Weekend reads: Week of October 18, 2025

Here's a collection of literary posts that we didn't share on our reader blog this past week but thought were worth highlighting.

• The annotated history of a slur (Defector)

• A powerhouse writer found one word to change the debate about tech (The New York Times)

• You know Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca — but she also wrote these terrifying tales (NPR)

• Reading and resources for Prison Banned Books Week (Book Riot)

• The dentist should let you read instead of watch TV (Literary Hub)

• Why Philip Pullman's books are more powerful than ever in speaking truth to power (Literary Hub)