This is not what I wanted to write. I wanted to write about how I’m about to go on book tour for my new book in a few days. Instead I am writing about the fact that I was just informed that my first book Let’s Pretend This Never Happened was banned from the high school library of a nearby town I love and visit often.
Honestly, I’m not that upset about my book being banned. I’ve had so many letters from young people who felt they’d been helped by my books but it does have some profanity and so I can understand the reasoning even if I disagree with it. What I am upset about is the stories about how New Braunfels ISD has pulled more that 1,500 books from their school library shelves after the Texas’ Republican-backed book banning law (senate bill 13) passed. The bill ordered all public school libraries to review books for “profane” and “indecent” content and I guess Let’s Pretend This Never Happened was deemed too dangerous for high schoolers.
Weirdly, my book was not on the original list of the 1,500 books triggered for review on March 13 but a week ago it was added to the New Braunfels ISD website as being removed for being “non-compliant”. (I’ve been called worse.) I guess 1,500 books weren’t enough. But then, it’s never enough for book banners.
This is going to happen more and more. It used to be a rare thing…almost a badge of courage to have a book banned. Now? It’s everywhere…this war against books and ideas and people. Reading is how you fall in love with people different from you, and how you develop compassion for them…because if you love them, you want to protect them. But there are some people who don’t want you to love others. They need you to fear them.
Books save lives. They have saved mine. Books are safety nets for so many of us, and right now those nets are being cut.
The list of banned books is incredible in length and includes so many that I adore. Equally upsetting is the fact that so many classics that shaped me have been pulled from the shelves and placed into “restricted sections” where they can only be accessed by students enrolled in Advanced Placement Literature, because God forbid a normal high school student would want to read the works of dangerous writers like *checks the list* Jane Austen and Emily Brontë (whose name they misspelled).
Sometimes it feels like we’re living in A Brave New World (restricted) and that the book burning of Fahrenheit 451 (also restricted) is closer than ever, with no Sense and Sensibility (also restricted) about what this will cost. It feels like we’re going through The Crucible (also restricted) and are caught in a Catch-22 (also restricted) where we can’t convince people how terrible it is to ban books because they either don’t know the power of books or they absolutely know it and fear it. It’s An Absolutely Remarkable Thing (banned) how book banners go out on some kind of A Discovery of Witches (also banned) and fight against Acceptance (banned) and of diversity, while we are losing All The Beauty in the World (banned). America is a Beautiful Country (banned) in so many ways, but we will lose so much of that beauty if we don’t make Changes (banned) to cherish and embrace and grow what makes us Educated (banned) and compassionate. The diversity of voices is necessary…it is a reflection of who we are and who we want to be. A plethora of ideas and voices and experiences…This Is What America Looks Like (banned). We can’t just pretend that Everything’s Fine (banned) and that this is just an overreaction of Anxious People (banned). Do you think this is what the founding fathers like Alexander Hamilton (banned) envisioned? I’m going to stop here because I’m sure you can see that this dumb paragraph is WAY TOO EASY TO WRITE because there are so many books they have issues with and you probably get the picture already but y’all….Jane Eyre? The Color Purple? The Odyssey? Crime and Punishment?? THIS IS WHAT WE’RE SAVING TEENAGERS FROM?
So what can you do? You can buy books that are being targeted, especially those written by the LGBTQ+ authors or authors of color because they are being targeted the most. Supporting those authors tells publishing to keep producing those books because they are needed. Publishers will lose money if libraries become afraid to purchase books and so we need to make sure that they know the audience is there and greedy for diverse voices. Get a library card and start checking out those books and more, to prove to the government that libraries need funding and that people care about reading. Read to your children. Read in front of your children. Talk online about the books that you love so that your passion ignites others. If you’re a parent you can get involved with your school to make sure this doesn’t happen in your school and you can protest it if it happens. You can vote out the people who seem to be obsessed with freedom, but mainly when it’s their freedom to take away yours and your children’s. You can run against school board members who are book banners and show up at the meetings. You can keep updated by following organizations like PEN AMERICA, or the Texas Freedom to Read Project or Authors Against Book Bans.
*deep breath*
This is probably filled with typos and is not really the sort of thing that I should be writing the day before I leave to start my book tour but it’s important. When books and thoughts and people are suppressed, we all lose. Keep fighting the good fight, friends. It’s worth it.
I have a digital copy of Let’s Pretend This Never Happened, but now I’m off to buy a physical copy…
This book has saved me time and time again. I own a physical version, digital version and audio version. I’ve also bought numerous copies for friends and family. All I know is Beyoncé the chicken is going to be coming after them all.
I have to replace my copies of your books in my classroom every semester…because high schooler pick them up, fall in love with them, and take them home. I’m not complaining. It thrills my heart every time!!
I’ve never owned a banned book before it was banned. I feel like I’m ahead of the curve now. Also you should use it for advertising purposes, make up a bunch of fliers and put around the town announcing that your book is available at your book store.
This is just one of the reasons I love what you do. You are a never ending inspiration. Thank you!
I weep for the youth of America. They wonder why kids can’t and don’t read anymore. This is why. They ban anything thought provoking.
New Braunfels. I remember they had good BBQ. WTF is wrong with them. My jaw literally dropped at the small (for 1500 and counting) listing of titles you (cleverly) wrote. Ron Charles, the now-canned book critic of WaPo first brought my attention to the insidious ways school and library boards were being infiltrated by lunatics. Heck, most of those titles in your piece were *required reading* when I went to school!
Yay, your book is now equivalent to The Odyssey and Jane Eyre? That’s a compliment, right?
Crazy. I don’t know what their guidelines are but I doubt anything you wrote needs to be banned. You should know, Furiously Happy is one of my top 5 books. It’s with the few “must keep” books I own. I often read it in doctors waiting rooms and would consistently burst out laughing. It’s hysterical. Keep writing. You are a treasure. 😍
Dear Jenny,
Thank you for providing me with my new reading list
Best wishes for a smooth and successful book tour!
SuzyQ
Amazing summary!
Can I share?
We love you, pure and simple, and I will display your book, soon as I get it and finish reading it.
Wow… this does seem like we have stepped into a new world, and not a friendly one
And we wonder why America keeps getting dumber
Wrote a post about this very thing: Howl for the Banned (kelleyvance.blog) Love that you’re writing about it too, though I don’t love that it’s necessary. We all need to defend the right to read!
Hurrah! I hope the energy and smarts that shine in this essay bolster you through your book tour. Best wishes from a fan who would gladly come to a stop on your tour if I could. I will count on those who do come to remind you that we also have to take a deep breath before launching into the public sphere. I also bring chocolates, but to each her/their own.
If I were a parent I’d take a look at the list of banned books and start reading from them myself, and if they weren’t containing pornography I’d let a high school kid read them. Do you know how many preschoolers use profanity these days? High school kids aren’t going to start swearing because they read it in a book. They’ll swear if that’s what they hear in their every day environment. It’s up to parents to teach them to express themselves with a wide range of vocabulary well before they reach high school age. I would 100% encourage a high school age kid to read your books, and I’d hope if they were struggling it might help them think of ways to express that in words and also give them hope that they can keep going even when things are rotten and they feel like it’ll never get better. Your books helped me feel less alone, I wouldn’t want to take that away from anyone of any age.
This is also a great time to signal boost the Books Unbanned program, which provides free digital library cards to youth and young adults 26 and under, allowing access to the HUMONGOUS ebook catalog of the Seattle and Boston public libraries. They can always use donations and, of course, having people spread the word about their program.
I used this program myself and it gave me access to a lot of books about trauma, mental health, and queer education, all of which I would’ve had to be very sneaky about in the place I was living at the time.
The Boston library even has the book Trans Bodies, Trans Selves, which is a huge long nonfiction collaborative work by many authors, not always easy to access because of its sheer size, but possibly the most comprehensive single resource on trans identity and health care currently available.
❤️ Keep being a voice people need to hear. Have an awesome book tour.
Hell yeah! :-(((
As a German reading and writing from Germany (and therefore of course outside Texas and the USA) I can really only shake my head, nearly causing dizziness or even real glitches in my consciousness …! :-(((
It’s surely no coincidence that your “GOAT” in the oval office is of German descent only two generations back and obviously more people in your current government, than one might have expected, have read about the massive festive book burnings that took place here in Germany under the Nazi-government. And obviously came to the conclusion that we Germans did not do enough to clear the libraries of this world of all these nasty and annoying profanities. ;-(((
Holy fuck! At least one clearly note that “we Germans” (under the NAZI-government) are obviously still quite well suited as role models for your actual government, in Texas and some of your other states as well as the USA as a whole. :-(((
Dear Jenny (and all the other nice-minded human beings in the US), I really do hope for you that this ends better for you all than what millions and millions of Europeans had to endure during and after the NAZI-government here in Germany and Europe! Really wish you all the best though I do not believe my hopes will come true! 🙂
The writings are absolutely clearly visible on your walls …! 🙁 Like wtf!!!
I know you don’t like travel much, but please come to Canada. We love you and all books here. I would even personally pick you up and make sure you get all the places you need to be!
Makes me want to read it even more!!
I am trying to buy banned books when I can, while I can. I teach for a very conservative district. I sold almost 10 boxes of elementary books because they were not on the approved list. But my kids see more and way worse things than Black Beauty on YouTube and on the video games they play non stop. Not to mention what they are doing to their developing minds. I also work part time at a rural library. I am so sad watching what is happening in our country.
P. S. “Let’s Pretend This Never Happened” is one of my most recommended books of all times and one of my top 10 favorite books of all times.💜
Well the more they ban them the more kids want to read them. I think we should start a banned book club and work our way through those 1,500 books. Your books literally saved my life. When I know someone is struggling I recommend your books. My friend is coming to see you in Huntington Beach because I got her addicted to your books. You saved her life too
You are amazing. It’s such a scary world we’re living in. I wish my town was on your book tour, but I’ll keep buying your banned books!
Thank you. You’re a hero. We support you. We will continue to advocate for books and reading and choices.
Are you fucking kidding me? Wuthering Heights? For Whom the Bell Tolls? What do they plan on AP Englush teachers presenting? Dr. Seuss? It’s a sad day to be a Texan.
Jennifer, I have read several of your books. They are honest, funny, sometimes heartbreaking. Please continue to write your truth. You express joy, angst, fear and uncertainty that your readers also feel. Thank you.
Sounds like it’s time to start some “They Don’t Want You to Read This Book Clubs for Teens” throughout Texas.
Tell a teenager that they CAN’T do something, and they’ll do it.
Tell them it’s highly inappropriate for them, and they’ll get their hands on it.
I’m glad we have you for your writing, but I wish this didn’t have to be your topic. Continue to be the brave soul that you are.
A few years ago I gave my best friend’s grandson a box of all the “banned” and “questionable” young children’s books I could find. He was just a baby. I couldn’t believe the number of books for young children that had been banned or questioned. I keep looking for more for him and some day I’m sure I’ll purchase “Let’s Pretend This Never Happened” for him (or I’ll just give him one of my copies.) I was a teacher for over 30 years…I am seriously worried that stupid has taken over.
Everyone needs to download and share this list. Buy these books if you see them. Check out used bookstores, thrift stores, garage sales, etc for copies. Donate them to public libraries, women’s shelters, food banks, homeless shelters, etc. Save them and share them. Before book bans become book burnings.
You are a treasure. As always, thank you for using your platform to speak truth. Your books have saved me more than once. I want them available to everyone.
Well” Let’s Pretend This Never Happened”, was the first book of yours I read. I’m so sorry. I’m sorry this is happening in this country, it’s way up there on my list of Things That Should Never Happen. I’m rereading books from the banned list and I think I will get a tshirt that says I Read Banned Books. Chin up, Jenny. We’ve got you.
Your “dumb paragraph” was so fabulous I want to print it and frame it. Or maybe put it on t-shirt. Better yet, do texas schools still have actual textbooks? If they do this would make a fantastic book cover like they used to make us fold and put on our textbooks.
I used to work in a major bookstore chain, next to a multiscreen movie theater, in a large strip mall, where every Friday and Saturday night, tons of teenagers would be dropped off by their friends or parents to go to the movies, hang out in the bookstore, go to the fast food restaurants, the Target store, and visit or work in and visit their friends who worked in all the retail businesses on both sides of the street, from all the cities and towns in the county.
Believe me, those kids were learning a lot more from each other, and from the adult males and local police trying to flirt with and pick up teenage girls, the molesters and flashers who tried to grab females or expose themselves to them, (and their naive parents thought they were safe because they were hanging out at the bookstore until their parents picked them up or they got a ride home with friends.)
Occasionally a parent would complain about the books in the store they found objectionable, but our company put out a banned books table full of them during banned books week, and kept the human sexuality books on the shelves for anyone to see, and only kept the Anarchist Cookbook and Madonna’s SEX book and other actual pornography books and adult magazines behind the check out counter where adults had to show ID proving they were 18 or older to buy them. When the parents complained, we explained the books they thought were objectionable were not restricted under the law to people under 18, and if they didn’t like their kids reading them, they should better supervise their kids, and that it’s better they learn from books, than from their friends who might give them wrong information, and did they know what went on here in the area while their kids were hanging out in the area?
A few giggling kids reading health and human sexuality books and a few curse words in literature should be the least of parent’s worries these days, the internet and social media and all kinds of harmful content and predators is in most kids hands with their smartphones and tablets and laptops, that their parents bought them, or their friends parents bought their friends, and that’s far more dangerous than anything printed on paper these days. If only we could go back to the days when kids only being able to read objectionable books or magazines or see an R rated movie to corrupt their little minds, the world would be a far safer place for them, and probably better for us all.
PS to No. 19:
Makes me wonder when “Born in the USA” by Bruce Springsteen will be banned too. Or quite a lot of songs oy Neil Young …
To read that still yet obviously more than a third if not even much more of your people still support and applaud to these politics and politicians makes me shake my head even more. 🙁
It’s so “funny” to have learnt in school (here in Germany!) that “Freedom of thought and speech” are _said_ to be fundamental parts of your constitution and yet actually realising that just the exact opposite seems to be true.
You Americans as a whole might have easily learned from our (German) history but a really horrifyingly alarming majoroity voted for this guy _a_g_a_i_n_, after he had already four years in office to clearly show and prove to you what he would be up to in his second and probably not last term. This is absolutely beyond my comprehension capabilities!!! 🙁
PS:
Perhaps you might want to start to read and learn about “Genosse (comrade) Krasnov” as the probable code name of Mr. T. as a secret agent / spy for the Russian KGB:
https://html.duckduckgo.com/html?q=genosse%20krasnov
Really wish you good luck! But “they” (Mr.s Thiel, Trump, Bezos, Zuckerberg and so on and so forth …) oviously have learned from our history! Though not what they SHOULD have learned … 🙁
Jesus H.F.C. I detest the stupid people who are so fond of the narrowing of minds. So afraid of ideas; so filled with hatred of Other. So corrupt. So poisoned and ready to poison others.
UGH!
“Reading is how you fall in love with people different from you, and how you develop compassion for them…because if you love them, you want to protect them. But there are some people who don’t want you to love others.” – nailed it.
Every banned book is another book added to my shopping list. If I had the resources, I would buy them all and open a library dedicated to banned books!
I am surprised and saddened at the list of banned books. So many good ones, including yours. I always add them to my TBR list- and there are a few you mentioned that I will now add. Not your “let’s pretend” though, I’ve already read it. I hate what’s happening in this country so much and it’s so sad and terrifying and angering that I have to deal with this crap yet again. And in my senior years! I hate it. But I appreciate you! So thanks!
Amen
I swear we are living in a dystopian novel. Probably a banned one.
“”non-compliant”. (I’ve been called worse.) ”
When it comes to the conservative moment, I take being called ‘non compliant’ as being a huge compliment 🙂
And I just read that ‘restricted list’….. it is RIDICULOUS!!!
I live near an elementary school and a middle school, so I try to keep my Little Free Library stocked with banned books.
I’ve read to my kids before I knew their faces. While breast feeding my youngest I read at least 3 of the books on the banned list to him. Now at 19 and 16 they question, research and read! I couldn’t be more proud of this because it has helped them (and me) to show up for others and stand up for themselves. I work in a school district and they always have a slide show at my school about what your teachers did over the summer. I include reading and pictures of the books I read. Though I always include a few from banned lists, this coming school year I think every one of the books will be from one banned list or another. It’s amazing and disheartening to me how many there are.
Dear Jenny, this eloquent post should be sent to as many newspapers as possible. Please consider doing that. People need to know this shit.
I’ve given your books to so many people when they are struggling. Sending love.
Barb in Minneapolis
People who are afraid of books want to destroy the beautiful diversity God has given to our world, and substitute violence towards that diversity rather than peaceful coexistence.
Strong Feelings Press has postcards to send to your congress members/school boards. I paid $1 each at an independent bookstore in Chicago, probably less elsewhere. One of them says:
“Glad you’re focusing on banning books instead of anything actually fucking useful.”
Another:
“Thanks for attacking queer kids. You totally distracted me from the utterly tanked economy.”
They have more. We need to keep speaking out.
Thank you, Jenny, for all you do.
You have inspired me. It’s not Banned Books Month, but I say fuck it: I’m going to download that list & despite the fact my bookstore is in Vermont, beginning of April, right after we celebrate Trans Visibility Day (and my trans man assistant will dress to the nines, you betcha! and his fiancé, who is Pan — which *no one.* ever talks about — will, cause I know him well — who’s another employee will go drag that day) …
We’re going to grab every single banned book on that list — of course yours— and stick shelf talkers with them with a 15% off, new and used, throughout the whole store. For a couple of weeks.
I’m going to make a QR to the full list & a QR to your post here. If that’s ok?
You have me more riled up than ever about book banning.
OMG I am sorry… used to love New Braunfels for the restaurants and the history but sadly not surprised they want to repress their children because that never backfires… hang tough and keep fighting!!
@ anon of number 19 and 36: we know. Or rather, about half the country seems to know, and the other half fell for the cult propaganda in 2024.
The other half of the US is indeed freaking out because we see the parallels too, and we won’t give in without a fight. We’re voting for politicians who correctly see what’s happening in Palestine as genocide, who don’t support the war in Iran, who are against the new gestapo we’re calling ICE. We’re protecting our neighbors however we can, such as delivering groceries so vulnerable people don’t have to leave their house.
We’re fighting for digital privacy, which is under direct attack specifically because Trump and his administration are actively, currently using it as a tool to track those who disagree with him or criticize the secret police. We’re funding legal support for immigrants and LGBTQ people (trans people are under heavy attack right now, but it’ll be the whole queer community again very soon). Civilians are sending aid money to Gaza out of our personal pockets, even as our taxes fund the destruction. We’re continuing to make the art that fascism hates so much. And we’re surviving, despite the cult that would really prefer we didn’t.
We see it too. And we’re pissed. Sensible, kind people are actively fighting—but a lot of us are quiet about it online, because the Trump administration wants to use the internet to find us and get ahead of our protests.
They control the media, so you won’t hear about all the businesses with anti-ICE “this is private property and we have the right to deny access or searches” signs on their doors, or protestors throwing glitter on masked agents because it’ll cling to them even when they take the mask off, or the number of US Americans displaying Palestinian flags or “Free Palestine” stickers in protest. But there is a lot of dissent here.
Gotta start stocking all the Free Little Libraries with all these banned books!!!
*deep breath*
Jenny, I love your work. I have bought your books.
The schools not stocking your book doesn’t make you “banned” and saying so degrades the word.
Anyone who wants to buy your books in New Braunfels is free to do so.
I suspect they’re available in the public libraries.
It’s dumb to remove your books from the school libraries.
But that’s not a ban.
“Banned in Boston” meant it was literally illegal to sell certain books. You could be jailed.
Leaves of Grass
The Sun Also Rises
Elmer Gantry
And on and on.
That was awful and shameful and we should never allow that sort of censorship again. It was facially unconstitutional.
But this is not that.
It sucks and is stupid.
But it’s not a ban.
@”Anonymous
March 25, 2026 at 10:49 pm”
Wow! Dear anon, I REALLY DO THANK you for this comment! 🙂
You probably cannot imagine how hard I have to shake my head though I had stopped viewing or listening to “news” more than 3 years ago. But what still reached (and reaches) me is so fucking crazy. As I had thought and still think that if the Nazi-government had not been good for anything but at least as an example how _not_ to do government, to treat human beings, nature, actually this whole world and so on.
I really beg your pardon as I had the impression that obviously still most Americans did and do not even realise what a crazy shit show (to put it very mildly) they had chosen _a_g_a_i_n_. But your comment / answer (as well as the existence and the writing of the really great Ms. Jenny Lawson!!!) are proof to me that there still might be some hope for you. Though my hopes were and unfortunately are still dwindling by the minute …! I really do wish you well! And keep up your good work! Good luck and really all the best!!! 🙂
the book banners are insane and afraid of everything
That’s nuts. Banned. It is indeed Orwellian.
I accidentally left my “Let’s Pretend This Never Happened” on my flight and ordered a second one. All I could think of is “I hope someone enjoys it as much as I did!” Preordered the newest book.
You are courageous and you are right!
Keep speaking up and keep encouraging us to do the same!
Martha Bridges
Thank you for speaking out. To paraphrase you, you are a light.
I just simply have no words. All the books you listed are…amazing…profound…necessary.
So they’re saying “How to have 10 kids before the age of 15” is not banned?
Geez Louise! I think it’s time to reread in solidarity. You’re in interesting company.
The one way to make teens do something is to tell them not to. Make a flyer ‘Wonder what’s in the books you’re banned from reading? Come find out at Nowhere.’ Hand them out at the school gates and have a section called ‘banned books’ (if you don’t already) at Nowhere.
@Benjamin number 54:
*deep breath*
This is why reading comprehension is important. She never said SHE was banned, Jenny specifically said her book was banned, from a school district…which it was. Stop mansplaining.
@Jenny: the day this administration took over again I reviewed the current list of banned books and started buying them. Every topic removed from governmental websites made me buy a book on said topic. I can’t believe we’re here. But thank you for this powerful message. I just got a library card (again) and it’s time to start using it more. ❤️
Thank you. {sigh} This upset me more than some of the endless other transgressions of our current time.
Books saved me as a child.
This makes me so sad, but right next to that sadness if ANGER. And thank you so much for giving us specifics as to how to turn this insanity around.
No matter what, you always inspire me.
Together we are strong.
They banned Crime and Punishment?
One of the famous book bannings in the UK was Lady Chatterley’s Lover. My Mum is proud that she got hold of a copy and read it before the ban was lifted. She didn’t think much of it though and couldn’t see what the fuss was all about.
I am delighted to NOT see it on the list. Texan schoolchildren are not being dragged back to the British 1960s.
My daughter is now 25. She read your books during high school. It was one of the things we could bond over when she was in her angsty phase. I am ordering your new book for her as well. This makes me sad that they would do this
Wow…you’ve just added so many books to my already-too-long TBR list. It’s beyond crazy that some of these titles are banned – they include some of my favorites. So many people with small minds, afraid of BOOKS. And Thought.
Very disturbing. But maybe now you have something to focus on at your book readings other than getting nervous? (attempt at joke)
I’m so glad to live in a liberal area of NY where books and libraries (and librarians) are still treated with respect. I’ll do my part to share all these titles. Thank you so much for fighting the good fight. Love you!
One of the worst things about living in this regressive country is being in those horrible states where the regressive, fearful, authoritarians are in charge actively working to control its populace like Brave New World minus the soma. I don’t know how you live in Texas at all. All I can say as this idiocracy continues is heaven help us all.
We love you, Jenny. Posts like this are one reason why. I used to wish one of my books would be banned because it’s better than being ignored. But given the crazy high number of brilliant books being banned, I still wouldn’t stand out.
Congratulations on being banned! I hope your name is prominent on the list. As a teen, I made it a point to read every banned book. My daughter carried on the tradition when Wimberley high school confiscated her book. I bought her another copy. Book banning isn’t new. Your publisher is probably thrilled.
I work in a university. Let’s Pretend This Never Happened sits prominently on my bookshelf- facing out at students. Same shelf as Black Women’s History of the United States, White Fragility, and Two Spirit Journey. I decided that one small thing I can do to support students who feel targeted is to visibly display support, then follow through with action when they approach me. All the small actions of community are probably the only things that will get me through this overwhelmingly difficult time.
Our local independent bookstore was converted from a house. My favorite room is the one that highlights banned books. I will make sure yours is prominently displayed!
My eldest child – non-binary and neurospicy – and I read “Let’s Pretend this Never Happened” almost simultaneously and shared excerpts as we went along. They said it was the first time they felt that I understand them. THANK YOU!
I have never been more proud of you! Banned often = life-changing. No faster way to get people to read a book than to ban it. I guess I know what my friends are getting for Christmas – a SECOND copy.
This:
“Reading is how you fall in love with people different from you, and how you develop compassion for them…because if you love them, you want to protect them. But there are some people who don’t want you to love others. They need you to fear them.
Books save lives. They have saved mine. Books are safety nets for so many of us, and right now those nets are being cut.”
<3
I first found you here, online and I own all your books. I'm always recommending your writing to everyone I know. And now I will be doing it even more so. Your writing makes people feel less alone.
Religious zealots on our school board removed books from my high school over 30 years ago. Small people will never stop, which is why we need to stop them. Go to school board meetings, vote these people off the board.
Reading also teaches you critical thinking skills and to question things…and that along w/compassion & empathy are traits the far right don't want kids (or adults) to learn.
your books have been with me through some of the most dark, deep, difficult as well as happy, exciting, ecstatic times. thank you for being brave when it’s hard. thank you for being you.
Thanks you Jenny. As someone who works in public schools this shit is terrifying but we can’t back down. It’s so much more than book banning. Have a safe and successful tour. You are changing lives for the better! Can’t wait to read the new book.
I have loaned out my copy at least half a dozen times and bought copies for three different people. I mean I’m generally horrified all the time now but this is also particularly horrifying because people need to read about people who are like them because maybe they’ll find out they’re more like them than they knew. I hate this timeline
Yes, perhaps the most important thing we can do is pay attention to school board elections! They are being infiltrated by the religious right who are hellbent on banning books. Watch The Librarians on Independent Lens! https://www.pbs.org/independentlens/documentaries/the-librarians/
Well now, this just means I need to go buy your books right now!
I’m in Abilene TX and we’ve had one person challenge a bunch of books here, and after our SLAC reviewed them, a few were removed. I’m not on the SLAC, just a parent with four kids in the distict, but I’ve been showing up to the school board meetings and the SLAC meetings and I’ve read nearly all the challenged books. I call it the saddest book club, since most of the books have been super heavy. We have a couple school board members stepping down, and people have told me I should run, but the people who are running are way better equipped for it than I am. I’m just going to keep reading and showing up and speaking out. The board is sick of the woman who’s challenging stuff, especially since she doesn’t have kids in the district (she doesn’t even go here!). One of our high school librarians wrote an excellent article about dealing with all this for Texas Observer. I hate what’s happening around here. It sucks. Big hugs. I’ll keep buying your books and filling my home library with banned books.
Lucky for me I work for another library in Texas that has the sense NOT to remove any books at all. I proudly display and sign on the back of my car that says “READ BANNED BOOKS”
This is just UFB. We are living inside The Handmaiden’s Tale.
I buy banned books and donate them to the little free libraries in my area.
I feel like a member of the Cool Kids Club….I have a SIGNED banned book! I’m sorry you got this news just before your book tour. It’s infuriating how “they” keep doing shit like this, at the same time that they scream about being cancelled or censored.
I have a pair of socks where one sock has a list of books on it, and the other one has them all redacted, because they’ve all been banned. Love them. Have almost worn them out. Maybe they’ll come out with some with your book on it!!
Love you, Jenny. Thank you for being you. **hugs**
~mk (aka Tracy B***** on your FB friends list)
Thanks for putting this out there and for reminding us that we can do seemingly small things locally to stand up to this regime. Community is the antidote to tyranny.
Hope your tour is fantastic!
This is so devastating to read…
Thank you for giving people a clear view of this shit. Urgh.
LPTNH is one of my favourite books. It still makes.me laugh out loud. 🙂
@Benjamin (comment #54)
*deep breath*
I am quite sure that the woman who has written four books that have all made the top 3 on the New York Times’ bestseller list (including two at #1) is aware of what “banned” means.
Per the American Library Association, a banned book is one that has been completely removed from a library in response to a challenge. Merriam-Webster, Cambridge Dictionary, Britannica, Collins Dictionary, and Justia Legal Dictionary (just to name a few) agree that a ban is a rule made by officials that something is not allowed to happen, often after a challenge. It is not required to be a law. Just a rule.
Jenny’s book was not just “not stocked”. It was REMOVED. It will not be allowed back in the library, even if someone were to bring in a copy to donate. That is a BAN. It has been banned from the school district. Not the world, or the public library. But it HAS been BANNED at the school district level.
Perhaps stop making light of censorship at any level.
When I was living through the most difficult time in my life, a friend gave me “Let’s Pretend This Never Happened”. I had to bury my head in my pillow so I wouldn’t drive my family crazy with my uncontrollable laughter, because it was singly the funniest and most brilliantly described book I had ever read. It’s patently absurd this book has been banned, and such a wonderful piece of literature has been censored. I can only believe that when this is over the majority of these atrocities by Tangerine palpatine will be undone, just as it was with Hitler, Hussein and Stalin.
My soul weeps.
Congratulations! Before I just loved your writing, but now you have joined the hallowed list of authors who have important messages to share and aren’t afraid to do it! All the best authors have at least one on there! It is 100% a compliment!!
Three thoughts: They are ridiculous. This post is very well written. I love you. 💕
Don’t forget you can put these books in a Little Free Library!
They can grab a handy gun and shoot each other with impunity, but the can’t read Sense and Sensibility?????
WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK???????????
Wow! This is one of my favorite books. Now I feel like I have exceptionally good taste in books 🙂
>: ( This timeline is not what I was promised.
Unbelievable! But then again, truly believable given that you reside in Texas. Never thought I would see Willa Cather, Jane Austin, Moby Dick, and other classics on the list. I am a white, straight, middle-aged woman (unfortunately living in Republican Tennessee) and I love reading your blog and books. We all deserve respect and love. Hoping soon that this wild pendulum of restriction and conservatism starts swinging back to our way. I can no longer bear to hear or watch the news.
Further evidence that book banners have never read or loved a book in their life. It makes me think of the kid in my class who refuses to even read an article much less a book. He loves Trump (per his student interest form) and wants to be in the military. Ability wise though, he’ll probably become an ICE gestapo. He was ecstatic to repeatedly show his Mexican American friend (zero self awareness) the video of Renee Goode being executed. He will absolutely be among those dropping a match on a pile of books.
AMEN!
I sense that this book was quite possibly banned just for the title, at a guess. “Let’s pretend this never happened” is one of those double meaning sentences that can cover every thing from broken eggs on the kitchen floor to whooping it up with your next door neighbor. Are we becoming involved with such Baptist praying bible spouting trouble makers who cannot read a straight sentence for content only?
BRB, setting up a display of your books in the library where I work!
Damn right, this is important!
I’m proud of you and your books for making a banned book list! You know teenagers (and the rest of us non-conformists) will want to read BECAUSE they’re banned.
Take a deep breath and carry on, my dear. Carry on!
Let’s just hope that this sparks intrigue in teenagers and drives them to their public libraries to check out these banned books and hopefully these books will find their way into the hands and hearts of those who need them. Young people are great about getting into things they are told they shouldn’t. I encourage people everywhere to check out these books and form your own opinions Side note, surely there is something else our state’s government could focus on? Is kids reading books the most pressing issue we have?
Thank you for this post.
Also, I had no idea the banned list had grown so much! It really is disheartening. Not only is our country limiting what is taught and available but also still trying to cut back the hours of those that provide the service.
I have librarian friends and some are at risk of loosing their jobs and health insurance just for the sake of saving a few dollars in budget.
Example. A friend in Southern Ca is an elementary school librarian and the district wants to cut back their hours to a part time position! Can you imagine all the work for a K-5 school in a larger serving community with only 4 hours a day? Also, many librarians are in charge of setting up and aiding with all the tech students use ie: computers, tablets, school projects etc.
I am thankful to know strong people in education and literary professions.
Let’s keep fighting.
I already pre ordered your new book. When I get home I’m going to order copies of your earlier books too.
Can we send out emails or bookmarks to the kids that desperately need to find their voices?
There are a LOT of libraries that offer free library cards for kids nationwide so that they can access these banned books. I can get you a list or help!
I just bought your book.
Let’s see. How to make something that students are only mildly interested in, instantly become a must have? Ban it! And the internet makes it all available! How did “grownups” get to be so stupid?
My friend just discovered Jenny Lawson and I educated her on the wonder and beauty that is Jenny and The Blogess. You have a new fan in addition to a whole family of fans who absolutely love you.
(Can’t wait for my copy of your new book to arrive)
They love the uneducated.
This is a deliberate effort to keep children ignorant, because god forbid they think for themselves.
Emma. They banned Emma!!!!
PS to No. 55, Anonymous
March 25, 2026 at 11:16 pm
@No. 52, ”Anonymous
March 25, 2026 at 10:49 pm”
Dear anon!
After my first answer to you I had posted here quite a long list of links that surely would help you as well as (according to your comment) probably and obviously a lot of your fellow Americans with internet-privacy and IT-security in general.
Unfortunately, as this pretty long comment nearly completely consisted of lots of internet-links, it was rejected by “I do not know exactly whom” and got not published here. 🙁 [Perhaps by Jenny herself or any kind of “blog administrator”]
If you liked to receive this list with links to free and open-source tools and explanations and manuals … … … regarding crypto / encryption, privacy- and IT-security-tools and nearly everything one might need to communicate privately and securely on and over the public internet pls. let me know and I happily would create a PDF and leave it anywhere you like. Perhaps a public free-hoster or whatever …
As a German I really would be pretty much delighted if I could help “the Americans”, who together with their allies did free us Germans of the NAZI-government some 80 years ago, in their current fight against this crazy shit show some would like to call a government! 😉
Please do suggest a link or any hint where I might place this PDF to be most easily accessible by / for you (unfortunately none of the usual so-called “social media” as I am not on any of these).
You’re really welcome! 🙂 And I’m looking forward to reading from you pretty soon …! 😉
It is my opinion (big deal) that cowards ban books, thoughts and ideas. I want to start a free library in front of my house and include every banned book that I can afford. Luckily, I live on a direct path to 3 schools. I’ve worked in a library system for almost 20 years and find this disgusting.
Non-compliant! That’s a new one.i used to make a point when my kids were younger of checking out banned books (age appropriate) & then opening a discussion on why they were banned.
Let’s Pretrend This Never Happened is one of the most hilarious books I ever read. I laughed out loud so many times. It turned me into a Jenny Lawson fan for life.
I would encourage people to read Parable of the Sower and Parable of the Talents by Octavia E Butler.
I was re-reading both during ‘he who shall not be named’ first term. The similarities in The Talents after they leave Acorn to current times are gobsmacking.
Amen. Having a banned book is still a badge of honor, and honestly, you deserve one. Keep fighting the good fight and know that there is a horde of open minded book lovers behind you.
Go Jenny! I’m going to share this. Can’t believe some of the books on this list.
Those people have no culture or love of art i am lucky to live in Brooklyn New York but if you go upstate Those books are also banned honestly they approve of the Iran wars but banned international masters of literature what wrong with those morons who have no education to speak of i believe they decided this because they do not read what they do not understand and actually they probably don’t like to read at all if i was a powerful woman i would grabbe those idiots lock them in room and tell them if you want to be given breakfast and lunch and dinner you will have to read at least 4 books a day the only thing I would do they could choose witch ones and i would free them after they at least read 20 of those books and they will have to write a resume of each books if so they would be free but one condition they go to their public library and take out 4 forbidden books every 3 weeks i would have a book police who would keep a eye on them but i believe after reading any those masters pieces they would get hooked
It’s so crazy (and disheartening) that they are banning books that were my required reading.
Also, how is Jane Austen controversial!? You think the evangelicals would love books where every woman’s goal was to get married and have kids.
This is happening all over the US with tearing down of signage in our National Parks. G-d forbid we should own up to our own history. what is going on now is truly sad, embarrassing and frankly stupid. Ban stuff. Feel free. Alienate your own children. Then they can grow up to be happy, in tune, and loving toward one another. This whole hatred of anyone that doesn’t look or act like them is getting old. I hope banning these books makes them even more popular and talked about and read. After I read your 1st book Jenny, I gave it to my teenage son to read. He STILL quotes and refers to it. We love you and will happily buy and own everything you (and others) write and share it with those that matter. Dont think anything of it. Or them.
This post broke my heart 💔 As a former primary school teacher (UK) I am baffled by the idea that some people don’t want to expand children’s horizons.
Jenny – I love your books so much and have bought them for friends as gifts. I will continue to proudly recommend many of these banned books and am eagerly awaiting the release of your new book 🙂