What banned books have you recently read?

[gab13by13]

I read many throughout my lifetime, not deliberately, but now I am making an effort to read some banned books.

I read Stranger in a Strange land, pretty much every religion has banned this book. I laughed my ass off as I read it.

I read the Book of Enoch, banned from the bible by Catholics. It is extremely boring because it is so repetitious. It is used by the TV show Ancient Aliens to prove that we are descendants of extra-terrestrials, or at least that they interacted with us.

I am reading The Outsiders now, I don't think it was banned, but maybe.

I also just ordered A New Earth, not banned, but I gave my copy away and I want to read it again.

A banned book puts a perspective on the book as you read it to determine why people banned it?

[Emile]

2. I read again, "A Time to Kill by John Grisham"

Banned book!

[gab13by13]

5. Thanks

[Vinca]

9. That was banned? I honestly don't pay much attention to the ever growing list, but

John Grisham. They banned John Grisham??? What total, fucking idiots.

[Emile]

10. A black man kills two white men who raped his little daughter.

It's in the top 100 banned books!

[Tucker08087]

3. My son was assigned The Outsiders in 9th grade.

He had to read a few chapters per night, but he’s legally blind, and after going through the school day and doing his homework, his one “good” eye (it’s not at all “good”) would become fatigued and turn red and swell around the outside of his eye. Kind of looks like severe pink eye. We couldn’t find the book in large print, so we’d take turns reading it aloud to one another.
I don’t understand why it’s been banned. I read it myself, I saw the movie, and then read it with him, and nothing made me uncomfortable about my teen reading this book. I DID cry at the end. I won’t spoil it for you, and I think that’s a good thing for kids/students—to see older people react with emotion while reading.
Stay golden!

[Scrivener7]

4. I don't think the banners would have found it yet, but if they did, they'd certainly ban it:

"Brethren by Nature" by Margaret Ellen Newell.

The 1619 Project (and normal education, for those of us who were lucky enough to get it) tells us that African slaves have been in the United States since 1619.

But what we don't know is that between 1619 and 1700, African slaves were not numerous enough to satisfy the labor wants of the white settlers, particularly in New England. They only became numerous enough, and affordable enough, for non-sugar growers and non-tobacco growers, after about 1700.

So they enslaved Native Americans in huge numbers. Much larger numbers in those years than Africans. They manufactured wars to get the slaves and take over their land, then they sold off the men to the south or the sugar islands and kept the women and children as slaves.

I am somehow certain this would be considered icky by the anti-CRT people.

The book is scholarly but fascinating. I really recommend it.

[gab13by13]

6. Thanks

[ret5hd]

7. My sisters diary...don't tell her.

Decades and decades ago. I found out her secret crush.

[panader0]

8. I just finished the complete stories of Flannery O'Connor.

540 pages of poor white Southerners in the thirties and forties filled with their honest vernacular,
including much usage
of the n word. I was put off a bit at first, but as I read it became obvious that O'Conner was firmly
against racism. Very powerful stuff. If it isn't banned, I'd be surprised.

[Biophilic]

11. Wait. What? Stranger in a Strange land? I might have to read it again.

I loved that book but I was very young. Well, I loved all of Heinlein's books. Yeah, I guess it was pretty anti-religious.

[PatSeg]

12. I just finished Sinclair Lewis's book Main Street

It doesn't appear to have been banned since 1921. I'm going to read Elmer Gantry next and that one has been banned many times.

[davsand]

13. If you want inspiration or information about banned books here's a great place to start!

https://www.ala.org/advocacy/bbooks/frequentlychallengedbooks

Happy reading!!!


Laura

[Sympthsical]

14. The internet exists, so nothing's really banned

I'm not even sure what's supposed to be banned. If I want to read it, I do.

Right now, I've been spending a lot of time reading late 19th Century and early 20th short stories by American women writers. Sarah Orne Jewett, Kate Chopin, Charlotte Perkins Gilman, etc. Reading through the feminist critiques of the writing I have to say.

I'm beginning to think the late 1800s were kind of sexist.