Links to explore ...

With the holiday weekend here, I wanted to share a couple of "reading related," fun ideas:

Video:  https://www.pbs.org/independentlens/documentaries/free-for-all/ streaming online through July 27th is a PBS documentary which explores the American Public Library system from the “Free Library movement” in the 19th century to the present, “when many libraries find themselves caught in the crosshairs of the culture wars.”  30 second preview available. 

Summer Reading Guide for children … https://www.readingrockets.org/books-and-authors/booklists/summer-reading-booklists/summer-reading-guide-2025  from Reading Rockets which is such a FABULOUS resource. 

Banned Together compiled by Ashley Hope Pérez

It’s not often that one sees a title with starred reviews from Booklist, Kirkus, Publishers Weekly and School Library Journal, but a new book intended for high school students achieved just that. Dedicated to “brave readers everywhere who persist when cowards try to erase stories and communities from libraries,” BANNED TOGETHER is edited by Ashley Hope Pérez and illustrated by Debbie Fong. In order to chronicle “Our Fight for Readers' Rights,” Pérez has compiled contributions (essays, poetry, drawings) from sixteen authors like Ellen Hopkins, Kyle Lukoff, and Nikki Grimes whose work has been challenged or banned. Also included is a short graphic novel type story about The Vandegrift Banned Book Club in Leander, Texas. Booklist says, “this collection movingly reminds readers of the power they have against censorship.” Check out a copy today. 

Another tool for restricting information is to limit library funding as evidenced in a recent executive order intent on dismantling "the only federal agency dedicated to sustaining the entire museum and library ecosystem in the United States." Please see the American Libraries Association page of FAQs about the recent executive order impacting IMLS, The Institute of Museum and Library Services. The ALA suggests several actions to take now. More information is available through news stories such as those found at The Conversation, the Associated Press, and NPR or from other advocacy groups like EveryLibrary.

Kate & Frida by Kim Fay

KATE & FRIDA by Kim Fay is a novel told in letters between a Seattle area bookseller and a wannabe war correspondent living in Paris, France. Set in the 1990s, the musings reflect the time period (war in Yugoslavia) as well as the life stage of the writers (twenty-something women with plenty of insecurities). These two connected accidentally and have never met, but they share impressions of family (including a beloved grandfather, Bumpa), career goals, and significant others; throughout, readers are able to share in their growing maturity (“We owe people who are suffering to savor everything good and beautiful we have in our lives. Not that we should deny bad things or turn our backs on them. But if suffering is contagious, then why isn't joy?”). This is a very quick and largely comforting read – like having a couple of close friends sharing happenings and memories, plus questions and even favorite foods, that are important to them. The illusions to many books and authors (just a sampling: Laurie Colwin (Happy All the Time), Mary Oliver, Judy Blume, Ramona books by Beverly Cleary, Madeline L’Engle (A Circle of Quiet), Wallace Stegner) is an added pleasure. Booklist describes KATE & FRIDA as an “immensely wise and enjoyable novel,” I concur and here is a brief example: bookseller Kate says, “I think being able to recommend the right book at the right time is one of the most important things I can do with my life.” Or “Every book is a conversation we can have around the world. Every book is a conversation we can have with ourselves.” 

Please also look for Fay’s Love & Saffron which is also told through letters, although set in the 1960s.

Work in Progress by Kat Mackenzie

WORK IN PROGRESS by Kat Mackenzie is a very light, romance novel which features glimpses of a tour around the United Kingdom, complete with a reading list (see below) associated with each of the stops. That alone would be great fun, but readers observe the bickering turned attraction between a recently jilted young American woman named Alice Cooper (who loves lists) and the tour bus driver and organizer, Scotsman Robbie Brodie. Their adventures in castle ruins and local pubs are often funny and somewhat absurd, but that just adds to the escapist appeal of this debut travelogue rom-com. WORK IN PROGRESS received a starred review from Booklist (“Readers will enjoy the abundant gentle humor, intergenerational friendships, and armchair travel—as well as the slow burn of a tasteful romance.”) Suggested for fans of Katherine Center and Beth O’Leary.

Reading List: Notes from a Small Island by Bill Bryson; The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown; The Waverly Novels by Sir Walter Scott; Dracula by Bram Stoker; Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte; A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare; The Liar by Stephen Fry; The Adventures of the Second Stain by Arthur Conan Doyle; Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K. Jerome; Persuasion by Jane Austen; Sixpence House: Lost in a Town of Books by Paul Collins; Under Milk Wood by Dylan Thomas; Selected Poems by Robert Burns; Whisky Galore by Compton Mackenzie; To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf; Outlander by Diana Gabaldon; 44 Scotland Street by Alexander McCall Smith; With numerous references to Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding; And a couple of bonus titles: Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus by John Gray and Water for Elephants by Sarah Gruen. 

Best Books 2024 – lists and lists

Here (in no particular order) is our compilation of some of the “Best of the Year” lists, updated for 2024:

National Public Radio provides “Books we Love,” 1000s of titles (from 2024 and earlier years) and shows their covers in a fun, very interactive way. Please do not forget to consult the Indie Next Lists - recommendations from independent booksellers – like this one for book groups.

More ideas from National Book Awards or public libraries like Chicago Public Library, Lake Travis Public Library Staff made a video featuring their favorites,  and New York Public Library published the year’s 10 most checked out books. Keep searching – these lists often lead to others with suggestions for all ages.

Best of 2023 from School LibraryJournal; Looking specifically for Young Adults, several titles are on my “to read” list, including: Kill Her Twice by Stacey Lee. I have already enthusiastically reviewed others on the list like Everything We Never Had by Randy Ribay; This Book Won’t Burn by Samira Ahmed offers fictionalized perspective on book banning trends. And there are state award lists to consult, too, like the Texas Lariat Reading List, its 2025 suggestions should be coming soon.

Plus professional choices from Publishers Weekly – I am excited because I am not very familiar with their Top 10 or Mystery choices (other than Osman’s We Solve Murders) so plenty of new ideas to explore. Kirkus Reviews also has a variety of lists; I won’t be forgetting the Science Fiction choice The Stardust Grail by Yume Kitasei.  One of the Kirkus mystery choices that I liked: Horowitz’s Close to Death, plus my 2025 TBR list is going to include the Attica Locke books; and The Unwedding by Ally Condie. A separate Kirkus list is provided for best young adult books.

And Goodreads has its Choice Awards across several categories for 2024: https://www.goodreads.com/choiceawards/best-books-2024 This is always a “go to” list since reader votes and word of mouth have built interest. Amazon, of course, offers its own list of editor choices for 2023. LibraryReads: primarily for public libraries, this group has stopped issuing overall favorites, but  has an impressive archive with Top 10 choices by month.

Name a publication and you are likely to find a best book list. For example, The Washington Post offers several lists (including 50 notable works of fiction or non-fiction). The Wall Street Journal has a best of 2024 list for books, including The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt. See 100 notable books of the year from The New York Times; there is also a top ten list on their site.

Plenty of overlap and some delightful selections on these many lists. … Ah, so many books and so little time. Once again: Happy Reading!!! Enjoy!!!  

What You Are Looking For Is In The Library

WHAT YOU ARE LOOKING FOR IS IN THE LIBRARY by Michiko Aoyama (translated by Alison Watts) is an international bestselling novel that profiles five library patrons: a womenswear sales assistant, an accountant with big dreams, a working Mom seeking balance, an underemployed young man and a recently retired one; all are seeking purpose and fulfillment in some form. Sayuri Komachi is the librarian in Tokyo who makes reading recommendations and transforms the life trajectories of her patrons in this gentle story. She answers their requests (e.g., books on the game, Go, or on software coding), but also encourages connections with unrelated titles. This short novel is a joy to read. Aoyama speaks to readers as her characters reflect:

“If you wait for the right time to make connections, it might never happen, but if you show your face around, talk to people and see enough to give you the confidence that things could work out, then ‘one day’ might turn into ‘tomorrow’.”

“I'm still searching. Searching for somewhere I can be accepted as I am. Just one place is all I need. Somewhere to be at peace.”

“How much had my own thinking limited my opportunities?”

“Is this the secret then? If you throw yourself into doing the things you like, it's possible to live a happy, healthy life...”

“You told me that if you only ever look in front, your view will be quite narrow. So whenever I feel stuck or don't know what to do, I try to broaden my view. Relax my shoulders and walk sideways like a crab.”  

“My plan is to appreciate every new day. And take a wide view of things.”   

Believe in the World by Amy Gash and Elise Howard

BELIEVE IN THE WORLD by Amy Gash and Elise Howard is a surprisingly small book (roughly 5 x 7 or the size of a large greeting card), but it packs a big punch. Touted as “an inspiring and delightful illustrated collection of quotations” and subtitled “Wisdom for Grown-Ups from Children's Books,” this work offers hours of enjoyment and reflection. The authors, an executive editor at Algonquin books and a literary agent, have done an excellent job of updating the earlier collection, What the Dormouse Said. Including “classic” references (e.g., Ramona Forever by Beverly Cleary) as well as more contemporary ones (e.g., All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven and I am Malala by Malala Yousafzai), the authors loosely group the quotes under five headings: How to be Good in the World, How to be Joyful, How to be Strong, How to be at Home, and How to Believe in the World. I love it, I love the quotes, and I love the mentions of favorite titles like Nancy Farmer’s The Sea of Trolls, Mitali Perkins’ You Bring the Distant Near, Christopher Paul Curtis’ Bud, Not Buddy, or Julie Andrews Edwards’ The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles, to name a very few. I could go on and on. Put BELIEVE IN THE WORLD on your book shelf next to works like Matt Haig’s The Comfort Book, Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Gmorning, Gnight! and Charlie Mackesy’s The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse. Better yet – enjoy searching out and reading the many, many high quality and hopeful children’s books referenced in BELIEVE IN THE WORLD. A new favorite quote: “This day will never, no matter how long you live, happen again. It is exquisitely singular.” ~Naomi Shihab Nye

That Librarian by Amanda Jones

THAT LIBRARIAN by Amanda Jones is a LibraryReads selection for August. Look at the cover – do you see a metaphorical caped crusader? In this text, Jones, an award-winning librarian and former President of the Louisiana Association of School Librarians, describes “The Fight Against Book Banning in America” and the harassment she endured after speaking out at a local public library meeting in support of keeping LGBTQ books in the collection. I had the privilege recently of seeing Jones on a School Library Journal TeenLive! panel with Debbie Levy, author of A Dangerous Idea about the Scopes Trial roughly 100 years ago. Sadly, those long ago attempts to restrict student access to ideas offer many parallels to today’s efforts to ban books. For example, much of this discussion is happening in small communities, but has a national impact. Both authors were stressing how together we can overcome these prejudices and how concerned citizens, especially librarians, authors, and book publishers, are working hard to protect young people and their right to read. Jones has been extremely brave in publicizing her story and her efforts to hold her detractors accountable in court. She says, “everyone in the United States should stand up for intellectual freedom and stand against censorship…” and offers suggestions (see especially chapter 15) for local action in your own community. Follett’s Titlewave offers a free, downloadable Reading Group Guide for THAT LIBRARIAN; one suggested eye-opening exercise is to list books that have had an impact on your life and then research whether they have been banned or challenged. Jones references many supportive groups, some of which are PEN America (exhibit coming soon to Austin’s Henry Ransom Center); EveryLibrary, and the American Library Association which offers resources at Unite Against Book Bans. Library Journal gave a starred review to THAT LIBRARIAN, calling it a “essential reading” and Booklist- in another starred review - said, “Jones is an inspiration to everyone combating book bans, and her memoir/guidebook should be available to all.” I concur.

The Secret Lives of Booksellers and Librarians

THE SECRET LIVES OF BOOKSELLERS AND LIBRARIANS by James Patterson and Matt Eversmann was described as “comfort food for bookworms” by Publishers Weekly. The authors have compiled a series of stories that touch on the importance of books and reading. There are so many words of wisdom here about book joy and the role of books in connecting people. One is from the Kelly Moore, librarian at the Carrollton Public Library near Dallas who comments on how libraries are “staffed with some of the most naturally curious people out there. Come in and ask a question, and we joke that we'll chase you out into the parking lot when we finally find the answer, even if it's a week later.” Another is from Sharon Perry Martin library director at University Park Public Library in Texas who tells about a day when she was about fifteen and her Mom confronted their public librarians, saying Sharon could take out any book she wanted: “From that point on, I get an adult card and can check out anything I want. It makes a big impact. So does my mother's taking ownership for raising me, as every parent should. She trusts me not to check out or read books that I'm not supposed to, just the ones that I want to read.” Carolyn Foote, the 2022 recipient of AASL Intellectual Freedom Award, reflects on an increasing number of book challenges and her work defending the right to read by creating the hashtag #FReadom. Martha Hickson, high school librarian in New Jersey, says, “I’m all about protecting children and their right to information.” This wonderful collection will help readers better understand what booksellers and librarians do, but more importantly, WHY they do it.

LIT by Jeff Karp

LIT: LIFE IGNITION TOOLS by Jeff Karp takes a look at how to “Use Nature's Playbook to Energize Your Brain, Spark Ideas, and Ignite Action.” Karp is a biomedical engineering professor at Harvard Medical School and MIT, an innovator and serial entrepreneur.  He obviously is a person with high energy and interest in pursuing new ideas and different ways of thinking. Some of the skills he stresses include “flip the switch,” “live for the questions,” and “get bothered.”  He quotes any number of experts like Temple Grandin or Sir Ken Robinson, and encourages readers to “be an active opportunist,” “get hooked on movement,” and “fall in love with practice.” Karp’s publishers say that LIT: LIFE IGNITION TOOLS “takes us off autopilot and helps us stay alert, present, and fully engaged in our lives.” For many readers Karp’s strategies and suggestions will not be intuitive and more specific action steps could have been helpful. This seems like a hard text to tackle and digest alone, but a group working together over an extended time could definitely have an impact on each other. Detailed notes and excellent references comprise roughly ten percent of the text – the bibliography is a fantastic reading list.