There’s no better time to read than a cruise, when you can kick off your shoes, grab a drink of choice, and settle in with whatever book you’ve been saving for just this opportunity.
Does this sound like a good idea to you? We have some recommendations perfect for all you autumn cruisers (and everyone else, too)! Pack one or two of these books in your suitcase or on your tablet for your next vacation.
Banned Books Week kicks off September 26 and runs through October 2.
Books are challenged for many reasons, such as: race, LGBTQIA+, politics, indecency, sex, religion, and other “controversial” topics.
Books marketed at children are especially prone to the targeted lists, as parents are concerned about the materials being taught in schools or held on library shelves. But often, those books are renowned as classics, as they hold the truths we don’t always want to hear.
I’ve compiled a list of books that at one time or another have been challenged for their content. I challenge you to pick a few to add to your To Read list!
- An Abundance of Katherines by John Green: Colin has a thing for girls named Katherine, but it always ends in heartbreak. In order to prove this hypothesis, he sets off on a road trip with his friends. Challenge - Sexual Content
- Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz: Two boys meet, one is confident and self assured, the other is more protective of himself. Somehow, they form a friendship that allows them both to flower in their teen years. Challenge - LGBTQIA+
- The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein: Told from a dog’s point of view, this story provides a touching look into his human’s life. Challenge - Accused Sexual Abuse
- Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya: A healer comes to live with Antonio’s family in New Mexico. She teaches him how to face bigotry, moral collapse, and death. Challenge - Adult Language, Violence, Sexual Content, Blasphemy
- The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison: A young black girl prays for her eyes to turn blue so she can be as beautiful as the blond, blue-eyed children in America. Challenge - Sexual Content, Politics, Racism
- The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon: An autistic boy sets out to investigate the suspicious death of a neighborhood dog. Challenge - Offensive Language
- East of Eden by John Steinbeck: Two families in California’s Salinas valley reenact the fall of Adam and Eve and the rivalry of Cain and Abel. Challenge - Offensive Language, Prostitution
- The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls: Walls’ memoir shares the story of her dysfunctional family and how her parents’ nonconformity caused them to live like nomads. Challenge - Offensive Language, Sexual Content
- The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas: Starr Carter may go to a fancy suburban prep school, but the neighborhood she lives in is far from wealthy. When she sees her best friend shot by a police officer while unarmed, she is torn between what is safe and what is right. Challenge - Offensive Language, Racism
- The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende: A family saga of three generations of the Trueba family, spinning personal and political stories with love, magic, and fate. Challenge - Sexual Content
- The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot: Henrietta Lacks was a poor farmer who, when she developed cancer, had cells taken from her without her knowledge. Those cells went on to become the most important tools in modern medicine, as they were the first “immortal” human cells grown in culture and have been used in countless treatments and cures. Challenge - Pornography (Note: The challenger confused pornographic content with Gynecology and Science, there is no pornographic content in the book.)
- The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini: Two boys enter a local kite-flying contest in 1970s Afghanistan. An unexpected event shatters their lives. Russians invade and the family must flee to America. Challenge - Sexual Content, Offensive Language
- Native Son by Richard Wright: This book tells the story of a young black man caught in a downward spiral after he kills a young white woman in a brief moment of panic. Challenge - Sexual Content, Violence, Offensive Language
- Noughts & Crosses by Malorie Blackman: In this dystopian romance, our normal view of classism and racism is turned on its head. Crosses, the dark-skinned ruling class, cannot mix with the Noughts, colorless members of the underclass. Sephy and Callum’s romance builds against a backdrop of increasing tension and terrorism. Challenge - Racism, Political Terrorism
- Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson: A high school student is shunned because she called the cops on a party, and tries to heal from that terrible experience through her art. Challenge - Sexual Violence, Bias against Male Students
- Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan: Two boys attempt to set a new Guinness World Record for kissing and become a focal point for other LGBTQIA+ teens. Challenge - LGBTQIA+
