A wonderful story about the power of books to change peoples minds and lives.

In a small southern town in Georgia, a woman decides that certain books must be banned. Lula still wants to support books and builds a small free library on her property filled with acceptable titles. Someone in towns decides to switch out the books with banned ones while leaving the covers of the acceptable books on.

As the townspeople start to read some of these books, secrets unfold, lies are revealed, and lives disrupted. The stories are all interconnected. A town learns to come together. Dealing with multiple issues affecting people today, it shows how books and knowlege can be their own power.

The Change by Kirstin Miller is one of my all time favorite books so Lula Dean’s Little Library of Banned Books was one of my most anticipated reads of 2024. It was fine.

Something I’ve come to learn about myself as a reader is that heartwarming books aren’t really my thing. There were parts within this book that I really loved and I fully support the overall messages - but in a lot of places the execution just fell a little flat for me.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the free book to review.

While this book did have some humorous moments, it also dealt with a number of serious topics, such as: book bans, white supremacy, racism, intolerance, and abuse (sexual, physical, and emotional).

While there are some heavy topics discussed, this is a lighthearted take on society, and it does have an underlying theme of kindness. The topic of banning books, particularly by someone who hasn't even read the books, is quite spot on with current events, as is the concept of the little free libraries. The cast of characters is diverse, and each chapter introduces readers to a different local resident who is struggling with their own issues and finds solace in the banned books. The author does a wonderful job of showcasing the power of books.

Big thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for the opportunity to read this ARC!

Deftly balancing humor and heart, this whip-smart novel pulls back the curtain on a small Southern town’s intolerant actions. Actually, scratch that…it tears the curtain down and refuses to hang it back up, addressing not only book banning, but racism, misogyny, homophobia, white supremacy, gun violence, and more.

In some author's hands, a book covering that many timely topics could be overwhelming. But Kirsten Miller found a way to make it work (really well!) thanks to a rich cast of characters, her use of satire, short & engaging chapters, and a hopeful ending.

The one drawback is that there were a LOT of characters to track. Thank goodness for the Kindle search function because I had to look up several names to keep everyone straight!

Despite the amount of characters, I loved how the novel explored their motivations through the books they pulled from Lula’s library. Each chapter focused on a specific title and used that book to examine a character’s experience within the town. Love them or hate them, they all felt so real.

After reading The Change last year, I became a huge fan of Kirsten Miller. But THIS book has officially placed her on my favorite authors list!

I wasn’t sure what to expect going in to this one, but overall I did enjoy it. It’s quite thought provoking, and it does manage to inject some humor into a serious subject. The cast of characters is memorable, and I think most everyone will find somebody relatable to them. I sped through most of it, but maybe about three quarters of the way in it started to feel like it lost momentum. Ultimately, I think it’s a good story about the importance of access to information, taking an honest look at yourself, and about how you treat others. Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow Books for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I haven’t laughed as hard as I did reading this book in a long time! "Lula Dean's Little Library of Banned Books" is a satirical gem for anyone who has ever wondered about how things have spiraled so out of control to lead to outrageous book bans across the country.

When Lula Dean takes it upon herself to rid her small town libraries of what she deems “inappropriate” books, the head of the school board’s daughter Lindsay is having none of it. In the middle of the night, she swaps out the “wholesome” books in Lula Dean’s little free library with the banned books — but leaves Lula’s dust jackets on, so that readers will be surprised with what they find inside.

What follows is at once laugh-out-loud funny and completely terrifying, as we get a glimpse into the minds of the townspeople. Some of them view the world in a narrow-minded, hateful way, while others warmed my heart with their openness and desire to bridge the gaps society tries to create.

I loved this book, and it’s perfect for anyone interested in the complexities of literature, politics, and social justice. It's a (very important!) reminder of why protecting the freedom to read is so important, and a tribute to the negative impact of banning books and the ongoing fight against censorship. If you value free expression, read this!

In the tiny town of Troy, Georgia, Lula Dean went on a book banning crusade and purged all of the schools and the public library of all the books she deemed "pornographic: - none of which she had ever even read. Then she started a little free library in front of her house and filled it with good "wholesome" books. One night, under the cover of darkness someone goes and removes all of those books takes off their dust jackets, and puts them on books that people would actually want to read and then re-stocks Lula Dean's library. One by one, neighbors who borrow books from her library get a surprise...and more often than not, the book ends up helping them in some way. When the mayor of Troy is forced to step down due to a scandal, Lula Dean decides to run, and her arch-nemesis Beverly Underwood runs against her, just to make sure she doesn't win. It is bad enough what she did with the town's books - just think what she would do if she got even more power....

This book was delightful. The antics in it kept me laughing. I had really enjoyed the previous book I had read by this author, but this one was even better. Being from a small town myself, at times it felt like I was reading about my hometown. The situations in the book were very timely, and I appreciate that the author was able to lighten the dire situations with a heavy dose of humor. This is perfect for anyone who has ever had their lives changed by a book. Raise your hand if you have!

I loved this story about how banned books make their way into the hands of the reader that needs that book the most. I enjoyed the simple prose and story telling. There is ageism, racism, LGBTQIA+ issues, anti-Semitism, sexual assault - a whole spectrum of hate - but it’s not nuanced conversations, or gratuitous violence and details, and it doesn’t come across as a heavy read. It’s simply stated and in your face. The point of the story is a hard one for some people to swallow and I think the straight forward words and writing help get the point across. It’s an interesting take to have such complicated concepts, relationships, and emotions written about so plainly. I hope this book finds its way to the readers that need it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital copy and a chance to read this early. All opinions are my own.

Lula Dean is on a mission to rid a small Southern town of books that she thinks should be banned. She puts a lending library in front of her home that is filled with books that she seems acceptable. Unbeknownst to her, someone else places the books that Lula banned inside the covers of the "wholesome" books! This sets off a saga of changes in the town that is riddled with homophobia, anti-Semitism, racism, white supremacy, etc. This book is very applicable to our current climate and is very funny! I highly recommend this book.

Thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for the advanced digital copy of the book.

The topic of banned books generates many heated conversations across the world. Who decides why a book should be banned and under what authority is the decision challenged. Kirsten Miller has taken this hot topic and built an engaging story of people and their community that will leave you thinking long after you finish the last page.

Two women, both positive that they are doing what's right for the children of their community, take sides on the question of banned books. Lula has a long list of titles that she feels should not be read by children. Beverly is the vocal member that pushes for choice. While the matter is under consideration, the titles have been pulled from the library. Lula decides to set herself up as an example for good choices so develops a small library of "good" books available in her home library. BUT....Lula's library is set up in front of her home, everyone has access.....a good deed just asking to be pranked. When her books are replaced with many of the banned titles, the community will borrow.....and read.......these books, forming their own opinions.

The story is written from the perspective of these newly formed opinions and will cause many emotional reactions. It's a different kind of story told in a different manner that's sure to find a huge fan club. 5 easy stars.

3.5 stars rounded up.

This is a tough book to rate. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Before I start, let me air my biases. I'm a librarian and as a result, have STRONG feelings about censorship and book banning.
This book did a great job of highlighting a bunch of people with a bunch of values and painting a picture where no one is really "bad". It made characatures of some of them, sure, but did a good job of highlighting good and bad, even of Lula Dean. That being said, I think I would have enjoyed this book more if it weren't quite so exaggerated, or if it leaned more fully into the exaggeration to ensure that it was super duper goofy. As is, it feels like it's not quite goofy enough to be goofy, but not quite serious enough to be serious, and for that reason I struggled just a little with suspending my disbelief for this objectively wild story.

That all said, this was fun and touched on some real serious issues in a really great way, and I think it is a great read. Be prepared that there are some obvious political overtones, but I do think that the way each character is portrayed is really balanced and sympathetic. I just also think that there are people who could get upset about said political overtones.

With so many book bannings all over the country, this book is very timely. While this book does focus on book banning as well as the many reasons people think books should be banned, at it's heart Lula Dean's Little Library of Banned Books is about the people of a small Southern town and how their lives are connected and how they support each other. The behavior of a small group of people is infuriating, but the overall love and compassion that is seen in the book is heartwarming.

Thank you to William Morrow and Net Galley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy. The book is now available to purchase so I highly recommend adding it to your TBR!

I was excited to read this book because of the description- and I’m glad I read it because of the story.

There are so many things to unpack from this super special read. I found myself frustrated with Lula, inspired by Beverly, rooting for Bella, sad for Logan and on and on and on. There isn’t a character in this book that the author doesn’t make you feel something for.

I cried, I laughed, I highlighted and there are so many lessons in this book we all know, some we may have forgotten and a lot I know I personally learned.

The idea that books are banned calling them pornography or propaganda making sure that people who may need to the message or information don’t have it makes me sad and sick. I was thankful for the list of banned & recommended books at the end of the by the author (and plan to read them!)

Thanks for NetGalley for this advanced copy. My life is better having read this amazing book.

Oh my goodness! I absolutely LOVED this book! This might be my favorite book of the year so far!

Kirsten Miller does a fabulous job including many of the issues Americans face today in a fun way. While it was fun, the way she did it really highlights the seriousness of each topic and how it effects different groups of people.

I really can't recommend this book enough. If you're tired of all the book bans in particular, get this one and devour it!

Thank you to NetGalley and William Marrow for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review. Lula Dean's Little Library of Banned Books is out now.

4.5⭐️

I loved Kirsten Miller’s The Change and was eager to read her latest offering. Satirical and humorous ( with several laugh-out-loud moments) but also hard-hitting, Lula Dean's Little Library of Banned Books by Kirsten Miller is a well-crafted novel that I thoroughly enjoyed!

Set in the small town of Troy, Georgia, the novel revolves around tensions that arise from one of the townspeople’s missions to ban books that are deemed inappropriate – a mission she has successfully executed resulting in the removal of said books from the public library. Lula Dean also sets up her own lending library with hopes of circulating what she considers acceptable books among the townspeople. Beverly Underwood, also a lifelong resident of Troy and on the school board, vehemently opposes Lula’s actions. Beverly’s daughter Lindsay takes matters into her own hands and unbeknownst to her mother, replaces the books in Lula’s library with those which have been banned. To avoid detection, she places the banned books inside the dust jackets of acceptable literature. As the narrative progresses, we see how these books impact the lives of the townspeople and the dynamic between Beverly and Lula, both of whom are running for mayor.

The novel features a large cast of characters, multiple perspectives and several sub-plots seamlessly woven into the primary narrative. The pacing is consistent and the story flows well. At no point did I lose interest or feel that there was too much going on. I loved how the author emphasizes the transformative power of books and how important it is for people to have the freedom to choose what to read and/or what they want their children to read. I loved that the author incorporates certain books (quite a few of which are banned in some parts of the US) into the plotlines and shows how those books not only inspire certain individuals to effect change in their own lives but also enable them to gain perspective and expose those spreading hate in the community. Beverly is an admirable character and I loved her motivation. I adored Wilma and I wish we had more scenes with her.

The author injects a healthy dose of humor into the narrative. The author tackles several heavy themes and social issues such as censorship and book banning, homophobia, bigotry and racism, anti—Semitism, sexual abuse, racially motivated violence, misogyny and much more. The characters are well thought out, even the unlikable ones, and I liked how the author depicts the impact of ideological differences and conflicting views on critical issues on the dynamics within a small town.

There is a lot to like about this novel. I did feel, however, that a few aspects of the novel could have been explored further, but with so many characters and subplots this is to be expected. I also believe that some might not be entirely comfortable with certain content and the tone of the narrative. The ending is a tad too neatly tied up, but I’m glad that the author ends the novel on a positive note.

Thoroughly enjoyable and entertaining yet timely and relevant, this is a book that I would not hesitate to recommend.

I look forward to reading more from this author in the future.

Do read the Author’s Note where she talks about the themes addressed in this novel and much more.

Many thanks to William Morrow for the digital review copy via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I received this eARC from NetGalley and this is my objective review. The book begins with Lindsay, rich girl back in town from college to help her mother Beverly (head of the school board) with whom self-righteous Lula Dean is feuding over books. Lula (miserable and in a bid for attention) has waged war on all the supposed sins in town, resulting in a widespread book-banning brigade. Lindsay takes it upon herself to wage war right back on Lula by ambushing her virtuous Little Free Library box with a more open-minded selection than Lula has offered. She's hopeful that this will thwart Lula and bring change to their small town. Lindsay's actions do set off a ripple effect of enlightenment and education, but also brings to light some long-held secrets, some of them dangerous.

This is a book about a small town, like so many communities, whose citizens go about their rigidly confined lives and turn a blind eye to the large and small injustices that happen every day. It's about the small voices that get stifled until they gain the courage to become loud enough to be heard. Sometimes it feels like a caricature but so much of it accurately mirrors the current culture of fear and misinformation in our country. There are a wide range of interconnected characters and sub-plots, as well as some twists and turns and tension as things inevitably escalate. Overall a very good book with heavy themes but also some humorous notes. Enjoyable to read, but it started to feel a little dense and unwieldy about 2/3 of the way through. New author to me, I would read her again.

One publishing note, and I did read an ARC so hopefully it's corrected before publication. The book's description calls this a "provocative and hilarious summer read." Definitely provocative, but "hilarious" is not accurate. The author's comedic voice is good and she included some funny parts that made me laugh out loud, but overall this is most definitely not a hilarious book and to describe it that way is misleading to potential readers. That suggests a much lighter book than this is, as there are some very serious themes and events in this book that are far from hilarious (including racism/white supremacy, homophobia, child/spouse abuse and neglect, and a few other things that I won't include because of spoilers). Just a head's up before you go into this book and, again, hopefully the description gets revised before publication.

Ok so I loveddddd the Change and was so excited to receive this one. Sadly though I didn’t enjoy this one as much. I completely agree with what the author was trying to bring light to…but I found it a bit repetitive and to be honest confusing to keep the many characters straight. Overall I think it’s a good satire on some tough subjects but fell a bit flat for me.

Sometimes you just know, as soon as you start a book, that it’s going to be a five star read.

Lula Dean’s Little Library of Banned Books was one of my most-anticipated books of the year. Miller’s previous novel, The Change, was one of my top ten reads of 2022. Some call her writing too on the nose. Some say she beats you over the head with the moral of the story. I say she’s brilliant and they’re wrong. Come fight me.

If The Change was magical realism mixed with literary fiction, then Lula Dean is dark satire mixed with literary fiction. (I won’t even pretend that these two mixtures aren’t two of my favorite genre blends in all of fiction). It’s an exaggerated portrayal of a Hollywood-stereotype small town in Georgia that’s suddenly been plagued by a group of “concerned parents” who want to ban books for the “good of the children”. Too bad knowledge always finds a way, right? Because “banned books” find their way into the community through unlikely means, into unlikely hands, and those books are like pebbles in a pond, creating ripples that start to shift everything in the community.

You want to read a book that includes issues plaguing America right now? It’s in this book. All that hate, all the fear, all the ignorance, all of the shame, and all of the misplaced pride. There’s history, cruelty, and tragedy. Kirsten Miller somehow manages to weave it all together with a dextrous panache that never makes the material feel so heavy you can’t lift the next page.

It’s an absolutely fabulous read that pulled me in, hooked me, and I couldn’t put it down.

I was provided a copy of this title by NetGalley and the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.

File Under: 5 Star Review/Literary Fiction/Satire

Lula Dean is on a mission to rid the public libraries in the town of Troy of banned books. She has put up a Little Free Library and filled it with only the most appropriate books for neighbors to enjoy. Unbeknownst to Lula, a rebellious neighbor has replaced her wholesome books with banned ones, using the original book covers as a disguise. Book by book, reader by reader, the lives of the townspeople begin to change, and new connections are made.
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Kirsten Miller was able to write a book that takes on some heavy topics in a way that is still make it lighthearted and funny. I really enjoyed that each chapter in the book shared the title of a banned book. Within each of the chapters, you meet new characters that become intertwined as the story goes on. My only complaint is that the book does require attention to detail when it comes to all of the characters involved as I occasionally found myself checking if a character had been previously introduced.

QOTD: Do you have a favorite banned book?

I had no idea until I started looking into them, that one of my all time favs, Hunger Games, is on the banned book list!

If you read one book I’ve recommended this year, let it be this one. A timely, important read wrapped up in a heartwarming story about a small town in Georgia and its diverse residents. This book deals with some heavy topics, like book banning, LGBTQ+ rights, anti-semitism and white nationalism, domestic violence, and a host of others but does so with wit, humor and grace. As another reviewer noted, some will call this (especially the ending) twee and perhaps it is but I enjoyed the hell out of it so who cares? Another home run for Kirsten Miller - can’t wait to see what she writes next!

Pub Date: 6/18/24
Review Published: 6/18/24
eARC received from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.