The top ten most banned books of 2023

Every year I post the top ten banned books of the year before. I think it’s important to make sure we’re keeping an eye on the books that are most often victims of censorship.

I am sad to say that there’s not a lot of shakeup in this list. We’ll see some similar titles here that we’ve seen in years past. And even worse, most of these books were banned for the same damn reason they always are. But you’ll see what I mean.

As always, this information comes from the American Library Association. You can check their whole list, and their very informational website, here.

10. Sold by Patricia McCormick

Banned for sexual content and rape.

9. Let’s Talk About It: The Teen’s Guide to Sex, Relationships, and Being a Human by Erika Moen and Matthew Nolan

Banned for sexual content and sex education

8. Tricks by Ellen Hopkins

Banned for sexual content, drugs, rape and LGBTQIA+ content.

7. Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews

Banned for sexual content and profanity

6. The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison

Banned for discussions of rape and incest.

5. Flamer by Mike Curato

Banned for LGTBQIA+ content

4. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

Banned for sexually explicit content, LGBTQIA+ content, rape, drugs and profanity.

3. This Book is Gay by Juno Dawson

Banned for LGBTQIA+ content and sex education.

2. All Boys Aren’t Blue by George M. Johnson

Banned for LGBTQIA+ content.

1. Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe

Banned for LGBTQIA+ content.

I’m sure you could sense the theme. These bans send a shocking, clear, and horrific message. Some people want to force LGBTQ+ people out of schools. Out of public libraries. Out of society entirely, if they can.

I’m also shocked and appalled by the amount of books on this list that are banned exclusively because they provide sex education. Or the ones that are banned for talking about rape.

We need to talk about it. We need to give people the words and information they need to advocate for themselves. To protect themselves. To stand up for themselves.

By looking at what books are banned, we can see the agenda of the people who ban them. So go read a banned book today. And let me know what you’re reading in the comments below.

If you love this content and want to support Paper Beats World, you can do so on Ko-fi.

And if you’re looking for new books to add to your Fall reading list, don’t forget that Starting Chains is coming out on October 4. Broken Patterns is already available on Amazon.