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The week of October 3, 2023 Let Freedom Read
The purpose of art is to lay bare the questions which have been hidden by the answers. -James Baldwin
You have heard the data: The American Library Association documented 1,269 demands to censor library last year, more than any other year in the past and double the number in the previous year. 2,571 unique titles have been challenged. Of those books, the vast majority were written by or about members of the LGBTQIA+ community or by and about Black people, Indigenous people, and people of color. Booksellers believe in the power of literature to make a better world. They know, deeply, that reading a book can change a person’s life. This is why it is so very, very important that books stay on the shelves for people to find and read them. Ultimately, it is the book itself that is its own best defense. Read it, and you find that you love it or hate it, but you will be able to decide that for yourself. Here are what booksellers thought about some of the 13 most banned books of last year after they read them:
A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas Can I just live in this book please? A perfect book boyfriend, lovely world building, just the right amount of spice….what more can we ask for? There is a reason it’s the most beloved book in the fantasy realm. –Kelley Dykes, Main Street Reads in Summerville, SC The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie Simultaneously heartbreaking and humorous. A fictionalized tale of the author’s life as a young teen, chronicling his battle with being loyal to his home and breaking away to meet who he was destined to be. –Mallory Sutton, Bards Alley in Vienna, VA Flamer by Mike Curato This graphic novel is loosely based on the author’s childhood camp experiences of being the target of racism, homophobia, and his own self-loathing. Parts of it are super gross because most 14 year old boys are super gross a lot of the time. (Well, they are.) Aiden Navarro’s journey to self-acceptance is raw and realistic and beautifully illustrated by the author. –Kelly Justice, Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, VA The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison Toni Morrison was a visionary. This, her first novel, was my first foray into her work, and I found it approachable, yet deep with meaning. It borrows its structure from a children’s “Dick and Jane” story, which Toni reads like a haunting incantation. — Mary Wahlmeier Bracciano, The Raven Book Store in Lawrence, KS All Boys Aren’t Blue by George M. Johnson Through stories about his family and personal experiences he had while growing up, Johnson tackles difficult topics like toxic masculinity, oppression, identity, gender, sexuality, agency, and healing from prolonged traumas. Though everyone could benefit from reading this book, I truly hope that it finds the readers it was intended for and helps them find strength to become who they are. –Julie Jarema, Avid Bookshop in Athens, GA Read This Now | Read This Next | Book Buzz | The Bookseller Directory |
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Read This Now! Recommended by Southern indies… |
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Black River Orchard by Chuck Wendig Adult Fiction, Horror Black River Orchard hit me like a combination of Stephen King and really good Magnus Archives episode, in the best of ways. For my fellow booksellers, this book is a mix of Stephen King’s IT and Faust — like if Faust was an apple farmer, and then mix up layers of horror–there’s psychological horror of domestic abuse and being trapped, of seeing people change for the worse. There’s body horror. Hooo boy, there’s body horror. And on top of all of that, I learned about apples! Reviewed by Alex Mcleod, The Haunted Book Shop in Mobile, Alabama |
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Bookseller Buzz |
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Spotlight on: Let Us Descend by Jesmyn Ward 
In each book since my second novel, there has been a wild animal presence: a dog, a snake, and a great black vulture…I like to think they are reflections of the natural world, but I also believe they are something more, that they are the manifestations of that which does not operate by human logic. They exist in a liminal space, fierce and free and mysterious. They are both ordinary and divine, and they bear proof that there is more to this world than we know. What booksellers are saying about Let Us Descend (a Read This Next! Title) 
About Jesmyn Ward
Jesmyn Ward received her MFA from the University of Michigan and has received the MacArthur Genius Grant, a Stegner Fellowship, a John and Renee Grisham Writers Residency, the Strauss Living Prize, and the 2022 Library of Congress Prize for American Fiction. She is the historic winner—first woman and first Black American—of two National Book Awards for Fiction for Sing, Unburied, Sing (2017) and Salvage the Bones (2011). She is also the author of the novel Where the Line Bleeds and the memoir Men We Reaped, which was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award and won the Chicago Tribune Heartland Prize and the Media for a Just Society Award. She is currently a professor of creative writing at Tulane University and lives in Mississippi. |
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The Wren, the Wren by Anne Enright Adult Fiction, Literary Anne Enright is known for her poetic passages, but The Wren, The Wren also is full of actual poems, ostensibly written by the patriarch of the McDaragh family. Enright explores three generations of this Irish clan, and pain, abuse, neglect echo through the years… but this book also shows breathtaking beauty and hints of hope. Although the author has explored this territory before, this book is fresh and stunning, and may be her best yet. Reviewed by Anne Peck, Righton Books in St Simons Island, Georgia |
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Against Technoableism by Ashley Shew Adult Nonfiction, People With Disabilities, Social Science If this is what we can expect from the very extensive planned series "Norton Shorts", sign me up for life! Ashley Shew is a professor of science, technology, and society at Virginia Tech and specializes in ethics in tech and disability studies. This intro to disability studies is aggressively frank, passionate, and a real wake up call for those who do not live with a disability…yet. The author’s own personal story of being a self-described "hard-of-hearing, chemo-brained amputee" challenges the medical model of physical and neurodiversity disabilities and argues for a social model based on the fact that the disabled don’t need to be "improved" to make the abled feel better. With life-expectancies lengthening, post-COVID illnesses for many, and climate related health problems, most of us can count on being part of the largest minority in the world for some portion of our lives. Essential reading! Reviewed by Kelly Justice, Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, Virginia |
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The Totally True Story of Gracie Byrne by Shannon Takaoka Magical Realism, Young Adult Fiction Gracie Byrne is a has a real way with words, so when she finds a blank journal in the drawer of her new house, of course she writes in it and the result leaves her, well, kind of speechless. The Totally True Story of Gracie Byrne perfectly captures the perplexing world of high school, the complex nature of families, and the giddy delight of basorexia. I learned a few new words, grooved on the 1980’s vibe, and absolutely wish I had been in High School with Gracie Byrne. Reviewed by Angie Tally, The Country Bookshop in Southern Pines, North Carolina |
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Dust by Dusti Bowling Bullying, Children, Juvenile Fiction, Social Themes This middle grade novel follows the life of Avalyn, an asthmatic girl who loves to spell words, read X-men comics, and spend time with friends. The bane of her existence is a group of bullies, known to her and her two friends, Nan and Dillon, as the Meanie Butt Band. Bryden, Valerie, Emma, and Carlos love to make fun of her and her friends, call them cruel names, and just be plain evil to her and the rest of the school. One regular day, a dust storm rolls in from the middle of nowhere, bringing with it a quiet boy named Adam, who may just turn out to be even bigger and scarier than he seems. The theme(s) of this book: friendship, self-acceptance, and helping people in need. Reviewed by Eliza Fitzgerald, Main Street Books in Davidson, North Carolina |
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Parasocial by Alex de Campi Comics & Graphic Novels, Horror What an interesting take on modern day parasocial relationships! I loved how it referenced modern fan lingo and even Ao3 with the kidnapping and how it just kept devolving from there. The playlist was a lovely touch as well, it really added to the experience. Reviewed by Lana Repic, E. Shaver Bookseller in Savannah, Georgia |
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Decide for Yourself Books that appear on PEN America’s list of challenged books. |
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Red Hood by Elana K. Arnold Adaptations, Banned Books, Fairy Tales & Folklore, Young Adult Damsel messed me up beyond all belief, so when I heard about Red Hood, I knew I needed it in my hands immediately. It did not disappoint one bit, and I can’t quite find the words to explain just how it made me feel. It made me cringe, it made me angry, and above all it had me on the tips of my toes the entire time. Arnold has this innate talent to take fairy tales and rip them apart to tell you a new one that you didn’t know you needed, one that actually puts women in a position of power. Men think we want to be queens and princesses when really we just want to be able to protect ourselves and the women that can’t protect themselves. She just gets it. Reviewed by Caitlyn Vanorder, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina |
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Southern Bestsellers What’s popular this week with Southern Readers. |
[ See the full list ] |
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Parting Thought “I believe in any kid’s ability to read any book and form their own judgments. It’s the job of a parent to guide his/her child through the reading of every book imaginable. Censorship of any form punishes curiosity.” |
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Publisher:
The Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance /
siba@sibaweb.com |
SIBA | 51 Pleasant Ridge Drive | Asheville, NC 28805
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