We’re back for Season 9, and we’re kicking things off with something a little different: a full-on chat about Banned Books Week 2025.

The theme this year is “Censorship Is So 1984.” Which, honestly… yeah, that tracks.

I’m joined once again by my friend, and academic, Michael Pons, who’s currently deep in his PhD studies. Together, we dive into what book bans really mean for readers, for kids, and for the stories that shape how we see the world.

We talk about The Giver, Homegoing, Their Eyes Were Watching God, and Perks of Being a Wallflower, all books that changed us, and all books that, somehow, keep ending up on banned lists. We also get into the bigger picture: what censorship looks like in media, the weird double standards around “protecting the  ...