SBC Reads Banned Books
Most months, we ask you to be quiet. Put down your phone, open your book, and sit in a room full of strangers doing the same thing. No assigned reading, no performative conversation. It’s the whole reason Silent Book Club exists.
But there’s a kind of silence we will never ask for: the silence expected of us when a book disappears from a library shelf because someone decided it made them uncomfortable. We believe individuals should be trusted to make their own decisions about what to read, and that young people deserve to see themselves reflected in a library's books.
This October, we’re not staying silent. Censorship is escalating and book bans are on the rise. State lawmakers, pressure groups, and government entities shouldn't get to decide what we’re allowed to read, think, or imagine. So we're here to help readers speak up and take action to defend books from censorship.
SBC Reads Banned Books
All month long, we’re highlighting banned titles, sharing author favorites, and giving you resources to get active in the fight against censorship and book bans. Join a Read-In, buy limited edition merchandise to support the American Library Association, and make sure you're registered to vote! Take action and tell your representatives you're with the banned.
Banned Book Read-Ins | October 4-10
Not all protests are loud, so we’re teaming up with Libro.fm to stage 425+ Banned Books Read-Ins at libraries and independent bookstores across the United States and abroad.
Every month Silent Book Club chapters gather to read quietly together, but during Banned Books Week (October 4-10), what we’re reading is the whole point. No one should tell you what you can and can't read, so bring your favorite banned book—or whatever you want to read—and show up to read in solidarity with your community.
I’m With The Banned: Limited Edition Merch
As a national partner of the American Library Association’s United Against Book Bans campaign, Silent Book Club will donate a portion of every sale from our limited edition “I’m With The Banned” collection directly toward fighting censorship, protecting intellectual freedom, and making books accessible to all.
Our reading has always been quiet. This month, it’s anything but silent. Let’s get loud to defend everyone's right to read.