Salt Lake vows to get input on club's book choices

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 1990s.

One of the program's goals, according to the mayor's office, was to encourage community building and get different groups to talk together.

Jergensen and other council members expressed concern that the book's selection would offend many residents.

Deeda Seed, Anderson's spokeswoman, said Monday she was concerned the controversy over the book would heighten the city's religious divide between conservative LDS Church members (who make up roughly 45 percent of the city's population) and non-LDS residents.

Christensen said he believes the Haddon book would fail in its community-building goal since many residents wouldn't read it because of the profanity and blasphemy.

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