Congratulations to the winners of our 7th Annual Art Contest!
Online Winners – “Ernie on the Porch” by Mollie Patrinec “Flamingo” by Jaelynn Estevez
Tied for Most In-Person Vote Winner – “Messi-Goat-#10” by Ronan Partrick “seRENity” by Angelica Hodek
And, our Grand Prize Winner with the most combined votes is… “Still Here” by Danielle Snyder
Danielle’s work will stay on display at the store through the end of the year, and you’ll see all five designs on limited-edition store bookmarks in the near future!
Thank you to everyone who submitted art and everyone who voted.
“This Southern noir crime novel creeps right over the line into horror as the sheriff of a small Southern town hunts for a serial killer who is targeting adolescent black children. Titus, the Sheriff, has his hands full while trying to identify the murderer and deal with the secrets and sins of his hometown. As the mystery deepens, and the murders become more horrific, it’s a wild, wild ride!”
Banned Books Week celebrates the resilience of literature, the fact that often the same books that are challenged and banned are, in other circumstances, recommended, proudly displayed, and most importantly, read and enjoyed.
Not every book is for every reader, but look closely at those who think they should get to decide across-the-board what’s appropriate for everyone. Increased book banning efforts, and new legislation have created an atmosphere that chills. Make no mistake. This is about control – control over what young people can read, learn, and even think. (Although no one can ban thoughts – yet.)
Until recently most book challenges were brought by parents or community members concerned about specific books, but in the last few years book bans have become a state-sponsored agenda in which multiple titles are being challenged at the same time, often cavalierly.
“These efforts to chill speech are part of the ongoing nationwide ‘Ed Scare’ — a campaign to foment anxiety and anger with the goal of suppressing free expression in public education,” write the authors of PEN America’s Banned in the USAreport. “As book bans escalate, coupled with the proliferation of legislative efforts to restrict teaching about topics such as race, gender, American history, and LGBTQ+ identities, the freedom to read, learn, and think continues to be undermined for students.”
Book banning is also happening in public libraries. The American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom documents a record number in the more than 20 years they have been tracking book banning efforts. “ALA recognizes all of the brave authors whose work challenges readers with stories that disrupt the status quo and offer fresh perspectives on tough issues,” said the president of ALA. “Closing our eyes to the reality portrayed in these stories will not make life’s challenges disappear.”
Last year over 40% of all book bans occurred in school districts in Florida. But if you aren’t a K-12 student looking for The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison, I Am Ruby Bridges, a picture book about Ruby’s life, or any one of thousands of other titles, you might not believe book bans happen here.
They do.
And always, kids are the real losers. The very child who may need a book to find a character just like them, to know they’re not alone, loses that chance. They lose the chance to read widely. They lose the chance to discover, to find out, to question.
What about the teachers and librarians whose jobs are threatened, who can lose their pensions? How do we protect them? The fear is palpable. “I’ve worked 35 years to bring books and young readers together,” a visiting school librarian from another district told us. “And now I can lose my pension if I don’t comply. Well, I’m not going to do it. I’m going to keep standing up for the kids. It’ll be hard if I lose my job and pension but I’ll figure out another way to earn a living.” Another told us, “I just close my classroom door and continue teaching the way I always have, by bringing in the best books I can. And if the day comes when I can’t teach that way, I’ll quit. I hate to lose my pension. I’ve worked long and hard for that. But I’m not going to give in to this craziness.”
But how many can afford to say that?
What about here in Key West?
Key West is not Florida. This is commonly heard among those of us living in the Keys, especially in Key West. We feel isolated not only geographically but also politically from anything we find alarming on the mainland. Life can be good in the Key West bubble but it’s important to not lose track of what’s happening in our own back yard.
We understand that during the past summer recess, media specialists in the district were required to go through their school libraries to determine that all materials were in compliance with new, and stricter, state and district guidelines. The outcome of that process is unclear. We have had sharply conflicting reports from parents, teachers and administrators. We doubt that we have seen an end to this process. But whatever is happening, this is exactly why we all should be paying attention. Don’t rest on the assumption that book bans aren’t happening where you live.
Here’s what you can do:
If you have a child in a public school ask them what they’re reading in school and if they get to visit the media center regularly.
Check out the online catalogs of schools in your district (most are posted publicly on the school’s website. In Florida they’re required to make media center catalogs open to the community). If a book from a banned books list appears available don’t stop there. Do what you can to make sure it’s actually on the shelf and available to students.
Check to make sure new books are available. Counties are able to “ban by omission.” Though books may not have been pulled, ask about titles they’re choosing not to include in the school library.
Teachers and media specialists need and deserve our support in standing up for their students and their right to read, even those books that make some uncomfortable. Any one book could be the key that saves a young person’s life. The threats to these educators have escalated – their jobs are at stake, their pensions could be lost, and felony charges can be brought against them. It’s a nightmare, as one teacher said.
Many of the things we are doing in store for Banned Books Week are fun – we’ll have Banned Books Bingo cards, a special bookmark, stickers, and interesting and informative displays – but we also hope you’ll think about what would be missing in your life if you couldn’t pick up and read the books of your choice.
So speak out! You’re not alone. There are groups and organizations who can help you whether you’re a teacher, librarian, parent, student, or a reader who cares about others having free access to books and learning. You’re busy. We know that. But if you read just one of these websites and if you can become a member, you’re helping.
UniteAgainstBooksBans.org: This grassroots anti-censorship campaign has social media tools to show your support, background information, and resources on how to oppose book banning locally.
Banned Books Week is an opportunity to think about the importance of access to a wide range of ideas and representation in books across many sectors of society, including schools and public libraries. It is also an opportunity to read great books that you might not have otherwise picked up.
Here are some recommendations from the store staff of books that have been on various banned and challenged lists.
Robin loved Julián Is a Mermaid by Jessica Love. “The art for this book is beautiful, and wonderfully complements the story of an imaginative little boy getting to do something he loves.”
Riona recommends The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V. E. Schwab, which features a rash deal with the devil that unfolds in surprising and moving ways.
Lori says The Color Purple by Alice Walker will have you rooting for Celie, Shug, Sofia and Nettie, rejoicing in their triumphs.
Don’t be fooled by the title, or its listing as fiction. This is a brilliant biography of the greatest genius of the 20th century, John von Neumann, inventor of Game Theory and the modern digital computer (known by the acronym MANIAC, which his wife Clara called the JONNYAC)that was first used to design the hydrogen bomb.
Rather than taking us dryly through von Neumann’s endless accomplishments, many of which are beyond explaining to laymen, the author beguiles us with the voices of the genius’s celebrated scientific colleagues (who either loved or hated him) and his wives (who felt the same). We thus become witness not only to von Neumann’s triumphs but also his peccadillos and (in)humanity. The book is full of vignettes, from private meetings to marital quarrels, which give it a fascinating and compelling life.
He was a consultant to the Manhattan Project, drifting in from time to time and quickly solving problems other mental giants had been struggling with, and went on to a fruitful career with the U.S. Defense Department. But the problem that challenged him most was trying to generalize the process uniting biology, technology, and computer theory to explain all self-replicating phenomena, from life on earth to the possibility of machines doing the same.
He died at only fifty-six from cancer, in 1959, in a special suite provided for him by the government at Walter Reed Hospital, surrounded by dignitaries and attendants, hoping to catch the last pearls of wisdom from the fruitful mind of this singular polymath.
When asked what it would take for a machine to think and behave like a human being, he said it would have to “understand language, to read, to write, to speak. And it would have to play like a child.” But his death preceded the development of the truly powerful computers of today (still operating on the fundamental principles of MANIAC) that are doing just that. The very first project of DeepMind, a leading Artificial Intelligence machine, was playing Go, the game universally acknowledged to be the most intellectually difficult, and beating its human master. (The book concludes with a dramatic blow-by-blow description of this five game challenge match.)
When asked how he could bring together his ideas on computers and self-replicating machines with those on the brain and mechanisms of thought, von Neumann offered: “Cavemen created gods, I see no reason why we shouldn’t do the same.”
Don’t miss this book if you’re interested in biography, science or even science-fiction, because both were part of von Neumann’s world.
If you loved Nathan Hill’s first novel, The Nix, as much as I did and you’ve been waiting seven long years for his next, as I have, rejoice! You won’t be disappointed. This brilliant storyteller has done it again.
At its core Wellness is “a bittersweet, poignant, witty novel about marriage and the pursuit of health and happiness. Expansive, tender, a reflection of life in America in the 21st Century. Yet it’s also a sendup of gentrification, toxic internet culture, modern parenting.” It even explores, briefly, polyamory and what a scene that is!
The story had me laughing while cringing when Jack and Elizabeth put their money down on a Forever home. It reminded me of my early marriage when friends asked one another, Is this your first house or your final house? If only we’d known then what was ahead of us.
We come to know Jack and Elizabeth intimately, from being young and madly in love to being married lovers, to twenty years down the road when they have an eight year old son. We are on this journey with them, getting to know the families they left behind to the family they become.
Wellness is compelling and quirky and yes, funny, because this is Nathan Hill writing, but it sometimes broke my heart. It goes deep but never tries too hard, never shouts look at me! There are a few tricky diversions along the way. Don’t let them stop you. If they do, skip them and come back later. But don’t skip anything having to do with Jack or Elizabeth. They are unforgettable characters.
There’s a lot to think about, a lot to remind us of who we were and how we became who we are. If I belonged to a book club I’d want us to read this book, to talk about this book.
Ultimately “this stunning novel of ideas never loses sight of its humanity.” I’m quoting Publishers Weekly here because there’s no way I can say it better. Except to tell you I’m going to read it again. Starting now.
Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15 – October 15) with a book that showcases one of many threads in the tapestry that represents the diverse history, cultures, traditions and experiences of Hispanic and Hispanic American people.
Here are a few of the books we’re reading and recommending:
The Wind Knows My Name by Isabel Allende – “A beautifully written novel about leaving and loss and families we find and make for ourselves. My own family stories echoed throughout the pages,” writes former store staffer Allison.
My Time Among the Whites by Jennine Capó Crucet – In prose that is both fearless and slyly humorous, My Time Among the Whites examines the sometimes hopeful, sometimes deeply flawed ways in which many Americans have learned to adapt, exist, and—in the face of all signals saying otherwise—perhaps even thrive in a country that never imagined them here.
Store and fan favorite Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s new book Silver Nitrate brings her signature brand of horror to the story of a cursed film.
From the bestselling, National Book Award–winning author Elizabeth Acevedo comes her first novel for adults, the story of one Dominican American family told through the voices of its women as they await a gathering that will forever change their lives, Family Lore.
Now in paperback, the YA novel that Roxane Gay called “F***ing outstanding.”– Juliet Takes a Breath by Gabby Rivera.
What Happened to Ruthy Ramirez by Claire Jimenez is a vivid family portrait, in all its shattered reality, exploring the familial bonds between women and cycles of generational violence, colonialism, race, and silence, replete with snark, resentment, tenderness, and, of course, love.
Hola Papi: How to Come Out in a Walmart Parking Lot and Other Life Lessons by John Paul Brammer – The first time someone called John Paul (JP) Brammer “Papi” was on the gay hookup app Grindr. At first, it was flattering; JP took this as white-guy speak for “hey, handsome.” But then it happened again and again…and again, leaving JP wondering: Who the hell is Papi?
Soon, this racialized moniker became the inspiration for his now wildly popular advice column “¡Hola Papi!,” launching his career as the Cheryl Strayed for young queer people everywhere—and some straight people too. JP had his doubts at first—what advice could he really offer while he himself stumbled through his early twenties? Sometimes the best advice comes from looking within, which is what JP does in his column and book—and readers have flocked to him for honest, heartfelt wisdom, and more than a few laughs.
Invisible by Christina Diaz Gonzalez & Gabriela Epstein (Illustrator) – For fans of New Kid and Allergic, a must-have graphic novel about five very different students who are forced together by their school to complete community service… and may just have more in common than they thought.
Find more picks for Hispanic Heritage Month in store.
Celebrating 25 Years Judy Blume’s Iconic Novel Gets a New Look
Summer Sisters, Judy Blume’s iconic novel of female friendship, is celebrating its 25th anniversary with a beautiful new cover – and it’s the August 2023 Read with Jenna book pick!
Jenna writes, “It’s about that time in your life where you’re trying to figure out who you’re going to be. It is the perfect, perfect beach read but that doesn’t mean that it’s an easy read.” Read more of what Jenna says at https://www.today.com/shop/read-with-jenna.
Plus, keep an eye out for more news about the Summer Sisters tv show, currently in development.
You can order a signed copy of Summer Sisters from us. All copies ordered after this date (8/1/23) will feature the new cover. If you want the book signed, please note in your order comments that you’d like a signed copy. Due to volume, it will be signed only. Also, please note, signed copies ordered now will not ship until November 2023 at the earliest.
Perilous Times by Thomas D. Lee (Ballantine Books), picked by bookseller, Riona Jean
Do you want to fight climate change, battle a dragon, reminisce about lost friends, fight the patriarchy, and more!? Try this new Arthurian Legend on for size.
Bookseller Riona Jean picked Perilous Times as the August featured staff pick because it mixed her favorite genres, fantasy and dystopias.
“It remixes the Arthurian Legend in a new and dynamic way,” she writes.
“Mariam is an ecowarrior with FETA, fighting to save the planet from extreme climate change and rising sea levels. Kay is one of King Arthur’s knights, bound to a resurrection tree by Merlin, called to action whenever Britain is in trouble. With great swaths of the UK under water and major cities falling into ruin, Mariam and Kay stumble their way through trying to do the right thing. Watch out for Lancelot, corporate greed, and a nefarious plot to resurrect Arthur getting in the way!”
“Witty, insightful, and poignant, Perilous Times perfectly marries fantastical legend and dystopian new world order.”
Ed note: Riona read Perilous Times on her Kobo Clara 2E, it’s waterproof, made with recycled plastic, and we have them at the bookstore!
We’ve had the pleasure of working with Alexander this summer, and before we say goodbye, we’d like you all to get to know a little more about him.
Q: Tell us a little bit about yourself.
A: Hi! My name is Alexander Wilson, and I’ve had the pleasure of working at Books & Books over my summer break back home in Key West. I’m going into my sophomore year of college at the University of Florida in Gainesville, where I’m studying English as well as French & Francophone Studies. On top of that, I’m big on music as well as creative writing. I’ve been coming to B&B since high school, and I’d wanted to work at the store for a little while. Fortunately, the opportunity arose this summer, and hopefully more summers in the future. I knew I would fit in at the store because while I enjoy reading & writing, I absolutely love to interact with other people who feel the same way.
Q: What was your favorite thing about working at the store?
A: By far my favorite part of working at the store has been the environment – the people, the books, and the general air of life that surrounds writing. My fellow employees have been nothing short of wonderful. I feel insanely lucky to have been around such remarkable people in such a remarkable space. Moreover, B&B has customers coming from all over the world. Interacting with teachers, authors, book lovers, and even just those relieved to be out of the heat has taught me a great deal about how much a single work could change someone’s life. Being surrounded by other people’s stories is the closest we can truly get to understanding one other, and this was what surprised me: the close-knit community of reading and writing. It is such a beautiful thing, and I’m so grateful to be a part of it.
Q: What kinds of things do you typically read?
A: Although I’d like to widen my literary taste, much of what I currently read is what I would consider “realistic fiction.” While there are a few memoirs and series of essays that I’ve greatly enjoyed, I’ve found that I feel the most seen and learn the most through a good story. For me, books centered on complex human relationships help me to figure out those in my own life and inspire me to try to capture the massive emotions someone like me feels at eighteen.
I can’t say that I have an all-time favorite book just yet, but there are three I can definitively say will always be special in my life: The Color Purple by Alice Walker made me realize just how moving a novel could be and got me back into reading after a long slump period all through adolescence. The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller put on display a kind of love that was novel (haha) and inspired me to believe that there are good people out there waiting to be met. Finally, The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton is a testament that it doesn’t matter if you’re in your teens or your 50s, your voice matters and you can write something worth hearing. I deeply recommend each of these books and keep them very close to my heart.
