This is a great coffee table /reference book! I appreciated learning about books I never even thought about being banned. It was great to learn about each book. Definitely something you want to read a physical copy of and over a period of time. It was interesting to learn why a book has been banned for multiple reasons during different time periods.

This was an interesting book, but it felt overall very surface level. I didn't feel that it expanded my knowledge on the topic very much.

This book is so necessary in today's political climate and a part of the global discourse on 21st century literacy. It was a relief to know that these views and albeit opinions can be published and shared with many readers. There should be more books written about this issue <3

This was an interesting read. I do plan to read some of the books mentioned to see what made them appear on this list. Thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for the ARC of this book in return for my honest review. Receiving this book in this manner had no bearing on this review.

I found this to be an interesting topic since I have read of so many schools and libraries around the country banning books over the last few years. I have come to find out that this has really been going on since books or writing has been in existence. Some for a political reason others for different opinions in either the area or maybe country, or a dictator. All in all sad that there were books on the list that I read in the sixties and seventies that were considered classics that are now banned for whatever reason. Grateful to have kept the books from my mother who was a teacher from the fifties and my father who wanted us to also learn and have an open mind they both believed you could start by reading. Overall a good book.

This book is a nice chronological overview of some of the most banned books throughout history. Each book has a short paragraph about why and where it has been banned, the outcome and its literary impact. Many of the titles were familiar to me but there were some surprises. The book was informative and easy to read. I learned that the reasons for banning books differ but there will always be a reason. Add many of these books to TBR pile.

Banned Books is the ultimate reference guide to challenged books throughout history. Broken down by time, such as pre-1900, dating back as far as 1370s, to modern day 2021, each chapter reveals titles that have caused controversy. It reveals backstories of the authors, explains what the books (or articles) are about, and where/why they are banned. Readers will learn about the Index of Prohibited Books, as well as the many laws protecting and punishing Freedom of Speech. Some of these authors have mysteriously disappeared, one who had passed had his body dug up, burned, and tossed in a river. It talks about the punished people that read the books and tried to sell/share these titles.

Some books/authors are easily recognized, from Chaucer to Darwin, from Lee to Malcolm X. Some however will be new to readers, for instance, I had never heard of Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz or Etheridge Knight. There are pictures of books and authors, as well as quotes from the titles or those criticizing the work. I look forward to using this book as a reading challenge and see how many I can find in print.

This book can easily be devoured in one-sitting, or cherished overtime. It belongs on every bookcase in homes, schools, libraries, and bookstores.

Banned Books looks at controversial classics and modern books alike. This little tome is more important than ever, what with all the crazy conservatives trying to ban all manner of literature from schools.

From classics like The Great Gatsby to modern authors like Phillip Pullman and JK Rowling, banning books isn't a new thing. Some did surprise me, as did the reasoning behind some books. Some reasons seem silly to me today (Catcher in the Rye… *uugghhh*). Others I may choose not to teach, but certainly wouldn't strive for banning, or making a big deal about someone choosing to read for pleasure, even if I wouldn't. The Harry Potter books have sadly fallen into this category for me due to the author's stances on certain things.

Books for high school age kids really shouldn't be banned for reasons such as *gasp* LGBTQ+ representation, or mild sexual situations. Or even more extreme if it's necessary to the story (The Kite Runner). This aren't young kids. They know about sex. And banning books with positive depictions of LGBTQ+ characters denigrates and dismisses an entire subset of the population.

****Many thanks to Netgalley and DK for providing an egalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

It is extremely interesting to know what books are banned and for what reasons. We are seeing even more books banned now for much more extreme things so some of these books seem most laughable.

I loved reading this book!! There are so many titles that I knew but even more I didn’t know and we’re surprised by! Definitely a must read for book lovers!

I liked the concept of this book and how it went back in history to discuss banned books. However, I felt like it was a very dry read and felt like a textbook.

What a timely book! Loved learning about the reasons certain books were banned when almost everything seems to be at risk to be banned!

This book was really fascinating. It's crazy how much literature has been banned throughout history, even recently. I think it's really important to learn and read these books because there are so many different reasons people have tried to ban various books.

This was a great entry look at banned books across the world (mostly Europe and USA; with a few modern examples in Asia and South America). It expanded my TBR and knowledge of older controversial texts. But if you are looking for a more in-depth look or a deep dive I would find something else.

This book did a great job of explaining why books are banned. It was an objective overview of each book and did not get political. Did exactly what it was set out to do.

This book was very good, but very, very, disheartening. To see all the books that have been [and continue to be] banned is upsetting and frustrating. I have never understood why books get banned. IF you don't like a book or the idea of a book, THEN DO NOT READ IT. It is not rocket science. Sigh.

I grew up in a home where I was allowed to read whatever I wanted. I was never, ever censored [though there are books I read more or less in "secret" because I was fairly sure that if I was found out, my mother would not have approved and would take the book away from me. I am not sure why I thought that because she never, ever did that] and my mother encouraged the library visits I made and the heaps of books I dragged home every 4 - 5 days [if only because it kept me quiet - I was, and still am, rather inquisitive]. Maybe that is why I am so frustrated by people who short-change their children by trying to think for them and to force their ideas and ideologies on them.

Of the 87 books on this list, I have read [and mostly liked, though there are a few that I absolutely did not like and that is totally okay] 28 of them. I have 15 of them on my TBR list. I will be getting to them sooner rather than later. As should everyone who has ANY of them on their reading lists.

IF you want to know more about banned book and why they were/are banned then this book is for you. IF you know about banned books and want to introduce others to the knowledge about them, then this is the book for you. If you just need reminded how hard we all need to fight against this nonsense and how difficult it will be, then this is ABSOLUTELY the book for you. I highly recommend this book to everyone and anyone.

Thank you to NetGalley, and DK Publishing and all who worked on this book for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I ended up reading this shortly after the recent attack on Salman Rushdie, so my reading of the book was quite timely., I love reading about banned books in general and this was a quick and easy read. But just quick and easy as it was, the book was just as short. I wanted more. But also, the quick read was enjoyable. There was no outline of reasoning behind the selection of books. That would have been nice.

“Banned Books,” published by DK, offers succinct overviews of books that have been subject to censorship through the years. Organized chronologically, the books range from the well-known, such as “Lolita” and “Beloved,” to more obscure works like “Jenny Lives with Eric and Martin.” The write-ups on each book are short (most are one or two pages), which makes the information easily digestible and allows for a range of titles to be included. These write-ups include a very brief plot overview as well as some explanation on why a particular title became a target for censorship. While the information here is by no means comprehensive, it does serve as an excellent introduction to various banned and challenged books, which could encourage readers to do their own research and learn more about the titles on their own.

This was an informative, interesting, and well designed book! I found it interesting to see the reasoning behind the banning of certain books.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I picked this up one evening thinking that I would read just a few of the stories as I sat and relaxed. Instead, I read through the entire book (and was up past bedtime on a school night) because it was so very interesting. With the latest wave of challenges, bans, and even burnings, this review puts things into an historical perspective.

The books are arranged chronologically and grouped into Pre 1900, The 19th Century, Between the Wars, The Postwar Years, The Late 20th Century, and The 21st Century. If anyone were looking for information about book bans and challenges for a particular era, that would make it very easy to find examples. The content of each book is described, along with the reasons for why it was banned. Every entry lists the author and the year of publication. Some also feature quotes from the author or from critics.

With titles ranging from <i>The Decameron</i> and <i>The Canterbury Tales</i> to <i>Persepolis</i> and <i>The Hate U Give</i>, there are examples of books banned for their frank discussion of sex, their questioning of class and church hierarchy, or their advancement of scientific ideas. A few titles have sidebars about related topics; for example, under <i>Wycliffe's Bible</i> there is information about smuggling Bibles into the Soviet Bloc in the 1950s and details of the Scopes Monkey Trial accompany the entry for <i>On The Origin of Species</i>.

Anyone interested in where and why books are banned will appreciate this look across the centuries.