You Can’t Judge a Book by Its Cover—But Maybe You Can Judge Its Reader
When I lived in Japan, I was struck by how bookstores offered to wrap books at checkout. I never turned down the service; it was free. An employee would whip out a sheet of paper printed with the store’s name and logo and, with origami precision, fold it around the book. Was the goal to protect the book’s cover—or to hide it?
Some people like to show off what they’re reading—as if reading were some kind of performance art. Like a coffee table book, left out just so, to signal an appreciation for something arcane and highfalutin. And then there’s Goodreads, the online space where people proudly display the books they’ve read, are reading, or plan to read. A digital kind of literary flex.
In the early days of pandemic lockdown, public figures gave TV interviews from their homes. The bookshelves behind them—captured in the frame and visible to the curious viewer—suddenly became objects of scrutiny, analysis, and speculation. Most people hadn’t planned to display their personal libraries—it was just whatever happened to be on the shelf when they sat down for the interview. But once social media zoomed in on every spine, bookshelf presentation mattered.
I’m nosy. When I’m on a plane or a train and I see someone with a book, I strain my eyes. I steal a sidelong glance. I want to know what they’re reading. After I satisfy my curiosity, I move straight into judgment mode. Are they people I can relate to and feel comfortable with—or not?
If it’s a book I’ve read, I can’t help but strike up a conversation. People have approached me, too, when they spot me reading something they’ve enjoyed. But what if it’s not a friendly reader who’s curious about what I’m reading—what if it’s the government? Some governments want to track citizens’ reading choices, sometimes even asking libraries to hand over borrowing records.
Many libraries, though, are staunch protectors of personal privacy, refusing to release that information. Sure, some material—like child pornography or classified government documents—is clearly illegal and not meant for distribution. But what happens when governments curb access to books that just invite inconvenient critical thinking?
Isn’t the point of reading to sharpen our thinking and shape our worldview? It’s a deeply personal, intimate experience—one that challenges our assumptions, deepens empathy, and reminds us that what we choose to read is as revealing as what we choose to hide.
Curious about what to read next? Consider these new and upcoming releases from Crime Writers of Color!
Dying Eyes Don’t Lie by Keith A. Mosley
Release Date: February 19, 2025
When Detective Albert Yelsom’s shaman grandmother breathed life into his stillborn body, it awakened an array of shamanic supernatural abilities which he uses to serve and protect the citizens of Chicago. Seeing through the eyes of the dead to solve murders is one of the shamanic powers he uses to dispense justice. Detective Yelsom becomes the target of a vigilante who leaves a trail of victims from Los Angeles, Chicago, and New Orleans. A fortuitous meeting with a stranger leads Yelsom to the discovery of the Louisiana governor’s involvement with the disappearance of his estranged mother—criminal secrets hidden for decades by the Louisiana governor’s political machine. When the governor is kidnapped from the living quarters of the governor’s mansion, Detective Yelsom is the governor’s only chance of survival.
No. 10 Doyers Street by Radha Vatsal
Release Date: March 4, 2025, Level Best Books
New York City, 1907. Archana Morley knows what it’s like to be an outsider. As a woman journalist from India making her way through the cutthroat world of tabloid newspapers, she’s always on the lookout for untold stories. In the aftermath of a bloody shooting in Chinatown, Archana finds her most challenging subject—the dreaded gangster Mock Duck. But she realizes that things are not as they seem when the mayor declares Chinatown must be demolished, and the authorities raid Mock’s home and tear apart his family. She embarks on a quest for the truth that leads her from gritty alleys to the back-room politics of City Hall and beyond. Inspired by real events,?No. 10 Doyers Street is a gripping novel of New York City on the cusp of modernity, as seen through a unique immigrant perspective.
Streetwhys by Christopher Chambers
Release Date: April 15, 2025, Three Rooms Press
Recovered addict and former unhoused tough guy Dickie Cornish, now a newly minted PI, finds himself between the rock of an ambitious Justice Department attorney determined to extort him, and the hard place of fentanyl traffickers on the mean streets of the Nation’s Capital while an election looms.
Buried Seeds by Veronica Gutierrez
Release Date: April 17, 2025, Bella Books
Los Angeles PI Yolanda Avila’s new client brings her to a Japanese American concentration camp survivor who has taken a Latino family under his wing. Can Yolanda and her wife Sydney help honor Kinji Abe’s legacy by keeping them all out of jail and safe from deportation? A timely read as history threatens to repeat itself.
His Last Mistress by Aime Austin
Release Date: April 24, 2025, EBW a Moore Digital Media Imprint
Lulu Mueller has been waiting for Richard Sinclair to leave his wife for years. But their affair unravels as his promises crumble. When a woman is found dead, suspicions arise, pulling legal rivals Casey Cort and Nicole Long into the mystery. In this gripping standalone thriller, love, betrayal, and justice collide as they race to uncover the truth before it’s too late. His Last Mistress is a pulse-pounding social thriller with a heartbreaking twist.
Hounding a Killer by Kallie E. Benjamin
Release Date: May 6, 2025, Berkley
Finally finished with the renovations on her new house, bestselling children’s book author Pris and her trusty bloodhound, Bailey, are finding more opportunities to join the community, including attending the annual town festival. But their efforts are paw-sed when David Townsend, volatile grandson of the late wealthy resident Edward Townsend, comes to fetch his inheritance. After the new arrival riles up several other locals with petty arguments, the once sleepy town goes barking mad. Before long, the wealthy bachelor disappears.
Death in the Cards by Mia P. Manansala
Release Date: May 13, 2025, Delacorte Press
When a high school tarot reader’s latest client goes missing after a troubling reading, she must apply everything she’s learned from her private investigator mother to solve a case of her own.
Kaua‘i Storm by Tori Eldridge
Release Date: May 20, 2025, Thomas & Mercer
After ten years as a national park ranger in Oregon, Makalani Pahukula returns to Kaua‘i for her grandmother’s birthday. Having been gone for so long, her disconnect feels profound, especially when she finds a bickering family and two younger cousins missing. When hunters find a dead body in the forest, Makalani fears the worst. Although her help may not be welcomed by family and locals, Makalani is determined to solve a mystery that poses a greater risk than anyone imagines.
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Thank you for another thought-provoking column, Elizabeth, and for the wonderful list of upcoming releases.