Calvin Crosby and Tara Lipsyncki at a previous event.

The King's English Bookshop in Salt Lake City, Utah, canceled a drag queen storytime yesterday morning due to a bomb threat on the bookstore's block. 

Store co-owner Calvin Crosby reported that all staff members, as well as drag queen Tara Lipsyncki, were safe. The bookstore remained closed for the rest of the day and staff were sent home with pay.

The event, which was scheduled to start at 11 a.m., would have benefited Brain Food Books, a nonprofit owned by the King's English, that distributes books to children and teens without access. After the cancellation, Crosby and Lipsyncki made matching donations to Brain Food Books.

While the storytime itself has not been rescheduled, the King's English is launching Lipsyncki's children's book Letter from the Queen, illustrated by Cherry Mock, on October 11. Crosby said the store will celebrate Lipsyncki's work and offer a storytime then.

Crosby noted that there were in fact two separate bomb threats made on Sunday, both of which targeted the bookstore. They were the first in the store's 46-year history.

Light Trap Books, which opened in 2020 in downtown Jackson, Tenn., will close September 30. Owner Lauren Smothers originally launched the bookshop at 202 West Lafayette Street, then relocated it to 300 E. Main Street two years later in a micro-retail space shared with Turntable Coffee Counter and Green Hawk Records. 

In a recent Facebook post, Smothers wrote: "Friends, I want to let you know that I'll be closing Light Trap at the end of September. This was a hard but necessary decision to make, both for personal and financial reasons. Owning and running a small business is not for the faint of heart. Burnout is very real, and I'm currently experiencing it. 

"Rather than push through, I want to take some time to rest and care for myself. Admitting this feels embarrassing, but y'all--from the beginning, I've been in the people business, not the book business. It's been such an honor to be a part of your lives and routines for the past three years, and to witness the community and companionship. I hope to return to bookselling at some point in the future. I still believe Jackson needs a good bookstore, and I'd love to contribute in some form or another. Here's to dreaming."

M. Judson Booksellers, Greenville, S.C., "has just undergone a major redesign of its interior space, including updates to its Camilla Kitchen cafe and bakery," the Greenville Journal reported. The new interior space features an expanded children's book section, a redesigned spot for stationery and journals, and more room in the cafe area, along with other updates.

In addition, a new mural by artist Sarah Farrar "highlights the hallway to the back of the old courthouse space where the children’s section now resides," the Journal noted. 

"We worked hard to bring some new surprises, and so many more books and delights into the store. Along with more COLOR," M. Judson Booksellers posted on Instagram, along with a video showcasing the changes. "This is your place: to sip coffee, to browse, to share ideas, and to be. Here’s to the seasons ahead!"

With ever more resonance because of the wave of book bannings in much of the country, Banned Books Week begins this coming Sunday, October 1, and runs until Saturday, October 7. With the theme this year "Let Freedom Read," the event unites librarians, booksellers, educators, authors, publishers, and readers. Banned Books Week is sponsored by the Banned Books Coalition, which includes PEN America, the American Library Association, the National Coalition Against Censorship, American Booksellers for Free Expression, the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, the Association of American Publishers, and others. Banned Books Week began in 1982.

The honorary chair is LeVar Burton, the first actor to hold this position. A lifelong literacy advocate, Burton was the host of the PBS children's series Reading Rainbow; hosts the LeVar Burton Reads podcast; and was executive producer of The Right to Read, a documentary that frames the literary crisis in the U.S. a civil rights issue. He is also the author of Aftermath, The Rhino Who Swallowed a Storm, and A Kids Book About Imagination.

LeVar Burton

Burton commented: "Books bring us together. They teach us about the world and each other. The ability to read and access books is a fundamental right and a necessity for life-long success. But books are under attack. They're being removed from libraries and schools. Shelves have been emptied because of a small number of people and their misguided efforts toward censorship. Public advocacy campaigns like Banned Books Week are essential to helping people understand the scope of book censorship and what they can do to fight it. I'm honored to lead Banned Books Week 2023."

On Wednesday, October 4, Burton will be in a live-streamed conversation with Da'Taeveyon Daniels, the youth honorary chair for Banned Books Week, about censorship and advocacy.

Another feature of the week is Let Freedom Read Day, Saturday, October 7, "a day of action against censorship." Opponents of book bannings are encouraged "to do at least one thing to defend the right to read and to speak on behalf of those who ensure access to information." That can include writing letters to or calling decision-makers such school and library administrators or elected representatives to buying in bookstores or checking out of libraries banned books to supporting free speech organizations on social media to attending school board, library board, and city council meetings.

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If anyone doubts the strength of the movement to ban and limit access to books, several recent reports show otherwise.

A PEN America report issued late last week called "Banned in the USA: The Mounting Pressure to Censor" found that the number of public school bans in the country increased by 33% in the 2022-23 school year compared to the previous school year. Altogether there were 3,362 book bans involving 1,557 unique titles during the 2022-23 school year, affecting the work of 1,480 authors, illustrators, and translators.

Among other findings:

Nearly half of all book bans (48%) during the 2022-23 school year deal with depictions of violence or physical abuse, including books that include sexual assault; 30% include characters of color and themes of race and racism; 30% represent LGBTQ+ identities; and 6% include a transgender character. More than 75% of the books banned are young adult books, middle grade books, chapter books, or picture books.

PEN America recorded 1,406 book ban cases in Florida, followed by 625 bans in Texas, 333 in Missouri, 281 in Utah, and 186 in Pennsylvania. Laws and tactics for banning books that emerged first in Florida are being replicated elsewhere. Some 63% of all book bans occurred in eight states with legislation that has either directly facilitated book bans or created the conditions for local groups to pressure and intimidate educators and librarians into removing books. These efforts have created dilemmas for school districts, forcing them either to restrict access to books or risk penalties for educators and librarians.

In the 153 school districts across the country that banned a book during the 2022-23 school year, 124 (81%) have a chapter or local affiliate nearby of one or more of the three most prominent national groups pushing for book bans--Moms for Liberty, Citizens Defending Freedom, and Parents' Rights in Education. These districts are where 2,912 (87%) of book bans have occurred.

On a positive note, PEN America cited "the continued growth in student pushback against book bans across the country. Youth resistance to book bans in numerous school districts has included protests, speaking out at school board meetings, and the establishment of national organizations dedicated to defending access to literature in schools."

Commenting on the report, PEN America CEO Suzanne Nossel said, "The toll of the book banning movement is getting worse. More kids are losing access to books, more libraries are taking authors off the shelves, and opponents of free expression are pushing harder than ever to exert their power over students as a whole. Those who are bent on the suppression of stories and ideas are turning our schools into battlegrounds, compounding post-pandemic learning loss, driving teachers out of the classroom and denying the joy of reading to our kids. By depriving a rising generation of the freedom to read, these bans are eating away at the foundations of our democracy."

And new preliminary data from the American Library Association's Office for Intellectual Freedom focuses on "the continued rise in attempts to censor books and materials in public, school and academic libraries during the first eight months in 2023." Among findings from the ALA:

During the period there were "695 attempts to censor library materials and services and documented challenges to 1,915 unique titles. The number of unique titles challenged has increased by 20% from the same reporting period in 2022, the year in which the highest number of book challenges occurred since ALA began compiling this data more than 20 years ago. Most of the challenges were to books written by or about a person of color or a member of the LGBTQIA+ community."

Challenges to books in public libraries accounted for 49% of the cases, compared to 16% during the same reporting period in 2022.

Some 90% of the overall number of books challenged were part of an attempt to censor multiple titles. By contrast, in the past, most challenges to library resources sought to remove or restrict only a single book. "The largest contributor to the rise in both the number of censorship attempts and the increase in titles challenged continues to be a single challenge by a person or group demanding the removal or restriction of multiple titles."

Deborah Caldwell-Stone, director of ALA's Office for Intellectual Freedom, commented in part: "Expanding beyond their well-organized attempts to sanitize school libraries, groups with a political agenda have turned their crusade to public libraries, the very embodiment of the First Amendment in our society. This places politics over the well-being and education of young people and everyone’s right to access and use the public library."

Longtime bookseller John Louis Wiechman died this past February 21 from hereditary pulmonary disease at age 78. He was a co-founder and co-owner of A Clean Well-Lighted Place for Books, which was opened in 1975 in Cupertino, Calif., and later expanded to Larkspur and San Francisco.

(The last A Clean Well-Lighted Place for Books closed in 2006. By then, the sole owner was Neal Sofman, who died September 6. Shelf Awareness learned about Wiechman's death only this month.)

As recounted by his wife, Pat Emard, during his time at a Clean Well-Lighted Place for Books, Wiechman "was the calm and thoughtful presence of the organization. He was instrumental in the organizing, training, and buying elements of the stores. In fact, he had the reputation of being one of the best book buyers in the industry, according to several publishers. He paid attention to the details of the book business--trends, interests of the reading public, established and up-and-coming authors, and opinions of respected editors. John was the quiet guy behind the scenes, the guy everyone liked, the guy who made you laugh. He was a key player in the development of the staff of all the stores and the warehouse and was respected by all for his work-ethic, book knowledge, and humor. In fact, several of his former employees came to his Celebration of Life from long distances to honor his memory. They all cited instances of ways his kindness, humor and generosity impacted their lives. Everyone knew that our stores were John's life."

The stores "made a major contribution to the book-lovers all over the Bay area as well as the South Bay. It was a place where they could gather to enjoy a cup of coffee while seeking reading treasures. John helped make this happen and will always be remembered for his part in its success."

More generally, "John was a true intellectual, a political junkie, and an avid puzzler. He loved jazz and classical music, and he passionately followed 'his boys,' the Lakers, Dodgers, Rams, and UCLA. His love of music permeated the neighborhood where on warm days, he could be found outside on his deck reading while listening to Miles Davis and other jazz greats. John never stopped learning and always loved listening to and participating in intellectual conversations. He enjoyed world travel with his wife and created lasting memories on European river cruises and trips to Hawaii. He was smart, funny, generous, a devoted husband, and a friend to many. One of his greatest gifts was entertaining friends with his wicked sense of humor. The world lost a great intellect, soul, and humorist--he will be sorely missed."

Actor and author Michael Imperioli made a surprise visit to Theodore's Books in Oyster Bay, N.Y. He signed books and posed with bookseller Chloe, and afterward shared an Instagram story about his love for independent bookstores.

A tip of the cap to Washington Nationals relief pitcher Sean Doolittle, who announced his retirement late last week. A two-time All Star and driving force in the Nationals' World Series win in 2019, Doolittle has been a major booster of reading and independent bookstores, mentioning in social media posts books he reads and stores he's visited while traveling. In 2020, he was ambassador for Independent Bookstore Day. He's been a star in more ways than one.

"Coleson proposed, and Mikayla said YES!" Skylark Bookshop, Columbia, Mo., posted pics of the happy event on Facebook, adding "thanks for checking another thing off of our bookstore dream list! We are so happy for you both!!"

On the Edge of the World by Anna Desnitskaya, translated by Lena Traer (Eerdmans Books for Young Readers).

Today:
CBS Mornings: Rachel Renee Russell and Nikki Russell, author and illustrator of Dork Diaries 15: Tales from a Not-So-Posh Paris Adventure (S&S/Aladdin, $14.99, 9781534480483).

Also on CBS Mornings: Alicia Roth Weigel, author of Inverse Cowgirl: A Memoir (HarperOne, $18.99, 9780063295285).

Good Morning America: James Patterson and Mike Lupica, authors of 12 Months to Live (Little, Brown, $30, 9780316405690).

Also on GMA: Kayvion Lewis, author of Thieves' Gambit (Nancy Paulsen, $19.99, 9780593625361).

Today Show: Amanda Gorman, author of Something, Someday (Viking, $18.99, 9780593203255).

Also on Today: Sasha DiGiulian, author of Take the Lead: Hanging On, Letting Go, and Conquering Life's Hardest Climbs (St. Martin's Press, $29, 9781250280701).

Fresh Air: Kerry Washington, author of Thicker than Water: A Memoir (Little, Brown Spark, $30, 9780316497398).

Tomorrow:
Good Morning America: Tiffani Thiessen, author of Here We Go Again: Recipes and Inspiration to Level Up Your Leftovers (Worthy Books, $32, 9781546002765).

Today Show: Lidia Bastianich, co-author of Lidia's From Our Family Table to Yours: More Than 100 Recipes Made with Love for All Occasions (Knopf, $35, 9780525657422).

Watch What Happens Live: Jackie Goldschneider, author of The Weight of Beautiful (Gallery, $27.99, 9781668023808).

Tamron Hall: Cody Rigsby, author of XOXO, Cody: An Opinionated Homosexual's Guide to Self-Love, Relationships, and Tactful Pettiness (Ballantine, $27, 9780593722534).

Winners were named in three categories for the 2023 James Cropper Wainwright Prize, which recognizes "the books which most successfully inspire readers to explore the outdoors and to nurture a respect for the natural world." A £7,500 (about $9,205) prize fund will be shared by the authors of the three winning books, with each receiving a specially commissioned original artwork by paper artist Helen Musselwhite. This year's winners are:

Nature writing winners: The Flow: Rivers, Waters and Wildness by Amy-Jane Beer

Highly commended: The Golden Mole: and Other Living Treasure by Katherine Rundell, illustrated by Talya Baldwin 

Writing on conservation winner: The Lost Rainforests of Britain by Guy Shrubsole 

Highly commended: Nomad Century: How to Survive the Climate Upheaval by Gaia Vince

Children's writing on nature & conservation winner: Leila and the Blue Fox by Kiran Millwood Hargrave, illustrated by Tom de Freston 

LibraryReads, the nationwide library staff-picks list, offers the top 10 October titles public library staff across the country love:

Top Pick
Wildfire: A Novel by Hannah Grace (‎Atria, $18.99, 9781668026274). "This fun summer camp sports romance is a perfect beach read. The characters are complex, and the men (other than the 'bad guys') are written to be very respectful of and thoughtful to the women in their lives, whether in friendship or romance. The book is also very sex-positive. Readers who missed the first book in this series won't feel like they are missing anything, but will want to catch up." --Jennifer Lizak, Chicago Public Library, Ill.

Let Him In by William Friend (‎Poisoned Pen Press, $26.99, 9781728275185). "After the death of their mother, young twins Sylvie and Cassia find comfort in an imaginary friend, but their father begins to worry as things escalate. Grief and the paranormal are central to this book, and the story will leave readers questioning reality. This unsettling gothic read will keep readers turning the pages!" --Kristin Skinner, Flat River Community Library, Mich.

The Hurricane Wars: A Novel by Thea Guanzon (Harper Voyager, $30, 9780063277274). "As enemies sworn to destroy one another, Alaric and Talasyn seem like unlikely allies, let alone candidates for a political marriage. This Asian-inspired fantasy series takes all the elements needed for a new world--alliances, royalty vs. rebels, magic powers, a fierce orphan with a secret destiny, and enemies-to-lover tension--then sets them in a world of horrific storms and a kingdom under siege." --Kimberly McGee, Lake Travis Community Library, Tex.

The Leftover Woman: A Novel by Jean Kwok (Morrow, $30, 9780063031463). "A Chinese woman desperate to find the daughter adopted without her consent makes a dangerous journey to the U.S. Her story intersects explosively with that of an editor eager to recover from a career-ending scandal. Kwok hooks readers with an emotionally gripping story of two mothers willing to risk everything to protect what they love, skillfully balancing perspectives to a riveting climax." --Mara Bandy Fass, Champaign Public Library, Ill.

Better Hate than Never by Chloe Liese (‎Berkley, $17, 9780593441527). "Neighbors Kate and Christopher grew up together and over the years, snarky comments and shenanigans ensue until Kate flees home. When she returns years later, the animosity between them hasn't waned. With their families begging for peace, they determine they need to get along. Which they do... too well. Readers will find watching them fall in love to be nothing short of magical." --Taylor Banze, St. Charles City-County Library, Mo.

West Heart Kill: A Novel by Dann McDorman (‎Knopf, $28, 9780593537572). "In this twist on the trope of a locked room mystery, a private eye is trapped in an exclusive hunting cabin in the Adirondacks during a major storm with three dead bodies, while finding he is as much a suspect as the rest of the elite set of guests. A great original debut!" -- Jennifer Winberry, Hunterdon County Library, N.J.

A Holly Jolly Ever After: A Christmas Notch Novel by Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone (Avon, $24.99, 9780063222649). "When rule-follower Winnie decides to take part in a steamy Christmas movie, she doesn't have a clue how to perform racy scenes. She asks co-star Kallum, the former chubby goofball member of a boy band, for sexy practice sessions. As the two grow closer, can they get past their issues and have a real relationship?" --Jessica C Williams, Tiffin-Seneca Public Library, Ohio

Let Us Descend: A Novel by Jesmyn Ward (‎Scribner, $28, 9781982104498). "On the long treacherous journey to the New Orleans slave markets, Annis turns inward, speaking to her lost mother and revisiting the stories of her African warrior grandmother. Ward's fluid prose assists the reader to travel alongside Annis, flowing between hell on earth and the comfort of memory. For fans of She Would Be King by Wayetu Moore." --KC Davis, LibraryReads Ambassador, Conn.

Midnight Is the Darkest Hour: A Novel by Ashley Winstead (‎Sourcebooks Landmark, $27.99, 9781728269962). "In this small corner of Louisiana, religion runs deep. As a teenager, the reverend's daughter Ruth becomes summer friends with Everett, and begins seeing the truth through his eyes. Ruth chose to follow the word of the church and stay put while Everett seeks more. However, when a skull is found in the swamp, Ruth begins questioning everything she thought she knew." --Andrea Galvin, Mt. Pulaski Public Library, Ill.

The Unmaking of June Farrow: A Novel by Adrienne Young (‎Delacorte, $28, 9780593598672). "When her grandmother dies, June worries about falling prey to the family curse of hallucinations, which stole the sanity of her mother and grandmother. When a door opens leading to the past, June learns more about her family and discovers unexpected truths about herself--and her place in time." --Nanette Donohue, Champaign Public Library, Ill.

Search History, Amy Taylor's first novel, focuses on Ana, a woman in her late 20s who is navigating the dating world, both online and in real life, following a significant breakup. Ana's ups and downs center mainly on the new relationship she begins with Evan, a man with a past. But a variety of experiences in her own and other women characters' romantic lives are more alarming than encouraging when it comes to the modern dating landscape.

After the end of a four-year relationship, Ana starts over by moving from Perth to Melbourne and beginning a new job. Her friends are astonished when she meets Evan at a bar, rather than online. "Have you found him online yet?" a work friend asks anxiously. When Ana replies that she has, her friend sighs with "genuine relief." Evan seems perfect--perhaps its own red flag--but Ana has found his ex-girlfriend online, too, and rapidly begins an obsession with that other woman's online presence, a preoccupation that threatens to overshadow her real-life relationship with Evan. Meanwhile, the men Ana and other women encounter via dating apps or in person showcase a variety of tendencies, ranging from troubling to outright threatening. And Ana struggles as well to connect with each of her parents: her passive-aggressive mother back in Perth, who is giving Ana the silent treatment, and her "belligerently optimistic" father in Bali, where he exclaims a lot (in rare phone calls) over breath work and intimacy coaching.

Search History is concerned with relationships, (mis)communication, and fear. Ana is frightened of the strange man running behind her in the dark, of the man taking the drunk woman home from the party, of sending Evan a text that will scare him away. And in its central theme, the novel questions the usefulness of an online dating persona. Ana notes Evan's eye color from a picture online: "It was a piece of information I should have learned the first time I saw his eyes catch sunlight, not through a screen." Is she better off Googling her next potential lover? Is that research necessary for her safety? Or should she allow him "to reveal himself to me piece by piece in real life, unburdened by my preconceived assumptions"? Which version of Evan--and of Ana--is the real one?

With its expert pacing, Search History offers frank handling of sexuality and desire, and unvarnished descriptions of sexual violence and harassment (which may be triggering for some readers). Ana is self-aware and funny, lonely and self-questioning. Her first-person narration is stark, vulnerable, and approachable. Taylor presents a clever and often harrowing examination of 21st-century dating. --Julia Kastner, librarian and blogger at pagesofjulia

Shelf Talker: This wise debut novel explores modern dating themes and pitfalls in on- and offline realms.