The literary phenomenon that is "Fifty Shades of Grey" continues to dominate (no pun intended) the New York Times and Amazon bestseller lists. The racy book and its two sequels have left millions of women glued to their kindles. Written by E.L James, it chronicles the unbridled sexual rendezvous between a young woman, Anastasia Steale, and a gorgeous billionaire, Christian Grey. 

With countless media outlets exploring the series' popularity and a film adaptation in the works, it's clear that the "Grey"'s lure won't be dying down anytime soon. Yet not everyone is thrilled with the success of the tale of submission. Over the last few months several libraries throughout the U.S have banned "Fifty Shades" from their shelves, the Harford County Public Library in Maryland is the latest to ban the books.

Of course, "Fifty Shades of Grey" is not the first sexually-charged book to get tired up in a censorship controversy. Here are five other sensual works of literature that have been banned for content:   

The 1928 novel tells the story of an upper class woman who cheats on her paralyzed husband with a penniless gatekeeper. The novel explicitly details their steamy encounters with a number of taboo adjectives. This ruffled a few features in the U.K. and elsewhere. The booked was banned until 1959 when Penguin Books won a highly published court battle in England known as the Trial of Penguin. A veer of obscenity trials also took place in several countries including the United States, India, and Japan.

In 1955 “Lolita” was published in France by a pornographic publishing company and labeled “obscene.” The book chronicles the personal frustrations of Humbert Humbert, a man who lusts after young girls. His pedophilic tendencies worsen when he meets Dolores Haze, a seductive 12-year-old girl. The book’s content was deemed lewd and therefore banned in France. “Lolita” was also prohibited in England and a number of other territories.

Determined to prove that a woman could write perverse erotica, Desclos penned one of the most shocking books of all time. The story follows the willful submission of a young Parisian woman named O who is whipped, bound, and branded by the domineering Sir Stephen. The premise was so scandalous that Desclos masked her identity from the public and wrote under the pseudonyms Dominique Aury and Pauline Réage. Published in 1954, the book was considered obscene in France and a publicity ban was enacted. “Story of O” was completely banned in Australia in 1965.

Published in 1748 and subsequently banned from England, the raunchy novella was a popular discreet read. After the death of her parents, 15-year-old Fanny Hill is lured into prostitution and partakes in a volley of jaw dropping sexual encounters. The book’s premise was so controversial that it was denounced by the Bishop of London and went on to become one of the most indicted works of literature eve released. The book was even banned in the U.S until 1966 and is widely known as the last banned book in America.

Written by peace activist Alex Comfort, the book remained on the New York Times best seller list for a whopping 10 years. The 1972 sex manual benefited from being released after the Sexual Revolution but that didn't mean everyone was lining up to purchase a copy. Several public libraries refrained from stocking the vividly detailed guide. Perhaps most shocking is the book's ban in Ireland from 1974 to 1989.