fantasy

There's now another pillage-and-plunder television series in the Sunday evening time slot: Vikings, an action-packed drama about the conflicts, conquests, and character of the first Norse warriors. The show airs Sundays at 10 p.m. on the History Channel, pitting it directly against HBO's Game of Thrones, which returns to the small screen on March 31.

So far, we've enjoyed the first three episodes of Vikings, which has tons of high-definition drama, amazing eighth-century props, and plenty of seafaring scenes to satisfy our inner adventurer — but we want to know: will you be adding the History Channel's new scripted series to your Spring geek TV lineup? Can two epic fantasy shows survive side by side?

After the break, watch an exclusive clip from tomorrow night's new Vikings episode in which Lord Earl attempts to turn Rollo against his brother, the show's protagonist Ragnar.

This month the American Library Association updated its list of frequently challenged books for the 2011 year, and one wildly popular novel is making its way up the rankings of this infamous list. The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins, which first appeared at number five of Top 10 Most Frequently Challenged Books in 2010, is now third on the list for attempts to remove its contents from school curriculum and library bookshelves. The complaints against the books include text that is anti-ethnic and anti-family, insensitivity, offensive language, occult scenes, and violence.

Despite First Amendment protection, banning or attempting to challenge books has a long history, with many cases even making it to the US Supreme Court. As the American Library Association explains: "books usually are challenged with the best intentions—to protect others, frequently children, from difficult ideas and information." Science fiction and fantasy books often contain these themes that some find questionable, whether it's alien life forms, magical powers, or mystical worlds. In honor of Banned Books week, we're rounding up the most challenged science fiction and fantasy books according to the ALA. Browse the list below!

• Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling — The stories of the wizarding world are seen by challengers to have occult and violent themes.
• Twilight series by Stephanie Meyer — Its movie stars may provoke pandemonium, but critics of the book say it's too sexually explicit.
• His Dark Materials series by Philip Pullman — The series beginning with The Golden Compass is often decried for its anti-religious viewpoints.
• The Giver by Lois Lowry — Despite the book's message of freedom of choice, criticisms are made for the fictional dystopia's bleak family outlook.
• Brave New World by Aldous Huxley — Offensive language, racism, and insensitivity are often cited in challenges to the future dystopian novel.
• Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury — The tale of a future world where the printed word is banned and systemically burned was criticized for offensive language.
• A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle — Children's search through space and time for their vanished father is often challenged for the inclusion of supposed witches.

Follow the break for more challenged books of the last 20 years.

This week's confession comes from our anonymous Confession Booth group in the TrèsSugar Community. Weigh in with your advice below.

I am a young lady in my late 20s married to a wonderful guy and we've been together about eight years. I'm not quite sure when it started, but it seems like I fantasize about every guy I talk to. Depending on how well I know them and attractiveness they can get very, very vivid and it makes me self-conscious about whether guys can tell what I'm doing. It's so bad that I pretty much avoid eye contact with guys in general because I feel like I betray Hubby every time it happens.

There's lots of cool stuff going on in our community — join it, check it out, share your posts or advice in the great groups, and maybe we'll feature it here on TrèsSugar!