Tag: Banned Books Week

Protests, Libraries, and our American Legacy

We’re going to talk about Banned Book Week today. Of course we are. But, we’re going to talk about something else. The real reason why Banned Books Week is so important to me, and to so many others.

I don’t talk a lot about patriotism. I am an American. And there are a whole lot of reasons to not be proud of that. There are horrors in our pasts. America has done terrible things to, well, an impressively long list of people. We were once a British Colony. And while we threw off the shackles of the monarchy, we kept the arrogance. The feeling that whatever we want can and should be ours for the taking.

But I am proud to be an American. Yes, we do often elect horrible leaders who do horrible things. But We The People also have a legacy of standing up, speaking out, and causing Good Trouble.

In my childhood, I spent time around many Vietnam veterans. They told me about being drafted. They told me about the war protests. They played protest songs for me and taught me about the Kent State shooting. Those college students were heroes to me. So was Greenpeace. (Yes, I know they started in Canada. But a lot of Americans were involved. Let me have this.)

Dr. King and John Lewis were heroes. They fought fiercely, bravely, for the rights they deserved. Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton were heroes. Charles Ortleb was a hero. Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera were heroes.

These were not people who fought in battle. They took to the streets and did not stutter. They said, “We are here. We will be heard.”

There is no shortage of heroes in modern America. Whenever horrors appear, when fascism threatens us, our heroes come out. The college students protesting the genocide in Gaza. The everyday citizens standing up to ICE agents who are abducting people from our streets. Even some politicians like Cory Booker, who gave a twenty five hour and five minute filibuster to protest the actions of Trump.

These are only a few examples. Americans might pick shitty people to lead us. But we also stand up.

In addition to a legacy of protests, America is home to the first free public library. The Peterborough Town Library in New Hampshire. We were the first people to say that reading was so crucial to the well-being of our people that we were going to provide places to do it for free. And I am incredibly proud of that.

We, as Americans, have inherited an awesome responsibility. Not only to protest the rise of fascism, racism, sexism, and hate. But to protect the legacy of our public libraries, our greatest achievement.

Banned Books Week is almost done. But the fight isn’t over. We have to fight to keep censorship and fascism out of our libraries, communities, and government. So I’ll keep reading banned books. I’ll keep fighting to protect our right to read and write whatever we want. Let’s live up to our legacy.

Paper Beats World is a labor of love. If you love what I do here, please consider liking and sharing this post and leaving a comment. You can also support me financially on Ko-fi.

Spooky season is coming, and it’s time for some creepy reads. Check out my horror novel Quiet Apocalypse, about a witch trapped in her apartment during a dark winter storm with a demon devoted to ending the world.

Or check out my horror short, The Man In The Woods. A man tries desperately to protect his granddaughter from the mysterious man in the woods. But his fear only grows when a new housing complex is built too close to the woods.

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Banned Books Week 2025

Did you know that Stephen King was recently acknowledged as the most-banned author in America? Way to go!

It’s Banned Books Week once again. And every year this week feels more and more important. Because every year it feels like America takes another goosestep towards fascism.

But we are still here, damn it! We can still protest. We can still fight in our own ways. And we can do our part this Banned Books Week to help fight off censorship.

Here is a list of things I’ll be doing, both this week and going forward.

(As always, Banned Books Week is an event hosted by the American Library Association.)

Share banned books

I’ll be sharing some of my favorite banned books on social media, using the hashtags #BannedBooksWeek and #Censorshipisso1984. Get the word out far and wide.

Read banned books

This one might be obvious. But what the hell, I’ll put it on here in case. The best way to support banned books is to read banned books.

This year, I’ll be reading Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson. I’m reading this because it’s the book suggested for the Right To Read events being held all over America this week. If you’re close to one, you should consider attending.

Start a little free library

This might be a project. I’m certainly not expecting to get this one done in a week. But now that we’ve moved and I have a yard again, I’m going to put in a little free library. And I’m going to stock it with banned books. I already have some ordered.

The top ten banned books every year are going right in that box.

Support the ALA

The American Library Association needs our help. They need support, financially and politically. Here’s a link if you want to check them out and see all the work they do all year, not just during Banned Books Week.

Show up for libraries

If you can, show up at town halls and community nights where your local library is being discussed. Make it clear that you oppose censorship. Make it clear to your local politicians, too.

Elections are a month away

Speaking of your local representatives, make sure you’re registered to vote. I know I say this a lot. I also know that there’s someone reading this right now who’s been meaning to register and keeps forgetting.

Get it done.

Go vote. Make a plan now. Know your local politicians and know who’s supporting freedom. And who’s not.

So now it’s your turn. What are you reading for Banned Books Week? Do you have a little library or know of one in your neighborhood? Let us know in the comments.

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The insidious truth behind book bans

Banned Books Week is nearly over. But the fight isn’t. It’s an election year, which means politicians will want to look like they stand for something.

Seems to me that with over 50 school shootings so far this year with 24 fatalities, gun reform would be something they’d stand for. Especially since there have been (checks notes) no deaths related to literature this year. But what do I know?

Book banning is one of the most hypocritical, insidious things we’re dealing with in our country. It’s not the worst thing, of course. But it’s something that feeds into most of the other problems we have. Poverty, racism, classism, they’re all fed by book bans.

Let me explain.

It’s another barrier for people without money

So far, no one is talking about banning books outright. They just want to ban books from public and school libraries. If you want to read a book, you can just buy it, right?

I don’t like that argument. It’s the same sort of thing people with money always say, forgetting that there are people who don’t have money.

Books are expensive. Right now I’m reading William by Mason Coile, and it is $24.30. $14.99 for the e-book. I paid nothing to read it because I borrowed it from my local library.

Now, I’m not digging at Coile here. Nova is $14.00 for the paperback. Broken Patterns is $13.00. Books are expensive. Most of that money doesn’t go to the writers. And even if it did, I wouldn’t want you to buy my book if it meant you were going to struggle to buy groceries that week. That’s why they’re all slowly being added to Hoopla.

Libraries give people with limited means access to books. So no, we cannot just go out and buy books if they’re banned from the library. And the freedom to read what we like shouldn’t be one more thing in our society with a financial barrier.

It demonizes books that don’t discuss a very specific worldview

If you look back at the list of books most often banned, you’ll notice that a lot of them are about people in the LGBTQ+ community. Of course, that’s not the reason given by people who want to ban these books. They argue that the books are sexual. But they consider anything to do with the LGBTQ+ community to be sexual.

At least, that’s what they’d like people to believe.

The truth is that most book bans are meant to keep a certain kind of book off the shelf. Specifically, any book that isn’t about a straight person experiencing a story that doesn’t make America look bad. Anything that steps out of that narrow view is in danger.

This effectively closes off a powerful avenue of acceptance for people who don’t exist in that narrow view. Which is to say, most of us. It’s easy to feel like there’s something wrong with you when no one around you understands what you’re experiencing. Books can be one way to find out that you’re not alone. There’s nothing wrong with you, and how you’re feeling is normal.

But of course, some don’t want LGBTQ+ people to feel normal. Some don’t want questioning our sometimes dark and bloody history to feel normal.

It erases hard stories that need to be told

Some books are really hard to read. Maus, I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings, The Giver, 1984, Handmaid’s Tale. None of those books made me feel good.

Several of them made me feel seen. Most of them made me see the world in a way I hadn’t before, and understand better burdens that weren’t mine. All of them taught me something.

Yes, some books are hard. Yes, some books talk about stuff we don’t want to hear about. Sometimes those are the books we need to read. Because life is hard. Life is scary in ways we don’t all understand.

But if we want to change the world, if we want to make it less scary and more bright, we start by understanding. We start by seeing the shadows.

Don’t stop the fight just because Banned Books Week is done. Because the people who want to fight for censorship sure aren’t stopping.

So, what are you reading?

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.

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My favorite banned books and why everyone should read them

Banned Books Week is winding down. But frankly, I don’t think it should. With all the attacks on literacy this year, I think we should keep right on celebrating banned books.

So today I want to share with you my ten favorite banned books. Some of them are fun, some are heavy. Some I was blessed to be taught about in school. Some I only discovered because of events like Banned Books Week.

None of them should be banned.

The Giver by Lois Lowry

The absolute irony of banning a book about people controlling the thoughts and actions of their citizens is not lost on me.

I talk about The Giver all the time. Everyone should read it. There are so many lessons here about valuing people for more than just their productivity, for championing individuality, and for bulking authority.

I wonder why some people don’t want us to read that.

1984 by George Orwell

1984 is, in my opinion, the next step up from The Giver in terms of anti-conformity, anti-government overreach, and overall pro-individual life choices. It has many of the same themes as The Giver, with some frightening additions. Our main character writes news reports and masterfully lies to the people. If the ration of chocolate is being cut, he’ll write about the great increase in the chocolate rations.

Then, of course, there are the rats.

Maus by Art Spiegelman

If you never thought you could get emotionally broken by a comic, you will know better after reading Maus.

Maus is a messy, dark, horrific tale of the Holocaust, told with cartoon mice and cats and pigs. In it, the author tells the story of his family and friends during one of the most horrific events in history. And it pulls no goddamned punches.

To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee

This is my favorite book. This is why we named our cat Harper. When Harper Lee died, I cried in public.

I was taught To Kill A Mockingbird in school. It was a dark story of false accusations, horrific racism, and the penalties for standing up for what’s right. This book has given me courage during some dark times in my life.

This is the great thing about dark books. They can give us strength during hard times.

The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood

I wonder why some people don’t want us to read this.

Just on the off chance you haven’t read this book or seen the show inspired by it, this is a dark tale of a dystopian future in which birth rates have plummeted.

But of course, people with money and power will not be denied anything they want. Even if it means enslaving women and forcing them to have sex and carry babies against their will.

This felt a lot less realistic before last year. Did you know women needed their husband’s permission to have a credit card before 1974?

1974.

Harry Potter by J. K. Rowling

Yes, Rowling is a problem. And I’m not gonna defend her. I’m gonna defend trans women and men.

Yes, these books have a host of issues. Yes, they’re still fun to read. And the reason they were banned was not because of the author’s opinions of womanhood, or the cringy way she named characters of other nationalities.

These books were banned because they contained magic. Gee, wonder why that might piss me off. It’s not even real witchcraft. Censoring magic in a child’s life is just never going to make sense to me.

Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

It really is amazing how many dystopian future books about all-powerful and abusive governments get banned.

Hunger Games is a great series. It has a lot of dark things to say about how media is used to manipulate and control us. Which is something we all need to be more aware of.

Have you ever wondered, for instance, why there are so many cop shows?

Bone by Jeff Smith

Unlike the rest of the books on this list, Bone is not heavy. Well, the copy I have is physically heavy because it’s the whole damn run in one hulking volume.

But this is not a massively deep tale or one with problematic undertones. It’s just a cute adventure story about a little bone and a warrior princess.

I honestly am not sure why Bone was banned. I suppose there’s some drinking, some suggestive situations. But it’s nothing serious.

And if you’re going to read the other books on this list, you could probably use something a bit lighter afterward.

I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou

Reading the work of Maya Angelou always makes me feel like I’m sitting in the room with her, listening to her talking just to me.

This first book begins the tale of her life, which has been a fascinating and difficult one. It tells of her childhood, living with her grandmother, father, and mother. It tells of her childhood and teenage triumphs and the horrible tales of her abuses.

If you’ve never read I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings, read it now. It is astonishing.

A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo by Jill Twiss

I have purchased copies of this book for every friend of mine who has a small child. Let it never be said that spite can’t create something beautiful.

This is the story of a bunny named Marlon Bundo, who happens to belong to Former VP Mike Pence. Marlon is gay and has a beautiful relationship with another boy bunny.

It’s cute, sweet, and a great book to explain LGBTQ+ to little kids. And that’s something we could use more of.

So that’s it for today. I see no reason to stop reading banned books just because Banned Books Week is over. And I’d love to hear from you in the comments. What is your favorite banned book?

Don’t forget, we’re officially in Preptober! You can get my Pretober Planner right now on my ko-fi shop.

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Banned Books Week 2023

I think Banned Books Week got moved to October this week because it’s getting scary out there for our freedom of expression.

Now, normally I post the top ten most banned to kick off Banned Books Week. But that’s been done to death. We know what got banned. More importantly, we know what kind of books get banned.

Books about queer people get banned.

Books about black people get banned.

Books about Native people get banned.

Books that make kids think about someone outside of their experience get banned.

This isn’t surprising. It’s just disgusting that it’s getting portrayed as protecting children. The only ones protected by book banning are the people threatened by children’s learning.

We know the kind of people who are doing this. Since they seem to want so much attention, let’s call them out by name. Ron DeSantis seems to be on a mission to wipe out literacy and basic human decency in Florida. It’s gotten so bad there that rather than having a list of banned books, there’s a list of allowed books because that’s shorter.

Then there’s the great state of Texas, which according to Axios leads the nation in book ban attempts.

Everything really is bigger in Texas, including the assholes.

Of course, the real star of the book-banning show is the organization called Moms For Liberty.

That name is just some pure doublespeak for you. And if you get that reference, it’s because of a book called 1984, which Moms For Liberty doesn’t want you to read.

Moms for Liberty has a very specific view of the world, and certain things just don’t fit. By those things I mean children who aren’t white, straight and conservative.

Whether they say it out loud or not, their message is clear. Black children, brown children and LGBTQ+ children might exist in our schools. But they are not welcome there.

But that’s the point of all of these book bans. Do not ever believe that the intention is to protect children from inappropriate material.

The book bans are step one. The final point is a final solution. To remove LGBTQ+ people from our society. To segregate our schools. To make a world where only a certain kind of person feels safe. Where there is a right way to love, a right way to look, a right way to pray.

A right way to exist.

I am not just being dramatic. I am not alone in these feelings. The Southern Poverty Law Center has labeled Moms For Liberty as an extremist group.

My God, Banned Books Week used to be a celebration. Pride used to be a celebration. For a few shining years, we were making some progress.

But here we are. Please, I am begging you to write to your politicians. Show up and counter-protest if Moms For Liberty creeps in where you live. Learn and sit with uncomfortable parts of our history. Protect trans kids. Protect kids of color. Stand up for drag performers. Show up for the next generation.

And read banned books.

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Why would Quiet Apocalypse be banned

Including Quiet Apocalypse almost seems like cheating. It’s a horror story, it’s supposed to be offensive. It’s supposed to upset people. But after all, I included all the other books. No reason my youngest should feel left out. 

Brace yourself, folks. This might be the most offensive book I’ve ever written. But then, I never claimed it was for kids. 

Graphic animal death

I know, I wasn’t thrilled about writing it. But it did have the desired effect. Yes, there are a few horrible animal deaths in this book. 

I swear, the story called for it. 

Not as graphic but still child deaths

Some kids die in this book. I don’t go into detail. We didn’t need to read about broken bones and blood when discussing babies. But yeah, some kids die. 

Occult discussions

The main character of Quiet Apocalypse, Sadie, is a witch. I’m a witch myself, so I wrote about actual magic in this book. I even included actual spells I wrote in the book. So if you need to get rid of a ghost in your house, I got you. 

Violence

Finally, Quiet Apocalypse is violent. People are ripped apart by snowstorms. People are shredded by a staircase. At one point our heroes are attacked by toys in the attic. This isn’t a kind, friendly book. It is, gasp, a horror book. Horrifying things do happen.

So that’s it, not only for why Quiet Apocalypse would be banned but for Banned Books Week as a whole. I hope you’ve enjoyed this week of extra posts and discussions about censorship. Of course, just because Banned Books Week is over doesn’t mean we should stop reading banned books. Keep reading them, keep recommending them, keep defending them. 

One more time, I want to open the floor up to my fellow authors. Why would your book be banned? 

Banned books week might be over, but Preptober is about a week away. If you haven’t gotten your copy of the Preptober Planner yet, you still have time.

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Why would AA be banned

AA is a podcast, not a book. But of course, all mediums are subject to censorship. So even though AA hasn’t been banned, let’s talk about what it would be banned for. 

(You can listen to the whole first season for free right now by the way, on Haunted MTL.)

Substance abuse

The main character, Josey, is a recovering alcoholic. And you know I’m not one to shy away from discussions of mental illness. It’s also, spoiler, how she finds herself involved in a very different AA than she thought she was getting involved in. 

Vulgar language

I don’t use a lot of blue language here, but I sure use it in my everyday life. So of course, when writing lines that are going to be read out loud, my characters are a bit more sweary than normal. 

Homosexuality

This doesn’t come up in season one, but I’m talking about AA as a whole. Yes, there are some gay characters. That seems like enough to get it banned right there according to the top ten banned books this year. There is a culture war going on right now between conservatism and liberalism. I’m sure I don’t have to tell you that. I’m also sure I don’t have to tell you that art is one of the major battlefields of this war.

Portrayal of police in a poor light

The police are pretty much useless in AA. Just like in real life. But of course, some will take this personally.

And that’s it for AA. So now it’s your turn, fellow writers. Why would your book, or podcast, be banned?

Don’t forget, Preptober is coming! Grab your copy of the Preptober Planner and plan a novel along with me all month. 

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Why would Woven be banned?

Books are banned for some pretty ridiculous reasons. But I’m proud to say that all of my books probably could be banned. 

At least, they share many of the same traits and themes seen in commonly banned books. This is something I’m quite proud of. 

(Also, check out the Banned Books website for information and resources.)

Today I want to talk about my first series, Woven. 

No matter how many books I write, this will always be my first baby. So let’s talk about why it would totally be banned.

Homosexual activity

This is one that always trips up books. Especially young adult books. And yes, shockingly, there are gay characters in Woven. There’s even gay marriage in the first book, Broken Patterns.

I didn’t do this because I want Ally points or to be woke. I wrote gay characters, and a battle for gay rights, into my book because it’s something I’ve experienced in my life. The LGBTQ+ struggle is one Millenials have experienced since we were children. Of course, I’m going to write about it. 

Discussion of mental illness

In the second book of Woven, the main character Lenore is struggling with depression. 

I’ve struggled with anxiety. People I love deal with depression. Mental illness is a real problem and we need to be more open about it. So, when I was writing about Lenore, I wanted to write about something I was going through. I wanted to write not just about suffering from depression, but about being the partner of someone who is suffering.

Discussions of rape and abuse

I’m kind of shocked when people are surprised that bad guys in books are, ya know, bad. But Calvin, who’s the antagonist for much of the Woven series, is a bad guy. He raped people. He beat the hell out of people. He is not a good person. 

That’s made most clear, I think, in the prequel book Falling From Grace. 

We cannot be afraid to write bad guys as bad. Even Magneto, the most understandable bad guy of all time, has done horrific things. 

I’m not saying I wrote a snuff scene here. I’m saying that the antagonist in my books does bad things.

So, my fellow writers, it’s your turn. Why would your book be banned? Let us know in the comments. And please, provide links to your potentially banned books. 

Getting ready for Preptober? I have a planner for you! Check it out now on my Ko-fi store. 

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What to do if a book is banned

Books are being banned more and more often. I think it’s just one more step our society is taking toward the past instead of the future.

While it’s easy to feel discouraged in the face of censorship, we are not helpless! There are things we can do to fight against book banning. Here are five examples.

(Please check out the Banned Books website for more bookish fun and tips to fight censorship.)

Read it

This one’s pretty obvious, so let’s get it out of the way first. If you hear that a book has been banned, read it. If you’ve already read it, read it again. I did this when Maus was banned by several schools earlier this year. It’s a hard book to read, even if it is a comic. Read it twice. 

Suggest it to friends

After you read a banned book, especially if you liked it, suggest it to people. Most people pick up books because of word of mouth. It’s still the best marketing tool out there, getting people talking about a book. I know I’m more likely to read something if someone I trust recommends it. 

Buy copies as gifts

Banned books deserve all the attention. So if you can, grab a copy or two for the next gift-giving occasion. The holidays are coming up, and the top ten banned books of 2021 would probably all be great gifts for someone you love.

Donate copies

Another great thing you can do, especially if you already own your copy of a banned book, is to donate a copy to a local library. Or put a few in a mini library, if there are any in your neighborhood.

Talk about the book on social media

Finally, don’t forget to post about banned books. Write a review on Bookbub or Goodreads. Chat about it on Twitter. Post pictures of it on Instagram. The real point here is to blanket the internet with banned books. Help people find out about them. 

What I’m saying is this. People ban books because there’s something in them that makes them uncomfortable. And I would like for people who encourage censorship to be as uncomfortable as possible. So when they try to ban a book, let’s make sure it’s everywhere. Let’s make sure they can’t escape the popularity of these books. Let’s read and celebrate banned books, and help others learn about them.

Because censorship fucking sucks. 

Hey guys, don’t forget that my Preptober planner is available now on my Ko-fi shop. If you’re writing a novel in November, you want to prep in October. And my Preptober planner breaks down your tasks every week and gives you plenty of cute creative space to make it happen. 

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The top ten banned books of 2022

It’s Banned Books Week! This is always a good time. Reading books that other people consider offensive or inappropriate just makes me feel good about life, you know? And this year it’s even more important because book banning has been rampant. So it’s up to those of us who care to read out louder than ever. So let’s talk about the ten books that were most banned in 2021. Let’s read them, let’s share them, and let’s make banning books a thing of the past. 

(As always, all of this information is from the Banned Books website. Please check out their site for more information and ways you can battle censorship.)

Beyond Magenta by Susan Kuklin

This one was banned because of LGBTQ+ content. Spoiler, this is going to be a bit of a theme.

This Book is Gay by Juno Dawson

Want to guess why this book was banned? That’s right, LGBTQ+ content and sexual education. Because why would we want to educate people about sex, one of the fundamental driving forces of our existence as a species? 

The Bluest Eyes by Toni Morrison

Banned for child sexual abuse scene. Maybe stick a content warning on this one. 

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews

Banned because of sexually explicit content. I wish we protected children from guns the same way we protect them from sex scenes in books.

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

Banned for profanity, sexual references, and use of a derogatory term. I think this book makes the list every year.

The Hate You Give by Angie Thomas

Banned for profanity and violence. Here’s the best part. It was also banned for anti-police indoctrination. No one seems to give a damn about pro-police indoctrination. This might be the one that pisses me off the most this year. It should get a special award for this.

Out of Darkness by Ashley Hope Perez

Banned for depictions of abuse. Again, I get that maybe we want to give a content warning. But don’t ban a book outright. 

All Boys Aren’t Blue by George M. Johnson

Banned for LGBTQ+ content. As a side note, this book has one of the prettiest covers I’ve seen all year.

Lawn Boy by Jonathan Evison

Banned again for LGBTQ+ content. I don’t see any books getting banned for straight content. 

Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe

Finally, banned for LGBTQ+ content. If you can read this list and tell me someone doesn’t have an agenda, I don’t know what’s the matter with you. 

This year I’ll be reading A Song Flung Up To Heaven by Maya Angelou. I’d love to hear what you’re reading for Banned Books Week. Let us know in the comments.

I made a planner! If you’re getting ready to write a novel, then you want the Preptober Planner to guide you through a month of planning. 

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