Top 10 banned books all college students should read

While many of us connect censorship with TV and the radio, books are also victims of challenges and bans in libraries and schools around the country. In honor of Banned Books Week, the First Amendment and individual thought, I've compiled a list of the top 10 banned books that I believe all college students should read.

1. "Slaughterhouse-Five" by Kurt Vonnegut

My favorite author takes readers on a journey through time and space with soldier Billy Pilgrim in this classic that looks at war in an altogether unique way. Stemming from the author's personal experience in World War II, Vonnegut transcends genres with this hilarious, cynical book. "So it goes."

2. "The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood

Atwood takes gender roles to an extreme in this dystopian novel. Set in a totalitarian future, oppression, agency and governmental control of women's bodies are just a few of the subjects explored. This is not a book that readers forget.

3. "Speak" by Laurie Halse Anderson

This novel is a look at the complex world of high school through the eyes of isolated outcast Melinda Sordino. Her cynical, bitter outlook forms a narrative that is sometimes hilarious despite the depressing undertones. The reader goes on a trip through Melinda's psyche as she deals with the event that caused her bleak worldview.

4. "Bless Me, Ultima" by Rudolfo A. Anaya

Set in New Mexico during World War II, 7-year-old Antonio deals with the clashing ideologies of Christianity and paganism when Ultima, a "curandera" comes to live with the family. Seen by many critics as a classic piece of Chicano literature, this book opens the reader up to worldviews often ignored in popular fiction.

5. "Beloved" by Toni Morrison

"Haunting" is an excellent word to describe this book, as those who have already read it know. Dealing with the aftermath of slavery, the characters in this book try to live their lives after being subjugated for years, with the effects even crossing into generations born out of slavery.

6. "Fahrenheit 451" by Ray Bradbury

The irony of banning a book about censorship seems to be lost on those that have challenged this classic. Although first published in 1953, the parallels between Bradbury's dystopian future and our current culture are almost scary, with dependence on technology a common theme in both.  

7. "And Tango Makes Three" by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell

Yes, this is a children's book, but I sincerely believe everybody should take a look at it. In case you're unfamiliar, this is about two male penguins who "mate" and raise an egg/chick on their own. Not only does it make you question what we think we know about sexuality, but the illustrations might be the cutest thing I have ever seen.

8. "Brave New World" by Aldous Huxley

Another dystopian novel, "Brave New World," explores a world where consumption is key and Henry Ford is worshipped as a deity, his assembly line making possible the mass production that society stands upon. Like "Fahrenheit 451," the similarities between aspects of Huxley's future and our own present are poignant.

9. "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" by Stephen Chbosky

Told through anonymous letters sent from the narrator "Charlie" to a "friend," this book explores adolescence in all its confusion and glory. Introverted and intelligent, Charlie is hilarious and astonishingly perceptive, one of the most likable, relatable characters I have ever encountered. Also, I cannot tell a lie, this book made me cry more than once.

10. "A Wrinkle in Time" by Madeleine L'Engle

This science fiction children's classic surrounds the disappearance of Meg and Charles Wallace Murry's father, which spurs the children on a bizarre adventure to find him. Themes of good versus evil and the individual versus the status quo permeate this tale that I've read countless times since childhood.

Laura Thacker is a senior in English and women's studies. Send comments to edge@spub.ksu.edu.