banned books – Peaceful Reader

I’m so excited to share that I’ve already completed my 2024 Goodreads Challenge. I’ve read 68 out of 65 books. I feel so accomplished but along with that I realize it’s because I didn’t do some of the work projects around my house-I read instead! By the way the projects are still waiting. I spent my summer reading a lot of good elementary fiction for school and then in August I read a few great adult books as I was eating my way around Italy.

The Husbands by Holly Gramazio (2024): What a fun concept! Lauren returns to her London apartment to be greeted at the door by her husband, Michael, except she knows she is not really married. A strange cast of characters and the revolving door of her attic keeps this debut novel popping!

Husbands & Lovers by Beatriz Williams (2024): Single mom Mallory Dunne gets the dreaded phone call that her young son has eaten a poisonous mushroom at summer camp and her world turns upside down as she cares for her child. Interwoven in alternating chapters is the story of Hannah Ainsworth, a Hungarian refugee, married to a cold-hearted British diplomat. As Hannah and Mallory’s stories collide we learn the truth about the choices both women made to keep themselves safe.

In a Dark, Dark Wood by Ruth Ware (2015): A little wedding mystery to shake things up. Mystery writer Leonora is invited to a girl’s getaway in the English countryside. Her invite comes from an old university friend and Leonora cannot figure out why she’s actually been invited to this particular bridal shower. This kept me reading late into the night to figure out what was going on!

I read all three of these books on my Kindle app through Libby. I’m not been the biggest fan of reading on my phone because it just keeps me on my phone more and it is easy to get distracted but in this case it worked and I didn’t have to lug books around in my bags plus I could literally pull it out every time we were on the train, in an Uber, or at dinner one night when the conversation was beyond me.

The end of August brought a few more great reading choices and that is what’s pushed me over my final challenge numbers.

The Electric Kingdom by David Arnold (2021): My brother-in-law/SIL sent this to me for my birthday. It is a favorite of theirs and they’d shared about it on our family trip to Asheville. I loved that they just sent me their copy, dog-eared and loved. I loved Station Eleven and this one had similar vibes as a post-apocalyptic world set in New England. 20 years ago after infected flies have taken out most of the population. The young cast of characters left behind are charming survivors who know far too much about the world and are on hopeful quests to find more of what is possible in this new world.

Yellowface by R.F Kuang (2023): This story is a twisted tale of lies and let’s us in on the world of publishing. I read this after Japhy recommended it; she listens to a lot of books through Libby. June and Athena both want to be world-famous authors but Athena is the only one with a rising star. When June gets her chance she snags what, she feels, is rightfully hers. So well done-I loved it. I want to go back and read Kuang’s previous novel Babel.

Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld (2023): This is one of my BOTM club picks that languished on my to-be-read shelf and then one day in September I just picked it up and started it. I love a really good meet-cute and this one was well-done. Based on the whole Saturday Night Live comedy scene with Sally as an older writer on the show and Noah Brewster, a world famous singer/songwriter who happens to guest on the show. I loved learning about this comedy world and laughed throughout this book. It also touched me with it’s raw emotion about women as we age and how we are viewed by others.

Small Mercies by Dennis Lehane (2023): This is a riveting mystery set in 1970’s Boston’s Irish south side with a cranky, tough as nails narrator Mary Pat Fennessey as she searches for her missing daughter. The busing crisis to integrate schools takes center stage as Mary Pat tries to figure out what has happened to her daughter as well as questioning her own decisions and choices. Excellent writing.

Truly Devious series #1 & #2 by Maureen Johnson (2018/2019): Japhy recommended this series to me as well. This mystery, set in an exclusive Vermont school, flips between present with Stevie as our budding true crime detective trying to solve a kidnapping gone awry back in 1936. This young adult series is a quick and adventurous read and I’m looking forward to book 3.

Funny Story by Emily Henry (2024): Another romantic comedy set in Michigan with a cute twist on who is marrying who…? I like Henry’s writing and this story revolves around Daphne’s broken engagement to Peter and Daphne happens to be a children’s librarian! Fantastic and fun with some definite sexy moments; the sexy librarian rules!

What I’m reading now: Mosquitoland by David Arnold (bc of Electric Kingdom) and The Girl with the Louding Voice by Abi Dare. It’s also a great time to. pick up a banned book and give it a read.

I read quite a few great middle-grade fiction this year and before the month is over I wanted to share the best of those plus a handful of banned books from a variety of different lists that are worth reading. If you have young people to buy or recommend books these titles will be wonderful.

A Place to Hang the Moon by Kate Albus (2021) : This is my favorite historical fiction in 2023 because the story centers around close-knit siblings Anna, William, and Edmund after they are evacuated from London. They remember their deceased mother and wish for a permanent family in this small countryside village. The three of them make the best of it even during their hardest times, remaining true to their hopes for the future. I recently ordered another Kate Albus historical fiction, Nothing Else But Miracles, which centers on the Lower East Side of Manhattan during WWII.

The Last Mapmaker by Christina Soontornvat (2022) : This is a Thai-inspired fantasy with amazing world-building as 12-year-old Sai apprentices to the last mapmaker and ends up on a high-seas adventure to chart unknown lands. This story captured my attention throughout Sai’s journey. This author writes picture books, graphic novels, early chapter books as well as middle-grade novels.

Starfish by Lisa Fipps (2021) : In this realistic novel-in-verse Ellie is tired of all the fat jokes about her weight. She loves to swim and free float in her backyard pool. She has lists of rules she is not supposed to do like no eating in public. With the support of her father, and a new neighbor Ellie starts to feel comfortable with herself. This is a fantastic debut!

The Turtle of Michigan by Naomi Shihab Nye (2022) : This companion to The Turtle of Oman tells the story of Aref as he travels from Muscat, Oman to Ann Arbor, Michigan to be with his parents. He misses his grandfather back home yet he is excited about his new life. I loved both these stories and offer them up to students who want to learn more about other cultures.

The Midnight Children by Dan Gemeinhart (2022) : This book defies labeling; it’s part mystery, and realistic fiction, with a touch of magical realism. Ravani longs for neighbors and friends when one night as he looks out his bedroom window he sees a family move into the abandoned house across the street. Eventually, he is welcomed in by this mix of children and things begin to change for Ravani. I love Gemeinhart’s entire catalog of books!

Thirst by Varsha Bajaj (2022) : Minni and her family live in the poorest part of Mumbai where water from the pumps is often hard to get with long lines and shortages. When she takes over for her mother’s cleaning job in a high-rise apartment she is astonished to see water running freely from the taps for this other family. This is a very humbling book to show real economic disparity.

Rez Dogs by Joseph Bruchac (2021) : Set during the Pandemic this novel-in-verse tells the story of Malian, a young Wabanaki girl as she quarantines at her grandparents’ house on the reservation. She helps around the house, learns the old ways, and begins to communicate with an old stray dog. Bruchac does a wonderful job of weaving in the history of other pandemics the Native population has survived as well as government schools and reservation life. His WWII story, Code Talker, is one of my favorites.

School Trip by Jerry Craft (2023) : This beautifully done graphic novel is filled with micro-aggressions and life lessons like its predecessors New Kid and Class Act. The entire series should be required reading for humans. Riverdale Academy students Jordan, Liam, and Drew take a trip to Paris with their classmates. This would pair nicely with Dan Santat’s new graphic novel A First Time for Everything.

Along Came a Spider by James Patterson (2003) : Maggie Rose and a friend go missing from their private Washington DC school and Alex Cross comes in to work the case. This is the first in the Alex Cross series and I cannot find the banned book list I originally saw it on. It’s a gripping often gory tale.

Dry by Neal Shusterman (2018) : California draught causes teenager Alyssa to make life-and-death decisions for her family. This was intriguing and all too real.

Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe (2019) : Autobiographical graphic novel about the author’s journey to understand more about their own gender identity. This was such a personally told story I was gripped with how difficult it is when young people don’t feel comfortable in the prescribed norms we’ve conditioned ourselves to be. Writing/drawing this was a true act of bravery for Maia made even more difficult by hateful backlash. Listen to the NPR interview.

Heartstopper series by Alice Oseman (#1-4) (2020) : Charlie and Nick fall in love in this sweet graphic novel. I can understand why this was made into a Netflix series because it is a heartwarming tale of friendship and love between two very different teenage boys. Highly recommend for all humans as well.

As a librarian and compassionate human, I will continue to read more from any current banned books lists, and even though I’ve put myself on a book-buying ban I’ve used Libby and our wonderful public library. Before the new year, I did buy copies of a few young-adult banned books to stick in my little free library.

Tag: banned books

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