Books for my home library Public

Created by JohnnyCache

I am creating a library in my home. Aside from the obvious (collecting books by my favorite authors or that have other personal meaning to me), I am very interested in having a collection of "banned books" as well as hardcovers that are particularly visually striking.

Why banned books? Especially when they were banned for political reasons, I find it fascinating that people can feel so threatened by words on a page. There is never enough time to read everything, so I would like to start with these books that seem to have such power over people.

"Books unite us. Censorship divides us." (American Library Association)

  1. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by 

    No rating

    I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings is a 1969 autobiography describing the young and early years of American writer …

    JohnnyCache says:

    The novel by Maya Angelou is one of the most banned books of the modern age. The most cited reasons are for its frank depiction of rape, sex, and race. And making people uncomfortable with learning about reality.

    Added by JohnnyCache

  2. Slaughterhouse-Five by 

    4 stars

    A special fiftieth anniversary edition of Kurt Vonnegut’s masterpiece, “a desperate, painfully honest attempt to confront the monstrous crimes of …

    JohnnyCache says:

    This is on the ALA’s list of banned books nearly every year due to obscene content, depictions of sex, profanity and heresy. It was among the first literary works to depict homosexuals as being victims of the Holocaust. A judge called it “depraved, immoral, psychotic, vulgar and anti-Christian.”

    Added by JohnnyCache

  3. The Satanic Verses by 

    4 stars

    The Satanic Verses is the fourth novel of British-Indian writer Salman Rushdie. First published in September 1988, the book was …

    JohnnyCache says:

    ADDED TO LIBRARY! In mid-February 1989, following a violent riot against the book in Pakistan, the Supreme Leader of Iran issued a fatwa calling for the death of Rushdie and his publishers. On 12 August 2022, Rushdie was attacked onstage while speaking at an event.

    Added by JohnnyCache

  4. Maus a Survivor's Tale by 

    5 stars

    A story of a Jewish survivor of Hitler's Europe and his son, a cartoonist who tries to come to terms …

    JohnnyCache says:

    ADDED TO LIBRARY! “Never again and again and again”. What makes the book controversial is exactly what makes it valuable. Banned by a Tennessee school board, Russia (2015) and Poland (2001).

    Added by JohnnyCache

  5. The Hate U Give by 

    5 stars

    SIXTEEN-YEAR-OLD STARR CARTER moves between two worlds: the poor black neighborhood where she lives and the fancy suburban prep school …

    JohnnyCache says:

    ADDED TO LIBRARY! In 2018, a police union in South Carolina thought it was their turn to object to books taught in school because the novel described an “almost indoctrination of distrust of police” and added, “we’ve got to put a stop to that.”

    Added by JohnnyCache

  6. The Handmaid's Tale by 

    4 stars

    A gripping vision of our society radically overturned by a theocratic revolution, Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid's Tale has become one …

    JohnnyCache says:

    ADDED TO LIBRARY! Originally published in 1985, the acclaimed book immediately drew criticism for its fictional (but possible) extension into the future of underlying religiosity and patriarchy in US society. The most cited reason for bans is that the book was anti-fundamentalist Christian.

    Added by JohnnyCache

  7. Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl by 

    4 stars

    Het Achterhuis is de titel van het dagboek van Anne Frank (1929-1945) voor het eerst uitgegeven op 25 juni 1947. …

    JohnnyCache says:

    ADDED TO LIBRARY! This book has been banned in several schools in the United States over the years. Mostly in regards to passages that were considered ”sexually offensive”, as well as for the tragic nature of the book, which some felt might be depressing for young readers.

    Added by JohnnyCache

  8. Of Mice and Men by 

    4 stars

    Of Mice and Men is a novella written by John Steinbeck. Published in 1937, it narrates the experiences of George …

    JohnnyCache says:

    ADDED TO LIBRARY! This classic fictional novel has been banned and challenged in the US and around the world for profanity, naughty words, racial slurs & stereotypes. It was condemned for supposedly promoting euthanasia, being anti-business, with Steinbeck’s patriotism even being questioned.

    Added by JohnnyCache

  9. The Catcher in the Rye by 

    4 stars

    The Catcher in the Rye is an American novel by J. D. Salinger that was partially published in serial form …

    JohnnyCache says:

    ADDED TO LIBRARY! The Catcher in the Rye is both the most banned and the second most taught book in American schools. Censors failed to realize that banning a book due to its depiction of teenage rebellion is just going to make rebellious teenagers seek it out even more.

    Added by JohnnyCache

  10. The Grapes of Wrath by 

    4 stars

    Steinbeck’s classic novel of the Great Depression is as vivid now as ever. The story focuses on a family of …

    JohnnyCache says:

    ADDED TO LIBRARY! Perhaps the highest praise an author can receive, John Steinbeck’s depiction of the harsh working conditions in Depression-era California was so brutal that it was banned, despite historians confirming that Steinbeck’s portrayal was true-to-life.

    Added by JohnnyCache

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