15 Amazing Banned Books You Should Read Immediately

Can you believe even The Lorax has been banned before?

We recently asked members of the BuzzFeed Community to tell us their favorite banned books as part of our new Page Turners reading club. Here are some of their fantastic suggestions:

1. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

Riverhead Books

"This book is a sensational tale of woe and inspiration — a must-read for white America. The Kite Runner expresses how much our different upbringings and experiences can truly shape us and our outlooks. The character development is a wonderful journey, that shows many life lessons. I would recommend this book to anyone."

—Lissy Rongholt, Facebook

Get it on Amazon for $12.67+, Barnes & Noble for $13.87+, or a local bookseller through IndieBound here.

2. The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

HarperCollins

"It's a phenomenal book — it's incredibly relevant to current issues, it's realistic, and it has deep characters. Plus, it has excellent secondary plots that don’t take away from the overall point. Instead, they enrich the main plot. I’m really hoping the movie does this book the justice it deserves."

—thebooklady

Get it on Amazon for $8.31+, Barnes & Noble for $13.60+, or a local bookseller through IndieBound here.

3. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Simon & Schuster

"F. Scott Fitzgerald's writing is so poetic and beautiful. I love the story in Gatsby, and I recommend it to anyone."

—bubblymarkiprincess

Get it on Amazon for $9.02+, Barnes & Noble for $10.50+, or a local bookseller through IndieBound here.

4. American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis

Vintage Books

"This book is EXTREMELY graphic. I would not recommend it for anyone who is squeamish. However, it’s so much more than that. The satire on the rich, yuppie lifestyle of the '80s is spot on. Patrick Bateman is one of the most fascinating characters to read because he’s so corrupted. It’s hands down one of my favorites."

—turntablesmicrophone

Get it on Amazon for $10.33+, Barnes & Noble for $11.05+, or a local bookseller through IndieBound here.

5. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Warner Books

"I can’t stress enough how important I feel it is to read this book. I teach it in my English classes because there are so many valuable lessons in the book. While racial prejudice is definitely one of the most important points in the novel, it also emphasizes that you should respect anyone who seems different from yourself, whether it's due to social class, beliefs, experiences, etc."

—chelsean9

Get it on Amazon for $8.99+, Barnes & Noble for $7.19+, or a local bookseller through IndieBound here.

6. And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell

Simon & Schuster

"This is an illustrated children’s book based on the true story of two male penguins that fell in love with each other at the Central Park Zoo in NYC. The couple built a nest together and would use rocks in place of an egg. A zookeeper found an egg that had been abandoned and decided to place it in their nest. The two dads successfully hatched and raised a chick named Tango. It’s a great story for kids to show that a family with two dads (or two moms) is just as loving and nurturing as a 'traditional' family."

—sashab40859da03

Get it on Amazon for $7.19+, Barnes & Noble for $8.63+, or a local bookseller through IndieBound here.

7. The Lorax by Dr. Seuss

Random House

"It’s incredibly important in this day and age to teach children how urgent it is to protect the environment and I think The Lorax does it in such a beautiful way."

—Annette Malo, Facebook

Get it from Amazon for $8.80+, Barnes and Noble for $14.13+, or a local bookseller through IndieBound here.

8. Germinal by Émile Zola

G. Charpentier

"It’s absolutely breathtaking, heartbreaking, and one of the best novels I've ever read. You’ll root — and cry — for the characters as they fight for a better life, better pay, and better working conditions. I don’t know if I could recommend a book more highly, it's amazing."

—maryannab

Get it on Amazon for $10.46+, Barnes & Noble for $9.95+, or a local bookseller through IndieBound here.

9. Carrie by Stephen King

Doubleday

"While it's a horror novel, it touches on what it's like to feel alone and terrified of who you are when nobody cares about you. I know this particular book got me through a hard time because it forced me to take charge of my future and not let what others think about me influence who I think I am."

—gavpuck99

Get it on Amazon for $7.19+, Barnes & Noble for $7.69+, or a local bookseller through IndieBound here.

10. Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov

Olympia Press

"It may be a completely perverted story, but the language is gorgeous. It’s even more interesting once you look at how much the narrator manipulates the reader into agreeing with him, even though you know he’s disgusting. It’s still a great book though, and I highly recommend it."

—emilytheit

Get it on Amazon for $9.98+, Barnes & Noble for $11.04+, or a local bookseller through IndieBound here.

11. Looking for Alaska by John Green

Dutton Children's Books

"It's by far one of the most honest, funny, and incredible books I have ever read."

—oliviavergarakurz

Get it on Amazon for $7.47+, Barnes & Noble for $7.99+, or a local bookseller through IndieBound here.

12. Go Ask Alice by Anonymous

Simon and Schuster

"It's honestly one of my favorite books. To be fair, it's not for the faint of heart, but it's still amazing."

—kodim4642c7802

Get it on Amazon for $6.25+, Barnes and Noble for $6.89+, or a local bookseller through IndieBound here.

13. The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne

Signet Classics

"It's a fantastic novel. It addresses themes of ignorance, intolerance, and transcending the toxicity of others. It also has an interesting plot with an emphasis on the devolution of the mind of a 'mad man'."

—zoet4b2a13ca7

Get it on Amazon for $4.50+, Barnes and Noble for $6.95+, or a local bookseller through IndieBound here.

14. As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner

Vintage International

"While the book’s themes are pretty heavy, Faulkner’s style is like none I’ve seen before. His stream of consciousness narration is challenging to follow at times, but it's mind blowing in the way that it gives insight to the characters without compromising the forward motion of the plot. I highly recommend this to anyone wanting a good read."

—uselessgryffinclaw

Get it on Amazon for $8.99+, Barnes & Noble for $11.99+, or a local bookseller through IndieBound here.

15. And The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

Simon & Schuster

"It will always be my favorite book. It’s honestly a brilliant story about mental illness, childhood trauma, and loneliness. It helped me a lot in high school and still does to this day."

—kamid491207ce0

Get it on Amazon for $9.29+, Barnes & Noble for $13.41+, or a local bookseller through IndieBound here.

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Page Turners is our book group where you get to suggest and choose your own books each month. Join the Facebook group to get in on the discussion, or tell us what you're reading in the comments below!

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