I thought that this was a fun read. I do not think that this is the best mystery that I have ever read but I did find the story fun and engaging.

Interesting idea, could it have been executed better? yes. Is it still worth reading? yes for the great moments of hilarity

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.

I work in libraries. I've seen the budget battles. I've nearly lost my job to budget battles. I've had friends lose their jobs due to budgets battles. So I REALLY, REALLY wanted to like this book. I wanted to cheer for the employees as they battled against the evil town leaders who deny them the monies they need to help their customers. But, I didn't make it very far before I knew that this was not going to be the book I really wanted it to be. The characters ended up to be cartoonish and caricatures of what people think of as a rebel librarian, with names like Doom. Are we fighting for funding or are we fighting the Zombies of the Apocalypse? And don't forget the mobsters, and the police officer husband, who she has to keep the secret from. It just didn't fulfill my hopes after reading the premise.

Perfect for anyone who enjoys library themed stories. This story was entertaining and read quickly. Sure to be a hit with everyone who loves libraries, a little mystery and a collection of interesting characters.

WAY too cutesy for me. The "southern charm" thing is so overdone, so saccharine, that I just kept rolling my eyes. Serenity is a terrible librarian and really, a terrible person. The author tries to make things like drugging someone into something funny and it's really not. The whole thing was just gross.

Oh geez what can I say? I wanted to like this book I seriously did. Main characters who are librarians in a rare thing outside of cozy mysteries and I think that's a shame.

But this was a soap box vanity project that barely entertained us. Yes our libraries are severely underfunded and we do not pay our librarians enough for all the work that they do, but this book is not the project that is going to reverse that trend.

Side note: As an avid reader and a weekly patron of my local library I weep for a future without libraries.

Back to our regularly scheduled program. As a southern girl I appreciate authors who want to take the South and give it to the masses but what I don't appreciate is the Beverly Hillbilly approach the south and our culture. YEs we drawl, and call everyone sweetie, and our ice tea is just a tad too sweet but we aren't stupid, nor slow, nor folksy cutie pies. I am so tired of that beat to death cliche. To become a librarian one has to have an advanced degree. A masters program in the United States is at least 3 years, and I'm not saying that when you go to school you forget your roots and become uppity Yankee or anything, but neither do you shuck and jive for your meals anymore. Especially not when you go back home to your roots!

And Maddington, Alabama...are you serious? There are entirely too many place name generators for this to have happened.

This was a quick if not eye rolling read, but it was like eating too many slices of poundcake. It started out as a good idea, but quickly turned into a bad life choice.

I enjoy this book. Finally something different. Amazing how someone would go far to save the library

A library in a small town in the southern United States has its funding cut by the city and the librarian, Serenity, fights back in an unusual way.

There is a slight sense of <em>Catch-22</em> or <em>M*A*S*H</em> (the book series) humor here, with average people doing absurd things in order to get a positive result, and of course the situation is unfortunately too common, too real. In fact, I selected this book because I could identify with the problem. As the former chair of a public library board of trustees, I've stood in front of city councils pleading not to have the funding cut, so I thought I might enjoy this wacky-sounding book.

Unfortunately, the idea may be stellar, but the execution fizzles.

This book never rises above stereotypes and infantile sexual references to get a cheap laugh. None of the characters seem real in any way but rather cheap copies of <em>Dukes of Hazard</em> caricatures.

While our primary figure is a strong woman, misogyny is rampant throughout the book and I was embarrassed just reading this.

Quirky things happen here. That's okay ... quirky things are supposed to happen in a screwball comedy. But there are supposed to be consequences for those quirky things when it goes wrong, and what is supposed to make it a lovable comedy is that it all manages to work out in the end. Unfortunately here there are no consequences. There is the occasional threat of a consequence, but ultimately Serenity does what she wants, even a little underhandedly, and she gets her way. Hooray! Except ... yawn, we've probably lost interest as these stock characters are moved about.

I had really hoped to like this, but other than the premise, this just doesn't work.

Looking for a good book? Ask a librarian for a recommendation ... a real librarian, not a MAD one.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

Serenity Hammer, Head Librarian of the Maddington Public Library, finds herself in a desperate situation. Her budget continues to be cut by pompous politicians who have made it their mission to remove the library from the city budget all together. Serenity is defeated, exhausted, desperate, but most importantly, MAD. She struggles to find a way to keep her library open, but at what cost? Her job? Her marriage? Her life?
Michael Guillebeau has created a narrative that many librarians can relate to; overwhelming need for public libraries and librarians, but the lack of education on the subject by the funding decision-makers has led to the misconception that they are no longer needed. Librarians are tasked with trying to offer more services and information for the public with less money than ever. Guillebeau has taken this pressing issue and worked it into the intriguing story of Serenity Hammer, giving the struggling librarian personality, ethics, flaws, family, strife, romance, etc. He has created a picture that every librarian can sympathize with and any reader can empathize with.

I really wanted to like this but between the accents and the annoying characters, I had a really hard time finishing this

This is the least well written book I have read in years. As a librarian, I know that it is a difficult job at times, and that bureaucracy makes it difficult to move forward, but the people involved aren't so obvious about it. Every character is a caricature. To be fair, I gave up at the 38% point, because I can't read what is basically whining. The idea of a sort of Robin Hood library that takes from the residual fund to put the money to better use is a good one, but it's too hard to read bad the unlikable characters, unpleasant scenes with rat pee, a dude who actually calls them "lie-brarians" (I've never heard this before), etc. Also, I don't know any librarians who get to sit around and read in their office, or who just go in to the office because they can't sleep. They're too tired.

Superbly well-written with a flair of the passionate love for books!

MAD Librarian is indeed angry, and man, hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. Guillebeau writes a story of humour, joy, passion, fury, and, as many reviewers have probably overlooked, SATIRE. Damn, slather us with another book, Guillebeau, and I'll be leading the line of those who come running.

4.5 stars

I have so much love for this book. And the author’s vision to share half the proceeds from all the sales with the MAD Librarian fund is just freaking fantastic! Bravo, Mr Guillebeau, bravo.

MAD Librarian tells a story like no other. When a small town library finds itself failing to stay afloat with reduced funding the head librarian, Serenity, decides to take matters into her own hands. Assisted by her two right hand gals, and fellow librarians, Serenity brainstorms an unstoppable plan. Well, a HOPEFULLY unstoppable plan. It’s not exactly legal, but it isn’t going to hurt anybody. In fact, quite the opposite. If her far fetched scheme takes off, the MAD will become the epicenter of the rebirth of libraries as we know them. The library, HER library, will go down in history as having set the stage for a city built on a books.

I will say that I was a teeny, tiny bit disappointed with a portion of the ending; however, I can understand the author’s reason for going the direction he did. That said, MAD Librarian is a fast paced read sure to inspire and delight any bookworm. The story has mystery and action on top of humor and good old fashion heart. Don’t miss out on reading this one, and don’t forget to tell all your book loving friends about it too!

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this review opportunity.

What a way to start a book! I was already loving it in the first chapter.

There were a few times that I got chills reading it.

And it was interesting to read the commentary on cities I live near. (<i>Maddington</i> is a little close to <i>Madison</i>.)

Overall, this book was a real treat. I really enjoyed it - lots of suspense, and interesting characters. Worth reading - especially if you’re from the Huntsville, AL area! It was fun to hear a reference to a local (popular) camp, and even a local brewery.

(And how about that shout out in the acknowledgements for our local librarians!)

One of my favorites was when a woman wanted to check out a taboo book - when asked if it was <i>Fifty Shades of Grey</i>, the answer was nope - it was <i>How to Join the Democratic Party</i>.

<i>They’ll not only kick you out of some churches around here for that, but burn you as a witch on the way out, and sell tickets.</i>

True!

Take a look at this book - you won’t be sorry.

<i>Sometimes it’s better to die trying than to live giving up.</i>

<i>Thanks to NetGalley, IBPA, and Madison Press for a copy in return for an honest review.</i>

Fun and imaginative but was hard to hold my interest. I appreciate the plot line but found it difficult to get worked up about it.

If you need some LOL moments in your day, this book did that for me. I thought the author did a good job with this mystery and the Southern humor. (Yes, I'm Southern.) It's the funny story of one librarian's way of "sticking it to the man", who in this case is the lack of funding needed for the library. I had to read this book because it's set in Alabama. That just added to my enjoyment of this book. It holds elements of how libraries are really funded, while at the same time solving a mystery/murder and being an enjoyable read.

My copy came from Net Galley. My review is my own. My thoughts and opinions of this book are my own and are left here because I wanted to do so.

This is a book I really wanted to love. A librarian about to lose her library goes rogue to fight for her books. Love the concept.

Thanks to a dirty councilman, the library funding has all but dried up, and the library is on the brink of losing it’s doors. Librarian Serenity Hammer stumbles upon a secret stash of city money and borrows some to get them out of their immediate jam. But what happens when you keep on borrowing?

The book itself was funny at times, and I appreciated the passion that Serenity and her fellow librarians had for their library and their town. But as the book went on, things got muddled, at least for me. Throw in a law-abiding husband (the sheriff), a murder, blackmail, the FBI, a drug czar, and alligators and the water gets muddy. The lines of good and evil start to blur. By the end of the story I wasn’t sure if I was coming or going, and I was disappointed in the way everything wrapped up. You know I don’t do spoilers, so that’s all I will say there.

So what worked for me? Great concept, and humor throughout. What didn’t work? I would have liked a different ending.

Fun concept, but the execution was disappointing. Writing, plot, and characters were mediocre. While the book had its moments, it's not something I will recommend for purchase. Thank you for the opportunity to review the e-galley.

What an amazing book!
All lovers of books and libraries should check this out.
This is a totally believable (well, almost) story of a super dedicated librarian taking on "city hall" (and drug lords!) for the sake of her town and her vision of what a library can and should be.
Too bad she's married to a very kind, but law abiding police officer.

This was a different book for me, but I really enjoyed it. I would give this as a gift to a friend that loved to read. It was very entertaining.