The Guncle by Steven Rowley
Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons
Publication Date: May 25, 2021
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Publisher’s Description:
Patrick, or Gay Uncle Patrick (GUP, for short), has always loved his niece, Maisie, and nephew, Grant. That is, he loves spending time with them when they come out to Palm Springs for weeklong visits, or when he heads home to Connecticut for the holidays. But in terms of caretaking and relating to two children, no matter how adorable, Patrick is, honestly, overwhelmed.
So when tragedy strikes and Maisie and Grant lose their mother and Patrick’s brother has a health crisis of his own, Patrick finds himself suddenly taking on the role of primary guardian. Despite having a set of “Guncle Rules” ready to go, Patrick has no idea what to expect, having spent years barely holding on after the loss of his great love, a somewhat-stalled acting career, and a lifestyle not-so-suited to a six- and a nine-year-old. Quickly realizing that parenting–even if temporary–isn’t solved with treats and jokes, Patrick’s eyes are opened to a new sense of responsibility, and the realization that, sometimes, even being larger than life means you’re unfailingly human.
With the humor and heart we’ve come to expect from bestselling author Steven Rowley, The Guncle is a moving tribute to the power of love, patience, and family in even the most trying of times.
Prepare for semi-coherent gushing!
A former sitcom star, Patrick has been living a relaxed and somewhat solitary life in Palm Springs for the past few years. When his brother’s wife passes away and his brother needs to go to rehab, he begrudgingly agrees to take in their two children, Maisie and Grant, for the summer. They call him GUP (Gay Uncle Patrick). Patrick is no stranger to loss – his partner died a few years ago. He’s hoping that his experience might help him help the kids with their grief. But really, he’s just playing it by ear.
The Guncle is so well-done. It’s the perfect balance of humor and substance. It’s heartwarming without being cheesy or trite. The humor could have easily devolved into screwball-type antics but it never did. It stayed smart. It was so sweet watching Patrick’s relationship with his niece and nephew develop. This novel explores grief and loss in a realistic way without being a huge downer. I felt warm and fuzzy the entire time I was reading it.
Side note: Steven Rowley’s husband is the author Byron Lane. Apparently, he proposed to Steven in the acknowledgments of his book A Star is Bored and Steven accepts in the acknowledgments of The Guncle. (Spoiler alert!). Isn’t that just so freaking cute?? Also, clever marketing because now I am reading Byron’s book!
Back to The Guncle – Highly, highly recommend!
November 7th, 2022 in
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The Christie Affair by Nina de Gramont
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Publication Date: February 1, 2022
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Publisher’s Description:
Nina de Gramont’s The Christie Affair is a stunning new novel that reimagines the unexplained eleven-day disappearance of Agatha Christie that captivated the world.
Every story has its secrets.
Every mystery has its motives.
“A long time ago, in another country, I nearly killed a woman. It’s a particular feeling, the urge to murder. It takes over your body so completely, it’s like a divine force, grabbing hold of your will, your limbs, your psyche. There’s a joy to it. In retrospect, it’s frightening, but I daresay in the moment it feels sweet. The way justice feels sweet.”
The greatest mystery wasn’t Agatha Christie’s disappearance in those eleven infamous days, it’s what she discovered.
London, 1925: In a world of townhomes and tennis matches, socialites and shooting parties, Miss Nan O’Dea became Archie Christie’s mistress, luring him away from his devoted and well-known wife, Agatha Christie.
The question is, why? Why destroy another woman’s marriage, why hatch a plot years in the making, and why murder? How was Nan O’Dea so intricately tied to those eleven mysterious days that Agatha Christie went missing?
A beguiling novel of star-crossed lovers, heartbreak, revenge, and murder—and a brilliant re-imagination of one of the most talked-about unsolved mysteries of the twentieth century.
In 1926, the novelist Agatha Christie disappeared for eleven days. She never explained where she was or what she did during that time. The Christie Affair is Nina de Gramont’s imagining of the events leading up to Christie’s disappearance and what she was doing during that time. It’s told in first person by Agatha Christie’s husband’s mistress, Nan. It’s interesting because Nan is a bit of an unreliable narrator since she wasn’t with Agatha most of the time.
The Christie Affair is actually mostly Nan’s story. Nan has quite a few secrets and they lead to some crazy twists and turns in this book. It’s hard to say too much more without spoilers. I will say that the author takes quite a few liberties with the facts of Christie’s life so if you like historical fiction to be mostly accurate, this book will probably frustrate you a little bit. It’s not going to be on my list of favorites for the year but I still enjoyed it.
October 31st, 2022 in
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Us Against You by Fredrik Backman
Narrator: Marin Ireland
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Release Date: June 5, 2018
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Publisher’s Description:
After everything that the citizens of Beartown have gone through, they are struck yet another blow when they learn that their beloved local hockey team will soon be disbanded. What makes it worse is the obvious satisfaction that all the former Beartown players, who now play for a rival team in Hed, take in that fact. Amidst the mounting tension between the two rivals, a surprising newcomer is handpicked to be Beartown’s new hockey coach.
Soon a new team starts to take shape around Amat, the fastest player you’ll ever see; Benji, the crazed lone wolf; and Vidar, a born-to-be-bad troublemaker. Bringing this team together is a challenge as old bonds are broken, new ones are formed, and the enmity with Hed grows more and more acute.
As the big match approaches, the not-so-innocent pranks and incidents between the communities pile up, and hatred grows deeper. When the last game is finally played, one of Beartown’s key players will be dead, and residents of both towns are forced to wonder whether, after all they’ve been through, the game they love can ever return to something simple and innocent.
Us Against You is the second novel in Fredrik Backman’s Beartown trilogy. You definitely need to read Beartown first and this review will have spoilers for Beartown.
Us Against You picks up just a few months after Kevin assaulted Maya. He and his family moved away, leaving Beartown divided and in shambles. Most of Beartown’s hockey players left Beartown’s team to play for the rival team in Hed. People in Beartown are taking sides and the violence has only gotten worse.
Us Against You was okay but I didn’t enjoy it nearly as much as I liked Beartown. Beartown was a pretty somber book but Us Against You is next level. Almost no one has any joy about anything. And the heavy-handed, melodramatic foreshadowing made the pacing way too slow. There was too much repeating and summarizing in an effort to build suspense so the suspense felt forced. I listened to the book and I think that added to the dramatic atmosphere, which in this case was not necessarily a good thing.
I do still care about (most of) the people of Beartown so I will read the third and final book, Winners, which just came out a few weeks ago. I hope at least some of the people will have a happy ending when all is said and done!
October 13th, 2022 in
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In honor of Indigenous Peoples’ day, I took a quick perusal through my Goodreads to see what books written by Indigenous people I’ve read and liked. These are my top recommendations:
The Nightwatchman by Louise Erdrich As a work of historical fiction, Night Watchman serves to remind us that our country’s attempts to erase Native Americans are not a thing of the distant past. It also highlights the extreme poverty found on reservations, with homes that don’t even have running water or electricity. It’s clear from the author’s note that a lot of research went into Night Watchman to ensure that it is historically accurate.
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
This book was funny and heartbreaking at the same time. It addresses the issues of racism and white privilege without being heavy-handed. Any teenager reading this book will learn a lot without even realizing it and have some laughs too.
There There by Tommy OrangeTommy Orange’s mission is to show the reader that there are all types of Native Americans – they don’t all live on reservations. Many are “urban Indians”, that is, they live in cities just like anyone else. However, they experience a sense of disconnection and loss borne from years and years of horrific treatment of their ancestors. Orange conveys this abstract feeling through his characters expertly.
What are your favorite books by Indigenous authors?
October 10th, 2022 in
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Say It Louder!: Black Voters, Voices & the Shaping of American Democracy by Tiffany Cross
Publisher: Amistad
Publication Date: July 6, 2020
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Publisher’s Description:
A breakout media and political analyst delivers a sweeping snapshot of American democracy and the role that African Americans have played in its shaping while offering concrete information to help harness the electoral power of the country’s rising majority and exposing political forces aligned to subvert and suppress black voters.
Black voters were critical to the Democrats’ 2018 blue wave. In fact, 90 percent of black voters supported Democratic House candidates, compared to just 53 percent of all voters. Despite media narratives, this was not a fluke. Throughout US history, black people have played a crucial role in the shaping of the American experiment. Yet still, this powerful voting bloc is often dismissed as some “amorphous” deviation, argues Tiffany Cross.
Say It Louder! is her explosive examination of how America’s composition was designed to exclude black voters but paradoxically would likely cease to exist without them. With multiple tentacles stretching into the cable news echo chamber, campaign leadership, and black voter data, Cross creates a wrinkle in time with a reflective look at the timeless efforts endlessly attempting to deny people of color the right to vote – a basic tenet of American democracy.
And yet as the demographics of the country are changing, so, too, is the electoral power construct – by evolution and by force, Cross declares. Grounded in the most up-to-date research, Say It Louder! is a vital tool for a wide swath of constituencies.
Black voters are consistently taken for granted in America. It’s assumed that they will vote for Democratic candidates so those candidates don’t really make much of an effort to include them in their platforms. At the same time, Republicans make every effort to keep them from voting. Then when they don’t turn up to vote, people wonder why.
Say It Louder! is an examination in the media’s role of both how Black people are represented in the media and how they are represented in politics. Why is it that we break down every sub-group of white voters when analyzing how they voted on issues – educated, rural, suburban, etc. but we assume that all Black people think and vote the same way?
Cross writes a lot about assumptions that people make when thinking about Black voters. For instance, it’s just assumed that Black people will vote for any Black candidate running. But they are strategic, just like any other voting bloc. This is why a lot of them supported Biden in the 2020 presidential primary over Corey Booker or Kamala Harris – they wanted a candidate they felt confident could beat Trump and weren’t confident that the rest of America would vote for a Black woman. And some of them had other issues with Kamala as a candidate.
Cross shows us how time and time again, the media ignores Black issues in favor of centering white people. I think that all white women should read her section on feminism and how white women leave Black women out of the conversation while still expecting their support.
Cross writes in a conversational style and she’s pretty funny, making this a quick read even though it’s packed with great information. I think Say It Louder! will be eye-opening for a lot of readers who may take what the media puts out there at face value. Highly recommended.
October 6th, 2022 in
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Beartown by Fredrik Backman
Publisher: Atria Books
Publication Date: April 25, 2017
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Publisher’s Description:
By the lake in Beartown is an old ice rink, and in that ice rink Kevin, Amat, Benji, and the rest of the town’s junior ice hockey team are about to compete in the national semi-finals—and they actually have a shot at winning. All the hopes and dreams of this place now rest on the shoulders of a handful of teenage boys.
Under that heavy burden, the match becomes the catalyst for a violent act that will leave a young girl traumatized and a town in turmoil. Accusations are made and, like ripples on a pond, they travel through all of Beartown.
This is a story about a town and a game, but even more about loyalty, commitment, and the responsibilities of friendship; the people we disappoint even though we love them; and the decisions we make every day that come to define us. In this story of a small forest town, Fredrik Backman has found the entire world.
Beartown is a small Swedish town that is centered on hockey. Hockey is what brings everyone together and the sense of community is strong. Children start playing hockey before they even start elementary school. Then one of the players is accused of something violent and horrible and it becomes clear how precarious the community really is. What are they without hockey? What are they willing to sacrifice to win?
Beartown starts slow but that’s because Fredrik Backman takes his time to introduce the reader to all of the characters and to Beartown itself. All of the characters are incredibly well-developed. I don’t think the aftermath of the violent event would have been as impactful if we didn’t know the people and the town as well as we do by the time the event actually happens.
Although this is a novel about a sport, it’s not really a “sports novel”. It’s more about morality and the culture of toxic masculinity. It’s not predictable the way some sports books can be. I read this for my book club – it made for a good discussion. I was surprised to learn after I finished it that this is the first in a series. It has also been made into a limited series streaming on HBO max.
I’ve actually already read the next book in the series, Us Against You. Stay tuned for that!
October 3rd, 2022 in
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The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalila Harris
Publisher: Atria Books
Publication Date: June 1, 2021
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Publisher’s Description:
Twenty-six-year-old editorial assistant Nella Rogers is tired of being the only Black employee at Wagner Books. Fed up with the isolation and microaggressions, she’s thrilled when Harlem-born and bred Hazel starts working in the cubicle beside hers. They’ve only just started comparing natural hair care regimens, though, when a string of uncomfortable events elevates Hazel to Office Darling, and Nella is left in the dust.
Then the notes begin to appear on Nella’s desk: LEAVE WAGNER. NOW.
It’s hard to believe Hazel is behind these hostile messages. But as Nella starts to spiral and obsess over the sinister forces at play, she soon realizes that there’s a lot more at stake than just her career.
A whip-smart and dynamic thriller and sly social commentary that is perfect for anyone who has ever felt manipulated, threatened, or overlooked in the workplace, The Other Black Girl will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very last twist.
Nella Rogers is an editorial assistant at Wagner books and the only Black employee. While in her cubicle one day, she smells her favorite hair product and looks up to see Hazel, the new editorial assistant, who is also Black. Nella is excited to finally have an ally at work – someone who understands the microaggessions and racism she faces in the office every day.
Around the same time that Hazel starts, Nella starts getting notes telling her to leave Wagner. And some other things happen that make her question if Hazel is really her friend or not. Is Hazel the one leaving the notes? It seems like Hazel is sabotaging Nella’s career at times but is she?
The Other Black Girl has been described as a cross between The Devil Wears Prada and Get Out. I think it has strong The Stepford Wives vibes as well. I was actually hoping it would be creepier based on the hype when it first came out.
There is another plotline that takes place in the past that was a little confusing but by the time it converged with the present day, it made sense. I think this is a book where you discover more about it each time you read it. I may read it again someday and see if that’s true.
The author was an editorial assistant at a major publishing house so I’m assuming that her portrayal of what it’s like for a Black person to work at one is accurate. It’s not surprising – the publishing industry has a long way to go in terms of equal treatment of employees and authors of color. I’d be interested to hear what her former employer thinks of the book!
September 29th, 2022 in
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In the Woods by Tana French
Publisher: Viking
Publication Date: May 17, 2007
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Publisher’s Description:
As dusk approaches a small Dublin suburb in the summer of 1984, mothers begin to call their children home. But on this warm evening, three children do not return from the dark and silent woods. When the police arrive, they find only one of the children gripping a tree trunk in terror, wearing blood-filled sneakers, and unable to recall a single detail of the previous hours.
Twenty years later, the found boy, Rob Ryan, is a detective on the Dublin Murder Squad and keeps his past a secret. But when a twelve-year-old girl is found murdered in the same woods, he and Detective Cassie Maddox—his partner and closest friend—find themselves investigating a case chillingly similar to the previous unsolved mystery. Now, with only snippets of long-buried memories to guide him, Ryan has the chance to uncover both the mystery of the case before him and that of his own shadowy past.
Back in 1984, twelve-year old Adam Ryan was found in the woods, scared, with blood soaked shoes and no memory of how he got there. The two friends he was playing with are missing. Their bodies have never been found and no one knows what happened to them.
Back in 1984, twelve-year-old Adam Ryan was found in the woods, scared, with blood-soaked shoes and no memory of how he got there. The two friends he was playing with are missing. Their bodies have never been found and no one knows what happened to them.
Now Adam goes by Rob Ryan and after going away to an English boarding school after the incident in his childhood, he’s a detective on the Dublin Murder Squad. No one he works with knows that he’s the boy from the woods. Now the body of a 12-year-old girl who was raped and murdered is found in the same woods. Rob and his partner Cassie have been assigned to the case. Will Rob’s childhood trauma in the woods affect his handling of the girl’s case? Is her case related to what happened to him and his friends?
I’m not a huge crime reader but I know Tana French is really popular so I thought I’d give one of her books a whirl. In the Woods got off to an incredibly slow start. I didn’t get to that “can’t put it down” phase that I expect to have when reading a mystery or thriller until over 200 pages in. I almost gave up several times and did actually set it aside to read another book and then came back to it. The last 200 pages or so flew by – I read them in just a couple of days! It took me weeks to read the first part though.
I enjoyed Rob and Cassie as a team, especially their rapport when interrogating suspects. Their personal relationship made me cringe a bit, but I think it was supposed to. Overall, the characters were really well-developed. I thought the plot was great – there were twists and surprises, but it was just such a slow build. It’s hard to say much more without spoiling something. If this book were just 150 pages shorter, I would have rated it higher.
Oh, the other thing that you should know is that not all the loose ends are resolved at the end of the book, and from a cursory internet search, it doesn’t look like they are resolved in subsequent books in the series either. This actually didn’t bother me even though I am usually one to like everything tied up in a nice little bow at the end of a book.
September 26th, 2022 in
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All Boys Aren’t Blue by George M. Johnson
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Publication Date: April 28, 2020
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Publisher’s Description:
In a series of personal essays, prominent journalist and LGBTQIA+ activist George M. Johnson explores their childhood, adolescence, and college years in New Jersey and Virginia. From the memories of getting their teeth kicked out by bullies at age five, to flea marketing with their loving grandmother, to their first sexual relationships, this young-adult memoir weaves together the trials and triumphs faced by Black queer boys.
Both a primer for teens eager to be allies as well as a reassuring testimony for young queer men of color, All Boys Aren’t Blue covers topics such as gender identity, toxic masculinity, brotherhood, family, structural marginalization, consent, and Black joy. Johnson’s emotionally frank style of writing will appeal directly to young adults.
(The jacket of the book uses he/him/his pronouns for George but they switched to using they/them pronouns in 2020 so that’s what I’ll be using in this review and why I changed them in the Publisher’s Description.)
Like I said the other day, I chose to read All Boys Aren’t Blue for my Banned Books Week read because it was challenged by parents in several school districts in my area. I’m so glad I chose it!
All Boys Aren’t Blue is George M. Johnson’s manifesto and coming-of-age memoir about growing up Black and queer. Even as a small child, George felt different. They didn’t feel like a typical boy so they thought maybe they were a girl. They didn’t see a place for an effeminate male in their culture. They spent recess with the girls, double Dutch jump roping until one day they accidentally discovered they were a naturally good football player and that they liked to play football as much as they liked jumping rope. Then George was even more confused. As George got older, they figured out that they weren’t sexually attracted to girls but they weren’t ready to admit to themselves that they were attracted to boys.
Teenagers going through the same struggles as Johnson will appreciate their unflinchingly honest perspective. Their recounting of an episode of sexual abuse they experienced as a child was particularly brave. This is actually one of the excerpts that the parent groups trying to get this book banned have taken out of context and circulated. The fact that these groups would equate this scene with pornography makes it clear to me that they have not read the book. It’s not erotic at all and they should be ashamed of themselves for cheapening Johnson’s experience with their ignorance.
The other passage parents are upset about is when Johnson shares about losing their virginity – in college by the way. How many YA books feature young, white straight people losing their virginity or just plain out having sex repeatedly? Where’s the outcry? Judy Blume’s Forever, anyone? And again, this is not porn. This is a person being vulnerable and sharing an experience that teenagers will read and know that they are not alone in being scared and unsure. I can only imagine the impact it has on Black LGBTQ youth to read George’s story and know that not only are they not the only one who has struggled and been confused but that someone who went through it came out the other side a successful adult person. Representation matters.
Straight teens (and adults) should read this book too. It’s important to read about other people’s experiences and be able to see the world through a different lens. Books like this one can be powerful tools to build empathy and break down barriers.
Highly recommended.
September 22nd, 2022 in
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I’m late getting this out but there are still some really great events left this week. I’m going to attend the Breaking Bans webinar later today:
American Library Association, Unite Against Book Bans and Banned Books Week Coalition Announce Events for September 18-24
CHICAGO — Libraries nationwide will join the American Library Association to highlight increased censorship of books during this year’s Banned Books Week, taking place September 18-24, 2022. The American Library Association (ALA), Unite Against Book Bans (UABB) and the Banned Books Week Coalition are planning extensive programming during the week, bringing together authors, librarians and scholars to share perspectives on censorship.
Thousands of schools, bookstores and libraries throughout the country will be sponsoring local events during the 40th Banned Books Week with a special focus on the recent sharp rise in book bans. In 2021, ALA recorded 1,597 individual book challenges or removals — the most attempts to ban books since ALA began tracking more than 20 years ago. The theme of the 2022 Banned Books Week is “Books Unite Us. Censorship Divides Us.”
Readers can enter the Unite Against Book Bans #ASKingAboutBans Banned Books Week giveaway, to win a signed copy of A.S. King’s Attack of the Black Rectangles by recording a brief video sharing how they’ve experienced censorship or spoken out to oppose it.
The Dear Banned Author letter-writing campaign encourages readers to write, tweet or email banned or challenged authors, sharing what their stories mean to them, raising awareness of censorship and supporting the power of words and those who write them.
Monday, September 19
Free Expression for Young People, 1pm ET
Authors who have written about or defended intellectual freedom will examine censorship of books for young people and discuss young people’s freedom to read:
- Jarrett Dapier, librarian and author of the upcoming release Wake Now In The Fire
- Ryan Estrada, co-author of graphic novel Banned Book Club
- Varian Johnson, author of Playing the Cards You’re Dealt and The Parker Inheritance
- Donalyn Miller, award winning educator and reading advocate
Tuesday, September 20
National Voter Registration Day:
With the freedom to read on the ballot this November, #UniteAgainstBookBans is urging voters to register, know who and what is on their ballot and find out where candidates stand. Resources about voter registration and engaging with candidates on the freedom to read are available at uniteagainstbookbans.org
A Conversation With Author Jennifer Niven, 6pm ET
New York Times-bestselling author Jennifer Niven discusses the implications of censorship for teens and their communities whenbook bans happen. Many of Niven’s books have been targeted for removal and censorship in multiple locations.
Wednesday, September 21
Breaking Bans: A Celebration of Challenged Books, 2pm ET
Authors and historians who have experienced first-hand censorship of their works will share their experience with censorship, how their books have changed the lives of individual readers in schools and libraries, and how librarians and communities can fight back. Dr. Emily Knox, editor of the Journal of Intellectual Freedom and Privacy and author of Foundations of Intellectual Freedom (ALA Neal-Schuman), will moderate the conversation.
- Nikole Hannah-Jones, author of The 1619 Project
- Renée Watson, author of The 1619 Project: Born On The Water
- Kim Johnson, author of This Is My America
- Kyle Lukoff, author of Different Kind of Fruit
How to Fight Book Bans in Your Community, 2:30pm ET
Experienced activists who have been defending the right to read in their communities talk about community organizing and how you can fight book bans in your community.
- Cameron Samuels, Banned Books Week Youth Honorary Chair, student activist from Katy, Texas
- Jen Cousins and Stephana Ferrell, co-founders of the Florida Freedom to Read Project
- Carolyn Foote, co-founder of Freedom Fighters
Thursday, September 22
What’s the Role of the Higher Ed Community in Supporting Intellectual Freedom?, 11am ET
ALA and SAGE Publishing bring together intellectual freedom experts to explore bans and restrictions on the rise and the role members of the academic community can (and should) play as censorship increasingly becomes institutionalized:
- Aaisha Haykal, College of Charleston’s Avery Research Center for African American History and Culture
- Emily Knox, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and editor of the Journal of Intellectual Freedom and Privacy
- John Burgess, University of Alabama’s School of Library and Information Studies
- Shannon Oltmann, University of Kentucky
Practical Strategies for Defending Books in Your Library, 1pm ET
Drawing on ripped-from-the-headlines censorship challenges, four experienced library workers will provide practical strategies and resources that library workers can use to defend challenged materials:
- Moni Barrette, President, ALA Graphic Novel & Comics Round Table
- Jamie Gregory, Upper School Librarian, Christ Church Episcopal School
- Val Nye, Library Director, Santa Fe Community College
- Jack Phoenix, Manager of Collection Development and Technical Services at Cuyahoga Falls Library and Brodart’s Graphic Novel Selector
Freedom to Read: Fighting Book Banning and Censorship in Our Libraries, 7pm ET
Hartford (Conn.) Public Library and the Mark Twain House & Museum will host a discussion of book banning trends since the 1885 publication of Mark Twain’s Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, which was immediately banned from some public libraries when released to the public.
- Deborah Caldwell-Stone, executive director of the Freedom to Read Foundation and ALA’s Office of Intellectual Freedom,
- Bridget Quinn, Hartford Public Library CEO
Intellectual Freedom & You: A Banned Books Week webinar for library supporters, 7pm ET
Memorial Hall, Tewksbury and other libraries in Massachusetts will host a webinar on how library users can effectively support libraries, library workers, and free expression, featuring Martin Garnar, director of the Amherst College Library and editor of the Intellectual Freedom Manual. Tenth Edition (ALA Editions).
A public list of local Banned Books Week events nationwide is available on bannedbooksweek.org/events
About the American Library Association
The American Library Association (ALA) is the foremost national organization providing resources to inspire library and information professionals to transform their communities through essential programs and services. For more than 140 years, ALA has been the trusted voice for academic, public, school, government, and special libraries, advocating for the profession and the library’s role in enhancing learning and ensuring access to information for all. Visit ala.org for more information.
About Banned Books Week
Banned Books Week is an annual event celebrating the freedom to read. Banned Books Week was launched in 1982 in response to a sudden surge in the number of challenges to books in schools, bookstores and libraries. It highlights the value of free and open access to information and brings together the entire book community — librarians, booksellers, publishers, journalists, teachers, and readers of all types — in shared support of the freedom to seek and express ideas, even those some consider unorthodox or unpopular.
September 21st, 2022 in
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