Book clubs are for phonies, she says

This article discusses the shallowness of some book clubs, laments the TikTok book craze and generally takes a high-brow, hoity-toity view of the trailer trash that reads the books espoused by Reese Witherspoon, Dua Lipa and such.

"Titles are chosen for their improving messages, often tied to the admirable ethnic or sexual identity of the author. It is implicitly understood that no-one is allowed to be mean."

But I'm of the general view that the more people reading the better. The author laments the werewolf sex books and other trashy subgenres but fails to mention the not-so-deep romance book craze that took off in the 1970s and '80s. Thank you, Jackie Collins and Nora Roberts. 

She fails to mention last century's detective noir I'm hooked on - Lawrence Block, Donald Westlake, Max Collins, Megan Abbot. Sex, booze and murder - not exactly Shakespeare, or is it? The best place to find these awesome books is at Hard Case Crime.

She also fails to mention Harry Potter. Wizards and black magic aren't exactly deep Tolstoy stuff either.

The point is: Every genre can look weird to somebody not into that subject matter. But if it gets them reading, gets their motor running, gets them hooked on phonics, maybe someday they'll move on to another genre that is even more interesting, like books by this guy.

Not to beat a dead horse, but ...

 Nailed it. Good to see others joining my crusade against these stupid "book ban" tropes trotted out by the media and bookstores. 

Jonah references the popular "banned" book Sold:

It has also sold more than 500,000 copies worldwide and is available at thousands of libraries and pretty much every bookseller in America. First published 20 years ago, it is currently the No. 1 book bestseller in Amazon’s category of “Teen & Young Adult Fiction on Sexual Abuse.” Though, as is often the case, charges that a book has been “banned” tend to boost sales.

But, come on. Sold hasn’t been banned anywhere in the United States. Indeed, the Supreme Court basically banned book banning more than 50 years ago. The last serious attempt to ban a category of books — ones intended to influence elections — came from the Obama administration, which argued in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission that the government could prohibit the publication of books (and other media, like documentaries) that might influence voter decisions near elections.

Here's the story, which should still be available for free at The Dispatch.

It’s very strange that in a world where trigger warnings are a thing for grown-ups, people set their hair on fire about others wanting to restrict access to tales of forced prostitution and brothel life to very young children.

My point exactly: It's not a book ban

Well dip me in honey and call me sticky ... a court found that schools can pick and choose books they find age appropriate and it's not "book banning" because the taxpayer isn't bound by the Constitution to purchase porn for your kids.

Eighth Circuit: Schools Don’t Owe Kids Access to Sexually Explicit Books

The court further ruled that children do not have a right to read certain books in schools, and this does not amount to a book ban.

“The First Amendment does not guarantee students the right to access books of their choosing at taxpayer expense,” the ruling stated, citing case precedents.

Cancun called; we answered

Had a couple firsts last week.

First visit to Cancun, Mexico. Also, first stay at an all-inclusive hotel - the Riu Palace Peninsula.

Some observations: 

** The first person I met at the resort was from Brandon, SD. We lived in Valley Springs, five miles away, for 15 years. The last guy I talked to was from Iowa. His son plays football at my alma mater Augustana in Sioux Falls, SD. What's that saying? It's a small world after all.

** Reminded me of Vegas. It was relaxing but don’t go for the peace and quiet. A lot of noise, a lot of people. 

** Food was great. Though my wife lost a battle with a grilled octopus. The all-inclusiveness was cool as you could get about whatever you wanted whenever. 

** Do not book an "adventure" with Mexico Travel Solutions. Wife booked a scuba thing for us, got sick the night before. I called at 4 a.m. to cancel, as directed, and I went down at 7:30 to talk to the van driver, who knew of the call. But they wouldn't refund our money, despite her purchasing insurance, because she didn't have a doctor's note. Seriously.

** Cancun, Mexico, is a lot like Florida but more people speak English in Cancun.

** I never understood the allure of pool bars. I like pools; I like bars; but standing up to your waist drinking doesn’t do it for me. Never saw anyone leave to use the restroom. Just saying.

** Didn’t talk to an a-hole in six days. New record.

** I held my own in sand volleyball with the young punks. 12-12 serving would’ve made Coach Haugen proud.

** I’ll bring some dressier clothes next time. Especially for evenings. I just threw shorts and shirts in a bag the night before like I was going to Florida.

** All in all, it was fun, glad we went. But I wouldn't go every year. I still prefer St. Pete's Beach, FL, during spring training. Unfortunately, it's seldom my decision.

Stories of my late father continue to pop up decades after his death

 I received a message the other day from my brother-in-law's brother that led down a rabbit hole that ultimately concluded with a story about my dad, as so many do. Here it was:

"Mark, I was wondering if you wanted my Prince record collection? I’m not trying to sell it. I just want to give it to somebody that I think would like to listen to them."

Well, duh, of course I do. He sent me the covers of about 20 albums or singles, I'm not sure yet which are vinyl and which are CDs, but I guess I'll find out soon enough. The last of the attachments showed a silly picture of my dad with a "love poem" he'd written. The guy had worked a couple years with my dad at an alternative high school in Beresford. The poem read:

"I shake & shiver

stutter & quiver.

Is it Love

or only my liver?"

I asked him what the back-story was to that? He wrote:

"We had an "Artist's in Schools" artist (writer) for a week. It must have been late 90's. Your dad sat down with the group and the writer asked the group to submit poems. I am not sure if the poem was his original or one he heard. At the end of the week we submitted poems to Prairie Winds publication, but not sure if your dad's poem got in there or not. I think that photo of it was taken from the collection we made for all the students. Your dad was a good writer and joke teller. He'd say, "Wanna hear the shortest poem ever?" We'd say sure...He'd reply...."Fleas, Adam had'em"  LOL!"

Yesterday was my dad's birthday, so I thought it relevant to post "would've been more relevant to post it yesterday, but, hey, best laid plans ...). It's just one of a thousand stories told about that man. I need to make the effort to compile them. That's my New Year's resolution.