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ESO_Goodreads List of Books Which at One Point Have Been Banned.docxNational Banned Books Week Oct 4-11, 2026
National Banned Books Week Oct 4-11, 2026
Banned Books Week was launched in 1982 in response to a sudden surge in the number of challenges to books in libraries, bookstores, and schools. Held in the last week of September or first week of October, the annual event highlights the value of free and open access to information and brings together the entire book community — librarians, educators, authors, publishers, booksellers, and readers of all types — in shared support of the freedom to seek and to express ideas.
The next Banned Books Week will be held October 4–11 2026. The theme of this year’s event is Let Books Be — Protect the Freedom to Read.
For more information, visit the official website at https://bannedbooksweek.org/about/.
For ideas on books to read, see the attached list of commonly banned, censored, or challenged books. As a reminder, one of the Book Bingo Challenge squares is to read a banned book! This week/month would be the perfect time to complete this square.
🎃 Book Club Bash at Quail Ridge Books OCT 28th
🎃 Book Club Bash at Quail Ridge Books OCT 28th
Join Quail Ridge Books for a festive Book Club Bash featuring staff recommendations for thrills, chills, thrillers, suspenseful romances, and more!
📍 Quail Ridge Books
🕠 Doors: 5:30 PM 🕡 Event: 6:30 PM
🎟️ Tickets: $10 (including fees)
Tickets include a $10 book voucher, giveaways, prizes, and themed refreshments. Halloween costumes and spooky vibes are encouraged! 👻📚
The GFWC-NC Zoom Book Group’s next selection will be The Measure by Nikki Erlick. This thought-provoking novel begins with a mysterious box appearing on doorsteps around the world, containing a string that reveals the length of each person’s life. As people grapple with whether they should learn their fate, the story explores questions of choice, relationships, love, and how we might live differently if we knew how much time we had.
The next GFWC-NC Zoom Book Group meeting will be held in January 2027, with the specific date and session times to be announced. Stay tuned for more details, and consider picking up a copy of The Measure before the new year!
Past events
Past events
The GFWC-NC Zoom Book Group continued in September with Daughter of Egypt by New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Marie Benedict. As Goodreads described it, the book tells “an extraordinary story of the woman who helped uncover Tutankhamun's tomb and the mystery behind Egypt’s first woman Pharaoh.” A special shout-out and thank you to GFWC-NC Judi Stankovich for recommending this fascinating historical novel!
Two Garner Woman’s Club members attended the evening session on Tuesday, September 15th, and enjoyed a great conversation with fellow GFWC-NC members. The discussion touched on our experiences learning about Egyptian history, the role of English involvement in archaeological excavations, and many other fascinating aspects of the book and its historical setting.
The GFWC-NC Zoom Book Group is open to all GFWC-NC members, not just ESO members.
Garner Woman's Club Summer Book Drive
Garner Woman's Club Summer Book Drive
Thank you to all of our Garner Woman’s Club members who generously donated books during our summer book drive! Your contributions will help stock Little Lending Libraries and provide books for community events throughout the coming year. We’d also like to extend a huge thank-you to a wonderful community member who generously supplied us with an abundance of children’s books. We are so grateful for the support of our club members and community partners as we work together to promote a love of reading throughout Garner!
Due to busy summer schedules, two members of the Garner Woman’s Club gathered at Steep Right Up for our August ESO meeting to discuss The Secret Life of CeeCee Wilkes by Diane Chamberlain. Though small in number, the conversation was thoughtful and engaging as we explored the novel’s themes of motherhood, secrets, guilt, justice, and redemption. This selection also marked our third book in the Patterson Honoree Authors category, leaving just one more book to complete the challenge! If other club members would like to discuss the book, you are more than welcome to reach out to Amanda B. to schedule a coffee chat or lunch and continue the conversation.
Click and Connect: ESO Edition
Click and Connect: ESO Edition
Four women of the Garner Woman's Club gathered for Click & Connect: ESO Edition event! This helpful session provides a refresher on what ESO is, how the program works, and the basics of tracking your reading using the ESO Reading Log. Members can also get one-on-one help finding the best way to log their reading based on their preferences and devices. Whether you’re brand new to ESO or just need a quick refresher, this event is designed to help make participation simple, accessible, and fun for everyone!
Author Event: Kristy Woodson Harvey
Author Event: Kristy Woodson Harvey
Members of the Garner Woman's Club ESO Book Club recently attended an author event for Summer State of Mind featuring Kristy Woodson Harvey at Quail Ridge Books. Amanda and Bev enjoyed an engaging evening hearing Kristy discuss her writing journey, inspiration behind her novels, upcoming projects, and insights into her creative process. One highlight of the event was getting to ask whether readers might someday revisit the beloved character Babs from The Wedding Veil. The evening concluded with personalized book signings, making it a memorable experience for our club and a wonderful opportunity to connect more deeply with an author whose work we’ve enjoyed together.
Five members of the Garner Woman's Club gathered at Lorraine’s for our April ESO meeting to discuss The Wedding Veil by Kristy Woodson Harvey. Though small in number, the group shared a wonderful and engaging conversation centered around family heirlooms, personal memories, and connections to present-day events. Members also enjoyed discussing the Vanderbilt family and reminiscing about visits to Biltmore Estate—with excitement building around the possibility of a future club outing there together!
Five members of the Garner Woman's Club ESO Book Club gathered to discuss Bootlegger's Daughter by Margaret Maron, and the conversation was full of lively debate and differing perspectives. Some members thoroughly enjoyed the book, while others didn’t quite connect with it, making for an especially engaging discussion. The group explored the secrets of a small Southern town and Deborah Knott’s determination to uncover the truth, leading to thoughtful conversation and a fun exchange of opinions.
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