Scary Bookshelf
During spooky season, encourage reading scary books! Decorate a Little Library or small box on your porch and fill it with thrifted “scary books.” Include classics like Koontz, but also add some regime-busting titles, or books from the banned book list. Consider “shelf tags” to explain each category, or recommendations like the ones bookstores include.
How to do it:
Reading is one of the most subversive things you can do. Whenever you browse used bookstores, yard sales or library trunk sales, look for titles you love, and get them into circulation! Add a sticky note with a personal recommendation and build a bookshelf of titles to scare the people who fight freedom, individuality and diversity! Here are some book lists to get you started:
- Our guide to Banned Books
- A voracious reader we know reviews 50 books every year. Here are her subversive picks.
- Learning how others have overthrown oppression is terrifying to fascists. Study Civil Rights History with this list from the Atlanta History Center.
- Throw in a few genuine horror stories, to keep things fun! Browse StoryGraph for an Amazon-free alternative to GoodReads. Use the filters to find Horror, or any other genre.
Some ethical options for buying physical books, if you have specific titles in mind:
- Local bookstores have long been community centers, particularly for resistance. If you’re fortunate enough to still have a local store, buy there whenever you can. They can often order traditionally published books if they don’t have them on-shelf.
- Bookshop.org allows you to purchase physical and audio books while supporting small independent shops nationwide.
- Portland’s famous “city of Books”, Powell’s Books, has extensive stock including used and signed copies. They often run free shipping over $50.
- Half Price Books is an ethical company that promotes banned books and fights censorship. If you have used books to sell, they’re your simplest option: they take the whole box, paying for those they can resell and donating extra stock to schools and non-profit organizations.
