Ash — Blog — Malinda Lo

My Books Have Been Banned or Challenged in 16 States

Since 2021, there has been an extremely disturbing surge in book bans in school districts and libraries in the United States. The most frequently targeted books are about people of color, LGBTQ+ people, racism, and history.

In the last two years, my books have been banned, challenged, or restricted in 44 cases in 40 communities across 16 states. Last Night at the Telegraph Club receives the most attention, but Ash, Huntress, A Line in the Dark and A Scatter of Light have also been targeted by book banners.

An Update on Book Bans in the US

If you follow me on Twitter or if you remember my National Book Award acceptance speech, you’ll know that for several months now, right-wing efforts to remove books about people of color and LGBTQ people from schools and libraries (including public libraries) have been ramping up across the U.S.

NewsMalinda LoMarch 2, 2022Last Night at the Telegraph Club, Ash, A Line in the Dark

From 2019 to 2020

Every year since 2009, I’ve written an annual review of what I did in the past year and what I'm looking forward to in the next. These posts are all here on my website if you want to take a look back. Here’s my review for this most recent turn around the sun.

FeaturesMalinda LoJanuary 1, 2020Red, Ash, Don't Speak, Lo & Behold, annual review, Last Night at the Telegraph Club

A Decade of LGBTQ YA Since Ash

My first novel, Ash, was published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers almost ten years ago, in September 2009. It was a retelling of “Cinderella” with a twist: Ash, the Cinderella character, falls in love with a woman rather than with Prince Charming. Ash lives in a world in which same-sex love is normal, so she doesn’t have to suffer through any coming-out angst. She gets her happily ever after.

Ash was received so warmly by readers in 2009, and in the years since then I almost feel like I’ve ceased being the author of Ash and instead become the keeper of memories for this book. So many readers have emailed me or told me in person how Ash made them feel seen; how it showed them that it was OK to be gay; how comforted they felt by the story. This is not something a writer can ever expect or hope for, and I’ve been deeply touched by every person who has shared their love of Ash with me.

FeaturesMalinda LoMay 14, 2019LGBTQ, statistics, LGBTQ YA By the Numbers, Ash

Full Cover Reveal: 10th Anniversary Edition of ASH

It’s only one month until the 10th anniversary edition of Ash is released, and I’m thrilled to show you the full, updated cover today. It still retains the image of the girl curled up on the ground that made me love the original cover so much, but the title treatment is new and several incredible authors have contributed new blurbs for Ash.

I case you're not familiar with publishing jargon, blurbs are those little bursts of praise that are printed on book covers. (For example: "This book is better than sliced bread!" — Jane Bestseller, Author of Many Bestsellers) They are a source of incredible anxiety for authors, because who wants to go around asking for other people to praise your book publicly? It's totally nerve-wracking!

So when I learned which authors had offered new blurbs for a 10-year-old book, I was completely floored. Here they are on the new cover, front and back:

NewsMalinda LoApril 17, 2019Ash

From 2016 to 2017

We have arrived at the end of another calendar year. Every year I look back on what I did and look forward to what comes next; these posts are tagged taking stock if you want to see where I’ve come from.