WIN a $250 book budget to the bookstore of your choice!
Gia Rossi left her small hometown following a scandal—but family loyalty is dragging her back…
She’s anxious to help her sister take care of her mother and reconnect with the Banned Books Club she started after the PTA overzealously slashed the high school reading list. But she’s dreading the prospect of running into Mr. Hart. Once her favorite teacher, he was fired after Gia publicly and painfully accused him of sexual misconduct. She left Wakefield hoping never to see him again—or any of the other people who took his side and wouldn’t believe her, especially his son.
Gia Rossi left her small hometown following a scandal—but family loyalty is dragging her back…
She’s anxious to help her sister take care of her mother and reconnect with the Banned Books Club she started after the PTA overzealously slashed the high school reading list. But she’s dreading the prospect of running into Mr. Hart. Once her favorite teacher, he was fired after Gia publicly and painfully accused him of sexual misconduct. She left Wakefield hoping never to see him again—or any of the other people who took his side and wouldn’t believe her, especially his son.
Order in-person or call the following stores and get a FREE mini-puzzle and signed bookplate (these will not be personalized) with your purchase of THE BANNED BOOKS CLUB (while supplies last):
Alaska
- Fireside Books (Palmer, AK)
Alabama
- Auburn Oil Co. Booksellers (Auburn, AL)
California
- Book Passage (Corte Madera, CA)
- Coastside Books Inc (Half Moon Bay, CA)
- Floret’s Book Co (Pacifica, CA)
- Library Shop (San Diego, CA)
- Margie’s Book Nook (Susanville, CA)
- Village Well (Culver City, CA)
- Book Loft (Solvang, CA)
- Booky Joint (Mammoth Lakes, CA)
- Ink Spell Books (Half Moon Bay, CA)
- BookSmart (Morgan Hill, CA)
- Capital Books (Sacramento, CA)
Colorado
Connecticut
- Hickory Stick Bookshop (Washington Depot, CT)
- RJ Julia Booksellers (Maidson, CT)
Florida
- Bodaciois Bookstore (Pensacola, FL)
- Family Book Shop (Deland, FL)
- The BookMark (Neptune Beach, FL)
- Vero Beach Bookstore (Vero Beach, FL)
- Story & Song Bookstore Bistro (Fernandina Beach, FL)
- MacIntosh Books & Paper (Sanibel, FL)
Georgia
- Bookish Atlanta (Atlanta, GA)
- G.J. Ford Bookshop (Saint Simons Island, GA)
- Read It Again Books (Suwanee, GA)
- The Bookshelf (Thomasville, GA)
- Hills & Hamlets Bookshop (Chattahoochee Hills, GA)
Idaho
- The Book Shoppe Inc (Boone, IA)
- Pageturners Book (Indianola, IA)
- River Lights Bookstore (Dubuque, IA)
Illinois
Kansas
- Flint Hills Books (Council Grove, KS)
- Rainy Day Books (Fairway, KS)
- Watermark Books (Wichita, KS)
Louisiana
- Red Stick Reads (Baton Rouge, LA)
Massachusetts
- The Book Shop of Beverly Farms (Beverly Farms, MA)
- Yellow Umbrella Books (Chatham, MA)
- Book Ends (Winchester, MA)
- Booklovers’ Gourmet (Webster, MA)
- The Bookstore of Gloucester (Gloucester, MA)
Maryland
- A Likely Bookstore (Sykesville, MD)
Maine
- Delaney Doak & Garrett Booksellers (Farmington, ME)
- Gulf of Maine Books (Brunswick, ME)
- The Tribune Books & Gifts (Norway, ME)
Michigan
- 2 Dandelions Bookshop (Brighton, MI)
- Fenton’s Open Book (Fenton, MI)
- Squirreled Away Books (Armada, MI)
- Inscribe Books (Clarkston, MI)
Minnesota
- Fair Trade Books (Red Wing, MN)
- Four Pines Bookstore (Bemidji, MN)
- SubText (St. Paul, MN)
- The Bookstore at Fitger’s (Duluth, MN)
Missouri
- Rainy Day Books (Kansas City, MO)
Montana
- Isle of Books & Books (Butte, MT)
North Carolina
- Emerald Isle Books (Emerald Isle, NC)
- Buxton Village Books (Buxton, NC)
- Island Bookstore
(Kitty Hawk, NC)
North Dakota
- Ferguson Books (Grand Forks, ND)
Nebraska
- The BookWorm Omaha (Omaha, NE)
New Hampshire
- Gibson’s Bookstore (Concord, NH)
- Innisfree Bookshop (Meredith, NH)
New Jersey
- Here’s The Story (Union, NJ)
- Sparta Books (Sparta, NJ)
- The Little Point Bookshop (Point Pleasant Beach, NJ)
New Mexico
New York
- Lift Bridge Book Shop (Brockport, NY)
- Talking Leaves Elmwood (Buffalo, NY)
- The Book Corner (Niagara Falls, NY)
- The Bookstore Plus (Lake Placid, NY)
- The Bookworm (East Aurora, NY)
- Book Culture (Long Island City, NY)
- The Book Nook LLC (Saranac Lake, NY)
- Battenkill Books (Cambridge, NY)
- Merritt Bookstore (Millbrook, NY)
Ohio
- Bookshelf (Cincinnati, OH)
- Gathering Volumes (Perrysburg, OH)
- The Book Rack (Cincinnati, OH)
- The Book Loft (Columbus, OH)
- Mac’s Backs-Books (Cleveland Heights, OH)
Oklahoma
- Best of Books (Edmond, OK)
- Putnam Six (Enid, OK)
- Whitty Books (Tulsa, OK)
- Too Fond of Books (Tahlequah, OK)
- Commonplace Books (Oklahoma City, OK)
Oregon
- Broadway Books (Portland, OR)
- Canvasback Books (Klamath Falls, OR)
- Dudley’s Bookshop Cafe (Bend, OR)
- Book Bin (Salem, OR)
- Bob’s Beach Books (Lincoln City, OR)
Pennsylvania
- A Novel Idea (Philadelphia, PA)
- Commonplace Reader (Yardley, PA)
- Head House Books (Philadelphia, PA)
- Lahaska Bookshops (Lahaska, PA)
- Riverstone Books (Pittsburgh, PA)
- Classic Lines by Riverstone (Pittsburgh, PA)
- The Book Whisperer (Enola, PA)
Rhode Island
- Island Books (Middletown, RI)
- Books on the Square (Providence, RI)
- Barrington Books (Barrington, RI)
South Carolina
Tennessee
- Reading Rock Books (Dickson, TN)
- Union Ave Books (Knoxville, TN)
Utah
- The Printed Garden (Sandy, UT)
- The Book Bungalow (St. George, UT)
Virginia
- Blacksburg Books (Blacksburg, VA)
Vermont
- Bartleby’s Books (Wilmington, VT)
- The Book Nook (Ludlow, VT)
Washington
- Book N Brush (Chehalis, WA)
- BookTree (Kirkland, WA)
- Kingfisher Bookstore (Coupeville, WA)
- Page 2 Books (Burien, WA)
- Riverwalk Books (Chelan, WA)
- Time Enough Books (Ilwaco, WA)
- Dravill’s Bookstore (Eastsound, WA)
- Vault Books & Brews (Castle Rock, WA)
Wisconsin
- Arcadia Books (Spring Green, WI)
- Fair Isle Books & Gifts (Washington Island, WI)
- Redbery Books (Cable, WI)
- Books & Company (Oconomowoc, WI)
West Virginia
- The Book Store (New Martinsville, WV)
- Four Seasons Books (Shepherdstown, WV)
Wyoming
- Storyteller (Thermopolis, WY)
- The Second Story Book Group (Laramie, WY)
- Sheridan Stationery Books & Gallery (Sheridan, WY)
WIN a $250 book budget to the bookstore of your choice!
Help me celebrate the release of THE BANNED BOOKS CLUB by entering my new contest, where you can win a $250 book budget to the bookstore of your choice. Simply post a creative picture or video with your copy of THE BANNED BOOKS CLUB! You’ll get bonus points if you recommend a banned book you enjoyed and give me some details in the description, telling me why I should feature it in my Banned Books Club! Tag @AuthorBrendaNovak and use hashtag #thebannedbooksclub so that I see your entry! Winner will be announced November 17th!
Example Post:
@AuthorBrendaNovak #thebannedbooksclub
Join My Banned Books Club!
“The subject of banned books has once again become a passionate debate. The interesting thing to me is that, if you look back over time, some of the books that have moved and inspired people the most—like the ten I’ve chosen to feature here—have been banned. It’s the stories that make us the most uncomfortable that are often targeted; the ones that shine a light on things we’d rather not see. And yet exposure to these stories and the ideas they contain have the power to expand our understanding and make us more empathetic and better human beings. It’s a closed mind that threatens society, not an open book. These books are just a starting point—watch for my videos about them here as I explore these and more banned books.”
If you get a Banned Books Club membership card in the Book Tour Package or October’s Brenda Novak Book Box, your membership number will enter you into a fun giveaway once a month for an entire year!
The I Read Banned Books Package includes an autographed copy of THE BANNED BOOKS CLUB, a darling “I read banned books” 16 oz mug, a mini puzzle with an illustration of ten classic banned books, a commemorative button and a club membership card.
Get a FREE mini-puzzle at participating bookstores (I love supporting indies)!
I love supporting independently-owned bookstores! They are what make our communities strong, offering connection through events like book signings, book clubs, etc. Supporting them puts the money you spend back into local economies.
Get a FREE mini-puzzle and signed bookplate with your purchase of THE BANNED BOOKS CLUB at the following stores (while supplies last) listed here.
Have a book club of your own?
If you select THE BANNED BOOKS CLUB as your book club pick and have at least five members, I’ll join your book club via Zoom for 20 minutes!
About the Book
She left her hometown following a scandal—but family loyalty is dragging her back…
Despite their strained relationship, when Gia Rossi’s sister, Margot, begs her to come home to Wakefield, Iowa, to help with their ailing mother, Gia knows she has no choice. After her rebellious and at-times tumultuous teen years, Gia left town with little reason to look back. But she knows Margot’s borne the brunt of their mother’s care and now it’s Gia’s turn to help, even if it means opening old wounds.
As expected, Gia’s homecoming is far from welcome. There’s the Banned Books Club she started after the PTA overzealously slashed the high school reading list, which is right where she left it. But there is also Mr. Hart, her former favorite teacher. The one who was fired after Gia publicly and painfully accused him of sexual misconduct. The one who prompted Gia to leave behind a very conflicted town the minute she turned eighteen. The one person she hoped never to see again.
When Margot leaves town without explanation, Gia sees the cracks in her sister’s “perfect” life for the first time and plans to offer support. But as the town, including members of the book club, takes sides between Gia and Mr. Hart, everything gets harder. Fortunately, she learns that there are people she can depend on. And by standing up for the truth, she finds love and a future in the town she thought had rejected her.
More Order Options:
The Banned Books Club is also available in audio:
