So I'm sort of piggybacking off a post by @i_cant_decide discussing the dramatic increase in price for books over the last couple of decades. Since there's a lot of really great discussion over there, I don't want to pivot that conversation, but I did want to take the time to share sort of a call to action.

With the rising cost of books making them less and less affordable, I'd ask you to instead consider donating the money you'd spend on books to your local library. With these funds, your library can not only boost their collection and obtain that book you've been dying to read, but also fund programs such as summer reading events and educational workshops, and provide essential services to the community including internet access, application assistance, and early education.

Alternatively, if you have a book you no longer want taking up valuable shelf space, consider donating the book to your library. Libraries will often add these materials to their collection or sell them as part of their annual book sales with the proceeds going toward new acquisitions and programming. NOTE: be sure to check with your library to see if they are currently accepting donations.

Given the current state of affairs in publishing, generative AI, and decreasing literacy, supporting your local library is a great way to make a difference for yourself and your community.

Hi everyone, we're excited to share the 4 selections for the Summer Readalong, running June through August AND 5 selections for the Pride Special Event in June! We announce Readalong titles a month in advance to give everyone time to place library holds. Head to the Seasonal Readalong page & Special Events page to see 2 badges, the full list of selections, and add the books to your TBR (on the app via the More/hamburger menu on the Home tab, on desktop via the Discuss page).

SUMMER READALONG:

A River Enchanted by Rebecca Ross: A romantasy based on Scottish mythology, it has limited sexual content with a heightened focus on world-building that leans cozy, making it a great entry point for those who don't typically read romantasy. The protagonists defy the typical archetypes, which makes it fresh for veteran romantasy readers too!

The Lion Women of Tehran by Marjan Kamali: Set in 1950s Tehran, this historical fiction book follows two girls, Ellie and Homa, whose fierce childhood friendship is tested by class divides, betrayal, and the upheaval of the Iranian Revolution.

The Empress of Salt & Fortune by Nghi Vo: A feminist high fantasy set in an empire reminiscent of imperial China, this Hugo Award-winning novella is short but powerful.

The Stranger by Albert Camus: A classic of twentieth-century literature originally published in French, this is the story of an ordinary man drawn into a senseless murder in Algeria. It explores the philosophy of Absurdism.

PRIDE:

Last Pride was our very first Special Event, and this Pride marks 1 full year of quarterly Special Events! The goal of these is to encourage diverse reading, and while we have loved how the PB community has embraced these events, we also recognize their quarterly cadence makes it impossible for us to recognize all the voices we would like to each year.

Choosing the Special Event for summer was quite difficult for us; PB is a thriving queer & allied space that absolutely should celebrate Pride, but also as an American company, we very much wanted to celebrate Juneteenth as well (for our international friends, Juneteenth is the official celebration of the emancipation of enslaved people in the US). We ultimately decided to make this a Pride event, since we have such a large international community and Juneteenth is a US holiday. However, we feel strongly about recognizing and celebrating Juneteenth, which leads to the following:

1. Next year in 2027 we will have a year-long limited time Main Quest hosted by Pagebound with the express purpose of promoting diverse reading. With this Quest, we can promote all the voices that are not highlighted in a quarterly Special Event.

2. For this Pride, we recognize Juneteenth and the intersectional nature of justice with Harriet Tubman Live in Concert. If you are looking to recognize both holidays this Readalong, we highly recommend this pick! Authored by Bob the Drag Queen, this is an alternate history where Harriet Tubman pairs with a gay hip-hop producer to create a Hamilton-esque Broadway musical about her life.

BONUS: We have a new Limited Time Quest launching today: Sourcebooks Summer of Swoon featuring 6 romcoms running May through August. Check back later this afternoon to see the book list! Hint: 2 of the books have giveaways that just dropped 👀

Excited to read with everyone in the coming months!

Happy reading, Jennifer & Lucy