Author: Ellen Zielinski Whitfield

Banned Books Week is the annual celebration of the freedom to read, and is typically celebrated during the final week of September. Banned Books Week 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 to express ideas, even those some consider unorthodox or unpopular.

To celebrate, Books Forward team members recommend some books that have been challenged throughout the years:

“I read “The Bluest Eye” by Toni Morrison for extra credit in English class when I was in high school. I chose it from a list of books that my teacher provided, not knowing much about the story or the author. I instantly fell in love with Toni Morrison’s writing, and I still have the original copy I bought all those years ago.”
– Angelle Barbazon

“I’d recommend “All Boys Aren’t Blue by George M. Johnson,” which is a YA memoir about Johnson’s experience being a queer, Black, person growing up in the south. I read this book when I was teaching in New Orleans, and I felt like the experiences that Johnson wrote about deeply reflected some of the experiences of my students. I think this book is SO important to get into the hands of young readers especially BIPOC and queer readers!”
– Layne Mandros

“Cheryl Rainfield’s book “Scars” allows young readers to explore heavy topics like queerness, trauma and abuse through a fictional lens — all topics some might find inappropriate, like the Texas legislator who tried to have Scars and 800+ other books banned in 2021. But I think it’s great there is a book for younger readers that touches on so many sensitive issues. Ignoring issues doesn’t make them go away; it only affirms the false idea that we should hide and be ashamed of our trauma. Rainfield’s writing encourages readers to explore the tough topics, rather than ignore them, and I think that’s an incredibly positive result.

“The Color Purple” by Alice Walker is an epistolary novel that is both heartbreaking and breathtaking in the way it describes three main relationships that define the protagonist, Celie. Celie and Shug are friends who blossom into lovers; Celie and Nettie are sisters who remain deeply connected despite living a world apart; and Celie and God are brought closer as Celie sheds her patriarchal understanding of religion. A thought-provoking read, and one of the OG additions to the queer canon, “The Color Purple” is made all the richer for it’s exploration of Black love.
– Jenn Vance

“The Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien is not technically banned, but definitely challenged (most fantasy books are because of their depictions of magic, which are always considered satanic and occult).
“The Lord of the Rings is of course a fundamentally religious and Catholic work” – J.R.R. Tolkien
It’s kind of interesting to read that Tolkien’s work was burned at a church and his books considered “satanic.” The truth was Tolkien was a very religious man and incorporated religious themes and imagery throughout the book. He also ignited the faith of one of the most religious authors of the time: C.S. Lewis. Before writing the very Christian-based series of children’s books, The Chronicles of Narnia, C.S. Lewis was an atheist. It wasn’t until J.R.R. Tolkien discussed religion with the author that he was inspired to return to Christianity.

The Lord of the Rings has been a favorite of mine and not because of its Christian themes. At its heart, it is a coming-of-age story and a journey for more than one of its characters to step beyond their comfort zone, explore into the unknown, and with a little bit of help from their friends, fight against the demons (literal and figurative) that want to conquer this world. It’s a story I return to every once in a while because it reminds me that despite everything feeling like it’s falling apart around me, I can always be reassured that there will be hope and light beyond the darkness.
– Simone Jung

“The Glass Castle is a memoir by Jeannette Walls, and one of my favorite books that I read when in high school. Walls tells us about her dysfunctional childhood that included her free-spirit mother and fearless father, who at first, Walls didn’t realize was an alcoholic. Walls and her siblings learned to take care of themselves during their father’s stints away and their mother’s decision to avoid raising her family. The Glass Castle is now banned in several school districts due to “strong sexual situations, alcoolism, and abuse”, but it was an eye opening, inspiring story for my adolescent self.”
– Corrine Pritchett

“Some schools have started banning The Shape of Thunder by Jasmine Warga – it deals with gun violence and middle-graders trying to grapple with that, and it’s very powerful.”
– Elysse Wagner

“One of my favorite picture books to read with my kiddo is “A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo” by Jill Twiss because it’s an adorable story about two boy bunnies falling in love and a figure in power who challenges their right to be together.

And though “The Kite Runner” by Khalid Hosseini was undoubtedly a difficult read, banning it removes an important story from the world.”
– Ellen Whitfield

Nothing gets me quite in my feels like a great Maggie Rogers song, and I’ve loved everything I’ve heard off of her new album, Surrender, coming out July 29. To celebrate, we paired some books with our favorite songs!

“I found myself when I was going everywhere”

Back In My Body – This Time Tomorrow by Emma Straub

On the eve of her 40th birthday, Alice’s life isn’t terrible. She likes her job, even if it isn’t exactly the one she expected. She’s happy with her apartment, her romantic status, her independence, and she adores her lifelong best friend. But her father is ailing, and it feels to her as if something is missing. When she wakes up the next morning she finds herself back in 1996, reliving her 16th birthday. But it isn’t just her adolescent body that shocks her, or seeing her high school crush, it’s her dad: the vital, charming, 40-something version of her father with whom she is reunited. Now armed with a new perspective on her own life and his, some past events take on new meaning. Is there anything that she would change if she could?

“I never loved you fully in the way I could”

Fallingwater – Red At the Bone by Jacqueline Woodson

As it explores sexual desire and identity, ambition, gentrification, education, class and status, and the life-altering facts of parenthood, Red at the Bone most strikingly looks at the ways in which young people must so often make long-lasting decisions about their lives—even before they have begun to figure out who they are and what they want to be.

“It all works out in the end
Wherever you go, that’s where I am”

That’s Where I Am – People We Meet On Vacation by Emily Henry

Poppy and Alex. Alex and Poppy. They have nothing in common. She’s a wild child; he wears khakis. She has an insatiable wanderlust; he prefers to stay home with a book. And somehow, ever since a fateful car share home from college many years ago, they are the very best of friends. For most of the year they live far apart—she’s in New York City, and he’s in their small hometown—but every summer, for a decade, they have taken one glorious week of vacation together. Until two years ago, when they ruined everything. They haven’t spoken since.

“Can’t hide what you desire once you’re on it
Can’t fake what you can’t break up with, ooh”

Want Want – Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Daisy is a girl coming of age in L.A. in the late sixties. The sex and drugs are thrilling, but it’s the rock ‘n’ roll she loves most. By the time she’s twenty, her voice is getting noticed, and she has the kind of heedless beauty that makes people do crazy things. Also getting noticed is The Six, a band led by the brooding Billy Dunne. On the eve of their first tour, his girlfriend Camila finds out she’s pregnant, and with the pressure of impending fatherhood and fame, Billy goes a little wild on the road. Daisy and Billy cross paths when a producer realizes that the key to supercharged success is to put the two together. What happens next will become the stuff of legend.

“I was walking through icy streams
That took my breath away…
And I walked off an old me”

Alaska – The Unsinkable Greta James by Jennifer E. Smith

Right after the sudden death of her mother, and just before the launch of her high-stakes sophomore album, Greta James falls apart on stage. The footage quickly goes viral and she stops playing, her career suddenly in jeopardy—the kind of jeopardy her father, Conrad, has always predicted. Months later, Greta—still heartbroken and very much adrift—reluctantly agrees to accompany Conrad on the Alaskan cruise her parents had booked to celebrate their fortieth anniversary. It could be their last chance to heal old wounds in the wake of shared loss.

“Would you hear me out
If I told you I was terrified for days?
Thought I was gonna break”

Light On – Must Love Books by Shauna Robinson

When Nora landed an editorial assistant position at Parsons Press, it was her first step towards The Dream Job. But after five years of lunch orders, finicky authors, and per my last emails, Nora has come to one grand conclusion: Dream Jobs do not exist. With her life spiraling, Nora gets hit with even worse news. Parsons is cutting her already unlivable salary. Unable to afford her rent and without even the novels she once loved as a comfort, Nora decides to moonlight for a rival publisher to make ends meet…and maybe poach some Parsons’ authors along the way.

“If I was who I was before
Then I’d be waiting at your door
But I cannot confess I am the same”

Give A Little – The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett

The Vignes twin sisters will always be identical. But after growing up together in a small, southern black community and running away at age sixteen, it’s not just the shape of their daily lives that is different as adults, it’s everything: their families, their communities, their racial identities. Many years later, one sister lives with her black daughter in the same southern town she once tried to escape. The other secretly passes for white, and her white husband knows nothing of her past. Still, even separated by so many miles and just as many lies, the fates of the twins remain intertwined. What will happen to the next generation, when their own daughters’ storylines intersect?

“And every time our fingers touched
I felt like it would be too much
And too little to hang on to”

Say It – We Do What We Do In the Dark by Michelle Hart

Mallory is a freshman in college when she sees her for the first time at the university’s gym, immediately entranced by this elegant, older person, whom she later learns is married and works at the school. Before long, they begin a clandestine affair. The woman absolutely consumes Mallory, who is still reeling from her mother’s death a few months earlier. Mallory retreats from the rest of the world and into a relationship with this melancholy, elusive woman she admires so much yet who can never be fully hers. Years after the affair has ended, Mallory must decide whether to stay safely in this isolation, this constructed loneliness, or to step fully into the world and confront what the woman meant to her, for better or worse.

“So many things that I still wanna say
And if devotion is a river, then I’m floating away”

Love You For A Long Time – Normal People by Sally Rooney

Connell and Marianne grew up in the same small town, but the similarities end there. At school, Connell is popular and well liked, while Marianne is a loner. But when the two strike up a conversation—awkward but electrifying—something life changing begins. A year later, they’re both studying at Trinity College in Dublin. Marianne has found her feet in a new social world while Connell hangs at the sidelines, shy and uncertain. Throughout their years at university, Marianne and Connell circle one another, straying toward other people and possibilities but always magnetically, irresistibly drawn back together.

“The knife of insight tore its way in me
A brash collision without sympathy”

The Knife – Woman of Light by Kali Fajardo-Anstine

Luz “Little Light” Lopez, a tea leaf reader and laundress, is left to fend for herself after her older brother, Diego, a snake charmer and factory worker, is run out of town by a violent white mob. As Luz navigates 1930s Denver, she begins to have visions that transport her to her Indigenous homeland in the nearby Lost Territory. Luz recollects her ancestors’ origins, how her family flourished, and how they were threatened. She bears witness to the sinister forces that have devastated her people and their homelands for generations. In the end, it is up to Luz to save her family stories from disappearing into oblivion.

“ ‘Cause people change overnight
Things get strange, but I’m alright”

Overnight – These Impossible Things by Salma El-Wardany

It’s always been Malak, Kees, and Jenna against the world. Since childhood, under the watchful eyes of their parents, aunties and uncles, they’ve learned to live their own lives alongside the expectations of being good Muslim women. Malak wants the dream: for her partner, community, and faith to coexist happily, and she wants this so much she’s willing to break her own heart to get it. Kees is in love with Harry, a white Catholic man who her parents can never know about. Jenna is the life of the party, always ready for new pleasures, even though she’s plagued by a loneliness she can’t shake. But as their college years come to a close, one night changes everything when harsh truths are revealed.

“Take me through this wild time
Stay with me through all of time”

On + Off – Seven Days In June by Tia Williams

Eva Mercy is a single mom and bestselling erotica writer who is feeling pressed from all sides. Shane Hall is a reclusive, enigmatic, award-winning novelist, who, to everyone’s surprise, shows up in New York. When Shane and Eva meet unexpectedly at a literary event, sparks fly, raising not only their buried traumas, but the eyebrows of the Black literati. What no one knows is that fifteen years earlier, teenage Eva and Shane spent one crazy, torrid week madly in love. While they may be pretending not to know each other, they can’t deny their chemistry—or the fact that they’ve been secretly writing to each other in their books through the years.

“Oh, I could feel the darkness
Wrapping all its arms in mine
Oh, I could feel the world was turning”

Past Life – Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel

When Gaspery-Jacques Roberts, a detective in the black-skied Night City, is hired to investigate an anomaly in the North American wilderness, he uncovers a series of lives upended: The exiled son of an earl driven to madness, a writer trapped far from home as a pandemic ravages Earth, and a childhood friend from the Night City who, like Gaspery himself, has glimpsed the chance to do something extraordinary that will disrupt the timeline of the universe.

“Feeling all I’ve ever known
Fall away and letting go
Oh come out of the darkness”

Retrograde – Circe by Madeline Miller

In the house of Helios, god of the sun and mightiest of the Titans, a daughter is born. But Circe is a strange child—not powerful, like her father, nor viciously alluring like her mother. Turning to the world of mortals for companionship, she discovers that she does possess power—the power of witchcraft, which can transform rivals into monsters and menace the gods themselves.
Threatened, Zeus banishes her to a deserted island, where she hones her occult craft, tames wild beasts and crosses paths with many of the most famous figures in all of mythology, including the Minotaur, Daedalus and his doomed son Icarus, the murderous Medea, and, of course, wily Odysseus.

I don’t know about you, but I can’t for Season 2 of Only Murders in The Building! Watching all of the episodes in season 1 won’t take too long, so here are some great books to read if you are looking for more of the hijinks, mystery, and unlikely friendship that the show does so well.

The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman

The first title that came to mind was this hilarious murder mystery novel that takes place in a retirement village. Four septuagenarians get to take their true crime club to the next level when a local developer is found dead. Whether the female cop with her first big case wants the help or not, they are at her disposal as more bodies begin to drop. The mystery itself is great, but what really makes the book are the eccentric characters (reminiscent of Charles and Oliver) you can’t help but love.

​​A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder by Holly Jackson

This book is for the Mabel lovers out there as it follows another girl who loves true crime. Pippa Fitz chooses to do her final year proect on a local murder case from five years prior, but the more she digs, the more dangerous it gets for her. A great murder plot with a determined female protagonist that Mabel would most likely be friends with.

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

If you enjoyed those flashback scenes to secrets and partying that led to Oscar being wrongfully convicted of Zoe’s murder, you’ll love this book about four rich kids with something in their past they want to keep hidden. This book’s description: “A group of four friends—the Liars—whose friendship turns destructive,” is very reminiscent of Mabel’s Hardy Boys gang. Complicated relationships, deception, and life-altering decisions are at the root of both of these groups of friends and the book itself is quite the page-turner.

The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton

While the show deals with only murders in the apartment building, this book deals with only the murder in Blackheath Manor. Aiden is suddenly at the mercy of his own wit, as he finds that Evelyn Hardcastle will die every day until he can identify her killer and break the cycle. You get to see through the eyes of all the suspects and crazy characters as he wakes up in a different body each day. Much like the show, it will keep you guessing until the end and you’ll have almost as many theories as Charles, Oliver, and Mabel pin up on their murder board.

A Man Called Ove by Fredrick Backman

If you love the tone of the show, you will love this book about a curmudgeonly old man named Ove who finds his world turned upside down when a boisterous young family moves in next door. I honestly think Steve Martin would make a wonderful Ove. Much like you grow to love Charles more as you get his backstory, the same is true for Ove. It’s funny and heartwarming and has the energy that makes it feel like the story could exist in the same world as the show takes place.

Finlay Donovan is Killing It by Elle Cosimano

This book is a little different from the show in that instead of solving murders, the main character is doing the killing. A writer who is struggling to hold her life together and come up with a good book idea for her publisher, stumbles into becoming a hit woman and hilarity and ridiculousness ensues. Lots of twists and turns in this book and perfect if you were a fan of Jan.

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie

A classic for a reason, this Agatha Christie novel takes place in a big house on an island instead of an apartment building in New York, but the stakes of finding out who is doing the killing are the same. A who dunnit done perfectly, this book will have you changing yoour mind constantly and then you’ll still be surprised by who it turns out to be. Clever like the show, and a must read for anyone who calls themselves a mystery fan.

The Word is Murder by Anthony Horowitz

An unlikely duo, Detective Hawthore and the author Anthony Horowitz who he hires to write about his life end up working together to figure out who killed Diana Cowper, the mother of a famous actor. What makes the story even more strange is that she walked into a funeral parlor on the morning of her murder to plan her own service. If you love the show, you love unlikely friends solving crimes and that is eactly what this book brings to the table.

 

I have been watching Bob’s Burgers for almost a decade, and I’m so excited that there’s finally going to be a movie! To celebrate, I made a list of the books I think each character would enjoy.

Bob
Entangled Life: How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds & Shape Our Futures by Merlin Sheldrake – Bob loves gardening, and he frequently gets overly involved in hobbies, so I think he’d enjoy this deep dive into mushrooms.

Taste by Stanley Tucci – I can see Bob listening to this one as he cooks and taking inspiration for new burgers of the day.

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry Into Values by Robert M. Pirsig – He’d try several times to start this one, but once he finally gets into it, he won’t be able to put down this classic about fatherhood.

Linda
Chocolat by Joanne Harris – A book about a mom who runs a chocolate shop? Linda’s all in.

The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan – Linda will definitely try to get the family to take up mahjong after reading this book about mothers and daughters.

Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake by Alexis Hall – Linda lives for a good romance once, and she’s extra into this one because it involves a baking competition!

Tina
Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion – Tina has a very intense fascination with zombies and this book is right up her alley.

Kiss and Tell by Adib Khorram – Just like every other preteen girl, Tina loves boy bands.

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han – Tina can definitely relate to being in love with several boys at once, and doing embarrassing things to get them to notice her.

Gene
Stand Up, Yumi Chung by Jessica Kim – Gene loves being the center of attention and making people laugh.

Sarai Saves the Music by Sarai Gonzalez and Monica Brown – Always in possession of his trusty keyboard, Gene is making up a soundtrack to his own life.

Summer of A Thousand Pies by Margaret Dilloway – The title of this book sounds like a perfect summer project for Gene.

Louise
Ghost Squad by Claribel Ortega – Despite being the youngest Belcher kid, Louise is often the leader of a gang of kids looking for trouble.

The Dragon Warrior by Katie Zhao – A book about a girl warrior in charge of an army of dragons is basically a “how to” list for Louise.

Tristan Strong Punches A Hole in the Sky: The Graphic Novel by Kwame Mbalia – The graphic novel is perfect for a younger kid who still loves pictures, and Louise would appreciate Gum Baby’s snark.

Teddy
Fix Her Up by Tessa Bailey – Teddy isn’t ashamed to read romance, especially not one that involves a handywoman.

The Guncle by Steven Rowley – “Uncle” Teddy can always be counted on to take care of the Belcher kids in an emergency.

Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe by Fannie Flagg – A book about loyal friends and a diner is very applicable to Teddy’s personality.

Mort
Mostly Dead Things by Kristen Arnett – A family named the Mortons that run a funeral home? Enough said.

Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders – It feels like Mort would enjoy this book focused on the in-between of life and death.

The End of Your Life Book Club by Will Schwalbe – It’s perfect for a man who is more comfortable with death than most other people.

One of the things I love most about spring is being reminded that flowers exist and seeing them every time I turn my head. This seems to be a trend in book covers lately as well, with florals blooming on many new releases – here are some of my favorite recent designs.

Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan: A captivating debut fantasy inspired by the legend of the Chinese moon goddess, Chang’e. A young woman’s quest to free her mother pits her against the most powerful immortal in the realm and sets her on a dangerous path – where choices come with deadly consequences, and she risks losing more than her heart.

Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender: A revelatory YA novel about a transgender teen grappling with identity and self-discovery while falling in love for the first time.

The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix. E Harrow: In the early 1900s, a young woman embarks on a fantastical journey of self-discovery after finding a mysterious book in this captivating and lyrical debut.

When We Were Birds by Ayanna Lloyd Banwo: A mythic love story set in Trinidad, Ayanna Lloyd Banwo’s radiant debut introduces two unforgettable outsiders brought together by their connection with the dead.

Sense and Second-Degree Murder by Tirzah Price: In this second book of the Jane Austen Murder Mystery series, Tirzah Price takes readers for another fun, murderous romp through one of Austen’s beloved novels.

Still Life by Sarah Winman: A captivating, bighearted, richly tapestried story of people brought together by love, war, art, flood, and the ghost of E. M. Forster, by the celebrated author of Tin Man.

With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo: A dazzling novel in prose about a girl with talent, pride, and a drive to feed the soul that keeps her fire burning bright.

This Wicked Fate by Kalynn Baron: Would you tempt even the most dangerous fate to save the ones you love? Briseis has one chance to save her mother, but she’ll need to do the impossible: find the last fragment of the deadly Absyrtus Heart.

Cazadora by Romina Garber: Romina Garber weaves together Argentine folklore and what it means to be undocumented in a timely, intimate, and emotionally powerful narrative.

If You Leave Me by Crystal Hana Kim: An emotionally riveting debut novel about war, family, and forbidden love–the unforgettable saga of two ill-fated lovers in Korea and the heartbreaking choices they’re forced to make in the years surrounding the civil war that still haunts us today.

The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea by Axie Oh: Deadly storms have ravaged Mina’s homeland for generations. Her people believe the Sea God, once their protector, now curses them with death and despair. In an attempt to appease him, each year a beautiful maiden is thrown into the sea to serve as the Sea God’s bride, in the hopes that one day the “true bride” will be chosen and end the suffering.

The Two Lives of Sara by Catherine Adel West: In this story of hope, resilience and unexpected love, a young mother finds refuge and friendship at a boarding house in 1960s Memphis, Tennessee.

A Prayer For the Crown-Shy by Becky Chambers: After touring the rural areas of Panga, Sibling Dex (a Tea Monk of some renown) and Mosscap (a robot sent on a quest to determine what humanity really needs) turn their attention to the villages and cities of the little moon they call home.

A Magic Steeped in Poison by Judy I. Lin: For Ning, the only thing worse than losing her mother is knowing that it’s her own fault. She was the one who unknowingly brewed the poison tea that killed her – the poison tea that now threatens to also take her sister, Shu. When Ning hears of a competition, she travels to the imperial city to compete. The winner will receive a favor from the princess, which may be Ning’s only chance to save her sister’s life.

The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner: Hidden in the depths of eighteenth-century London, a secret apothecary shop caters to an unusual kind of clientele. But the apothecary’s fate is jeopardized when her newest patron, a precocious twelve-year-old, makes a fatal mistake, sparking a string of consequences that echo through the centuries.

The Four Humors by Mina Seckin: This wry and visceral debut novel follows a young Turkish-American woman who, rather than grieving her father’s untimely death, seeks treatment for a stubborn headache and grows obsessed with a centuries-old theory of medicine.

Tokyo Dreaming by Emiko Jean: When Japanese-American Izumi Tanaka learned her father was the Crown Prince of Japan, she became a princess overnight. Her parents have even rekindled their college romance and are engaged. Izumi’s life is a Tokyo dream come true. Only… Her parents’ engagement hits a brick wall. And on top of it all, her bodyguard turned boyfriend makes a shocking decision about their relationship.

The Bone Orchard by Sara A. Mueller: A fascinating whodunit set in a lush, gothic world of secrets and magic – where a dying emperor charges his favorite concubine with solving his own murder, and preventing the culprit, which undoubtedly is one of his three terrible sons, from taking control of an empire.

Buy Yourself the F*cking Lilies by Tara Schuster: By the time she was in her late twenties, Tara Schuster was a rising TV executive. By all appearances, she had mastered being a grown-up. But beneath that veneer of success, she was a chronically anxious, self-medicating mess. This is the story of Tara’s path to re-parenting herself and becoming a “ninja of self-love.”

Together We Burn by Isabel Ibañez: A lush, enchanting standalone fantasy inspired by medieval Spain, filled with romance, adventure and just the right amount of danger.