As we’ve said many times — and have tried to demonstrate via our occasional-but-heartfelt “And the Banned Played On” feature — we’re big believers in the freedom (nay, the right) to read widely and deeply. And so, in honor of Banned Books Week 2026, we invite you to do some rebellious reading of your own.

Not sure where to start? Try these titles. According to the DC Public Library, they were the 11 most frequently banned books in 2025:

• Sold by Patricia McCormick
• The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
• Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe
• Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maaas
• Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo
• Tricks by Ellen Hopkins
• A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
• A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess
• Identical by Ellen Hopkins
• Looking for Alaska by John Green
• Storm and Fury by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Of course, you shouldn’t stop here. Pay attention to which books are under assault in your own community and then, to quote Stephen King, “haul your ass to the nearest bookstore or library ASAP and find out what they don’t want you to read.”

[Editor’s note: A version of this piece ran last year. Apparently, folks are STILL trying to control what we read.]