part of your Christmas giving. I know many ask for money (god do I know--daily emails) and that it can be overwhelming especially during this time of year, but check it out. Discovering a love for books, discovering knowledge, can not only change the life of a child but of those who the child comes in contact with as they go through their lives. It's a well-known saying, but it doesn't mean it isn't true: knowledge is power.


Thanks so much  <3

Attn: Former Tithers

I know many (if not all) of you no longer tithe to the church (and why the hell should you?) but many of you find you are still able to take that monthly 10% and donate to other charitable causes. Please consider donating some of that money to my friend's 7th grade classroom. I've known her since I was 15--she's one of the best people I know, and she loves her kids. One of her pet projects is to help her students discover a love of reading by offering them a wide variety of books.

If you love reading and/or have experienced how one book--the right book for you--could change your life, how you learned that reading can offer a world of amazing things: knowledge, understanding, being understood, power, hope, etc, consider donating. Not all kids are given this opportunity to find the one book that'll change their lives, especially in disadvantaged areas such as the one she teaches in.

Check out her page at DonorsChoose.org to read more about her students and her reading projects and donate whatever you can.