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heykellyjensen.bsky.social
kelly jensen
@heykellyjensen.bsky.social
12K followers 330 following 6.4K posts
Senior Editor at Book Riot. Editor/Author of BODY TALK, HERE WE ARE, + (DON'T) CALL ME CRAZY. Former librarian. Anti-censorship advocate. Yoga teacher. Your favorite infernal witch. She/her. Library Journal Mover & Shaker in 2024.
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heykellyjensen.bsky.social
The pitches selling BEST OFFER WINS as a thriller do a tremendous disservice to both thriller readers and people like me who don't care for thrillers because this is not a thriller. It's WEIRD and dark (& imm, darkly funny) and a sharp critique of being an elder millennial in today's world.
best offer wins bu marisa kashino book cover
November 29, 2025 at 8:53 PM
heykellyjensen.bsky.social
The perfect album from the year I turned 16–one of my top 3 Modest Mouse albums. 2000 wasn't the *most* amazing album year, and I wouldn't discover MM for a few more years, but I'm going with this one.
the moon and antarctica album cover, featuring two blue hands shaking over a barren desert landscape.
November 18, 2025 at 7:36 PM
heykellyjensen.bsky.social
This headline is ridiculous. No one is erasing your youth. Six of Crows is still in the YA section. THIS EDITION was made for adult readers.
Headline from Case Western Reserve University reads "'Six of Crows': The tragedy of a youth erased."
November 18, 2025 at 2:01 PM
heykellyjensen.bsky.social
I'm working on a *lengthy* piece about this, as well as the way romantasy is flooding YA when it should be filling the so-called "new adult" category that was a hyperfixation for a period about 10 years ago.

It's all connected.

Anyway, here's the *advertisement* for the new Six of Crows.
Advertisement for the new Six of Crows, which reads "meeting new readers everywhere they browse--introducing paperback editions with stained edges for adult fiction shelves."
November 18, 2025 at 1:59 PM
heykellyjensen.bsky.social
The editing of the 10th anniversary edition of SIX OF CROWS was *not* done quietly. There were several advertisements that THIS particular edition, published for the 10th anniversary, WAS BEING EDITED FOR ADULT READERS.

It's also very clearly labeled adult on retail sites.
Article blurb from The Harvard Crimson with the headline "From young to adult with 'six of crows': your favorite books are being quietly re-edited."
November 18, 2025 at 1:59 PM
heykellyjensen.bsky.social
Here's our massive white rabbit and our kitten with her.
Image of a big white rabbit stretched all the way out. Lying on her nose is a calico kitten. They're on a pink and orange rug.
November 13, 2025 at 11:40 PM
heykellyjensen.bsky.social
What must it be like to live such a small, uninteresting life?
Image of a sock puppet account that added me to a custom feel called "antifa" Sock puppet account featuring another person without hobbies who attended a librarian event, recorded it, and is now trying to make it about being "too woke."
November 13, 2025 at 10:44 AM
heykellyjensen.bsky.social
I'm having A Day and then I remembered nine years ago, THE Wendy Davis sent me this email.
Email from Wendy Davis to me. It reads "Congrats Kelly! Well done."
November 11, 2025 at 10:49 PM
heykellyjensen.bsky.social
If you look at their actual profile, you'd know this isn't a news outlet.

Here's a story from this week about Kalshi, the "predictions" website making waves with the NCAA over sports betting: archive.ph/1y9So
Image of @thepoliticalhq's X profile. There is a yellow arrow pointing to the website kalshi.com/politicalhq.
November 6, 2025 at 12:12 PM
heykellyjensen.bsky.social
One of the biggest purveyors of this narrative is an account on X called "The Political HQ." They have a checkmark so it looks legit, but we *also* know that's paid for.

They're not actually a real thing. They're a BETTING WEBSITE. This isn't a link. It's just an image they hijacked from somewhere.
Image of a tweet from The Political HQ on X. It reads "🚨BREAKING🚨 Mom’s for Liberty (M4L) candidates lost 31 out of 31 contested races nationwide on November 4, 2025. No M4L candidate won a single contested seat anywhere in the United States." There is an image of a poster that says "moms 4 liberty is on the wrong side of history." It is displayed in front of a pride flaf.
November 6, 2025 at 12:08 PM
heykellyjensen.bsky.social
We just are not talking about how one of the best books of 2025 is about a woman who fantasizes about fucking an airplane.
Book cover for Sky Daddy by Kate Folk.
October 28, 2025 at 9:40 PM
heykellyjensen.bsky.social
Two books hitting shelves in 2026 with a very specific cover aesthetic of . . . dripping filled donuts!
book cover for ABUNDANCE by Hafeez Lakhani, featuring a stack of jelly-filled donuts dripping. book cover for NOTHING TASTES AS GOOD by Luke Dumas, with a single dripping jelly-filled donut.
October 23, 2025 at 3:07 PM
heykellyjensen.bsky.social
UPDATE -- students in Georgia who've participated in the Reading Bowl have launched a petition to get answers as to why these 8 books were banned. Please amplify their petition and message, as well as the story here.

Petition: www.change.org/p/ensure-tra...
Image of a book with flowers on it. It's a flier from the Wheeler High School Reading Bowl team saying "Fight Book Banning." Under the image it says "We want open minds, not closed books," and asks people to sign their petition: https://www.change.org/p/ensure-transparency-and-change-in-georgia-high-school-hrrb-book-banning-process?recruited_by_id=1a6e97a0-a854-11f0-aa25-fd089d14a993&utm_source=share_petition&utm_campaign=share_petition&utm_term=share_petition&utm_medium=copylink
October 13, 2025 at 5:16 PM
heykellyjensen.bsky.social
Has your library banned Banned Books Week events/displays this year? I want to hear about it. I had thought I'd get 2-3 responses but, y'all, we're at over 20 at this point.

All anonymous. It will be used for a story in the near future. Survey closes 10/17.

docs.google.com/forms/d/1n65...
Black text on a red and black background. It reads "Has your library banned events, displays, talks, or anything else related to banned books week this year? Share your story anonymously." It includes the survey link: https://tinyurl.com/banning-bbw-25
October 12, 2025 at 12:06 PM
heykellyjensen.bsky.social
Michiganders and those within the Detroit metro area–I'll be facilitating a rad Youth Right to Read Summit on November 8 for people ages 15-22. It's *FREE* with travel reimbursement for young folks.

Details + registration ---> www.milibraries.org/youth-summit...
Image of a megaphone on a green background. The text in the image says "Clinton Macomb Public Library - Main Branch, Saturday November 8, 10 am - 3 pm. Youth Summit on the Right to Read."
October 11, 2025 at 11:58 AM
heykellyjensen.bsky.social
Do you work at a library where Banned Books Week events/programs/displays were banned or curtailed? Tell me about it in this anonymous survey.

tinyurl.com/banning-bbw25
Black text on a red and black background. It reads "Has your library banned events, displays, talks, or anything else related to banned books week this year? Share your story anonymously." It includes the survey link: https://tinyurl.com/banning-bbw-25
October 10, 2025 at 12:26 PM
heykellyjensen.bsky.social
**NEW**

Today, the ACLU of South Carolina filed a lawsuit on behalf of public school students and school librarians. They're challenging the constitutionality of the state's book banning law and a memo outlining the state's content censorship policy.

bookriot.com/aclu-sc-laws...
Image of lady justice beside a stack of books.
October 7, 2025 at 6:18 PM
heykellyjensen.bsky.social
Has your library curtailed or outright banned anything related to Banned Books Week this year? I'm not talking that you're doing something else (i.e., freedom to read week). I'm talking YOU CAN'T DO ANYTHING related to the topic.

Tell me about it anonymously --> tinyurl.com/banning-bbw25
Black text on a red and black background. It reads "Has your library banned events, displays, talks, or anything else related to banned books week this year? Share your story anonymously." It includes the survey link: https://tinyurl.com/banning-bbw-25
October 7, 2025 at 12:39 PM
heykellyjensen.bsky.social
Has your library banned any displays, events, education, talks, or anything else related to Banned Books Week this year? I want to know about it . . . and emphasize you're not alone.

Please take and share this short, anonymous survey.

tinyurl.com/banning-bbw-25
Black text on a red and black background. It reads "Has your library banned events, displays, talks, or anything else related to banned books week this year? Share your story anonymously." It includes the survey link: https://tinyurl.com/banning-bbw-25
October 6, 2025 at 5:13 PM
heykellyjensen.bsky.social
Dangerous compact mirrors on the covers of two YA books hitting shelves on the same day the first week of November.

GIRLS WHO PLAY DEAD hits in hardcover, while GORGEOUS GRUESOME FACES has this look in its paperback rendition (I read this one over the weekend and enjoyed it a lot!).
book cover for GIRLS WHO PLAY DEAD by Joelle Wellington. It features a compact mirror with the eyes of two different Brown skin girls. The one on the left looks shocked. The one on the right looks sinishter. Image of the book cover for GORGEOUS GRUESOME FACES. It's got a compact mirror opened up, with the bloody eye of an Asian American girl shown in the mirror.
October 6, 2025 at 3:00 PM
heykellyjensen.bsky.social
Karen over at Capitol Resource/Take Back the Classroom (a non-professional BookLooks/RatedBooks wanna be) is having her book banning posse share images of banned book displays across the country as a means of . . . what, I'm not sure. But heads up if you see/hear more complaints than normal.
Image of an email from Capitol Resource Institute. It reads "Banned Books Week Reminder! The pictures are already rolling in, and Banned Books Week hasn’t even officially started! This is your friendly reminder to send in your photo of any “banned book” displays you spot. Let’s be clear: these so-called “banned books” are rarely classics being silenced — they’re sexually explicit books that parents across the country have said don’t belong in children’s libraries. Yet, during this week, libraries nationwide will proudly showcase them and do everything they can to expose your children to this content under the banner of “freedom to read.” It’s time to shine a light on who is pushing porn on kids. Here’s how you can help: Every time you see a “Banned Books” display, take action. Snap a photo of the display. Upload it to our reporting form with the location where you saw it."
October 6, 2025 at 1:13 PM
heykellyjensen.bsky.social
This is a GREAT graphic.

I'm going to add to it this one from @johnnorcross.bsky.social, which visualizes the text below.
Graphic created by John Norcross. It shows how the right is attacking libraries. There are forces meant to remove collections, programs, services, staff, and community relationships on the right. On the left, removal of funding sources.
October 5, 2025 at 3:49 PM
heykellyjensen.bsky.social
What is the average age of the most banned books in America?

It's 22.

The most banned books in America are not new books.

Why are they suddenly a problem now? We know. We all know.

That, plus an *extensive* roundup of book censorship news this week.

bookriot.com/the-average-...
Image of a book on fire. There is white text on top of the image that reads "The average age of the most banned books in America? 22 years old."
October 3, 2025 at 12:54 PM
heykellyjensen.bsky.social
But both the House and Senate put the IMLS back into the budget during markup.

This is going to be even uglier and messier than we were already anticipating.
Newsletter from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. It reads "IMLS Closed Due to Partial Government Shutdown The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) is closed due to a partial shutdown of the United States Government. Because you are associated with an active award, we want to share the following information with you. Will IMLS staff be available to answer my questions during the shutdown? No. IMLS staff will be unavailable, both by email and telephone. May I continue working on my IMLS grant funded project? Yes. You may continue to work on your IMLS-funded project, incurring appropriate obligations and/or expenses up to the award amount specified in your official award notification letter, and in accordance with your IMLS-approved budget plan and timeline. Any deliverables and/or award modifications requiring approval from IMLS staff will not be addressed until the government reopens. May I submit performance and financial reports and/or payment requests during a shutdown? Yes. You may submit performance and financial reports as well as payment requests during a government shutdown through your eGMS Reach account. These reports will be addressed by the appropriate staff when the government reopens. Will my institution receive payments during the shutdown? No. During a funding hiatus, IMLS cannot process requests for payment for its discretionary programs. Payments will resume when the government reopens. How will I know when IMLS is open again? Changes in our open status will be announced on our website, www.imls.gov."
October 1, 2025 at 2:28 PM
heykellyjensen.bsky.social
Our local scanner page is a conservative fap fest, but today, the comments DELIVERED. This was under a story about a teacher who got fired for Kirk comments.

I got out the popcorn.
Image of a comment from a local Moms for Liberty group who said a teacher who got fired for her comments about charlie kirk "should have consequences." In a slew of responses, people made fun of the group and their "freedom for me, but not for thee" stance.
September 25, 2025 at 9:01 PM