10 Banned Books that Shaped Our World: IPG Staff Picks

Some of our modern age’s most meaningful, trenchant, and beautiful books have at one time or another been banned. Last week, the book community at large came together to celebrate Banned Books Week—a week of celebrating the freedom to read. Here, the IPG staff picks the books that resonated most with them.

Enjoy our top picks and remember—#readindependently!

A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess

—Leanna Gruhn, Publicity Associate, Trafalgar Square Publishing

The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne

“I learned to love the classics after reading this in high school.” —Richard Fox, Customer Service Representative

Looking for Alaska by John Green

—Niki Stuckmann, Marketing Associate

The Lord of the Rings Trilogy and The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

—Jason Reasoner, Sales Associate

Catch-22 by Jospeh Heller

“”Catch-22 was my first exposure to black humor & I’ll always be thankful for that!”—Kathryn Cassibry, Online Content Associate

Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

—Jeff Palicki, Marketing and Trade Sales Director

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

—Andrew Freels, Senior Marketing and Production Designer

Song of Solomon by Toni M. Morrison

“Bow down to Queen Toni.” —Emily Parenti, Publicity Associate

All the King’s Men by Robert Penn Warren

—Michelle Williams, Managing Editor, Chicago Review Press

Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston

—Mindi Rowland, Special Sales Representative