So, I never really got the whole point of banned books. Especially with a few of these. There are a few books on here that deal with discrimination, and looking through their eyes, I can kind of understand why the government wants to ban those. Am I saying that it’s right? No, but looking through their corrupt eyes, I get it.
Now, on the other hand, other books on here deal with mental health sort of stuff that I do not get at all. Do they think some people are going to do these acts or what? And if someone were to do that, then why exactly do they care? I mean, why is it up to the government to ban them rather than the parents?
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not naive… Not all parents are involved or even good parents, for that matter. But why should kids who can handle them be subjected to not being able to read them because of what other people will or will not do?
Reading books with different perspectives and what other people go through is a good thing. It gives an idea of the thought process of some of the people around us. No, it won’t give us the exact thought process, but at least some idea. We can’t be resposible of what other people might do.
At least that’s my two cents.
Banned books that you should read in 2026
I’m trying my best to include books that aren’t on nearly every list that is out there. Granted, these are on quite a few people, but not on as many as The Outsiders or 1984. Which it baffels me that even those are banned.
The Bell Jar (banned books)
The Bell Jar is one of the banned books that I actually haven’t heard of on this list. I’m not sure if that’s crazy or not because it seems like quite a few people know about this one.
From what I recollect, it seems like The Bell Jar is one of the older ones on this list, but it’s something that’s never come across my feed before, or I never come across it in the library. Part of me wants to try and read this one, but historical fiction is such a hard genre for me to get into.
After looking into this one, though, I’m having a hard time figuring out why exactly this one is being banned. I swear, it seems like the most random books out there are getting banned.
Here is what The Bell Jar is about.
The Bell Jar follows Esther Greenwood. She is smart, pretty, talented, and successful, but she’s starting to go under, and maybe for the last time. This story follows Esther and the intensity of her breakdown as her insanity starts to become real and rational.
The Hate You Give
I’m pretty sure that this one has a movie for it, so if you decide to read it, then make sure to go and check the movie out afterwards. This is one book that I can semi-understand why it was banned. I still don’t think it’s right that it was banned. I also think that it’s ridiculous that they would ban it, but I also think that the higher-ups don’t really want us working together either. But that’s just how I feel.
Here is what The Hate You Give is about.
Starr Carter is a sixteen-year-old stuck between two worlds. Those two worlds are the poor neighborhood where she lives and the super nice suburban prep school she goes to. The balance between those two worlds is completely shattered when she sees the fatal shooting of her best friend by a police officer while he was unarmed.
His death made the national headlines, leaving people to call him a thug, a drug dealer, and a gangbanger. After this, loads of protesters take to the streets. Some of the local cops and the drug lord try their best to intimidate Starr and her family. But what people want to know is: What truthfully happened that night, and there’s only one person who can answer that question.
But what she says, or does not say, could really throw her community for a loop and put her and her family in danger.
The nowhere girls
The Nowhere Girls is one book on this banned book list that just might be really hard for me to read. All of these books deal with tough topics, but this is one that I can resonate with to some extent. Something that I know can happen to me in particular. Part of me wants to read this one, but this is a very tough subject that might just be a little hard for me.
Maybe soon I’ll pick it up, but I know I’ll have to work on my headspace for it.
Here is what The Nowhere Girls is about.
Who exactly are the nowhere girls? They are all girls, but it all started with just three: Grace, Rosina, and Erin.
When Grace finds out that Lucy was run out of town for accusing some popular boys of gang rape, she’s furious that Lucy didn’t get justice. For their own reasons, Rosina and Erin feel just as deeply about her tragedy. So they form an anonymous group of girls at Prescott High to oppose the sexist culture at their school. That includes rallying against sex of any kind with male students.
The Perks of Being a Wildflower (banned books)
The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a unique story that revolves around mental health. This is another book that has its own movie, and it’s really good.
So if you want to read this one, I highly suggest reading the book first because the movie really leaves out a lot, even though it is still pretty good.
There are a lot of emotions behind one!
Here is what The Perks of Being a Wallflower is about.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower shows you what it’s like growing up in high school. We get something much more intimate than a diary. Instead, we get Charlie’s letters that shed some unique, hilarious, and devastating light. We don’t know where he lives or who he is writing to, but we see the world he shares. He’s caught between trying to live his life and running away from it.
Thirteen Reasons Why
So I really enjoyed this book. It’s sad, and it really makes you feel for Hannah Baker. I think most of you know about the show on Netflix. However, the show I did not like. At all. Not that it’s bad, but with the show, they go through a much, much more extreme version of this book.
I highly suggest reading the book, but the show comes with a really big trigger warning. Coming from someone who doesn’t get shocked much, and I don’t get grossed out or sad by a whole lot, I highly suggest easing into this one if you decide to watch it. If it were me, I would tell you not to watch it at all, because this show really changed my brain chemistry, but I know most of you won’t listen.
That in and of itself says a lot for me personally. And honestly, I would really understand why the show in of itself is banned, not so much the book, though.
Here is what Thirteen Reasons Why is about.
One day, when Clay comes home from school, he finds a strange package on his porch with his name on it. Inside are a bunch of cassette tapes where Hannah Baker recorded the reasons why she decided to kill herself. There are thirteen reasons why, and Clay is one of them. If he listens to the tapes, he’ll find out why.
He spends the entire night going through town with Hannah’s voice as his guide, and he’s able to firsthand witness Hannah’s pain. As he listens to Hannah’s words, he discovers things that happened that will change his life forever.
Speak
Honestly, it seems highly convenient that a lot of these books that are banned deal with the suppression and or rape of a woman. Really? Why is that? When it comes to books like this, this is the only way for some kids to realize that these things are wrong, because they don’t get that talk. That is, if they pick the book up at all.
But at least it would be there for them to pick up and possibly save themself. Or it could give a girl or even a boy the courage to actually say something.
Speak is one of the banned books that I will definitely have to pick up soon and add to my TBR.
Here is what Speak is about.
Melinda is starting her freshman year at Merryweather High, and within the first moment of walking in, she knew that everything was a lie. All of it is part of the nonsense that is called high school. She has no friends, and she’s considered an outcast because she got the end-of-summer party busted by calling the cops. Now no one will talk to her.
The more that time passes she more she becomes isolated and pretty much stops talking altogether. Her art class is the only escape she’s able to get and finally face what terrible thing that happened at the party, and that was that she was raped by an upperclassman. He still attends the school and is a huge threat to her. Her healing process has only just begun when something else happens with him. This time, she fights back and refuses to be silent, allowing her to fully stand up for herself.
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Conclusion to banned book you should read in 2026
The whole point of this post is to make you well aware of the type of books that are being banned for no good reason. You can’t really say it’s because of the family or the parents, because if they were truly involved, then they would be able to catch these things.
All of these are great books to get a different perspective on injustice that you may not have dealt with before, and I highly recommend picking up the books.
If you enjoyed this post, then maybe you’ll like some of these contemporary books.