Book bans and a STACKED month of new books (Tokarczuk, Rooney, Powers) • This Month in Book News ✨

[@benreadsgood]

Something I hadn’t realised: a group of Canadian authors had withdrawn their books for consideration for this year’s Giller Prize, urging it to sever ties with companies associated with Israel’s war on Gaza. Details on Lithub here if you’d like to read more: lithub.com/20-canadian-authors-have-withdrawn-from-the-giller-prize/

[@blabbinglobster]

The former Scotiabank Giller Prize is now known as the Giller Prize. But I believe (based on what I have just read) that Scotiabank is still providing the $100K prize money (and I believe each of the short-listers gets $10k).

[@GregHarness]

Thank you, Ben. I love these news updates. I'm especially looking forward to the release of "A Mighty Red.". And for the Kirkus Non-Fiction award I read and really loved Olivia Laing's "The Garden Against Time." I haven't read any others, but if that's the level quality then this particular award is in good shape. As for book banning, my local public library here in America is required to have a policy for requesting that a book be banned. My library makes it very, very difficult by limiting requests to local library patrons only, making everything paper-based (no online submissions allowed -- not even any online information about the form or the policy), allowing only one ban request per patron, allowing only one ban on any given book, and by giving the final decision to the city attorney (who devised this policy). The new policy took effect in July, and as I understand it there have been no requests to ban books thus far.

[@benreadsgood]

Thank you Greg, that’s great to hear! I still haven’t read an Erdrich but I really need to. And good on your library for not letting lazy, bad faith people take advantage of their system! 👏

[@lindylouwho550]

"Delightfully Crispy" 🧡🍁🍂🧡

[@benreadsgood]

Can’t wait for that crunch! 🍁

[@ozlemalkank.8801]

Love, love, love your book news. Thank you and greetings from Istanbul!

[@benreadsgood]

Thank you for the kind feedback! 🙏

[@StephaniePatterson-jb5it]

Antonia Lloyd Jones also translated “Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead.”

[@benreadsgood]

There goes my Olga reputation - that’s the only other one I’ve read 😂 For some reason I just thought Croft had done everything!

[@kimswhims8435]

Another great news update, Thanks Ben. I'm not sure if book banning is even a thing here in Australia? It's very under the radar if it is. I'm dead against book banning anywhere. In Australia we had a major online bookshop called booktopia go under, they've re-emerged under new management, but cancelled many orders without refund. I did get my money back from paypal (would have preferred getting the books). I think my money will go to local small bookshops now. I'm looking forward to some of those new releases and there's some Aus releases to come out this quarter too. Juice by Tim Winton is one, Thinning by Inga Simpson is another that I'm very keen to read. Happy Reading 🙂

[@benreadsgood]

Fingers crossed you've just not got the book banning nonsense where you are 🤞 Cancelling orders without a refund is scandalous! Hopefully there's a path to getting that money back.

[@Slothreadersclub]

Love your book news segment. Always a pleasure to see what is brewing in the book world.

[@benreadsgood]

Really appreciate you taking the time to watch 😊

[@cathyg.9996]

Love your Book News videos Ben ❤ You always have lots of interesting info. Great job! I love the idea of a book vending machine. Book banning infuriates me and I don’t understand it at all. I can’t imagine not being able to read a book because someone else doesn’t think I should. It’s tragic.

[@benreadsgood]

It's baffling, isn't it. Doesn't tally up with how much they go on about 'freedom' at all. Sad that it's spreading over here in the UK too.

[@BookishAdventuresInWellbeing]

Another brilliant book news video. I had no idea that book banning was a thing here in the uk but now you say it, I can totally see that happening under the radar. In some ways it’s more worrying that it’s happening out of sight.

[@benreadsgood]

It’s chilling isn’t it! The worry I always have is that the more it’s reported on, the more people get inspired to do it…

[@lorrainefoord7384]

Thanks Ben, always a pleasure !

[@benreadsgood]

Thank so much, glad you enjoyed!

[@Shelf_Improvement]

Looking forward to your shortlist

[@benreadsgood]

It’s starting to come together! But definitely some tough choices to make 🫣

[@cecilialau_]

I always enjoy a Ben vid 🙌 Love the idea of a book prize prediction - even without you having read them like you do with the booker. Also, very much looking forward to predicting your shortlist and winner 😎🤪

[@benreadsgood]

Between Booker reviews and the NBA data fast approaching, I haven't had time in the end. So I've just chucked some predictions in Instagram!

[@jaysfarrell]

You missed the one I’m most looking forward to - ‘Somewhere Beyond the Sea’ by T J Klune. It’s the follow up to The House in the Cerulean Sea and I’m beyond excited! 😊

[@benreadsgood]

Oooh that's not my usual genre, but exciting when a book you've been waiting for finally arrives! 🎉

[@jaysfarrell]

@@benreadsgood not mine either but I think you’d love them. Can’t say too much because - spoilers - but I’d be interested to hear a review if you did get to them.

[@Ihearbooks]

Thanks for another great video. Of all your content I love hearing what is going on in the book world. Here where I live on Cape Cod there are two bits of book news that are kind of fun. There is the Trail of Bookstores in which on an entry form one is given a list of the many small independent bookstores and may enter the contest by visiting and recording themselves at three. It ends soon (mostly for all the summer visitors) and the several winners get gift cert. from the book stores visited. The libraries jumped in and have a similar contest where a new book in Hardback is given for various age groups. Next is the Provincetown book festival--free to the public at the end of the month. Great event with well known authors and lots of book signings and discussions. Looking forward to attending. May need more information than you want or need but you inspired me.

[@benreadsgood]

Thank you for sharing! Hopefully some other Cape Codders might see this 😊

[@ReadingNymph]

Im so excited to read We Solve Murders!

[@benreadsgood]

It has absolutely flown off the shelves, by the sounds of things!

[@TheEmzies]

Really enjoy and appreciate these videos.

[@benreadsgood]

Thank you so much for watching!

[@taymosa]

Thank you so much for the effort you put in these videos. I absolutely love them. I bought 7 of the amazon deal books. ❤️

[@benreadsgood]

Glad you enjoy them! Thanks for watching 🙌

[@emmavd]

Thanks, Ben!🌷I’ve already pre-ordered Playground. I listened to the Lucy Barton novels when Oh, William! was longlisted for the Booker and this summer I read Olive Kitteridge and Olive, Again. I feel I’m ready😉for Tell Me Everything. I’m interested in Renaissance Venice and the The Glassmaker sounds like something I might enjoy.

[@benreadsgood]

Sounds like you are super well prepared for the Olive-Lucy showdown!!!

[@chloetimms960]

The Museum of Lost Fragile Things sounds right up my street. Thanks for bringing it to my attention!

[@benreadsgood]

Oh I’m so pleased! Hope it’s a good match for you 🙏

[@bookofdust]

Bookloop sounds like some speculative fiction story idea about time travel through used bookstores.

[@benreadsgood]

Haha yes it does! Looper for book nerds like us.

[@YourTrueShelf]

I agree about the kindle deals!! Oh that book banning stuff makes me so cross! The narrow mindedness, bigotry, ignorance... 😠 Once I asked school to remove a book because in reception faye brought home a poetry book from the 80s and one of the poems was about how a man should beat his wife if she didn't do what he said!! But I was really worried they'd think I was a book banner!! They quickly got read of that one though 😂 Thank you again for making such a fab book news video!

[@benreadsgood]

Book banning is infuriating, isn't it! I think that even books that are problematic by today's moral standards shouldn't really be taken off shelves. It's a hard problem to solve, but I think I'd much rather context be added as a preface / annotation to older books to explain why they might be like they are, rather than being hidden from view. But definitely not easy to navigate!! Thank you for watching 😊

[@MsPixieD]

I love the news videos! Thanks to your upcoming book release announcements, I've placed seven holds on titles that are on order at the library. Six already had more holds than copies ordered, so they are all hot prospects! Oh, and Creation Lake, which is already out but has over 100 hrs on it. Maybe my hold will come in October -- is that when your Storygraph challenge is for an ugly cover? Omg, the cover is so ugly it made me wince just glancing at the thumbnail! Ben, is the North Woods cover you hate the one with the really pretty doll's dress on it? I was sad that the American cover was the ugly panther. Just proves that both are art imo, as they elicit strong reactions in both directions 😊 The paperback cover you showed looks more generic to me, even though it does have an apple! Btw, I love the art that is on the wall in your videos 💙

[@benreadsgood]

Haha yes I haaaated the North Woods cover with the creepy little girl, and I loved the US cover with the big cat 🐱 October is indeed Ug-tober 😊 And glad you like the artwork - it’s a Kandinsky print.

[@MsPixieD]

@@benreadsgood @benreadsgood Well, the girls in the book are creepy. I made my own cover to put in my reading journal by collaging pink dresses on two paintings by the artist referenced in the book, the one whose images resembled the twins. I wish replies on KZbin allowed images, because I really liked my collage. Maybe on Insta? Eh, it wouldn't let me tag you there, but I left a comment so from there it's posted on my page.

[@janethansen9612]

Ooh I didn't know about the new Tokarczuk. Very interested. I have 3 more booker books to read but at the moment I'm struggling to fill out a personal shortlist.

[@benreadsgood]

Oooh you’re getting close to done with the Booker! I have 2 and a half to go if you include There There, so I’m in a similar spot.

[@maureencalder9911]

So love your updates. Jealous that you will get to see the Nickel Boys in advance of its release. Curious about Lauren Groffs , Vaster Wilds just coming out in paper back. Here in NZ I have had the paperback for quite some time. Keep up the great work Ben.

[@benreadsgood]

I’ll only get to see Nickel Boys if I manage to get tickets! I went to LFF last year and it was tough to get hold of exactly what you want. Fingers crossed though. Do you have a hardback then paperback release cycle in NZ? I know Australia usually skips hardback and goes straight to paperback.

[@TheDiscoKingOfficial]

Love these videos!!

[@benreadsgood]

Thank you sir!!!

[@RebeccaStultz-y9f]

Hi, Ben. I listen to several book tubers, including Simon @ savage reads and his mother @ Louise Savidge Muses, Greg @ supposedly fun, Brett Benner, and others. No one is talking about the books chosen as finalists for the Dayton Literary Peace Prize. Why? Because of its purpose to promote understanding of cultures, peoples, and history and to foster peace within families, communities, and nations, it is surely worthy of attention on book tube. I hope my comment prompts you and others to include the Dayton Literary Peace Prize books on your channels.

[@benreadsgood]

I haven't heard of that prize before, so thank you for mentioning it! 😊

[@ellenmadebookclub]

I'm such a sucker for gold foil on the cover. I get your point about the size of the athour's name on the cover, but I think a lot of readers get excited about their favorite authors coming out with a new book and buy it whatever it's about, and so I don't really think that's any different. I love Pedro Almodóvar's movies, and I had no idea there was a book, but I would be curious to read it simply because he's written it. Also, lots of authors, Stephen King for one, have their names really big on covers. Maybe people don't like that either ^^ I don't know, I get your point and also I think it can vary a lot from case to case whether it bothers us (you, me, people) or not. It's not an important issue to me at all, so I'm not sure why I wrote an essay on the topic. The vending machine is soo cool, but your fear was my first thought as well! 😂 Oh wo- OH NO! They'll flop around and splat all kinds of weird! The only new releases I'm aware of are The Mare from your other video, to break me, and then Rewitched by Lucy Wood, to heal my soul 😊 Lovely video as always!

[@benreadsgood]

Haha well I appreciate your essay! I see where you're coming from, I just reckon fans will pick the book up regardless of whether the author name is huge or not. For me it kinda makes all that author's work seem interchangeable, like it doesn't matter what it is as long as it's them. I can't imagine movie posters where the director's name is bigger than the film title! Although I suppose that does happen quite frequently for music albums. Someone needs to invent a vending machine that gives those books a soft landing! 😂

[@ellenmadebookclub]

@@benreadsgood Yes, fair point! I do think of all Stephen King’s books as being one and the same so 😂 (No I have not read a single one… there are a few that I might.) I think in this case though, it’s a newcomer author who has a name to benefit from, so I’ll allow it! 😊 Yes someone really should get on that!

[@readandre-read]

This StroutHead impatiently awaiting my preorder. I'm very interested in the Erdrich as well.

[@benreadsgood]

A great time to be a StroutHead!!!

[@jacquelinemcmenamin8204]

You probably already know about The Big Scottish Book Club on BBC 2 on Wednesday nights? The An Post Irish book awards also take place in Autumn

[@benreadsgood]

Will be interesting to see the A Post list this year, given how much the Booker overlooked Irish titles. There are so many great ones, and I’ll be rooting for Alan Murrin!

[@ameliareads589]

I've already read the new Tokarczuk, because the German translation has been already published a while ago. I liked it more for what it was doing in connection to The Magic Mountain than for the actual story. She is a great writer and I would always prefer her over Thomas Mann. Are you doing buddy reads? Because I would like to read A Person is a Prayer soonish too. Being German I'm feeling sick to my core when I hear anything about book banning. History taught us a lesson here.

[@benreadsgood]

Ooh you’re ahead of the game on the Tokarczuk! 👏 I haven’t read the Thomas Mann - is it essential to be familiar with The Magic Mountain? I haven’t done any buddy reads before - to be honest I have to cram so much in for certain times, or cut books from my TBR last minute, that I’m not a very reliable reader 😂 And absolutely with you on the book banning. It’s chilling and awful.

[@ameliareads589]

@@benreadsgood I would say if you have read The Magic Mountain, you might have a deeper understanding of what she is doing, but the book is standing on its own feet. If you have no intention to ever read The Magic Mountain (which I would recommend, because I find Mann's writing unbearable 😜), I would read a summary of it before starting The Empusium. Totally relatable.

[@SwimmingCanoeist]

@@benreadsgoodThe magic mountain is currently on a 99p deal 👀

[@benreadsgood]

Thanks for the intel!

[@elysec8726]

What does Ben like you to read?

[@StephanieP1901]

Last year the New York Times had a list of the six most banned books in the country. I already owned The Bluest Eye, but I bought the rest of them to support the authors and to kind of say FUCK YOU to those doing the banning (Florida). The local Barnes & Noble had a glorious table piled high with banned books and I probably bought most of them for the same reason. Some of these titles are Gender Queer, All Boys Aren't Blue, Flamer, This Book is Gay, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, and Sold. They're all casually lying about the house so my 10-year-old can pick them up at his leisure. Fertile Earth is pretty good. The only other book I've read about the Naxalite movement was Jhumpa Lahiri's The Lowland, and Fertile Earth was more in-depth.

[@seanwebb605]

Are you really surprised that in Canada we have our own awards for authors?

[@benreadsgood]

Not at all. What makes you think that?

[@spexi513]

So happy someone - you - called out the author name v the title bit. … one of my book worm pet peeves is big author font; I don’t even like when they’re the same size , as it feels tacky and arrogant or something to me , anddddd what you said too . 📕🪱💚

[@benreadsgood]

It really just makes me question whether it’s an exercise in fleecing fans, rather than trying to sell a decent book!!