♥Welcome

 Come on in and kick off your shoes!
Authors, links, lists & news -
  And lots of helpful, piffy reviews
So grab a drink, find a comfy chair -
  We have a lot of books to share.

       

What makes RJ's Views special?

      

"Old School Values!" Integrity, honesty, and respect were more than words - they had real world meaning. Back before signing your life away to make a purchase, you simply made the deal, shook hands and trusted the other person to follow through. . .based solely on their word. My GrandPa said 'keep your word and your conscience clean.' I started this blog with two goals . . .To share with readers the kind of review my book club wanted, but rarely found and stay true to my upbringing.

These days the values and standards passed on to me are called "old school." That's okay!  Because out with the old and in with the new does not and should not apply to everything. Over the last ten years, I have read a ton of books, met lots of terrific people and built a reputation my Grandparents would be proud of.

We have fun here too. There are lists of best sellers, children's choices, educators favorites, classics, must reads, and banned book lists. My Mission Statement is still here. The original. To look pretty and celebrate holidays the decorations around here change, but the heart of the site, the content of my statement, remain unchanged. I invite you to read it. 

I'm happy you stumbled upon our little blog. I hope you find the atmosphere relaxed and enjoyable. I've designed the site to read like conversations between friends. Entertaining AND informative. See ya soon!

Bookmark this page...with a click you can pull up a comfy chair and chatter awhile.

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    I am proud to be a

  

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 RJ's View is Happy To Shine the

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Banned? ? Really ? ?

Banned Book Week  -  Sept. 22 - 28, 2019

Top 11 Most Challenged Books of 2018:

1. George by Alex Gino
   Reasons: banned, challenged, and relocated because it was believed to encourage children to clear browser history and change their bodies using hormones, and for mentioning “dirty magazines,” describing male anatomy, “creating confusion,” and including a transgender character
2. A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo by Jill Twiss, illustrated by EG Keller
   Reasons: banned and challenged for including LGBTQIA+ content, and for political and religious viewpoints
3. Captain Underpants series written and illustrated by Dav Pilkey
   Reasons: series was challenged because it was perceived as encouraging disruptive behavior, while Captain Underpants and the Sensational Saga of Sir Stinks-A-Lot was challenged for including a same-sex couple
4. The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
   Reasons: banned and challenged because it was deemed “anti-cop,” and for profanity, drug use, and sexual references
5. Drama written and illustrated by Raina Telgemeier
   Reasons: banned and challenged for including LGBTQIA+ characters and themes
6. Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
   Reasons: banned, challenged, and restricted for addressing teen suicide
7. This One Summer by Mariko Tamaki, illustrated by Jillian Tamaki
   Reasons: banned and challenged for profanity, sexual references, and certain illustrations
8. Skippyjon Jones series written and illustrated by Judy Schachner
   Reason: challenged for depicting stereotypes of Mexican culture
9. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
   Reasons: banned and challenged for sexual references, profanity, violence, gambling, and underage drinking, and for its religious viewpoint
10. This Day in June by Gayle E. Pitman, illustrated by Kristyna Litten
    Reason: challenged and burned for including LGBTQIA+ content
11. Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan
    Reason: challenged and burned for including LGBTQIA+ content

2019 Campaign Revealed

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Recent NYT Best Sellers -   

 1.   2.   3. 

4.  5. 

HARDCOVER FICTION

1.  2.   3. 

4.   5.    

COMBINED NON-FICTION

 1.   2.   3. 

   4.   5.  

Middle Grade Hardcover

• Notable Books List 
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• Kid Lit Collective Summer 2019 Lists
• ALSC 2019's Summer Reading Lists
• Reading Rockets 2019 Lists
• Brightly's Summer Reading Lists
• We Are Teachers 2018 Book List
• Great School's K-5 Reading Lists
• Read these 50 Books By Age 12
• Elementary books by age from GoodReads
• Literacy Association Reading by Age Lists
• NEA suggested reading for all young people
• Grade by Grade Reading Lists

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  Visit Your Local Library or Favorite BookStore 

Available Now

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The Wine Cellar
Where We Chatter about Pairing 

Maybe it's just me - but, I've always had a difficult time selecting which wine goes with what entree. Then there's special occassions and wines seem to get more specific for these. The challenge is selecting wines that pair well with the various foods. Most suggest having a selection of red and white wines available for your guests. This allows each guest to select what works best for their particular tastes. But if you are planning a 4th of July celebration - here's a few suggestions.

• Red, White, & Wine from PebbleBeach
• 4 for the Fourth from Food & Wine
• Stars, Stripes,& Sips from Parade
• Top 10 Sparkling from Martha Stewart
• Best Red Wine for 4th Burgers, says Press Democrat
• 4th of July Wine Guide from Wine Enthusiast
• 4th of July Wines to Serve from Kitchn

A long time Views visitor, asked if I was pairing our book club books with specific wines ??? It seems the trendy book club thing is to pair the book we read with a wine that compliments the book. So, I found a lil bit of information to share with you. I would love to be able to pair the book properly - because most of the time, the wine is what lured friends to join the book club in the first place. LOL

•  9 Book&Wine Pairs
• Miriam Parker's Perfect Pairings
• Heavenly Day's Suggested Pairings
• Book Club Wine Pairing 
• 12 Books Paired 
• Host a Book Club with Wines 
• Books&Wine from GoodReads

My Absolute Favorites
   
 You gotta try these.

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What are you reading?

Which book(s) are on your Must read list?
Send me an

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Quotes I Love

"The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go." - Dr. Seuss

"What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Love is the irresistible desire to be desired irresistibly." -- Robert Frost

"You know you're in love when you can't fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams." --Dr. Seuss

"The only way to have a Friend, is to BE one." -Ralph Waldo Emerson

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Notes & Up-Dates from RJ... 

Dear View'ers -

Happy Thanksgiving to all! We have so much to be thankful for. It has been a difficult year and I have not been able to read all the books on my wish list -- so even though new books are added everyday I will read those that got left behind this year. 

I wish everyone a Happy Holiday season and hope all our loyal View'ers will continue to visit and talk about books. Thank you guys for all your support and encouragement-- 2020 is going to be a wonderful reading adventure. 

Happy Holidays & Happy Reading,

RJ

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