Why Banning Books Never Works (And Makes Us Want to Read Them More)

We kicked off this Fully-Booked podcast episode like we often do, talking about the weather. June arrived, and with it came all the seasonal chaos we Canadians know too well. One moment we’re soaking in rays, and the next, we’re back to complaining about rain or trying to survive sudden temperature spikes. It’s the kind of weather where someone might wear a parka with flip-flops and somehow not look out of place.

We laughed about how 10 degrees feels completely different in spring versus fall. In spring, we’re peeling off layers like it’s beach season, but in the fall, the same temperature has us reaching for cozy sweaters. It doesn’t make sense, but that’s Canada for you.

Banned Books And Why They Still Matter

The main theme this month? Banned books. We decided it was time to shift from the more playful, game-style episodes and dig into something that matters on a cultural and intellectual level. This decision came after a quick text exchange about a new banned books article. Once we got into the topic, it opened up a floodgate of questions, ideas, and frustrations.

We started by asking a simple but loaded question: What is a banned book?

Technically, it's any book that’s been restricted or removed from access in certain schools, libraries, or communities. But what is it really? Censorship. And often, it’s censorship rooted in fear of ideas, of diversity, of history.

From classics like 1984 and To Kill a Mockingbird to more recent works like All Boys Aren’t Blue and The Hate U Give, the reasons books get banned often come down to who’s uncomfortable with their message.

It’s honestly baffling. When you look at a list of banned books, you start to notice patterns. So many of these works are centered on themes like rebellion, personal freedom, or confronting injustice, especially from governments or powerful institutions.

Others touch on race, gender, sexuality, or trauma. In other words, they deal with real life. Books like The Handmaid’s Tale, The Diary of Anne Frank, Animal Farm, and Slaughterhouse-Five come up again and again. And that should make all of us pause. Why are these stories, the ones that challenge systems or amplify marginalized voices, the ones most often targeted?

The Larger Conversation: Why Banning Books Is Futile

We dug deeper into the implications of banning literature. We talked about books being banned for obscenity in the past, like Lady Chatterley's Lover or Lolita, and more recent bans centered on issues like race, gender identity, or historical events.

What struck us most was how many of these bans seemed designed to suppress not just stories, but the lived experiences of real people. Books like The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian or I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings are being challenged because they don’t fit a specific moral or political agenda.

We also brought up examples from Canadian history, like the banning of Lethal Marriage, a book about the Paul Bernardo and Karla Homolka case, which was allegedly pulled for its inaccuracies. That led to a nuanced discussion about the difference between censoring historical artifacts and correcting misinformation. We’re not saying every book should be protected no matter what; it’s more about the intent and impact behind the banning.

One of the more compelling questions we asked was this: If these books are so “dangerous,” why are they still so widely read? Because banning something often makes it more intriguing. You tell a teenager they’re not allowed to read The Catcher in the Rye, and that b