Looking for my next read and want something with a powerful punch. I'm specifically interested in books that have been banned or censored somewhere in the world.
The last one I loved in this category was "The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood.
Open to any genre! What's a censored book you would recommend?
by Bestwebhost
9 Comments
The Atrocity Exhibition by J G Ballard. I think it’s still banned in some places.
Toni Morrison is one of the most banned authors in the US. Start with The Bluest Eye or Sula. All of her books are incredible though.
1984 and Fahrenheit 451 if you want some more dystopian books.
Maus
The Color Purple by Alice Walker, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou, Beloved by Toni Morrison, and pretty much any Stephen King book.
Slaughterhouse 5 – Kurt Vonnegut
I think last night at the telegraph club by Malinda Lo has been banned in some states unless I’m mistaken.
Firen: From Male Ruling to Female Ruling
By Linda Lee Kelly
It’s currently free on Kindle until October 23.
Cold Crematorium by József Debreczeni – an excellent Holocaust memoir that was first published in 1950 in Hungarian but only translated into English a couple years ago because of Cold War hysteria
Many books are challenged or banned in schools (in the US). Here’s a list of the top ten list of banned books from ALA’s 2024 data: https://www.ala.org/bbooks/frequentlychallengedbooks/top10. PEN America has a list of banned books for 2025: https://pen.org/banned-books-list-2025/. I would recommend reading a classic like *1984* or *Brave New World* to get a sense of the historical perspective, and then also reading something contemporary. Censorship is based on fear and othering, and imo all that does is hinder us as people. These lists are also US centric, and I’m sure there are (unfortunately) examples of other books from other countries that are being challenged and banned for the same reasons. Shoutout to independent booksellers and librarians: thanks for the work you do. Free people read freely!