This book was fun and quirky but I found it far too overtly preachy. It felt like every character had a specific agenda to represent some issue in politics, and it was all very blatant. I wish the character’s issues and arcs were a little more nuanced.

The town of Troy was a character of itself, and I really appreciated the strong sense of place. I also liked how we were introduced to each of the characters individually and then they were threaded together in the second half of the book. Unfortunately, there were way too many characters for me to keep straight. I found characters from the first two or three chapters especially hard to remember because I hadn’t yet acclimated to the format of the book.

I finished this book but ultimately found it predictable and didn’t feel any sort of connection or compassion or new understanding for any of the characters. I enjoyed the levity of the voice but I wish there was more depth. Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

What a great book. Kirsten Miller offers a timely layered story about not just book bans but about the people, on both sides, who are involved in these bans. The story is funny at times (I laughed out loud a few times), sad in others, heartwarming and gently nuanced in messaging; Miller never lectures or preaches, she lets her story and her characters speak for themselves and lets the messages land without being over the top with the messages she wants readers to ponder.

I loved the sense of self discovery many characters had. I am sure some reviewers will comment on the ideal liberal world of self awakening that characters have (fine, that's not unreasonable) but I also like to believe that a book can change people's world views, that if we give people a chance to think and reflect on their own then they can come to their own conclusions. I also appreciated that some of the stories allowed me as a reader a chance to understand how young people can be a part of the book ban conversations and that worked well for me as a reader.

Lula Dean's Little Library of Banned Books is an ode to books themselves, the power of words and stories, an appreciation and love note to specific books and writers, and a reminder to believe in the greater good of humanity.

This was one of those books where I'm just not sure how to feel now that it's done. It did make me realize that I don't think I've read a lot of books that take place in the south. When I started it, I didn't think I would get to see so many different POVS. I was hoping there would be a little more interconnectedness, like I felt that we got a few threads that started but didn't really wrap up - we could have had a few less characters. Definitely topical, definitely relevant to our times.

This book has so many layers and characters that can at first it seem as though it will be overwhelmingly difficult to keep everything straight. Banish that thought! Kirsten Miller effortlessly weaves the stories of multiple townspeople of Troy, Georgia, together into a charming, and at times unsettling, story.

Widow, empty-nester, hard-leaning conservative, attention-seeking Lulu Dean has nothing better to do than taking it upon herself to rid Troy of books she and her followers have deemed inappropriate for both children and adults. "This is how the Lord of the Flies get into your homes, through books that encourage our children to use drugs, have sex, and pursue the homosexual lifestyle. The CPC has brought these books to your attention. Now the people of this town must decide what to do with them before it is too late."

She has a Little Library built in her front yard and fills it with what she deems "wholesome" books to enlighten the townspeople and get them on the path of righteousness. Little does she know, a prankster or two removes Lulu's books and replaces them with the same books she banned! The prankster(s) get away with this for quite awhile because they used the original book jackets to disguise their replacements.

Needless to say, chaos ensues and the town becomes divided. It takes a rag-tag group of teens and a few adults to expose Lulu for who she is and bring healing to their town. There are multiple underlying themes to this book that make it the five-star book that it is: prejudice and racism, inclusion and acceptance, accountability, strength and healing, working toward a greater good, righting wrongs, and what I personally feel is the biggest: family.

“They had to do whatever it took to keep future generations from living lives more fulfilling than their own. Instead of an equitable future, they preached a return to a glorious past. They walked around with Technicolor pictures in their heads—ideas planted by Hollywood of what the fabled South had been like. They dreamed of a Gone with the Wind Georgia that had never existed. Of white mansions with fluted columns and women in crinolines. Of mint juleps on the verandah and cotillion waltzes. Of happy Black folks tending the fields and benevolent slave masters introducing the heathen to Jesus. Of strapping young white men in gray uniforms marching off to fight for a cause that may have been lost but was no less noble. The historical reality would have sickened them. Literally. After a month in the old South they would have been suffering from malaria, cholera, or yellow fever. The people they met during their travels would be dystopian versions of the characters from their favorite movies. Real-life Mammy would have spent her fertile years nursing white babies while her own were sold off to the highest bidder. Ashley Wilkes, the ideal Southern gentleman, would own a plantation designed to turn human flesh into dollars. The soldiers nursed by saintly Melanie would reek of gangrene after losing limbs to a cause whose origins eluded them. Pretty Scarlett would do her business in a chamber pot she kept under the bed. This glorious antebellum South they yearned for never featured any of the ugly realities of the past—body odor, hookworm, rape, cesspools, death, disease, and whippings, not to mention the unrelenting poverty of the folks called white trash. Anyone who tried to open their eyes was ignored or vilified. They made heroes of sadists like Augustus Wainwright. They went around waving a flag they claimed was all about heritage. The flag for which their poor ancestors had fought and died, while the rich slaveholders who’d started the war were exempted from service by Jefferson Davis himself.”

Thank you to NetGalley & The Author for this Advanced Reader Copy!

A book I will not forget and will probably not shut up about for a long time. This book was incredible. You follow the story of a hard right-leaning conservative women who despite truly just wanting attention, goes on a rampage to have books banned in their town (and schools). She then sets up her own little front lawn library of books that meet “her” approval. THE IRONY is that our undercover hero (conservative ladies arch enemies daughter) switched all the “approved” books out, and added all the banned books under the “approved” book jackets.

AND THEN IT ONLY GETS BETTER !!!!
Each chapter moving at the perfect pace follows the consequences of this book swap. It is inspiring, it is dark, it is so relevant to our American culture currently. Although I feel this book itself could be viewed as political - and I’d imagine more “liberal-leaning” at that — I feel as if the Author does the most to be able to show every individuals POV fairly and with purpose. I feel as if this book could be very healing for some who may feel disconnect between themselves and their loved ones in the past years due to political and moral beliefs.

I will not that there are sensitive topics in this book including su!c!de, r@p3, domestic t3rr0rism, and racism.

Wow! I am a big fan of Kirsten Miller’s The Change so I was thrilled to be approved for a copy of her new one. I thought the bar was high and hoped I would enjoy it close to how much I loved The Change. I loved Lula even more. Kirsten has a way of tackling all of the issues facing our world right now and spin it into a beautiful story filled with amazing characters some you root for and others you detest or you wonder how they became so filled with hatred. I cannot wait for this to come out so I can purchase a copy as this book and these characters will stay with me a long time.

This was somehow both saccharine sweet and a scalding look at how stupid book banning is. I loooooved the format and, while many were a bit overtly stereotypical, all of the characters stuck with me. This was a super fun, entertaining read that I hope is able to change some minds - if, of course, this cooks ends up in the right hands.

Lula Dean's Little Library of Banned Books by Kirsten Miller was the perfect book to start the new year with - it's funny, relevant, and has a wide cast of characters that are a delight.

Lula Dean leads a book ban on the local library much to the dismay of school board member, Beverly Underwood, her daughter Lindsay, and a lot of the town's members. Lula Dean puts a little library in her front yard to try and counteract some of the negative press she's gotten because of it and includes books that she feels are appropriate. Lindsay, meanwhile enlists her high school friend, Ronnie, to switch out some of the books in the little library with the banned books by just switching the covers. Hijinks and unexpected consequences ensue.

Banning books is evil in every instance and this book is scarily relevant right now in 2024 (how is that even possible?) and this book hits home in the absolute inappropriateness of it - and what people are actually missing by having these books removed.

We see people learn about racism, gender issues, world issues, politics, and more - families are torn apart, new families are reunited.

I loved every word of this book and can't wait until it comes out to share it with my book club.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for this awesome book. All opinions are my own.

Based on the description of this book I thought it was going to be a fun read about a small southern town and all the quirky characters. And yes it was that but so much more. This book uses the premise of banned books as a jumping off point to offer readers a glimpse into our current political and politically correct society. It could have easily turned into a preachy tome about liberals and conservatives but it stays above the fray and just helps us put a real face to the issues we are bombarded with. Each book in the Little Library provides the characters with the story they need to help them in their own lives and to bring their town out of the craziness it has fallen into. No matter which “side” you relate to personally this book is so relevant and insightful that it definitely makes you think about your position. But with all that heaviness I encourage everyone to read it because it is simply delightful and fun, but with a little edginess. And if you haven’t read The Change by this author I highly recommend it as well. I received an ARC from the publisher, William Morrow, through NetGalley and appreciate the opportunity to read this excellent book - however; this did not impact my opinion.

In a book that’s sure to be banned, Kirsten Miller does an excellent job showing how ridiculous book banning is. Lula Dean sets out to “save” the town by imposing a book ban, but the town ends up getting their hands on the books anyway.

I loved how the book was set up. Characters read a book, it shows how it impacted them, and then eventually it all comes together for a bigger impact on the town. This was a lot of fun, especially the chapters focused on individual characters book journeys.- these characters were my favorites!

Kirsten Miller is an author who doesn’t hold back, which I love. The messages are there and you can’t miss them. Women are forced. Children can be too given the room to learn, grow, and be themselves. Book banning is silly.

I’d basically recommend this book for everybody. If you think book banning is silly, you’ll appreciate this story. If not, hopefully you’ll learn from it.

As a human, a reader, and a mother, banned books infuriate me immensely (however, since this is a book review and not an opinion piece on small frightened people who try to ban sources of knowledge so they can remain comfortable in their narrow and seemingly impenetrable mindsets; I’ll simply leave it at that). The title of this one immediately caught my interest. The synopsis caught it even more. And the stories themselves pulled me in immediately.

One small Georgia town that has banned many books, and one little lending library whose pages contain much more than the cover might have advertised (and far more than the owner of the little library ever intended). Ms Miller has woven together timely and engaging stories, believable characters, and how small adjustments can change an entire community.

I loved Lula Dean’s Little Library of Banned Books ❤️ this one is an absolute recommendation.




Thank you to William Morrow and NetGalley for the DRC

“𝑾𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈, 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒐𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝒍𝒖𝒙𝒖𝒓𝒚 𝒍𝒆𝒇𝒕 𝒊𝒔 𝒕𝒂𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 𝒂𝒘𝒂𝒚 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒔. 𝑰𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒂𝒏 𝒊𝒏𝒅𝒖𝒍𝒈𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝑳𝒖𝒍𝒂 𝑫𝒆𝒂𝒏 𝒄𝒆𝒓𝒕𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝒔𝒆𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒓𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒉.”

𝘓𝘶𝘭𝘢 𝘋𝘦𝘢𝘯’𝘴 𝘓𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘓𝘪𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘉𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘉𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘴 will probably be the funniest and most heartwarming novel you will read about a banned books list.

In the town of Troy, Georgia, Lula Dean—widow, empty-nester, and local busy-body—takes her quest for attention and crusade against “woke” lifestyles and values to new heights. As the founder and leader of the Concerned Parents Committee, she pulls books that are supposedly filled with pornography and propaganda out of schools and libraries. To help provide Troy with better reading material, she then sets up a Little Free Library in her front yard and stocks it with “wholesome” books like 𝘊𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘯 𝘚𝘰𝘶𝘱 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘰𝘶𝘭 and 𝘖𝘶𝘳 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘧𝘦𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘏𝘦𝘳𝘰𝘦𝘴 for her neighbors to borrow. Unbeknownst to her, the daughter of her archenemy switches the books out with ones on the banned list, hiding them under the more “decent” dust jackets. And that’s when things get really interesting. Book by book, reader by reader, the lives of the townspeople begin to change for the better. The little library sparks self-discovery, new or mended friendships and relationships, and citywide changes.

This was a fun read that was entertaining yet also reflected on significant issues like racism, misogyny, antisemitism, and the disturbing rise of the alt-right movement. Though, in my opinion, a few storylines were a bit outlandish and the ending was a little too neatly tied up and somewhat far-fetched, I would still recommend 𝘓𝘶𝘭𝘢 𝘋𝘦𝘢𝘯’𝘴 𝘓𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘓𝘪𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘉𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘉𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘴 for its charming storytelling and important message—books, libraries, and the sharing of knowledge and experiences matter.

4.75 stars rounded up. Thank you to William Morrow and NetGalley for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

A small town in Georgia, many of the residents conservative and non-inclusive, is tricked into reading banned books from the little book library in town. The little library belongs to book banning crusader Lula, who doesn't realize the "Wholesome" books she chose are being replaced with the books she and her team removed from the public library as unfit for children.

I loved seeing how the residents change after reading these banned books, how their worldview and outlook are broadened, expanded in impressive ways. I liked also that teens benefited by reading about others like themselves who had been abused as they were.

The title of the book is playful but the themes are serious ones, written in a smooth and easy to read way that addresses the constrictions forced on some people on their lifestyle, choice of reading material, and their friendships.

I devoured this book. The message is so important and timely, the characters are relatable and well-developed, and the story is believable and endearing.

I will say, there are a LOT of characters to keep track of, though the author does an amazing job of keeping their names and stories different enough to be able to get the hang of it as you read.

I could recommend this book to so many people with different backgrounds and morals because there are a huge variety of voices in this story. Can't wait for this to hit the shelves this summer!!

Read an advanced reader’s proof thanks to NetGalley. Loved it. Thought at first it was going to light and humorous but the book left me with plenty to think about. Can’t wait to share it when it’s published.

Lula Dean's Little Library is a conglomeration of all the current hot button political issues focused on a small town of Troy, Georgia, where a college student decides to replace the books in a front yard free lending library with the titles on a banned booked list. The novel revolves around old high school rivalries and the family histories of people who have never moved on from this little town. This is a skeletons in the closet book that is often funny. Recommended for reading groups who can see both sides of the political mess.

Engaging, entertaining, and SO timely! A recommended purchase for collections where Miller's previous title was popular.

I absolutely loved Lula Dean’s Little Library of Banned Books! I didn’t know much more than the premise: Lula Dea wanted to ban books and started a little library of books she thought were appropriate to read; a college student removed the book jackets and replaced with banned books. But this book, through its large cast of interconnected characters addresses so much more than than the right to read. Kirsten Miller weaves subplots related to neo nazism, fake news, feminism, rape, political extremism, and LGBTQ+ issues.

Great for book clubs!

This is one of those books where I almost regret reading an advanced copy -- because I want to run out and buy it for all my friends. Miller perfectly balances humor, satire, connection, and the dark /dangerous edges of our modern times, when book bans are flaring all around us. The characters are memorable, despite the cast growing quite large, and the small town vibe is perfection. I really can't wait to share this with everyone when it publishes in June.