About us
Did you know? Classics like The Great Gatsby and To Kill a Mockingbird have been challenged or banned in American schools and libraries. That's why we're here.
Welcome to The Banned Book Club! We're a community of readers who believe in the freedom to read. Once a month, we get together to talk about a book that's been challenged or pulled from shelves, in Utah or somewhere else in the country. Come for the book and stay for the conversation.
How it works
- We meet in person each month at Wasatch Theater Company in The Gateway (77 S Rio Grande St, Salt Lake City). We're on the lower level, next to the comic book store.
- Can't make it in person? We have Zoom links, so you can join from anywhere.
- Bring a food item to share and your own drink (alcohol is fine).
- Didn't finish the book? Come anyway. We don't judge.
Help pick our next book
Join us on GroupMe to vote on upcoming books and chat between meetups.
Which books are banned in Utah?
Our website, The Banned Book Club, links to the current list of books banned from Utah schools. It also has recent news and resources for readers everywhere.
Please note
This is a non-political group, and members of every political view are welcome. When you join, you agree to be respectful of everyone. We keep the conversation on the book itself, not on debating politics.
Upcoming events
7
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl - Jesse Andrews
Wasatch Theater Company (Gateway), 77 S Rio Grande St, Salt Lake City, UT, USJoin us Sunday, December 6th for a discussion on Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews.
The Book:- Title: Me and Earl and the Dying Girl
- Author: Jesse Andrews
- Description: Greg is a high school senior who gets through school by staying friendly with everyone and close to no one. He makes silly remakes of classic movies with his friend Earl. Then his mom makes him spend time with Rachel, a classmate who has leukemia.
Why it's Often Banned:
It's on the American Library Association's list of the 150 books challenged most often in U.S. libraries and schools since ALA started tracking. Source: https://ala150.org/150books
---
Event Details- When: Sunday, December 6th from 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM
- Where: Wasatch Theater Company at the Gateway Mall (77 S Rio Grande St, Salt Lake City, UT 84101)
- Because it's Sunday, there is free parking at the Gateway, and it's usually not too busy.
- What to Bring: Please bring a food item to share and your own drink of choice (alcohol is allowed!).
Note: In August, we had nearly 30 people RSVP and we had 5 show up. This makes it incredibly difficult to plan for food. If you RSVP, please plan on showing up. You don't have to have finished or even read the book - we don't judge. :)
---
Stay Connected on GroupMe!
Don't wait until the meetup to join the conversation!
Join our active GroupMe community to:- Discuss current reads in real-time.
- Cast your vote in polls to help choose our upcoming books.
- Connect with other club members between meetings.
- Click Here to Join us on GroupMe
* Reminder: This is a non-political, respectful space where all viewpoints are welcome. Our discussion stays focused on the book and the ideas it raises. We won’t always agree, and that’s okay! Different perspectives make for great conversation. See you there!
3 attendees
A Stolen Life - Jaycee Dugard
Wasatch Theater Company (Gateway), 77 S Rio Grande St, Salt Lake City, UT, USJoin us Sunday, January 10th for a discussion on A Stolen Life by Jaycee Dugard.
The Book:- Title: A Stolen Life
- Author: Jaycee Dugard
- Description: Jaycee Dugard's memoir. She was kidnapped at age 11 in 1991 and held for 18 years. She writes about what she lived through and about rebuilding her life after she was found.
Why it's Often Banned:
It's on the American Library Association's list of the 150 books challenged most often in U.S. libraries and schools since ALA started tracking. Source: https://ala150.org/150books
---
Event Details- When: Sunday, January 10th from 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM
- Where: Wasatch Theater Company at the Gateway Mall (77 S Rio Grande St, Salt Lake City, UT 84101)
- Because it's Sunday, there is free parking at the Gateway, and it's usually not too busy.
- What to Bring: Please bring a food item to share and your own drink of choice (alcohol is allowed!).
Note: In August, we had nearly 30 people RSVP and we had 5 show up. This makes it incredibly difficult to plan for food. If you RSVP, please plan on showing up. You don't have to have finished or even read the book - we don't judge. :)
---
Stay Connected on GroupMe!
Don't wait until the meetup to join the conversation!
Join our active GroupMe community to:- Discuss current reads in real-time.
- Cast your vote in polls to help choose our upcoming books.
- Connect with other club members between meetings.
- Click Here to Join us on GroupMe
* Reminder: This is a non-political, respectful space where all viewpoints are welcome. Our discussion stays focused on the book and the ideas it raises. We won’t always agree, and that’s okay! Different perspectives make for great conversation. See you there!
1 attendee
Watership Down - Richard Adams
Wasatch Theater Company (Gateway), 77 S Rio Grande St, Salt Lake City, UT, USJoin us Sunday, February 7th for a discussion on Watership Down by Richard Adams.
The Book:- Title: Watership Down
- Author: Richard Adams
- Description: Richard Adams's 1972 novel follows a group of rabbits who leave their warren after one of them has a vision of its destruction. They set out to find a new home.
Why it's Often Banned:
[why it's banned: couldn't verify]
---
Event Details- When: Sunday, February 7th from 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM
- Where: Wasatch Theater Company at the Gateway Mall (77 S Rio Grande St, Salt Lake City, UT 84101)
- Because it's Sunday, there is free parking at the Gateway, and it's usually not too busy.
- What to Bring: Please bring a food item to share and your own drink of choice (alcohol is allowed!).
Note: In August, we had nearly 30 people RSVP and we had 5 show up. This makes it incredibly difficult to plan for food. If you RSVP, please plan on showing up. You don't have to have finished or even read the book - we don't judge. :)
---
Stay Connected on GroupMe!
Don't wait until the meetup to join the conversation!
Join our active GroupMe community to:- Discuss current reads in real-time.
- Cast your vote in polls to help choose our upcoming books.
- Connect with other club members between meetings.
- Click Here to Join us on GroupMe
* Reminder: This is a non-political, respectful space where all viewpoints are welcome. Our discussion stays focused on the book and the ideas it raises. We won’t always agree, and that’s okay! Different perspectives make for great conversation. See you there!
1 attendee
Book TBD - March Banned Book Club
Wasatch Theater Company (Gateway), 77 S Rio Grande St, Salt Lake City, UT, USOur book for this month gets picked by our members! We vote on our next reads in our GroupMe chat (join the group on Meetup to get the link), and this event gets updated with the book and author as soon as the poll closes.
We usually meet the first Sunday of the month, and sometimes it moves to the second Sunday. RSVP now to hold your spot, and we'll keep you posted.
Haven't read the book? Come anyway!
---
Event Details- When: Sunday, March 7th from 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM
- Where: Wasatch Theater Company at the Gateway Mall (77 S Rio Grande St, Salt Lake City, UT 84101)
- Because it's Sunday, there is free parking at the Gateway, and it's usually not too busy.
- What to Bring: Please bring a food item to share and your own drink of choice (alcohol is allowed!).
Note: In August, we had nearly 30 people RSVP and we had 5 show up. This makes it incredibly difficult to plan for food. If you RSVP, please plan on showing up. You don't have to have finished or even read the book - we don't judge. :)
---
Stay Connected on GroupMe!
Don't wait until the meetup to join the conversation!
Join our active GroupMe community to:- Discuss current reads in real-time.
- Cast your vote in polls to help choose our upcoming books.
- Connect with other club members between meetings.
- Click Here to Join us on GroupMe
* Reminder: This is a non-political, respectful space where all viewpoints are welcome. Our discussion stays focused on the book and the ideas it raises. We won’t always agree, and that’s okay! Different perspectives make for great conversation. See you there!
1 attendee
Past events
4
