Welcome to the Christian Fiction Scavenger Hunt! If you’ve just discovered the hunt, be sure to start at Stop #1, and collect the clues through all the stops, in order, so you can enter to win one of our top 5 grand prizes!
- The hunt BEGINS on 10/23 at noon MST with Stop #1 at LisaTawnBergren.com.
- Hunt through our loop using Chrome or Firefox as your browser (not Explorer).
- There is NO RUSH to complete the hunt—you have all weekend (until Sunday, 10/26 at 11:59 MST)! So take your time, reading the unique posts along the way; our hope is that you discover new authors/new books and learn new things about them.
- Submit your entry for the grand prizes by collecting the CLUE on each author’s scavenger hunt post and submitting your answer in the Rafflecopter form at the final stop, back on Lisa’s site. Many authors are offering additional prizes along the way!
I’m Roseanna M. White, author of a slew of historical romances, along with some contemporary mysteries from Guideposts. My real life is full (I spent the last 15 years homeschooling, and now they’re both done–how did that happen???–and my daughter is a junior in college) but also very … ordinary. So I offset that by writing about things like spies and nobility and war and mayhem whenever I can. Many of my books have been set in the 1900-1920 range, but I’ve recently launched my first book set solely WW2…in Paris!
On a quiet street in Paris of 1940, there’s a quiet little library. A library filled with all the books that Germany banned and burned in the last seven years. A library whose key is turned over to the Nazis the hour they roll into Paris. But the Library of Burned Books has secrets stored within it–secrets put there by Corinne Bastien, who lives next door, yes…secrets the Allies need. And when Christian Bauer, the Nazi-appointed “library protector” arrives to dismantle Paris’s libraries, he sets up his headquarters in this quiet little library…hoping it can hide his secrets too.
Before researching for this book, my stance of book bans was kinda “meh.” I didn’t like them, but I also didn’t like the idea of “bad” books being readily available, especially for children. As I wrote The Collector of Burned Books and dove deep in the culture of censorship, my opinions got a LOT more defined. And while yes, we need to protect our children…we also have to prepare them to encounter ideas that are not their own. By the time they’re adults, they should be reading books that challenge their preconceived notions and stretch their mind–that’s the only way we ever come to understand our own beliefs in full.
As I looked up books banned by the Nazis, as well as books that have been banned in America through the ages, I was surprised to see some on the list. Because those books that were “too dangerous” before? Now they’re classics. Here’s a list of some that struck me. How many of these have you read? Answer in the comments for a chance to win my personal giveaway!
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkein
The Time Machine by H. G. Wells
All’s Quiet on the Western Front by Remarque
The Sun Also Rises by Earnest Hemingway
Common Sense by Thomas Payne
1984 by George Orwell
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
The Story of My Life by Helen Keller
The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger
The Diary of Anne Frank
The Call of the Wild by Jack London
Relativity by Albert Einstein
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov
The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
Ulysses by James Joyce
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbech
Catch 22 by Joseph Heller
Bambi: A Life in the Wild by Felix Salten
Here’s Your Critical Stop #6 Info:
If you’re interested, you can get a signed copy of The Collector of Burned Books from me right here (and shop for other fun bookish things too, including my Banned Books line!) or order on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Baker Book House, or Bookshop.org now.
Clue to Write Down: a fire
Link to Stop #7, the Next Stop on the Loop: Karen Barnett’s site! (She’ll be giving away a copy of Through Water and Stone, which I had the privilege of reading for endorsement–it is SO GOOD!!!)
Special Giveaway!
But before you go, I’m offering a special prize!
One lucky winner with a US address will receive a signed copy of The Collector of Burned Books AND a “read dangerously” mug with the design featured above! If you’re international, you’re entered to a win a copy of The Collector of Burned Books from the online retailer of your choice.
(If the entry form is not showing above, you can enter here!)
Roseanna M. White is a bestselling, Christy Award winning author who has long claimed that words are the air she breathes. When not writing fiction, she’s homeschooling her two kids, editing, designing book covers, and pretending her house will clean itself. Roseanna is the author of a slew of historical novels that span several continents and thousands of years. Spies and war and mayhem always seem to find their way into her books…to offset her real life, which is blessedly ordinary.
I have read 12 on the list and most of them because it was required for school.
I have read 7.
I’ve read 7 books on that list, but I have 3 others on my shelves – I just haven’t read them. The Hobbit is a favorite and also To Kill a Mockingbird.
I love your books.
Wow! I’ve read about half of them (some as part of class requirements), and some of them my kids read in school too! Amazing how things change…
I have read 13 on this list; quite interesting to know that these were considered bad and problematic enough for disallowing them, and it makes me wonder what actually is meant by this categorization: were these banned in the US at one point, or just books banned in any country across the world in whatever regime? Also, what is meant be “banned”? Illegal to sell, own, or read–or something else?
(Whatever the specifications, I certainly wouldn’t be offended if The Grapes of Wrath were removed from public circulation)
CutePolarBear
Most of these were banned by Nazi Germany (that’s where my research was focused for my novel), and they included both books with subject matter they disapproved, but also authors whose opinions or politics or ethnicity they disapproved. I included a few that were banned in the US too, always because of subject matter.
I know I’ve read at least 5 books on the list. I’m not sure about the Helen Keller book. I know I have read books about her, but I don’t remember the titles or if any were actually written by her.
I have read around 15 through high school and college. My all time favorite is To Kill a Mockingbird.
I have read at least 8 of them, there are two others that I started, but didn’t finish.
I have read 7 of them, and my book club will be reading The Great Gatsby at some point in time. Have a great week!
I have read 10, many of them during high school ironically enough.
I’ve read nine of them for sure. Possibly another one or two, or at least excerpts of them in school.
I’ve read 10! Hoping to read more.
For banned books, I’ve read To Kill A Mockingbird, Hobbit, and Fahrenheit 451. I’ve probably started others, but not quite finished them.
You’ve been one of my favorite authors for a while and I’m always excited to see what you’ll write next.
I’ve read 10.
I know I’ve read these completely (The Hobbit; To Kill a Mockingbird; The Catcher in the Rye; The Call of the Wild; Fahrenheit 451); others could’ve been excerpts from high school literature anthologies.
I have read 15 of those books. I was super surprised they were banned.
Kingsumo isn’t working for me. I also have a problem with some other participating authors who are doing Kingsumo giveaways as well. I tried different browsers and different computers with no result. I’m already subscribed to you.
I have read 7 but will add a few to my list.
I have read 9!
I have read 9!
I’ve read 11 of them because of school work and from being an English teacher. 😆
I’ve read 9 of the banned books. Collector of Burned Books was excellent, I highly recommend it enough if you haven’t read it.
I have loved every one of your books that I’ve read and I know they will be rereads for me! Can’t wait to read the latest one!
Four of them and that was in school. We read The Call of the Wild twice (junior high and high school). Most of us said that we had already read it but our teacher had us read it again anyway. Also read 1984, To Kill a Mockingbird, and The Diary of Anne Frank (abridged version in our textbook). We read Animal Farm and Of Mice and Men in school. I want to read The Time Machine sometime. I have a copy of it somewhere.
I’ve only read Lolita, and The Diary of Anne Frank. But I only enjoyed the latter.
I have read Two.
I’ve read the Hobbit and Story of My Life! I own some of the others but have yet to read them.
I’ve read 12 of them all the way through. Read parts of 4 more, but never finished them.
I’ve read 5 of the books. That’s quite the list!
I’ve read 4 or 5. I’m debating on one of Ernest Henmingway’s.
On that list I’ve only read To Kill a Mockingbird and Diary of Anne Frank, but I’m glad that these books have been un-banned
I’ve read 10 of them! Surprised at what is considered a ‘banned’ book.
I’ve read 9 of them — mostly required reading back when I was in school. Can’t say that I loved all of them, but definitely saw the value in the themes they explored.
I read a lot of classics, but only 3 on that list, with The Hobbit being my top fave. Most of the others I know about through generalized cultural osmosis, the movie versions, or Wishbone. 🙂
16
I have read 7!
I’ve read one. just the hobbit
I’ve read 13 of the banned books, which surprised me.
Love that mug!
I’ve read 3.
I have read The Call of the Wild and The Hobbit!
I have read 4 of the banned books and have a few more on my TBR list. I honestly had no idea they were banned just knew they were classics.
I’ve read two.
I’ve read 7 for sure, possibly 1 or 2 others.
I’ve only read 2 but I want to read more!! The giveaway’s al cool, thank you for the chance to enter!
I’ve read 8 on this list of banned books.
I’ve read 2 of them.
Thank you for offering this giveaway! LOVE your books!
I have read at least three of them, maybe four.
Read 4 or 5. Read pieces or saw a play or movie based on the book for several more. Really surprised these were banned. Like your thoughts on book bans. I am all for protecting the age of innocence but firmly believe we must prepare children to be become adults, able to deal with the world.
Oh my, I’ve only read four! Knowing they were banned all of a sudden makes me want to add them to my reading list, which probably says too much about the kind of personality I have…
LOL. Right?? And this is why banning books just doesn’t work… 😆
I have read 16 of those books. I must be really terrible to have read so many banned books.
I’ve read quite a few of them. Some of the ones that surprise me the most are: Diary of Anne Frank, All’s quiet on the Western Front, and To Kill A Mockingbird.
I’ve read 8 of these books.
Wow! At least 7 probably more! And Bambi was banned?!
I have read 10 of these books!
I have heard of most of those and read 3-4 of them. I don’t think others should decide what I can or can’t read or what my children should be introduced to. It’s how we keep our minds open. We can’t decide if we agree with someone’s values or character if we don’t learn about it first.
I’ve read 9 of the books. Can’t believe they’re on the banned books list! The hunt sounds like great fun. Your books have been a real treat these past several months – such amazing story lines. Looking forward to reading The Collector of Burned Books.
I’ve read 3 of the books on the banned list but many of these are on my TBR.
I have read 5 of the books and familiar with 3 others.
Your post has made me view banned books differently! Good job!
I haven’t read any of the banned books from that list, but it’s hard to believe some of those would be banned!
I have read 13 of those listed. Gee, I can’t believe some of those are banned. I don’t see why?
I was utterly surprised the first time I looked over a banned book list and spotted so many we consider classics and some are in recent decades required reading. I think I’ve read almost half of those on your list. Definitely gave me a different perspective on book banning.
I think I counted 10. I had to read a lot for college. I had one class where we read Ulysses twice.
Thanks for sharing this list! Like a lot of people commented, I’m surprised some of the titles are on this list. I have read 4 on the list. When looking at this list, I thought to myself “Consider the source…exactly who is banning these titles and for what reason?” Excited to read your book.
I’ve read 12 of these books.
I have read 7. I really should read all of them!
Of these books, I’ve only read The Hobbit.
Only read one
Diary of Anne Frank, Great Gatsby, Hunk Finn
I’ve read To Kill a Mockingbird and the Diary of Anne Frank fully but I’ve only just started the Hobbit!
It’s been a long time since I was in school, as some of these were required reading, but I think I’ve read like 6 or 7. I have seen movies based on some of these in the list. My favorite book in high school was To Kill a Mockingbird.
I can not enter your giveaway.
I’ve read 11 of the books!
I’ve read 13, possibly 14 – I can’t remember if I read All Quiet on the Western Front or just saw the movie- all were required reading during middle and high school. And several authors were personal favorites as a child, including Tolkien (will always be my top favorite author outside of God), Mark Twain, Jack London, Helen Keller. Not entering the contest, I already have two copies of the book signed by you. 🙂
I think 11. Maybe a few more but I can’t remember for sure on a couple of them so I didn’t count them.
I’ve read all or parts of eight of the books. Collector is one of my all time favorite books. It still has me wrestling with the dangets of censorship.
I’ve read 7 or 8 from this list of books. A couple were assigned in high school, but most I read on my own. I can vividly remember reading ‘The Grapes of Wrath.’ I was in high school, in my bedroom,and laying on my tummy reading.
I’ve read fully 4 of the banned books. Thank you so much for always going the extra mile with your research; you truly make history come to life because of it. I’m looking forward to your next novel adventure!!!
I think I have read 7 of the banned books listed. Thanks for the opportunity to win an additional prize and learn about new authors for myself during this scavenger hunt.
I’ve only read 2: The Great Gatsby and The Time Machine, though I have a few of these on my list.
I have only read 3 of the banned books. I was supposed to read 1984 the summer after my junior year of high school. That was when I realized I did not like dystopian fiction! I did not finish the book and thankfully nothing was said the next year. I have the Grapes of Wrath on my Kindle to read at some point.
I have read six of these banned books. I was shocked at some of the books on this list. Thank you for giving a reader an opportunity to win one of your books for free.
I think 9. I didn’t know my reading was so “bad”.
I’ve read only 4 of the “banned” books.
I’ve read at least 8
Love these historical books.
I’ve only read 2 of the books
I’ve only read 2 of the books.
I’ve read 11 of the “banned” books and I own a few of them as well.
I’ve read 5 of the banned books you mentioned. As a Christian homeschooling mom who is also a volunteer librarian, I’m very interested in how your views about book bans changed as you did your research for this book. I am definitely adding your book to my TBR and can’t wait to read it!
I’ve read a number of the banned books. Some were required reading for my kids. I just finished Collector of burned books.
I’ve only read 2 of the books.
I’ve read 6 banned books! The Collector of Burned Books sounds intriguing!
I think I’ve only Read To Kill a Mockingbird (in highschool) and maybe A Catcher in the Rye.
I have read 4 that are on the list
I’ve read 11. Maybe a few more but I can’t remember for sure on a couple of them so I didn’t count them.
I’ve read 9 of those.
Lovely gifts. Thank you for offering them. You are one of m6 most favorite authors.
I have read 8, and have another 2 sitting in my tbr stack.
I have been wanting to read this! Awakened I loved!
So excited for the hunt Thank you so much
I have read 7! They were all so good! Super excited to read The Collector of Burned Books!
I think I have only read 3 of them. Gone With the Wind, Huckeberry Finn, and Call of the Wild
Wow! I can’t believe so many of these were banned! I’ve read 14 on the list so far.
I’ve only read 5 of the books completely and 3 partially.
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald (partial)
The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkein
Common Sense by Thomas Payne (partial)
1984 by George Orwell
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
The Diary of Anne Frank (partial)
I’ve read 6.
I’ve only read 4 of these listed Banned Books. I am adding a few to my TBR for next year.
So excited for the hunt!