Top 5 Wednesday was created by Lainey at Gingerreadslainey. Every week, book reviewers all over the world are given a bookish topic and respond with their top 5 books (or elements of books) that relate to that topic. Click here for the Goodreads group if you would like to learn more about Top 5 Wednesday and join in!
Since we are in the middle of Banned Books Week (September 27th-October 3rd), this week’s Top 5 Wednesday topic is the top 5 banned books you’ve read. I am extremely grateful to have grown up around people who love reading equally as much as I do, and who always encouraged me to read anything and everything.
And that is exactly what I did! During my childhood, I read any book I could get my hands on, and I still do that to this day. My reading has never been censored; therefore, I have read not only a lot of books in general, but also a lot of banned books. It was a hard list to narrow down, but here are some of my all-time favorite novels.
- 1984 by George Orwell
Banned/challenged for sexually explicit content and its social and political themes.
- Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
Banned/challenged for sexually explicit content and offensive language.
- The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
Banned/challenged for offensive language and violence.
- The Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling
Banned/challenged for occult/Satanism, violence, religious views, and for being anti-family.
- To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Banned/challenged for offensive language and racism.
This is only a very small fraction of the long list of books that have been banned over the years. It is a shame to see so many beautiful and important books being challenged and banned. These are books that educate us and shape our world. These are books that captivate and inspire millions of people. So I encourage all of you to be a book rebel! Go pick up a banned book, this week and any week.
What banned books have you guys read? Let me know some of your favorites in the comments!
-Ariana
The Quirky Book Nerd 