Sep 26 2018
Writing in The Washington Post, Ron Charles asks if we still need Banned Books Week? He concludes:
Far from it being dated, James LaRue (from the Office for Intellectual Freedom at the American Library Association) believes that Banned Books Week may be more relevant now than it’s been in a long time. "It’s not just about these quaint old books," he says. "It’s about speakers. It’s about displays and exhibits. It's about libraries as a center for civic debate." ...
"The censoriousness of our time is growing," LaRue warns. "It’s not just that we say we want to remove books; we don’t want people to voice in public opinions that someone else in the community might dislike."
Which is why, despite the imprecision of the terms "banned" and "challenged," I suppose I’m glad we have Banned Books Week. As LaRue argues, it encourages us to reflect on what we’re not discussing.
The House on Biscayne Bay
by Chanel Cleeton
As death stalks a gothic mansion in Miami, the lives of two women intertwine as the past and present collide.
The Flower Sisters
by Michelle Collins Anderson
From the new Fannie Flagg of the Ozarks, a richly-woven story of family, forgiveness, and reinvention.
The Funeral Cryer by Wenyan Lu
Debut novelist Wenyan Lu brings us this witty yet profound story about one woman's midlife reawakening in contemporary rural China.
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