​Following our annual end-of-year campaign (collecting 423 books!) for the latest World Almanac--we keep the bundle to a single theme and focus this month on manga, an oft requested genre that Books Through Bars does not normally have enough to spare. Since much contemporary adult manga can fall afoul of prison censors (particularly for overtly sexual content), we have chosen two series safe for all ages: Masashi Kishimoto's Naruto and Koyoharu Gotouge's Demon Slayer. ​

Following November's campaign (collecting 1,080 books!) that helped replenish the stock of English dictionaries--particularly the most up-to-date editions--so in demand from incarcerated readers, we stick to the theme of reference. Each December the World Almanac puts out its latest version, a compendium of facts and statistics on politics, global affairs, culture, sports, science, and technology of the past year. For readers starved of news outside their walls, an almanac provides necessary context of the contemporary scene. Typically Books Through Bars exhausts their supply of World Almanacs within the first two months of the year. We hope this campaign, which triples the usual number we can provide in return for $30, will help plug that hole.  ​

Unfortunately because of the blustery weather overnight, the tents on Cadman Plaza/Borough Hall were damaged.  Apologies to anyone who came out today!  Though the indoor portion of the festival is still going on.  Come visit us at the store, but we will have to see you next year at the festival.

​Following September's campaign (collecting 175 books!) that was a combo of escapist thrillers, no-nonsense business advice, and extraterrestrial speculation, we put another spotlight on censorship in America. Prison authorities at the state and federal level block incarcerated readers from getting access to an extensive list of books. Texas alone bars upwards of 10,000 titles from their facilities. Obviously NYC Books Through Bars cannot get around those restrictions, but we can make a statement by sharing with those readers other works of literature deemed too inflammatory for legislators and educational gatekeepers. PEN America estimates that nearly 1,600 individual titles face removal from 2,900 school libraries. Yaa Gyasi's novel, Homegoing, is one of them, banned in Georgia, Missouri, Florida, and Texas, for its unvarnished look at slavery's legacy in America. Marjane Satrapi's graphic memoir, Persepolis, is another, banned by Pennsylvania and Texas schools for its depiction of the violence associated with political and societal repression. And perhaps the most peculiar act of censorship is the choice by the Edmond School District in Oklahoma to remove the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass from their curriculum. By purchasing these three titles, we will also include one of Search Press's drawing guides--art instruction is amongst the most requested subjects and NYC Books Through Bars is in short supply at the moment. 

​Following July's campaign (collecting 400 books!) that was a grab bag of popular history, award wining literary fiction, and groundbreaking science journalism, we end the summer with a mind and body bundle. In his Pulitzer prize-winning expose of slavery's enduring legacy after the Emancipation Proclamation, Slavery By Another Name, Douglas Blackmon challenges the reader to think what freedom really means in a society built upon forced labor. And in keeping up with constant requests for books that encourage mental and physical health, we round out the bundle with low tech exercises to build muscle mass and stretch the brain's capacity: Men's Health Best Weight-Free Workout (a book we have selected before that remains amongst the most in demand with incarcerated readers), The Penguin Sudoku Challenge (with games that increase in difficulty, one for every day of the year), and a selection from Dr. Gareth Moore's brain games series, Brain Coach Intense, 10-Minute Brain Games: Brain Teasers, or 10-Minute Brain Games: Words & Language. 

July 2022's pick:
The Underground Railroad, A Woman of No Importance, and The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks -- $30 for three booksFollowing June's campaign (collecting over 575 books!) that celebrated Pride Month and LGTBQ perspectives upon the 2 year anniversary of our bundle program, we do a summer bag of popular history, award wining literary fiction, and groundbreaking science journalism. Colson Whitehead's The Underground Railroad chronicles a young slave's adventures as she makes a desperate bid for freedom in the antebellum South. In The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, Rebecca Skloot brings into focus a forgotten Black woman whose cells were mined and exploited by the scientific community without any financial gain for her family. And in the current bestseller A Woman of No Importance, Sonia Purnell shares the remarkable story of a woman spy who was a linchpin of the Resistance during World War II.

Upon the two year anniversary of our monthly drive (which has helped bring in over 15,000 books), we celebrate Pride Month with a  vibrant selection of LGBTQ literature.
Three works for $30 (37% off retail) 

Sister Outsider, The Prophets, and Last Night at the Telegraph Club -- $30 for three booksFollowing May's campaign (collecting over 380 books!) that spoke to the constant demand for comics (superhero and otherwise) at our nation's prisons, we focus on Pride Month and LGTBQ perspectives. A giant of literature, Audre Lorde described herself as "black, lesbian, mother, warrior, poet." In Sister Outsider, Lorde's essential essays and speeches are spotlighted: timeless explorations of sexism, racism, ageism, homophobia, and class, not to mention the value of action and change. One of the most notable works of fiction from last year, Robert Jones Jr.'s The Prophets is a rare novel of gay life in the enslaved South. A finalist for the National Book Award, the New York Times singled it out as "a lyrical and rebellious love story." And hailed as an instant classic on its release--it did win the National Book Award--is Malinda Lo's breakout work Last Night at the Telegraph Club, which looks at a teenage lesbian relationship in San Francisco during the 1950s peak of Red Scare paranoia and discrimination towards Asian Americans.

Over 15,000 books purchased on behalf of NYC Books Through Bars
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May 2022's pick:
Harley Quinn, Batman, and Black Panther -- $30 for three books
Following April's campaign (collecting over 375 books!) that combined serious and topical nonfiction with diversionary and meditative activity books, we do our first all comic book (and superhero) bundle, a sampling of DC and Marvel properties. While Books Through Bars regularly sends individual comic books and manga to readers (AND PLEASE KEEP BRINGING IN YOUR PERSONAL COLLECTIONS), they are often out of sequence. Batman: White Knight Presents: Harley Quinn and Batman Arkham: Penguin bring together series for a more cohesive reading experience. And though it's not in graphic form, we round these out with Who Is the Black Panther? by Jesse Holland, a novelization of the hugely popular Marvel character. 

Following March's campaign (collecting over 380 books! CORRECTION: 512!)  that focused on perennial in-demand works (dictionaries, true crime, financial knowledge, and drawing guides), we get topical with Strongmen, Ruth Ben-Ghiat's acclaimed deconstruction of the authoritarian mindset. Going back 100 years historian Ben-Ghiat (who the New Yorker noted "specializes in male menace") shows the sad consistency of men who rule with an iron fist. As a counterpoint we also include a book about masculinity less toxic in nature: Tom Callahan's Gods at Play. Longtime sports journalist Callahan shares intimate portraits of athletes in the moments they made history. And rounding them out are a variety of adult coloring books (a commonly requested item) meditative in nature. A purchase of a bundle will include one from Cher Kaufmann's series at Countryman Press: Love, Peace, Dream, or Joy.  ​