Banned books have a rich history in literature, with cultures worldwide censoring content for various reasons, including political biases, racial issues, and religious affiliations. This practice is not unique to India. Many books in the country were banned from reading for encouraging “damaging” lifestyles or featuring sexual content.
Despite this, several previously banned books are now available to read. In this article, we’ll explore must-read banned books that once frightened those in power or compelled them to ban them and determine whether they are worth reading.
#1 All the Things We Do in the Dark by Saundra Mitchell
About the book
Title: All the Things We Do in the Dark
Author: Saundra Mitchell
Publisher: HarperTeen
Pages: 296
Goodreads Rating: 3.58/5
In this gripping and intense novel by Saundra Mitchell, readers will be drawn into a world where Sadie meets Girl in Pieces. Ava bears a prominent scar on her face, evidence of a traumatic event that she keeps hidden deep within herself. While exploring the woods on the outskirts of town, she stumbles upon traces of someone else’s secrets. As she begins to unravel the mystery, she realizes that what she finds could destroy the carefully constructed life she has built for herself. Though secrets can leave deep scars, the question remains: when the secret is not your own, do you let it go or risk opening old wounds that have finally started to heal?
Why do we recommend this book?
Looking for a raw and authentic story? Check out this banned book, which offers a refreshing departure from the many stories written with a sympathetic tone. Although the book’s portrayal of LGBTQ+ rights may have led to its ban, it’s worth noting that there was a time when such themes were strictly prohibited and people were banned to read such books. Despite this, the book remains a dark and beautiful must-read for all.
To buy All the Things We Do in the Dark by Saundra Mitchell now:
#2 Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe, Phoebe Kobabe (Colorist)
About the book
Title: Gender Queer: A Memoir
Author: Maia Kobabe, Phoebe Kobabe (Colorist)
Publisher: Oni Press
Pages: 240
Goodreads Rating: 4.33/5
Back in 2014, Maia Kobabe, who uses e/em/eir pronouns, thought that writing a comic about reading statistics would be the last autobiographical comic e would ever produce. At that time, it was the only thing that e felt comfortable sharing with strangers about their life. However, now Gender Queer is available. This intensely cathartic autobiography chronicles Maia’s journey of self-identity, which includes the awkwardness and confusion of adolescent crushes, grappling with how to come out to family and society, bonding with friends over erotic gay fanfiction, and also facing the trauma of pap smears.
Why do we recommend this book?
Initially, Maia Kobabe started Gender Queer as a means of explaining to eir family what it meant to be nonbinary and asexual. However, this book is more than just a personal story. It also serves as a valuable and heartfelt guide to gender identity, discussing what it means and how to approach it, which makes it useful for advocates, friends, and people from all walks of life.
To buy Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe now:
#3 Maus I: A Survivor’s Tale: My Father Bleeds History by Art Spiegelman
About the book
Title: Maus I: A Survivor’s Tale: My Father Bleeds History
Author: Art Spiegelman
Publisher: Pantheon Books
Pages: 159
Goodreads Rating: 4.37/5
Maus is the first part of a Pulitzer Prize-winning graphic novel that has been recognized as “the most successful and affecting narrative ever written about the Holocaust” (Wall Street Journal) and “the first masterpiece in the history of comic books” (The New Yorker). This work of art is brutally moving and has indeed been widely acclaimed as the greatest graphic novel ever created. It tells the chilling story of the author’s father and his experiences during the Holocaust, with Jews depicted as wide-eyed mice and Nazis as menacing cats.
Why do we recommend this book?
Maus is a haunting tale within a tale, weaving the author’s account of his tortured relationship with his aging father into an astonishing retelling of one of history’s most unspeakable tragedies. It is an unforgettable story of survival and a disarming look at the legacy of trauma. It has a sequel volume ‘Maus II: And Here My Troubles Began.’ All in all, these two banned books are worth a read.
To buy Maus I: A Survivor’s Tale: My Father Bleeds History by Art Spiegelman now:
#4 Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
About the book
Title: Of Mice and Men
Author: John Steinbeck
Publisher: Penguin Books
Pages: 103
Goodreads Rating: 3.88/5
They are an unlikely pair: George is “small and quick and dark of face”; Lennie, a man of tremendous size, has a young child’s mind. Yet they have formed a “family,” clinging together in the face of loneliness and alienation. Laborers in California’s dusty vegetable fields hustle work when they can, living a hand-to-mouth existence. But George and Lennie have a plan: to own an acre of land and a shack they can call their own.
While the powerlessness of the laboring class is a recurring theme in Steinbeck’s work of the late 1930s, he narrowed his focus when composing ‘Of Mice and Men’ (1937), creating an intimate portrait of two men facing a world marked by petty tyranny, misunderstanding, jealousy, and callousness. But though the scope is narrow, the theme is universal: a friendship and a shared dream that makes an individual’s existence meaningful.
Why do we recommend this book?
With a unique perspective on life’s hardships, this story has become a timeless classic due to its remarkable success as a novel, a Broadway play, and three acclaimed films.
To buy Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck now:
#5 One Part Woman by Perumal Murugan
About the book
Title: One Part Woman
Author: Perumal Murugan
Publisher: Penguin
Pages: 240
Goodreads Rating: 3.79/5
Kali and Ponna’s efforts to conceive a child—from prayers to penance, as well as potions to pilgrimages—have been in vain. Despite being in a loving and sexually satisfying relationship, they are relentlessly hounded by the taunts and insinuations of the people around them. Ultimately, all their hopes and apprehensions converge on the chariot festival in the temple of the half-female god Ardhanareeswara and the revelry surrounding it. Everything hinges on the one night when rules are a relaxed and consensual union between any man and woman is sanctioned. This night could end the couple’s suffering and humiliation. But it will also put their marriage to the ultimate test.
Why do we recommend this book?
One Part Woman lays bare with unsparing clarity a relationship caught between the dictates of social convention and the tug of personal anxieties. Above all, it vividly conjures an intimate and unsettling portrait of marriage, love, and sex.
To buy One Part Woman by Perumal Murugan now:
#6 Something Happened in Our Town: A Child’s Story about Racial Injustice by Marianne Celano, Marietta Collins, Ann Hazzard
About the book
Title: Something Happened in Our Town: A Child’s Story about Racial Injustice
Author: Marianne Celano, Marietta Collins, Ann Hazzard
Publisher: Magination Press
Pages: 40
Goodreads Rating: 4.22/5
Something Happened in Our Town follows two families—one White, one Black—as they discuss a police shooting of a Black man in their community. The story aims to answer children’s questions about such traumatic events and, in addition, to help them identify and counter racial injustice in their own lives.
Why do we recommend this book?
It is a very quick read and also includes an extensive “Note to Parents and Caregivers” with guidelines for discussing race and racism with children, child-friendly definitions, and sample dialogues on their website, which is free to download.
To buy Something Happened in Our Town: A Child’s Story about Racial Injustice by Marianne Celano, Marietta Collins, Ann Hazzard now:
#7 Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by Jason Reynolds, Ibram X. Kendi
Ibram X. Kendi
About the book
Title: Stamped (For Kids): Racism, Antiracism, and You
Author: Jason Reynolds, Ibram X. Kendi
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Pages: 294
Goodreads Rating: 4.49/5
This is NOT a history book. This is a book about the here and now. A book to help us better understand why we are where we are. A book about race: the construct of race has always been used to gain and keep power, to create dynamics that separate and silence. This is a remarkable reimagining of Dr. Ibram X. Kendi’s “Stamped from the Beginning,” the winner of a National Book Award.
It reveals the history of racist ideas in America and inspires hope for an antiracist future. Stamped takes you on a racing journey from then to now, shows you why we feel how we feel, and why the poison of racism lingers. It also proves that while racist ideas have always been easy to fabricate and distribute, they can also be discredited.
Why do we recommend this book?
Through a gripping, fast-paced, and energizing narrative, Jason Reynolds shines a light on the many insidious forms of racist ideas—and on ways, readers can identify and stamp out racist thoughts in their daily lives.
To buy Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by Jason Reynolds, Ibram X. Kendi now:
#8 Such a Long Journey by Rohinton Mistry
About the book
Title: Such a Long Journey
Author: Rohinton Mistry
Publisher: McClelland & Stewart
Pages: 408
Goodreads Rating: 4.96/5
It was Bombay in 1971 when India went to war over what would become Bangladesh. A hard-working bank clerk, Gustad Noble is a devoted family man who gradually sees his modest life unraveling. His young daughter falls ill; his promising son defies his father’s ambitions for him. He is the one reasonable voice amidst the ongoing dramas of his neighbors. One day, he receives a letter from an old friend, asking him to help in what initially seems like a heroic mission. But he soon finds himself unwittingly drawn into a dangerous network of deception.
Why do we recommend this book?
Compassionate and rich in details of character and place, this unforgettable novel charts the journey of a moral heart in a turbulent world of change. Book lovers who like to read a diverse range of books, including the banned ones, should surely give this a try.
To buy Such a Long Journey by Rohinton Mistry now:
#9 The Adivasi Will Not Dance: Stories by Hansda Sowvendra Shekhar
About the book
Title: The Adivasi Will Not Dance: Stories
Author: Hansda Sowvendra Shekhar
Publisher: Speaking Tiger Books
Pages: 140
Goodreads Rating: 4.10/5
In this collection of stories, set in the fertile, mineral-rich hinterland and ever-expanding, squalid towns of Jharkhand, Hansda Shekhar breathes life into a set of characters who are as robustly flesh and blood as the soil from which they spring, where they live, and into which they must sometimes bleed.
Troupe-master Mangal Murmu refuses to perform for the President of India and is beaten down; Suren and Gita, a love-blind couple, wait with quiet desperation outside a neonatal ward, hoping—for different reasons—for their blue baby to turn pink; Panmuni and Biram Soren move to Vadodara in the autumn of their lives, only to find that they must stop eating meat to be accepted as citizens; Baso-jhi is the life of the village of Sarjomdih but, when people begin to die for no apparent reason, a vile accusation from her past comes back haunting; Talamai Kisku of the Santhal Pargana, migrating to West Bengal in search of work, must sleep with a police officer for fifty rupees and two cold bread pakoras.
Why do we recommend this book?
The Adivasi Will Not Dance is a mature, passionate, intensely political book of stories made up of the very stuff of life. It establishes Hansda Sowvendra Shekhar as one of our most important contemporary writers.
To buy The Adivasi Will Not Dance: Stories by Hansda Sowvendra Shekhar now:
#10 Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
Maurice Sendak
About the book
Title: Where the Wild Things Are
Author: Maurice Sendak
Publisher: Red Fox
Pages: 38
Goodreads Rating: 4.23/5
Max, a wild and naughty boy, is sent to bed without his supper by his exhausted mother. In his room, he imagines sailing far away to a land of Wild Things. Instead of eating him, the Wild Things make Max their king.
Why do we recommend this book?
A very short read, but we highly recommend it to all readers for its brilliance.
To buy Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak now:
Lastly, these books were banned once, and now it’s our privilege that the ban has been lifted, and we can read such amazing writing. Tell us your favorite books, which were banned for whatever reasons but are now available for us to read.
| 1 | All the Things We Do in the Dark by Saundra Mitchell | Buy now |
| 2 | Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe | Buy now |
| 3 | Maus I: A Survivor’s Tale: My Father Bleeds History by Art Spiegelman | Buy now |
| 4 | Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck | Buy now |
| 5 | One Part Woman by Perumal Murugan | Buy now |
| 6 | Something Happened in Our Town by Marianne Celano, Marietta Collins, Ann Hazzard | Buy now |
| 7 | Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by Jason Reynolds, Ibram X. Kendi | Buy now |
| 8 | Such a Long Journey by Rohinton Mistry | Buy now |
| 9 | The Adivasi Will Not Dance: Stories by Hansda Sowvendra Shekhar | Buy now |
| 10 | Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak | Buy now |
Articles you might like:
- 10 Best Translated Fiction To Diversify Your Reading – Favbookshelf
- 10 Best Horror Books At Different Destinations by Favbookshelf
- 10 Best Books For A Healthy Relationship – Favbookshelf
- 11 Best Mental Health Books To Read Now- Favbookshelf
Videos you might like:
- 10 Must-Read Fiction Books of All Time | Awesome Reads
- 7 Best Fiction Books for Beginners | Short and Easy Language
Are you an author or a publisher? If yes, then you must check our services for promotions and marketing. They will undoubtedly benefit you.
Disclosure: All our recommendations are honest; most importantly, some links in this post are affiliate links, meaning we may receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something we recommend.
What are your top favorite banned books? Leave a comment below. We would love to know your favorite one!
Subscribe to our newsletter to never miss our updates and book recommendations.
Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube, Facebook, and Goodreads to learn more about us.
P.S. If you share it, it will make our day.
Happy Reading, and Keep Smiling!!
Have a nice day ahead.🙂
