Banned Books Week (Sept 30-Oct 6) is celebrating, for want of a better term, its 30th year!

Banning books has a long and ignoble history going back into the mists of time. Possibly the oldest known ban was against 5th century BC Greek philosopher Anazagoras who made the mistake of suggesting that the sun is "white hot stone and that the moon reflected the sun's rays" - which caused him to be exiled from Athens and all his writings burned.

Of course, through much of history it wasn't just the writings that got burned but the writers themselves. Indeed, it wasn't even necessary to put pen to paper to find oneself atop a bonfire, or other equally nasty fate - a word, a deed, or even the mere suspicion of a thought could have been enough. So, I suppose we should be grateful that in the USA today we've evolved from burning people to merely attempting to ban their books.

The history of book censorship in the USA began in 1873 when Anthony Comstock founded the New York Society for the Suppression of Vice. The target of the society's ire was primarily dime novels which the society believed enticed children to a life of crime and lust. Comstock died in 1915 and the society dwindled away until it was dissolved in 1950, after Comstock's successor retired.

Book banning and challenging saw a resurgence in the early 1980s, in 1982 to be specific, at the start of Ronald Reagan's presidency - an event which appears to have emboldened some to strike back at a grass-roots level at the liberalization of the 1960s and '70s.

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For the past seven years The National Book Foundation has honored five young fiction writers with its "5 Under 35" award. The recognition of the authors as rising stars in the world of books far outreaches the nominal $1000 monetary award. This year's five honorees have just been announced - each of them nominated by a previous National Book Award winner or finalist. Here are this year's 5 Under 5 honorees, with links to more about them and their books:

Claire Vaye Watkins, Battleborn, selected by Julie Otsuka, Fiction Finalist for The Buddha in the Attic, 2011

"Most of the stories in Claire Vaye Watkins's debut story collection, Battleborn, take place in the arid setting of Nevada. Both the cities and the desert are equally, if differently, inhospitable to the lonely, often damaged people who populate the pages of her stories. In this desolate environment, people can see trouble coming from miles away. And trouble seems to find them, whether in the form of overt threats or suppressed bad memories and ancient demons." - reviewed by Norah Piehl for BookBrowse.

Haley Tanner, Vaclav and Lena, Selected by Téa Obreht, Fiction Finalist for The Tiger's Wife, 2011, and 5 Under 35 Honoree, 2010

"I have fallen in love with Vaclav & Lena. I say this not for a lack of something more insightful, but because Haley Tanner's debut novel is simply so lovable. Her characters, quirky and vivid, are presented with the right mix of vulnerability and spunkiness, which quickly endears them to the reader. Upon finishing the novel, I was left feeling as though I had met good people - all flawed in some way and all full of good intentions." - reviewed by Elizabeth Whitmore Funk for BookBrowse

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Minutes before joining the snaking line outside Coolidge Corner theater in Brookline, my husband and I tucked into soft corn tacos and guacamole and even an elote (corn on the cob) at Boston's awesome Dorado restaurant. The 500-some people waiting in line were the lucky ones with tickets to a reading by my all-time favorite author, Junot Diaz.

Diaz joked around that Brookline Booksmith was one of many fine bookstores in the Boston area (he will do another reading for Harvard bookstore next week). "This city has many dealers," he joked.

While Diaz did do a couple of readings from his latest book, This is  How You Lose Her, he seemed to prefer answering questions from the audience and hearing about their experiences. His responses to all questions were as warm, thoughtful and kinetic as his fantastic prose is.

Diaz on being an immigrant: "Immigration sucks, man! Imagine coming from a place where you fit in, to one where you just stand out, to where it feels like there is this huge lesion on your face. It's especially hard on kids. You can probably hear these kids' collective shriek somewhere."

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A few weeks ago I got an email from Sarah asking advice on an all too common book club problem. She wrote:

"I started a book club about a year ago which has 14 members. The members make book recommendations every six months and then we vote on what books to read. It is expected that everyone rotate being a host and a discussion leader.

One member has not attended a meeting since late 2011, and doesn't even RSVP to let us know that she won't be attending (which we agreed was something we'd all do when we formed the group). I know she is not sick or traveling. Should I try to feel her out and ask if she wants to continue as a club member? Should our club care when members are no-shows and don't participate?"

I posted Sarah's question on BookBrowse's Facebook page and soon we had a couple of dozen thoughtful and helpful responses.

About three quarters felt that it's definitely appropriate to care about book club members who don't participate - with a number stating that attending is, quite simply, the first rule of book club!

The advice from those who felt it does matter fell into two camps:


Just drop her from mailing list:

About a third of those who considered non-participation an issue suggested that the member should just be removed from the mailing list. The sentiment of this group is summed up by Kirsten who writes, "I'd take her off the e-mail list. She obviously knows when the meetings are so she can always show up but if she's going to inconvenience people by not letting anyone know if she's coming, I'd just assume she can be equally inconvenienced by not being kept in the loop. If she then asks about the book for the next meeting or whatever, she could gently be reminded about the RSVP policy and told that people assumed she was no longer interested since she hasn't come or responded in so long."

Diana felt particularly strongly: "I definitely think your club should care about member no-shows. If you are a part of a group that meets regularly, there is a certain protocol that should be followed if you cannot make meetings. The courtesy of a phone call or email letting someone know you cannot make it or will be late is not too much to ask from someone. In fact, it is the respectful, courteous, correct thing to do. In my opinion, this person seems like they haven't the least bit of interest in your club, and should not be invited to any future club meetings."

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