Since the passing of HB29 in 2024, 19 books have been banned statewide in Utah public schools to protect students from “sensitive materials.” The most recent book, Thirteen Reasons Why was added in October, 2025. The result of these bans is that the books are removed from public school shelves and students are prohibited from bringing them to school.
But the other result? The banned books become all the more popular in Salt Lake City bookstores.
“There’s more interest in banned books. When a book gets banned, it has a second life,” says Calvin Asch, owner of Central Book Exchange in Sugar House. His store features a banned book section located just inside the entrance, which Calvin notes is one of the hottest sections of the whole bookstore. “The state of Utah has become our best marketing team.”
Ken Sanders, owner of the storied Ken Sanders Rare Books in downtown Salt Lake, agrees that banning a book only bolsters its popularity. “I’ve been in this trade since the 1970’s,” says Sanders, “and let me tell you, there’s nothing like it for sales as when some foolish idiot bans a book. It’s just great for sales, and it doesn’t matter what the book is.”
Apollo Frenzel, a worker at Weller Book Works in Trolley Square, notes that their banned books section sells quite well. Frenzel also remembers that Ellen Hopkins, whose titles Tricks, Tilt and Fallout are all banned books statewide, gained traction after her books were ousted from Utah public schools. “All of a sudden, it was like, it’s banned statewide. And then people were like, I’ve never heard of her, let’s read her books. Then people were buying her left and right.”
So why is it that banned books become more popular?
Because, as Siena Di Sera, a co-worker of Frenzel’s at Weller Book Works, says, “It’s like a dare, or like telling a teenager not to do something, that ends up getting kids to read. It makes reading cool again.”
Sanders agrees. He remembers when a librarian forbade him from reading Frankenstein or Dracula as a young boy. “You think I didn’t figure out a way to get my hands on those books? The minute the librarian says that, it becomes forbidden fruit, and now you have to read it. Banning books is really good for business.
While they admit that banned books may bolster their sales, the booksellers all adamantly agree that the practice of banning books has harmful ramifications for expression, learning, and free speech.
Courtney Stookey, owner of the Lovebound Library, sums it up nicely, “More people come in wanting to read the books after they are banned. It is one of the only positives that could come with this. But literature is a powerful took, and at the end of the day, if you’re taking away the possibility of reading, that is not good.”
Running a farm is hard enough, but rapid city growth makes it even tougher. More than a decade ago, the late Verl Cook faced a series of staggering hurdles that threatened to wipe out his family’s livelihood.
First, the city decided to treat the Cook’s greenhouse — the most profitable part of the farm — like a big-box retail store. They demanded the family build a paved parking lot, a project that would cost $200,000.
Hall and Scheig found their land last June and broke ground just two months later, transforming what was essentially a blank canvas into a diversified market garden. This year marks their first full growing season, and they’re launching it with a community supported agriculture program, or CSA. CSAs allow people to support local growers by purchasing a season’s worth of produce upfront, giving farmers the financial stability they need during the most expensive part of the year.
Why would a state known for avoiding coffee create one of America’s most successful beverage trends? Why would people willingly add cream and flavored syrups to drinks that already contain more than enough sugar? And why are Utahns willing to wait in long drive-thru lines for something they could technically make at home?
A generation ago, homeownership was not reserved for the affluent. Working-class families bought modest homes on modest incomes. They built equity, raised families, and entered retirement with a valuable asset largely paid for.
Today, many Utah families find themselves in a different position. They may earn too much to qualify for housing assistance but too little to purchase a home. They rent apartments that consume an increasing share of their income while saving for a down payment becomes increasingly difficult.
