"I owe everything I am and everything I will ever be to books." --Gary Paulsen
BOOK NEWS & NOTES
Celebrate Hispanic heritage: We're smack dab in the middle of Hispanic and Latinx Heritage Month, which runs from September 15 through October 15. So now's the perfect time to appreciate the contributions and influence of Americans of Hispanic and Latinx ancestry. Here's a list of reading recommendations compiled by the staff of the New York Public Library. (NYPL)
Progress in South Carolina: The town of Port Royal, S.C., a community that dates back 462 years, just opened its first public library. Visitors will be able to borrow books and movies and access free Wi-Fi and computers. Named after a former mayor, the Samuel E. Murray Public Library will also feature a meeting room and a study room for community use. “What makes it special is that it’s in the heart of a thriving community, and it is going to be a place where people feel safe and heard and seen and valued,” Beaufort County library director Amanda Dickman told the local NBC affiliate. (WSAV.com)
A library quest: Lynda LaCava adores libraries. A passionate reader, LaCava received her very first library card when she was just 3 years old. So when it came time to make her New Year's resolution for 2024, she opted for a fun one: visit all 70 public libraries in Rhode Island. LaCava not only completed that goal, she visited two extra libraries just for fun: the Rhode Island State Library and the State Archives. Her effort even inspired the Rhode Island Center for the Book to launch a similar statewide challenge for other library lovers. (WPRI 12)
Battling book bans: As mentioned during Banned Books Week, the issue of censorship remains relevant today. From 2011 to 2020, an average of about 300 titles were challenged across the 50 states. But, from 2021 to 2023, more than 6,800 titles were challenged on average. To educate yourself about this issue and the ramifications of such censorship, check out this list of documentaries on the topic. (PEN America)
Bookish gifts for autumn: Fall has arrived, and it’s the perfect season for grabbing a new book and reading outside on a blanket under the falling leaves. It’s also the ideal time for rereading a beloved novel in your favorite chair while snuggling under a cozy blanket. To boost the autumnal vibes, here are some items that would make great gifts for someone you adore or for yourself:
Autumn leaf book page wall art
SUPPORT THE MOONLIGHT READER SOCIETY
The Moonlight Reader Society is a reader-supported newsletter featuring book news and reviews, interviews, reading quotes, polls and more. New issues come out every Friday and subscriptions are free. But, if you want to aid my efforts — and can afford to do so — paid subscriptions are only $5/month, or $50/year. Everyone who purchases a subscription will also receive extra subscriber content, gain full access to the archives and be automatically entered into a monthly giveaway for bookish prizes.
MEET A MOONLIGHT READER
Name: Jade Walker
Short bio: The author of this newsletter.
State or country: New Hampshire
Website or social media link, if you have one or something to promote: My website can be found here. However, feel free to check out my other newsletters: A Bit of Good News and The End Files.
Who are your favorite authors?
Stephen King, Diana Gabaldon, Helene Hanff
Where do you like to read?
I have a recliner in the library that is so comfortable. It's beaten and battered brown leather, and my husband, M, has a matching one right beside me. I love to sit there with a good book (hardcover or paperback), a cup of tea and a blanket. My kitties often join me. I also love to read my Kindle in bed right before I fall asleep.
Do you have a favorite bookmark, do you grab whatever is nearby or do you dog-ear the pages?
Although I love bookmarks, I've spent years just grabbing whatever was nearby or futilely trying to memorize the last page number I was on. Lately, I've been making a concerted effort to use bookmarks again. My favorite one looks like an old library card.
How do you organize your bookshelves?
I have one bookshelf dedicated to books about writing. Another for witchcraft and death-related books. I separate my nonfiction from fiction and then I arrange the books in alphabetical order by author's name.
Do you participate in the Goodreads challenge? If so, how are you faring this year?
I do. Normally I try to read 50 to 60 books a year. For 2024, I decided to give myself an even harder challenge: 75 books. I'm now one book away from completion.
What is your favorite book store and why do you love it?
The Strand in New York City is my all-time favorite. What's not to love about a place that contains 18 miles of books, including an entire basement of advance review copies?
If you read e-books, what's the last line you highlighted? If you read paperback or hardcover books, what's the first line on page 99? And if you read audiobooks, what is the next sentence you hear? Please include the title and author as well.
“I write for those women who do not speak, for those who do not have a voice because they were so terrified because we are taught to respect fear more than ourselves. We’ve been taught that silence would save us, but it won’t.” —“The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper” by Hallie Rubenhold
What is the best book you've received as a gift?
"Writer's Tale" by Richard Laymon. I'll explain why in a future issue. Just know that only 500 copies were printed and I have one of 'em. It was a gift from M.
Do you ever forgo reading an author if he/she/they behaves badly in real life?
Like many others, I've been struggling with this a lot lately. I'm still trying to decide if I can separate the person from the art.
What’s the best book you've read this year?
For fiction, I'd say "You Like It Darker" by Stephen King or "Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop" by Hwang Bo-Reum. For nonfiction, "The Bookshop: A History of the American Bookstore" by Evan Friss or "Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder" by Salman Rushdie.
FMI: Click here.
LOVELY DEDICATIONS
"For Ann Druyan. In the vastness of space and the immensity of time, it is my joy to share a planet and an epoch with Annie."
25-WORD REVIEWS
Rating System:
* * * * * One of the best books I've read in a while
* * * * A wonderful book, recommended
* * * Good book, worth the read
* * This book was fine, but not my favorite
* This book wasn't for me
Death comes for us all. Eventually. But when the reaper came for Sebastian Junger in 2020, the experience sparked introspection and a reevaluation of values. --Jade Walker
Rating: * * * * stars
Want to know what that tree is? What about that one? Read this book if calling that tree over there "Beverly" isn't enough for you. --Nikki Clark
Rating: * * * * * stars
READER POLL
LAST WEEK’S POLL
LITERARY HOLIDAYS
October is:
International School Libraries Month
National Arts & Humanities Month
National Book Month
National Cookbook Month
National Medical Librarians Month
National Reading Group Month
Black Speculative Fiction Month
Children’s Magazine Month
Oct. 5 - Bookshop Day
Oct. 6 - National Poetry Day (UK and Ireland) and Mad Hatter Day
Oct. 8 - International Newspaper Carrier Day
Oct. 9 - World Post Day
WRITER BIRTHDAYS
Oct. 5 - Peter Ackroyd, Clive Barker, Marie-Claire Blais, Louise Fitzhugh and Bill James
Oct. 6 - Melvyn Bragg, David Brin, Bill Buford, Penny Junor and Kathleen Webb
Oct. 7 - Diane Ackerman, Amiri Baraka, Archie Bland, Kevin Boyle, Toni Braxton, Alesha Dixon, Kevin Godley, Clive James, Giorgos Karadimos, Thomas Keneally, John Mellencamp, Dan Savage, Anita Shreve, Thom Yorke and William Zinsser
Oct. 8 - Rona Barrett, Benjamin Cheever, Steve Coll, Frank Herbert, Michael Korda, Walter Lord, Bruno Mars, Claire Messud, Blake Morrison, Harvey Pekar, John Cowper Powys, Richard Sharpe Shaver, Shane Stevens and R.L. Stine
Oct. 9 - K.A. Applegate, Jacqueline Carey, Guillermo del Toro, Harry Hooton, Jill Ker Conway, Marie Kondo, Bret Lott, Belva Plain and John Sutherland
Oct. 10 - William Alexander, James Clavell, Harold Pinter and Nora Roberts
Oct. 11 - Thomas Boswell, R.H.W. Dillard, Richard Paul Evans, Elmore Leonard, Lucy Morgan and Daniel Quinn
RECOMMENDED SUBSTACKS
MOMENT OF GRATITUDE
Thanks to the Smithsonian, the National Museum of the American Latino, the New York Public Library, the Beaufort County Library, WSAV.com, WPRI 12, TED-Ed, YouTube, Etsy, The Wayside Violet, Narrative Threads, Reyn Studio, Fly Paper Products, Angioletti Designs, Cooper Calligraphy Art, Let'Me, Amazon, Bag Ladies Tea, The June Kind, Pavilia, PEN America, A Bit of Good News, The End Files, The Strand, Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, Jordan Orlando, Holidays Calendar, National Today, National Day Calendar, A Wandering Scribbler, Good Good Good, Writers Write, Keeping Up With the Penguins, Brainy Quote, The Literary Lifestyle, Wikipedia, Creative Inspired Happy with Evelyn Skye and Deposit Photos for art and story suggestions.
Disclosure: I am an affiliate of Bookshop.org and Amazon and earn a commission when you click through these links and make a purchase. Thank you for your support!
KEEP IN TOUCH
If you want to share book news, odd titles, memorable dedications, catchy hooks, reader poll ideas, 25-word reviews, reading-related quotes or just say hello:
Like this newsletter? Please forward it to your friends and encourage them to subscribe.