“I'm not very easily offended,” she says matter-of-factly.

Layton recently read The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, by Mark Haddon, which recently stirred debate among the Salt Lake City Council as to whether the Whitbread Award-winning novel should be included on the list of books recommended for the up-coming city sponsored Salt Lake City Reads Together program.

Apparently, Layton's patrons aren't offended either by the book's use of the f-word in several passages, because she had to reorder five copies of the novel Aug. 26 after selling out of it earlier in the week. She also is planning to discuss the book at an upcoming meeting of the Third Thursday Book Club she leads at Red Leaf, a bookstore she has owned in Springville for more than five years.

“It's a book we're recommending left and right,” she said.

Left and right perhaps, but her recommendation doesn't extend to the 3-year-old city-sponsored Springville Reads program, for which Layton is a committee member.

“I don't think I'd recommend The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night- Time for Springville,” she said. “I would not feel completely comfortable.”

Layton, who said she enjoyed Haddon's novel, agrees that some of the language in the book may be considered offensive to a portion of the 26,000-plus Springville residents.

“It says 'Christ' several times, and I think that would be more offensive to our community than the f-word,” she said.

The Salt Lake City controversy over Haddon's book has died out. However, its ashes still throw light on the problem of how to choose what topics and language in books, from low-brow paperbacks to classic literature, could be considered offensive.

Roz Sandack, who sat on the committee that recommended The Curious Incident for the Salt Lake City program, said she was shocked by the controversy over the book.

“I endorsed the reading of the book and I never dreamed for a minute that there would be any controversy over a book of such fine literature,” she said. “. . . I think most serious readers read very thoughtfully rather than for swear words. They're looking for ideas that will stimulate their imagination.”

Sandack, who also chooses novels for five book clubs she leads, said books that are viewed as controversial often raise the level of discussion.

“I don't think Mark Haddon is on trial here, I think we are,” she said.

One of the goals behind the formation of book clubs, Layton explained, is bringing people together in a way that allows open discussion of a work.

“I think if you have a chance to talk about a specific book you can really increase your understanding of what the book is about,” she said.

Book club members also talk about personal connections they make with a literary character or a fictitious scenario.

“It's a really great way to connect literature with life,” Layton said. “It opens up conversation.”

Aaron Cance, who leads Russian and Japanese book clubs at Barnes and Noble in Sugar House, once opened a conversation with his Russian book club by suggesting a reading of Vladimir Nabokov's controversial novel Lolita. He was out-voted because the story deals with pedophilia.

“Several members of the groups said, 'Oh no, we can't read that,' ” he said.

Layton has never heard that statement, because the Springville Reads committee takes measures not to pick books that may be offensive. One of its rules is to choose literature that doesn't contain profanity or graphic sex and violence.

Books chosen in the past have been read by at least one member of the committee, made up of local school and library representatives. The key is to pick a novel that, in some way, relates to local issues, Layton said.

“It has to have some major theme that our community has to work on,” she said. “Every community has its issues. . . . We just really want it to be something that a family would read for family night.”

For example, two years ago Springvillians read Star Girl, a novel that celebrates individuality, Layton said.

Chris Higashi, Seattle Public Library associate director for the Washington Center for the Book, said the 6-year-old Seattle Reads program hasn't run into a problem like Salt Lake's. She admits every book choice hasn't been popular or successful.

“More often what happened is people said they wouldn't have chosen this title on their own,” she said.

And though Higashi has received “what are they thinking” comments from the public about certain books, she said the committee that decides what will be read is made of “good, careful readers.”

“We haven't invited the mayor or the council to vote,” she said about recommended books.

Layton doesn't think the words in Haddon's novel are gratuitous. She does, however, warn her patrons who purchase the novel that it contains strong language.

“If you're worried about being offended, then you probably will be by something,” she said. “It's too subjective to know what will offend.”