American Library Association Online Event ~ Banned Books Week ~ Spotlight on Tony Weaver, Jr.

 

This afternoon, from 3pm to 4pm Pacific DST, I attended the Spotlight on Tony Weaver, Jr., which was host by the American Library Association during Banned Books Week.

The description for this event is as follows:

This program will shine a light on banned author, immensely popular educator, and Banned Books Week Honorary Chair Tony Weaver, Jr!

Tony Weaver, Jr., is the author of Weirdo (with illustrators Jes and Cin Wibowo), a middle-grade memoir about being Black and nerdy among classmates who won’t accept him. The graphic novel takes on heady topics like bullying, racism, and self-harm as 11-year-old Tony ultimately finds help and self-acceptance. Despite appearing on multiple “best of” lists and receiving multiple starred reviews from publications like Publishers Weekly and Kirkus, Weirdo was removed from a Minnesota school after an administrator objected to images and LGBTQIA+ representation in the graphic novel. Weaver has used his robust social media platform and in-person events to educate audiences about advocacy issues such as censorship and racism and to promote the importance of diverse reading materials and representation.

Youth honorary chairs Marshall Romero and Azeemah Sadiq will moderate the discussion.

I enjoyed attending this online event and learned a lot about Tony Weaver Jr.  One of the things Mr. Weaver mentioned was that the best books create a new perspective and I agree!

Tony Weaver Jr. is also the founder of Nerds For Literacy, which has a mission statement as follows: "to provide students access to literacy and mental health tools to help them reach the next level of their academic and emotional journeys."

Tony Weaver Jr. will be a participating speaker at the Las Vegas Book Festival occurring on October  17th from 11am to 12pm. So if you live in Las Vegas or happen to be visiting Las Vegas during this time frame, then you may want to attend the Las Vegas Book Festival.

Diary of a Femen by Michel Dufranne

 

My first read for the month of October 2026 is Diary of a Femen by Michel Dufranne. This is a graphic novel about the international, radical, feminist activist group, Femen. Femen was founded in 2008 in Kyiv, Ukraine. Femen is known for organizing high-profile, topless protests and their mission is to fight patriarchy, dictatorship, religious institutions, homophobia, and sex tourism.

Honestly, I'd never heard of Femen until a few days ago. This year, I've become more interested in almost anything related to Ukraine after I became a volunteer English language tutor via ENGin. I am currently tutoring two Ukrainian women living in Ukraine. I am thoroughly enjoying the experience. So, when I stumbled across Diary of a Femen by Michel Dufranne, I decided to read the ebook edition.

Overall, I liked reading Diary of a Femen by Michel Dufranne. The artwork is decent. The perspective of this graphic novel is from the point of view of Apolline, a young woman dissatisfied with the social status of women in society and also her personal experience in the workforce. For this reason, Apolline decides to join Femen. We read about Apolline's experience joining and training to become a Femen activist, her first protest, her arrest and jail time, being fired from work, and alienation from family and friends. 

By the end of Diary of a Femen, Apolline is married and has a young child with her husband. We see Apolline in the same situation she was fighting against as a Femen activist. So did she really make a difference? It doesn't seem so.

Below is the summary for Diary of a Femen by Michel Dufranne, which I discovered on Amazon's website:

The FEMEN movement began in Ukraine in 2008. It has since spread throughout the world, as far as Spain, Sweden and Belgium. In France it really began to catch on when Inna Shevchenko arrived in Paris, where she sought asylum after she was deported from Ukraine. She took refuge in the "Lavoir Moderne Parisien" theatre, which has now become the training ground of FEMEN activists in France. This project is a fictional story based on real events and witness testimonies collected by the author, who has been in personal contact with FEMEN France for over 4 years. The aim is to study this social phenomenon and open up debate on the subject without taking sides or pronouncing judgment. The journal follows the story of a young French girl who, after a number of negative experiences connected to her social status as a woman in contemporary society, decides to join the movement. It's not easy, and there will be consequences in her personal and professional life. She soon begins to question herself. A fascinating album that helps us understand the inner workings of the controversial feminist organization.

I am giving Diary of a Femen by Michel Dufranne a rating of 3 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!!

Happy Banned Books Week!!

 

How do you celebrate Banned Books Week? Do you read banned or challenged books during Banned Books Week? What other ways have you supported the eradication of censorship?

I've read challenged or banned books during Banned Books Week and I have also read banned or challenged books throughout the year. I've also worn banned/challenged clothing attire in the past as well. I'm trying to remember if I've attended any virtual events pertaining to Banned Books Week??? It feels like I have, but I didn't find anything about it here on my blog.

I'd like to expand my support in eradicating censorship! 

Below is an image for this week's Banned Books artwork.

Bookish Quote of the Day!!

 

Atomic Habits by James Clear

I listened to the unabridged audio version of Atomic Habits by James Clear, which was nicely narrated by the author. Atomic Habits was my last read for the month of September.

I've been meaning to read Atomic Habits for quite awhile, but I had been putting it off for other reads instead. 

Then, about six weeks ago, a Ukrainian woman living in Kyiv, Ukraine that I am an English buddy with, asked me to read Atomic Habits with her. We will be discussing this book via video chat this upcoming week.

I really enjoyed reading Atomic Habits by James Clear. This work of nonfiction about how to change ones habits was very engaging and straightforward. There are four laws to follow to enact changing ones habits. The laws themselves are broken down into easy to follow steps that seem very doable. I also like the fact that there are several pdf downloadable worksheets to help facilitate changing ones own habits. 

Below is the publisher's summary for Atomic Habits by James Clear from the Goodreads website:

No matter your goals, Atomic Habits offers a proven framework for improving—every day. James Clear, one of the world's leading experts on habit formation, reveals practical strategies that will teach you exactly how to form good habits, break bad ones, and master the tiny behaviors that lead to remarkable results.

If you're having trouble changing your habits, the problem isn't you. The problem is your system. Bad habits repeat themselves again and again not because you don't want to change, but because you have the wrong system for change. You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems. Here, you'll get a proven system that can take you to new heights.

Clear is known for his ability to distill complex topics into simple behaviors that can be easily applied to daily life and work. Here, he draws on the most proven ideas from biology, psychology, and neuroscience to create an easy-to-understand guide for making good habits inevitable and bad habits impossible. Along the way, readers will be inspired and entertained with true stories from Olympic gold medalists, award-winning artists, business leaders, life-saving physicians, and star comedians who have used the science of small habits to master their craft and vault to the top of their field.

Learn how to:
- Make time for new habits (even when life gets crazy);
- Overcome a lack of motivation and willpower;
- Design your environment to make success easier;
- Get back on track when you fall off course;
...and much more.

Atomic Habits will reshape the way you think about progress and success, and give you the tools and strategies you need to transform your habits--whether you are a team looking to win a championship, an organization hoping to redefine an industry, or simply an individual who wishes to quit smoking, lose weight, reduce stress, or achieve any other goal.

I am giving Atomic Habits by James Clear a rating of 5 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!!

Bookish Quote of the Day!!

 

I hope you're reading something special this weekend!!

Share with me which book you're reading and if you're

enjoying it so far.

Indigenous Horror Book Recommendations

 

Halloween is upon us this month!! Are you looking for horror book recommendations? The above short YouTube video highlights some indigenous horror reads that I've never heard of before. So, if you are looking for a different slant on the horror theme, then check out this video.

It Starts Today! Join Us For 'The Accursed' Spooky Season Read-Along!

 

 

Welcome to the Shadows: Announcing 'The Accursed' Spooky Season Read-Along!

Get ready to dive into one of the most wildly ambitious, darkly atmospheric historical fantasies of modern literature just in time for Spooky Season. From October 1 through October 31, 2026, Marianne @ Let's Read and I are teaming up to tackle Joyce Carol Oates’s epic Gothic masterpiece, The Accursed—and we would love for you to join us!

Set in Princeton, New Jersey, in 1905–1906, the novel weaves real historical figures—like Woodrow Wilson, Grover Cleveland, and Upton Sinclair—into a chilling, surreal Gothic mystery. When a supernatural "curse" overtakes the elite families of the town, society crumbles under the weight of mysterious abductions, demonic visions, and long-buried hypocrisies.

At over 600 pages, it is a dense, feverish read—which is precisely why reading and discussing it together over the 31 days of October will make it so much more fun.

October Reading Schedule

We will break the novel down across the four weeks of October (roughly 150–170 pages per week) so we can all finish together right on Halloween night:

Timeline	Assigned Reading	Key Themes / Focus
Week 1 (Oct 1–Oct 8)	Author's note, Prologue, + Part 1	The curse descends on the Slade wedding; Woodrow Wilson's strain
Week 2 (Oct 9–Oct 16)	Part 2	Historical cameos; the eerie Bog Kingdom; social satire
Week 3 (Oct 17–Oct 24)	Part 3	Hysteria spreads; moral decay of the Princeton elite
Week 4 (Oct 25–Oct 31)	Part 4 to End of Novel	Climax, resolution, and unpacking the narrator’s reliability

How to Participate

• Weekly Discussion Posts: Every Friday in October (Oct 9, 16, 23, and 31), a new post will go live right here on the blog with guided discussion prompts, character trackers, and space to share your thoughts.

• Comment Section: Drop your theories, favorite quotes, and reactions in the comments of each weekly post as you read along with Marianne and me at your own pace.

Grab your copy, dust off your reading chair, and drop a comment below if you're joining us this October!

The Nudge by Joseph Fink

 

I listened to the unabridged audio version of The Nudge by Joseph Fink and nicely narrated by Cecil Baldwin & Kevin R. Free. Joseph Fink is a new to me author. Hoopla had recommended this novella to me based on the books I have read or listened to this year via the Hoopla app. 

I chose to listen to this novella based on the high ratings and also its short length at 2 hours, 28 minutes. Plus, I couldn't resist this horror and psychological thriller themed read as Halloween approaches.

Like the publisher's summary mentions below, I found the The Nudge by Joseph Fink to be atmospheric. I liked the duel narration for this novella as well. I also found the storyline to be interesting and engaging. As a side note, while I was listening to The Nudge, I found certain scenes reminding me of particular pop culture things... Like the song, 'Hotel California' by the Eagles, the Winchester Mansion, 'Psycho' (both the movie and novel), and the novel, Cujo. None of these things (Cujo, Psycho, Winchester Mansion, the song 'Hotel California') were actually referenced specifically in The Nudge, but certain scenes that were written made me think of of these particular pop culture icons.

I liked the characters for The Nudge too. However, The Nudge, was not as engrossing as I'd hoped it would be based on the overall rating of this novella.

Below is the publisher's summary for The Nudge by Joseph Fink I found on Chirp's website:

A new horror novella from the creator of Welcome to Night Vale and Alice Isn’t Dead.

On the open road, evil doesn’t chase you. It waits . . .

Late one night, a wounded man checks into a remote roadside hotel. He’s running from something he can’t explain or escape. And over the course of a night, he’ll tell the hotel’s proprietor how his life fell apart.

It started with his wife. Subtle changes. Smiles that didn’t belong to her. Then violence—sudden, intimate, almost casual. Therapy offered hope. Recovery seemed possible. Until it wasn’t. He believes a hidden influence has attached itself to him, one that never forces, never commands. It whispers. It suggests. Nudges people toward their worst impulses.

Now the man wanders the country as a fugitive, hoping to break free from the evil that’s wormed its way into him. But as our narrator’s story unfolds, he begins to question whether he’s fled far enough …

Tense, atmospheric, and chilling, The Nudge is a slow-burn tale of suspense that will linger like a whisper in the dark, long after the story is over.

I am giving The Nudge by Joseph Fink a rating of 3 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!!

Bookish Quote of the Day!!