Novel & Cerita Banned Books Club

I wandered aimlessly to the library, hoping I could get hold of something nice to pass the time. Autumn had arrived and the nights were drawing in quicker. The library was deserted as every omega servant would be pressed into service tonight. In keeping with the seasons, the lights were low and dim, replicating the candles of the past and my shadows cast everywhere as I searched the deep mahogany shelves for something to divert my attention.

Her name was Rosie, and the books, she explained, were not for sale. They were for anyone to read and people frequently took them home and brought them back and sometimes traded them for books that they had at home. Or sometimes when they tired of the books they had home they came and brought them here and other people came and took them away. There were even book clubs that met at the cafe and they would be thrilled if their new Luna would attend.

I had memorized where the older volumes were kept. I scanned the spines with my fingertips until I found two black magic books that had not been touched in years. One of them had a faded red crest, the kind used before the kingdom banned certain forms of magic. The other had a dark, cracked cover with an old wax seal that had broken long ago. It was one of the early banned volumes. No one should be reading it. I pulled both out and carried them to a long reading table.

It was not at all a bad thing to see, in fact, Auster looked adorable. And that’s saying something already. Yohan was still pretty much flustered. Aside from me, Kofi, and Judith, he really doesn’t feel like talking much. It was like looking at an odd combination. Compared to Yohan, Auster looked puny. Now, we were currently at the tent they called the recreation one. It had lots of crates full of books and magazines. And when I peered into the crates, the covers were those that had been banned by the government.

The soft groan of wood rang out in the quiet bookstore as Lena turned over the last sign on the door: **CLOSED**. Outside, the city drew a breath, illuminated by amber streetlights and the quiet rumble of passing cars. Within, the world held its breath. Warm. Intimate. Holy.

This felt like it was vibrating on the page and she could not help but touch it. A light electric shock struck her hand and a warning appeared on the page, “This book is meant for the eyes of the Holy Clan. None but those whom are members of the clan may read this book. Great protections shroud this book and anyone defying this requirement will find themselves turned to stone.”

I hush her, but she’s already turned a few heads. “What’s there to be embarrassed about? Lots of people are into it,” Debbie says. I blink. “They… are?” “There’s a really popular book series out right now, best seller, that has a BDSM relationship. Here let me write down the title for you.” She writes me a list instead. “This is the order to read them in.” Then she scribbles down a name. “This is the author.” She passes me the list and I look at it, unsure.

Hazel enjoys getting to know all of them, and she feels like she's making a difference in their lives, one book at a time. Hazel's favorite part of her job is hosting the weekly book club. It's a small group of about eight people, but they're passionate about reading and always have fascinating insights to share. One of the members, a woman named Margaret, is especially enthusiastic. She always brings snacks for the group and keeps everyone engaged in lively discussion. One day, Margaret comes in with a big smile on her face. "You'll never believe what happened!" she says. "I was at the grocery store, and I ran into a famous author!

"Arts and crafts, Chloe? You suck at that. A three-year-old with macaroni could do better. And books? Really I mean, books are great and all but you gotta get out and see the world!" "I love my book club. We have fun, sometimes. Though it's going to be hard to go without Nicki." Chloe sighed and thought about it a moment. "Well, books are good for escaping, and I'm in need of escaping." She closed her eyes and began to escape to an imaginary world with Mr. Policeman. What they could do in his sexy car with his sexy smell all around her…

The sound echoed around the room and into my ears, filling me with a sense of warmth and peace o could not shake. “The librarian banned me from borrowing books for a week!” “How does someone even get banned from a library?” I said my heart was still slamming against my rib cage. “That’s what I’d like to know too.” She scoffed, then rolled her eyes. “Can you believe she thought exceeding the borrowing limit was a good enough reason?” “Exceeding the borrowing limit is not something normal people do. How many books did you read?” She pointed accusingly at me; her eyes still light with mirth. “You’re one to talk, crow boy.”