"It's just going down the road of book censorship," Seed said. "I read the book and I don't see what's so offensive about it."

The book is part of the inaugural "Salt Lake Reads Together" initiative, which kicks off Sept. 15 and is designed to get city residents reading the same books together. Besides Haddon's tale, the program includes the non-fiction selection "The Blood Runs Like a River Through My Dreams: A Memoir," and children's selection, "Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH." Many cities have run popular citywide book clubs beginning with one created by Seattle's public library in the late '90s.

Like Jergensen, Councilman Carlton Christensen is questioning the book selection. "This is crazy. I don't see how it achieves any of the goals (of the book club campaign)," he said.

Those goals, according to Seed and others on the committee that picked the Haddon book, were to encourage community building and get different groups to talk together.

Asked if the book alienates a large portion of Salt Lake City and therefore won't succeed in its community-building goal, Seed said: "If they don't like the book then don't read it. If they don't like this book they can read 'Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH' with their children."

Later she added that the issue will likely increase the city's much-discussed LDS/non-LDS rift. "It re-energizes the wounds that exist in this community, and that's a concern."

Council members insist their motives aren't to censor but rather they want the mayor's office to choose a book that the whole community can read. This book, some council members say, could not be enjoyed by most LDS faithful (who make up 45 percent of Salt Lake City residents), as well as Baptists, Muslims, Catholics or even atheists offended by profanity.

Jergensen said people should be free to read the book and check it out at city libraries but Salt Lake City, the municipality, shouldn't be promoting or encouraging people to read it.

"I think we as a city would not recommend dropping the f-bomb every other word, so why are we promoting it?" he said. "Politicians are excoriated for using that kind of language in public."

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E-mail: bsnyder@desnews.com