A Lunar New Year Scroll
Last year, I was contacted by Erika Taketa, a book binding artist, who asked permission to turn "New Year" into a book object using some very special cloth: a Pride flag that has flown in San Francisco's Castro District.
Happy anniversary to Last Night at the Telegraph Club!
Five years ago today, on Jan. 19, 2021, Last Night at the Telegraph Club was first published. It has had such an incredible journey over the last five years!
Telegraph Club is the 4th most banned book in America
Last week, PEN America released its fourth annual report on the state of book banning and censorship in America, and I learned that Last Night at the Telegraph Club was the fourth most banned book in schools during the 2024-25 school year.
Book Bans Go Statewide (June 2024 Updates)
Since my March 2024 update, I’ve noticed there are fewer cases in which individual school districts are banning lists of specific books. Instead, more statewide laws are being passed that are so vague and overarching that they’re likely to lead school districts to ban hundreds or thousands of books at a time.
My Books Keep Getting Banned (An Update)
Back in October, I wrote a detailed post on how the national wave of book banning has targeted my books. For a couple of months afterward, I posted updates on instagram, but since December I haven't had the chance to do any more updates ... until now. I've been keeping a list, folks, and it's not very nice.
I'm a plaintiff in a lawsuit against the state of Iowa's 2023 book banning law
Yesterday, I joined my publisher, Penguin Random House; the Iowa State Education Association; authors Laurie Halse Anderson, John Green, and Jodi Picoult; three Iowa educators; and an Iowa high school student and parent in filing a lawsuit against the state of Iowa and challenging Senate File 496, which was enacted in May 2023.
My Books Have Been Banned or Challenged in 16 States
Since 2021, there has been an extremely disturbing surge in book bans in school districts and libraries in the United States. The most frequently targeted books are about people of color, LGBTQ+ people, racism, and history.
In the last two years, my books have been banned, challenged, or restricted in 44 cases in 40 communities across 16 states. Last Night at the Telegraph Club receives the most attention, but Ash, Huntress, A Line in the Dark and A Scatter of Light have also been targeted by book banners.
Where to get signed books for the holidays
Here’s where you can get signed (and personalized) copies of my books for the holidays … or for yourself!
A Scatter of Light ARC Giveaway
In honor of Pride month I’m giving away two Advance Readers Copies of my next novel, A Scatter of Light (coming out Oct. 4, 2022). I’ll sign, personalize, and ship one copy within the US, and one copy internationally, and as always, you (subscribers to Lo & Behold) get an extra chance to win.