Friday Reads: Banned Books, Slumps, and More

Expand for more information. 👇
Time for a Friday Reads that kinda isn't a Friday Reads for a couple of reasons. We'll get into it. We'll also talk about reading plans for #BannedBooksWeek! Let me know what you will be reading in the comment section.

Links 💻

Further Viewing 🎥

Titles Mentioned 📚
Lawn Boy, Jonathan Evison
Maus Volume 1 and 2, Art Spiegelman
The Marriage Portrait, Maggie O’Farrell
Now in November, Josephine Johnson

My husband made a cookbook! Check it out here:

But wait, there's more!

[KierTheScrivener]

I love Your Wrong About and you've sold me on Maintenance Phase. I have struggled with disordered eating and have been afraid to enter in on it. I also love that you've taken time let yourself have slumps and rests ❤️

[LaurieInTexas]

Number one is always taking care of yourself so I'm glad you are doing what you need to do that. We all have reading slumps and I don't expect people with channels to be different. I enjoy seeing your updates regardless of whether you are reading or not.

[kimswhims]

I've had a few slumps in the past few years mainly as a reaction to things happening in the world, I really appreciated that you talked about your slump, the pressures that you've felt and healthy ways to deal with those pressure. Sometimes a slump is just that, a healthy break. I've been having to return unread items to the library and I really shouldn't feel as disappointed about it as I have been. I really like the way you add things to your library too, I've realised that your and my approach is very similar. Have to say I appreciate all your thoughtful content.

[readandre-read]

I appreciate the candid life update, even if it doesn't have a big long list of books in it. It made me smile that you need to explain where Jamie is so that we can relax about her whereabouts! I have the exact same personal struggle about the weight gain over the past couple of years, and being unkind to myself about it. You helped me out a lot with your National Book Award video; I went from "hmmm...." to being really interested in a few of those books. Take care and do whatever you need to destress!

[Elizabeth-Reads]

First, you don’t ever have to apologize for anything! Thanks so much for everything you do. Re book banning, I saw this posted yesterday. (Long, but worth reading to get a sense what’s going on.) This teacher's in (no surprise) Texas. It’s just heartbreaking, and gosh, talk about indoctrination.

“By November, every single teacher in my district, no matter their grade or subject, has to enter the title, author, and year published for every book in their classroom into a spreadsheet. Then we have to go through a painstaking process to vet each and every book---even if we’ve read them, even if we grew up reading them---to make sure that “real experts” have determined that the book content is appropriate for the age level we teach, and also enter that data.
Over the summer, I took every one of these books home and scanned them into my own library system. All I had to do was scan the barcode on the back. This process alone took me over 6 hours. With this new process, each book alone will take a few minutes.
So what am I going to do? I already don’t have on-contract time to do all the things we are required to do. What I’m going to do is box up every one of these books and put them away. And these shelves will be bare. I won’t be the only one putting away all of my books. Classrooms across Texas will be bare of libraries because of this.
I ugly-cried this morning. One of my favorite things about my job is getting emails from parents telling me how enthusiastically their child is now reading at home.
How are kids going to learn to love to read if they can’t hold books in their hands? Putting barriers between kids and books is one of the worst things I can think of.
And here's the real kicker: they already have the world at their fingertips. They can find ANY illicit material they want on the smartphones and tablets they are parked in front of constantly.
Sure, there are some vigilant parents who make sure their children are never exposed to anything they don’t want them to see. And while these parents could have chosen to take their kids to the public libraries themselves and choose books they deem appropriate, instead they chose to raise up their voices against teachers like me and decide that everyone’s child should be restricted; every child should have to live up to whatever standards they have chosen for their own children. They've made it clear they think we're all in this profession to tarnish and brainwash their children. This TINY minority of people are the ones who are making things like this happen. And just like with everything else in our under-funded, under-respected, over-worked, under-paid, under-staffed industry, we're probably all going to roll over and take it.
And more teachers will continue to quit.
I LOVE my students. I would NEVER put anything in my classroom library that I thought might expose them to something inappropriate or too mature. I know I can get parent volunteers to come in and donate their time to help me catalog my extensive collection. But what I'm really mourning is the absolute lack of trust in highly-trained educators who have poured their souls into this profession and the children of people who believe we're indoctrinating them.
How much more of this can we withstand?”

[Nina_DP]

Greg, your content is great and it is clear to me (and probably all your subscribers) that you are a good soul. If you need time, take it. We'll all be here whenever for whatever.

Also, please tell Jamie I totally get it. When my neighbors come home, sometimes it ticks me off, too. Oh, how I wish I could bark.

[kiranreader]

i also don't read every single day!! and totally understand needing a break. the maintenance phase podcast sounds super interesting! hope you have a restorative weekend!!

[leesawarshauer]

My dad read the comics to me when I was a little girl..that is how my reading started. Then he introduced me to John D. Macdonald..I am currently 59..and still reading. The very unfortunate thing about social media; it is a time sucker. I really got way from reading in the last few years. I made a pledge to read 15 books this year; I am at 13. So doing much better! Thank you for your channel; it has helped me stay interested in reading.
Have a great trip!!

[deannachavez]

I’ve been watching your channel for a good while and have added so many books to my wish list on your recommendation. I also appreciate the education about various book prizes and their histories. Thanks for doing the research and sharing it. I agree that sometimes you just have to lean into the slump. The largest library book distributor was the victim of a ransomware attack more than a month ago, so that may be why recently requested books have not been ordered. Could also be budget issues, of course. I just got The Marriage Portrait and hope to start it this weekend. Take care of yourself and have a fantastic, well deserved vacation!

[bookreview]

This year has just been exhausting on work and health sides for me and I am really glad that I let go of an upload schedule this year and didn't set any reading goals as I would be so much more frustrated with the videaos I manage to upload and the books I'm reading. I'm honestly amazed at how many videos you upload with everything going on. On slumps, I'm not sure if they exist or if we overthink not constantly reading. When I look back my reading resembles a rollercoaster mor than anything. Sometimes it's downhill in fast books and picking up one good book after the other. Other times it's all uphill with slow and boring books. and sometimes you're just stuck waiting for things to start up again. And I don''t mind and thus don't really think I'm in a slump if I read less.
I hope you enjoyed your break and feel recharged.

[lisaedwards]

Any video, any content, any time - we just appreciate hearing from you when you're feeling up to it! Grief is a journey with no set ending. Please be kind to yourself and do what is best for you! ❤

[mickyboymick]

For me, Friday Reads is not about what you have read during the week. It’s about catching up with you and sharing bookish chat. I was not aware that it was “Banned Book Week” nor was I aware that The National Book Awards Longlist was to be published but thanks to you, these are now on my radar (now where did I pick up that phrase.)These are the interesting things that you come up with in each of your vlogs. I feel that The Montana Book Company is my local bookstore and through your vlogs, I get to hear their book recommendations. Please don’t feel that you have to force yourself to read books just to fill a Friday vlog. That will certainly put you under uneccesay pressure. With you sitting on your sofa with Jamie and sometimes Joel by your side makes the whole vlog most personal. We are right with you when you go on trips, visit your book shop and for when you see your therapist. By simply chatting and mentioning things bookish is enough for me to keep that window to the world, open.

[nathanfoung]

Well Greg, for what it's worth, we are so glad you are taking care of yourself. Please know we appreciate you and the time and effort you put into creating content for your channel, I always manage to find great books here to add to my reading list. Take care and go well.

[loriroemer]

Friday Reads is a time to chat "with" you, and get caught up with your thoughts and ideas, not just about what you have read in the past week. Don't pressure yourself at all. You deserve the grace period!

[ReadBecca]

My step #1 on beating a slump is be kind to yourself, and I feel like you are needing that right now. The pressure to finish books on booktube is so much internalized, much less from your viewers, so take the time you need really.

[julieg_quebec-julesselivre]

You look great, you do you and we love you whatever... Hope you have a great weekend Greg! 😉

[scallydandlingaboutthebook]

I had forgotten about banned books week. I'll see if I can find one to fit in. I am always intrigued when people talk about reading slumps. When I am under stress I disappear into more books. But I don't have a weekly routine for videos to sustain and allow myself to skip filming when I am off kilter. I hope the week ahead picks up.

[RovingReader]

You do you! No one cares when you film, we love you as you are and when you film. Take all the breaks you need ❤

[micafernandez]

watching all the ads that come up on your videos because i like you as a person <3

[kdonaldson]

Absolutely I’ve had a few weeks reading slump in July !! Hopefully you are still enjoying what your doing!