Happy Banned Books Week, everyone! It’s a great time to celebrate freedom to read and to honor those who fight censorship. For this year’s Banned Books Week, I’m taking part in the Virtual Read-Out, which encourages readers to share a passage from a banned/challenged book. Check out my reading from In Cold Blood by Truman Capote:

There are so many wonderful books that are banned or challenged, but I chose In Cold Blood because it’s a sincerely upsetting and arresting book. Capote’s depiction of the Clutter murder doesn’t pull any punches (nor does it sensationalize), while he also portrays their killers as full people–damaged, terrifying people, but full human beings nonetheless. It’s a hard book to read, but that’s why it should be available for all readers. We can’t deny that there are truly scary things that happen in the world, and accounts like this one validate our fears and force us to confront them with empathy and thoughtfulness.

To share your own video or to see lists of banned/challenged books, check out the Banned Books Week site.