You’re Recognizing Banned Books Week

You want a con artist tale or are craving romantic suspense

Hi friends,

Just a quick note of thanks before I dive in: As of last week, more than 6,000 people have subscribed to this newsletter. That’s absolutely wild to me.

It means so much that you let me in your inboxes each week — and I’m delighted that I’ve been able to get to know people from around the world through it. (Related, congrats to subscriber Hannah D. on the birth of her baby!). So, whether you’ve been here since the beginning or subscribed yesterday, thanks for reading.

(If you want to read more about growing an audience on Substack, I wrote up 6 lessons on hitting 6K).

And, now, what to read if…

You Want to Recognize Banned Books Week

Don’t Check Out This Book by Kate Klise and Sarah Klise

Yesterday marked the start of Banned Books Week, an annual event organized by the American Library Association, PEN America and Little Free Library, among others, to remind us about the importance of free access to information. This year’s Banned Books Week comes amid a surge in book banning attempts. School book challenges hit historic peaks in 2021 and 2022, although, interestingly, a Washington Post assessment found that 60% of all challenges nationwide in the 2021-2022 school year came from just 11 adults. For what it’s worth, I think there’s a way to curate an age-appropriate school library while maintaining broad catalogs in public libraries. (I highly recommend this story, also from the Washington Post, which takes a nuanced look at the issue.)

Don’t Check Out This Book tells the story of Rita B. Danjerous (say it fast), the new librarian at Appleton Elementary School. After ten-year-old Reid Durr stays up way too late reading a library book, the school board grows suspicious of Rita. While investigating the librarian, the school board president launches a new dress code that requires students to wear white gloves and bow ties only available at her shop. The school’s fifth-grade class starts its own investigation and uncovers something rotten at the core of Appleton.

Don’t Check Out This Book is the latest from sister duo of author Kate and illustrator Sarah Klise, authors of Regarding the Fountain, one of my favorite childhood books. It delivers the same punny brilliance and fun drawings as Regarding the Fountain, with a new, timely message. A fun read for kids and adults alike.

You Love a Grifter Tale

Anansi’s Gold by Yepoka Yeebo

Every once in a while, I read a book that makes me think, “I can’t wait to recommend this one.” I finished Anansi’s Gold last week and loved it so much that I decided to highlight it immediately.

In it, journalist Yepoka Yeebo chronicles the life of Ackah Blay-Miezah, a Ghanaian conman who swindled people worldwide and ran a scheme that an American prosecutor called “one of the most fascinating — and lucrative — in modern history.” Blay-Miezah convinced his marks that Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana’s first president and prime minister, had left him a cache of gold smuggled out of the country, but that he needed millions to “release” the trust fund. Blay-Miezah’s victims thought they were buying a piece of a billion-dollar fortune and “invested” millions they never got back.

Anansi’s Gold is perfect for anyone who devoured details of the Elizabeth Holmes/Theranos scandal or watched both Fyre Festival documentaries (guilty). It hits all the notes of a con artist story, documenting how Blay-Miezah pulled off his stunt and who was involved (Shirley Temple and President Nixon’s AG John Mitchell both make an appearance), but it also goes one layer deeper, providing a brilliant history of post-colonial Ghana. I adored Anansi’s Gold and can’t wait to hear if any of you have read it.

You're Not Sure if You Want a Romance — or a Thriller

Hidden by Laura Griffin

Long-time subscribers have likely noticed I’m a fan of both romance and thrillers, so I love Laura Griffin’s Hidden, which seamlessly combines the two genres.

Investigative reporter Bailey Rhoads meets detective Jacob Merritt at the scene of a brutal murder on a running and biking trail in Austin, Texas. Both Bailey and Jacob think there’s more to the crime than the violent mugging it appears to be, and their theories are proven true when they realize the victim was hiding her identity. When the investigation leads to a tech company in the midst of developing a potentially deadly product, Bailey and Jacob end up in a race against time to prevent another murder. And they manage all this while pretending they’re not attracted to each other (you can guess how that works out for them).

I devoured Hidden in a single afternoon. I read so many thrillers that I can often see twists coming, but this one included a few turns that genuinely surprised me. It’s taut, tension-filled and tightly plotted — with characters I was invested in.

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Thanks for reading! I’ll be back on Thursday with a Q&A featuring Thursday Murder Club author Richard Osman – and a chance to win his latest book.

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What to Read If is a free weekly book recommendation newsletter. Need a rec? Want to gush about a book? Reply to this email, leave a comment or find me on Twitter @elizabethheld.

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