Let Books Be: The Banned Books We're Proud to Keep on Our Shelves
It's Banned Books Week (October 4th–10th — this year's official theme is “Let Books Be. Protect the Freedom to Read,” and honestly, same), and we have never once in our bookselling lives considered pulling a title off the shelf because someone, somewhere, got uncomfortable with it.
So this week we're doing the opposite of hiding anything: we're putting our most-challenged titles front and center, because apparently that's still a sentence we have to say out loud in 2026.
This Year's Most Challenged — And Why We're Still Selling Them
1. A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas — Fantasy / Romantasy. One of this year's most challenged titles per the ALA, officially over “sexually explicit” content, unofficially because fantasy heroines having opinions and other things still seems to rattle people. We've got ACOTAR 6 preorders going right now, so draw your own conclusions about how well the banning is working.
2. Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas — Fantasy. Same author, same list, same energy. If you're going to challenge one Maas book you may as well challenge the whole shelf; we hear the Throne of Glass fandom holds grudges.
3. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky — Coming-of-Age / Literary Fiction. A quiet, aching book about being a teenager and surviving it, which is apparently the controversial part.
4. Looking for Alaska by John Green — YA / Literary Fiction. Still getting challenged two decades after it made an entire generation of us cry in a Barnes & Noble. We stand by the crying.
5. A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess — Literary Fiction / Dystopia. A genuine classic that's been fought over since 1962 — proof that “this book makes people uncomfortable” and “this book is good” are not mutually exclusive. Often they're the same sentence.
Come Say It With Us (Out Loud, In Person)
We're marking the week the way we mark most weeks around here — with a drink in hand and strong opinions. Swing by for our Banned Book Speakeasy this Friday at 7:30pm (1920s attire strongly encouraged; we will be judging your flapper fringe with love) — details and RSVP on our events page, and double-check the time before you go, since these things have a way of shifting on us too.
Come Read With Us
Every title on this list is shelved right here in Meridian, Idaho, exactly where we think it belongs — out in the open, no permission slip required. Grab one, grab a seat, and tag us @thebookloungeid with whichever one you picked up out of spite (we love that energy, keep it coming). Book club, we're taking nominations for next month's pick — we have a feeling you already know which one you want.
