Books Don't Come With MPAA Ratings

When I walk into the library a block from my house I notice one thing in particular: the children's books are at one end of the building and, not surprisingly, the adult books are at the other end of the building. I know. Amazing, right?

The kids' section is made up of smaller sections . . . based on children's ages and reading abilities. The call numbers will begin with a J for Junior: JP (Junior Picture Book), JF (Junior Fiction), etc. As the age and the reading level of the child increases, he or she will migrate to books with a Y (Young Adult) call number: YF (Young Adult Fiction), YNF (Young Adult Non-fiction). (Squidoo has a good webpage for explaining the basics of finding a book in the library at http://www.squidoo.com/bookfinder.)

Adult books are generally classified as fiction or non-fiction. Adult fiction will generally begin with an F, followed by part of the author's last name. If it's genre fiction, the library catalog will indicate the collection where it is shelved: mystery, fantasy, romance, western, and so forth.

Adult non-fiction usually has a call number and part of the author's last name.

Everyone knows this stuff. I'm not mentioning it because I think people don't know their way around a library. I mention it because BOOKS DON'T COME WITH MPAA RATINGS, like movies do. (Even TV and music have a ratings system.)

When you let your child loose in the library (at any age), or when you yourself roam the stacks of books, remember that, beyond the call number classification, books don't come with a ratings system. And especially remember this: books located in the adult books section of the library are ADULT BOOKS. That doesn't mean their content may not be suitable for younger readers, only that you shouldn't ever assume that it is. Those books weren't necessarily written with a young reader—and a young reader's sensibilities—in mind.

It is good practice for you to quickly check through any book you or your child selects. Check the call number. Read the back copy. Skim a few pages. A book that may be geared for young adults may not be suitable for your particular teen. Even a children's book may include content that your child may not be developmentally and emotionally prepared to handle. Only you have the real expertise to assist your child when selecting books to read.

And always, always, look for appropriateness if the book your child or teen picks up is from the adult stacks. That's my parental two cents worth, anyway.

(I've included the link to the MPAA ratings web page below, if you're curious to see what thematic elements and contents generate which ratings in movies.)
http://www.mpaa.org/ratings/what-each-rating-means

Get Me Out of Here! (Escapism)

Which of the following statements are true:

1) When I read or watch a movie like The Hunger Games, I am transported to a dystopic world and imagine myself as someone like Katniss, Peeta, or Gale to the point where I actually think I am one of them. Where's my bow and arrow?

 2) When I read The Hobbit or The Lord of the Rings (or again, watch the movies) I find myself believing in hobbits and elves, and I am constantly on Google Maps searching for Rivendell and Middle Earth.

3) When I watch Star Trek (in any of its incarnations), read the fan fiction, or dress up like a Klingon or Vulcan and attend a Trekkie convention, I am in need of my anti-psychotic meds because I'm expecting to be beamed up at any moment.

4) When I read Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's works, I am a brilliant detective in Victorian London, shrouded in fog and intrigue, working feverishly to solve a complex riddle before something deadly happens. I also talk in a British accent and refer to my dog as Watson, although his name is actually Buster.

5) When I read Pride and Prejudice, I realize that Mr. Darcy is the perfect male specimen and insist that any and every man I meet must measure up to his standards. Relationship expectations cannot be taken too lightly.

Answer: None of them is true. And yet, could any of them possibly be true, in certain situations? Sure.

Most of the articles I've read related to the romance genre would make the claim that none of the above statements is true—except #5.  Apparently the writers of the articles would have us believe that women, in particular, are unable to distinguish between fantasy (as it relates to the romance genre) and reality, when it comes to love and their romantic expectations in their partners.

And yet these same women watch movies like Transformers and the various Harry Potters and have no more expectation of having their Volkswagens turn into a robots, or plan to fly on a broom while playing quidditch than the men seated next to them. Are women actually watching Brad Pitt or Ryan Gosling on screen and expecting either actor (or character played) will propose to them? Are men hoping Megan Fox or Angelina Jolie are going to give them a smile and a "hey, baby, text me" anytime soon? I don't honestly think so.

That being said, everyone—whether sitting in a theater, reading genre fiction, playing online games, or doing the traditional couch potato thing—can benefit from the occasional self-inventory when it comes to escapism. Sometimes people do run too far and escape for too long. And if we frequently find ourselves in that position, seeking to avoid the realities of our daily lives by these means of escape, then I suggest that maybe it's time to figure out why and head safely back to the world of reality.

Romance Novels: Another Form of Porn? A Rebuttal

Dear Ms. Bardsley,


I just read your blog titled "Romance Novels: Another Form of Porn?" in LDS Living Magazine. As a reader—and writer—of romance, I would like to offer a differing viewpoint.


Quoting from the Romance Writers of America genre description page, which I have copied and pasted from their website (http://www.rwa.org/cs/the_romance_genre) a romance novel is defined as having:

A Central Love Story: The main plot centers around two individuals falling in love and struggling to make the relationship work. A writer can include as many subplots as he/she wants as long as the love story is the main focus of the novel.

An Emotionally-Satisfying and Optimistic Ending: In a romance, the lovers who risk and struggle for each other and their relationship are rewarded with emotional justice and unconditional love. 

Romance novels may have any tone or style, be set in any place or time, and have varying levels of sensuality—ranging from sweet to extremely hot. These settings and distinctions of plot create specific subgenres within romance fiction. 


The romance genre is frequently and unfairly maligned. Are there those books you describe? Yes, definitely. But it seems to me your blog lumps anything that can be construed a romance into one big, evil pot. You imply that, specifically, romance novel escapist tendencies are bad, while the escapist tendencies of other novels in general are not. Are you telling me that horror, science fiction, fantasy, and mystery cannot potentially do the same things you are accusing romance of doing? In my opinion, your statements paint with too broad a brush.  


You seem to think women's escapist choices in particular undermine individuals, relationships, and families. And yet, if you read the description of the genre from RWA once more, it would appear that the general intent of romance is the struggle, development, and ultimate success of the relationship. The RWA also requires an emotionally satisfying and optimistic ending. To me, that is what the Gospel is all about: developing a deep and loving relationship with my husband, and looking forward to eternity—the ultimate "happy ending."


That said, I also recognize that one must be careful selecting reading—romance or otherwise—from the national market. We each have our own sensibilities, and each romance author has her individual style and approach when it comes to the inclusion of intimacy and the level of sensuality. However, to clarify, sex scenes are not the primary content of most romances, as you state in your blog. And while there are authors I will not read, there are others whose writing I find to be sensitive, and who deal with intimacy in a context within the story that I feel is respectful. 


Age and experience are definitely factors that need to be considered when choosing any reading materials. It is unfortunate that the 17-yr old you mentioned had a bad experience. Good for her for having good judgment. There have been books (of all types, not simply romance), movies, and TV shows my children have expressed an interest in reading or watching over the years, and I reviewed and censored them as I deemed appropriate. Trips to the library should not be an exception to this rule. 


I am glad Deseret Book is developing a brand of "Proper Romance." Women are relationship driven. It would only make sense that novels dealing with these types of stories and themes would hold appeal for many women. 


Sincerely and respectfully,
Karen Tuft 


http://www.ldsliving.com/story/68147-ae-romance-novels-another-form-of-porn

Historical Novels: Past Perfect

My thoughts, posted to the Word Wenches blog, regarding historicals:

I grew up with Margaret Evans Price's Myth's and Enchantment Tales. Before I could read I drank in the pictures: fiery gods, willowy nymphs in tunics with flowing hair. I was a kid with a pixie cut, glasses, and two missing front teeth. But I became those willowy nymphs. I needed to feel like a willowy nymph.

It got even better when I could actually read the stories that went with the pictures!

Later, I discovered Mary Stewart, Victoria Holt, and others. And I wasn't just Psyche or Andromeda anymore. I was a governess in a castle, and a sassy saloon girl, and a debutante, despite the cat-eye glasses and short hair.

And then a terrible thing happened! Middle school, high school, college, and The Classics. Don't get me wrong, they were great books and I learned a lot. But I wouldn't have picked up Lord of the Flies or Heart of Darkness out of choice. And somehow, in those school classes, it became impressed upon me that The Classics Were the Only Books Worth Reading.

And I forgot what it felt like to be a nymph or a saloon girl.

Life, good life, continued, with marriage and kids and a reading urge filled by newspapers and magazine articles.

And then, after watching Timothy Dalton, I mean Rochester, plead with Jane Eyre not to leave him, I had to read the book. I discovered Mr. Darcy way too late in life. Why had I never found Jane Austen's books before? And, hey? Aren't they classics? I say they are.

I've had a lot of reading to catch up on! And there are a lot of modern authors (Word Wenches included) whom I consider classic.

Side benefit: I'm an avid genealogist, and there is nothing I like better than to find my ancestors and have a living, breathing model of life that makes them more than a name on a page for me. I understand who they are and who I am as part of their legacy; historicals have given that to me.

I'm reading a historical right now. And my good life is even better!

Illustration of As the dragon came near, Perseus darted downward like an eagle by Margaret Evans Price, from the book Myths and Enchantment Tales, also by Margaret Evans Price. Also published under A Child's Book of Myths, and A Children's Treasury of Mythology.

. . . and Rhett Butler eyed Scarlett descending the staircase . . .

A few years back I was asked to teach a Relief Society lesson on the topic of self worth. One of the references on which I was to base the lesson was a talk by Jeffrey R. Holland, from October 2005 General Conference (url reference below). I was particularly struck by his plea to be accepting of ourselves physically, and not to obsess over the images we see in the media that create unrealistic expectations. How could I get the women who heard my lesson to see themselves differently and really appreciate themselves for who they are?

It got me thinking . . .

And then an idea struck . . .

Say what you will about romance novels (I've heard most of it already), but the genre exists for a reason. As Robert Frost once said, "Love is an irresistible desire to be irresistibly desired." What would it be like if I could make the women feel like they were the heroine of a romance novel—and have someone gaze at them adoringly and wax poetic about them?

So that's exactly what I did. I wrote a line or two of romantic description about every single woman who would be there. I told the women to imagine they were the heroines of a romance, descending a grand staircase, and the hero was waiting at the bottom, really seeing them for the first time. The descriptions included references to queenly red locks that spoke of fire and passion, elfin features full of joy and mischief, the deep, soft eyes of a doe, and a "smile [that] carried the sweetness of hearth and home, with turquoise eyes that held the depths of the Caribbean within them." I tried to make them sound extra romantic.

I read each one and had the women guess who it was describing. I was surprised to discover how many of the specific descriptions I'd written applied to more than one woman!

The exercise was just supposed to be a simple object lesson, with the hope that the women would begin to see themselves differently. I was totally unprepared for the results. The reaction after class was extraordinary. I got lots of comments—most of them emotional reactions to what they'd heard about themselves and each other. Afterwards, one woman asked me if I'd noticed D (the SEVENTY-year-old with the soft eyes of a doe), when I'd said it was a description of her. "She sat up straight in her chair like she was a new woman for the rest of the lesson."

The woman with Caribbean eyes came up to me afterward, crying, because she'd never thought of herself like that before.

The other surprising result was that, to this day, I still look at D and am drawn to her beautiful brown doe eyes first. I see C and immediately think of the Caribbean. M will always be the mischievous elfin sprite to me (I found out later she's part Irish).

I hope their perspective of themselves changed that day and that they recognize the beauty found in their uniqueness. I know my perspective of them did.  

http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2005/10/to-young-women?lang=eng&query=self+worth+women