animemiz’s scribblings..

Yay, I am not to late, but if you didn’t realize. This past week up to today was American Library Association acknowledgment of Banned Book Weeks. Bannned Books are those books that people would try to get censored in order to further their own opinions on what is right and wrong. While I passed up the chance to go to a Banned Book celebration party, I ended up reading Americus this week. This is a book that has been on my reading list since I heard about it from Book Expo earlier this year.

When I was growing up, the only grip I had my from mom was reading and using my eyes a bit too much. But I am pretty fortunate in what my mom said I can’t and cannot do in terms of what I read. This book has the narration from a boy entering his first year of High School, and in the process of enjoying a fantasy novel series he loves, his town gets hit with a disagreement of what is appropriate or not to be read or enjoyed. He grows up with this happening, and this scenario may very well happen where you live. However, if your mind can be opened up to the world of imagination by reading, then read and celebrate the idea or possibilities of imagination. Never let anyone say that you can’t read a book, when there is plenty of choices. Thousands of books get published every year, and perhaps you can disagree with a plot of the book, if that happens.. then you can put the book down and not read it.

Reading is an individual activity that can enrich minds. So that even when there is disagreement with a book, the solution above can be done, and another solution is to talk with someone else about what makes the book not readable. Yet if a book is published, then there is always going to be anyone that can enjoy or disagree with it. Censorship is ultimately not an answer, but if the United States has the first Amendment compromised, then expect many other things to be compromised. For grownups, there is definitely a choice to read, but if you are a parent then read a disagreed book, and then hash it out with if a child may or may not want to read the disagreed books. Talk about it with teachers and librarians, and a compromise can be reached.  Also remember to be aware of such a celebration as Banned Book Week.

So yes winter is banking pretty much in New York City, and what else can I do, other than think about warmer weather. Job hunting is certainly something that is done on a flurry of on/off moments. Rather several things this week as I have my errands to run.

1. Get to the library to pick up some manga.
2. Post something for Manga Movable Feast this week.. Karakuri Odette (no this is not related to Swan Princess)

Somethings has happen though, I have been slowly getting back into reading my Google Reader.. very slowly though. My blog reading count is still in the 1000′s but what else to do. I have been on and off Twitter. I think I can control my tweeting to only doing it with my cell phone at some points.

Another is something I find myself going nuts for. Folding paper aka Origami, and for this I happened to get something in the mail on Saturday.

Granted it is the book that is by the organizer of a weekly origami group that I join last fall, but I still find that it is anifty thing to get into. With practice and and a little pocket change one can indeed fold something of interest.

Crease + Fold has origami projects that is not organized by level of origami folding. Rather it is organized by how big the finished product would be.

For a person like me, who is still learning how to read diagrams to fold more projects.  I find that I like the folding explanations toward the beginning. It is not lost in technical jargon, and very layman speech for some parts.

Also another nifty thing about this book, is that every page is in color. So as a visual appreciator, folding can be a bit more tempting to do.

A majority of the projects in this book are explaining about folding animals, but there are some that I find myself wanting to do in the future. Sweetheart Dress, Subway Map Wallet  or a Sakura Blossom. Reading this book does take some time. I am experimenting, and the diagrams does pose some issue, but origami is a rewarding craft in the end.

Recently I was mentally cataloging of what I have in terms of my books.. most of which are all lost in the small black hole that I call crates and boxes in my mom’s apartment. I recently saw this book at Bookoff and selling for $7.

It would be this book Eastern Standard Time: A Guide to Asian Influence on American Culture From Astro Boy to Zen Buddhism by Jeff Yang et al. What a mouthful, and of course this book is out of print. I guess you can say this is one of my first books on Asian cultures. I recall purchasing this book from Barnes & Noble from Manhattan Mall before they closed, and restructured the mall.

Let’s see back in 1997, I was around 11 or 12 and my identity was shaping somewhat. When I purchased this book. I recalled how I was intrigued I was, and this was a birthday present as well.

I realized that the culture I grew up with, was finally going to be read by English speakers. I could wipe out this book to my friends who didn’t know what I was talking about, and reference it. Of course the book spoke on not just anime, as what the cover was speaking about. For a while I treasured this book.. until my next anime relevant book purchase I made on Helen Mc Carthy’s Hayao Miyazaki: Master of Japanese Animation.