This book is fabulous and so timely. It focuses on a small town on the south (be sure to read the author’s note) that begins banning books to “protect the innocent children.” And due to a prank, instead of books help bring people together. There are a few hard topics discussed so research trigger warnings.

The power that books have to educate, share different perspectives and create compassion is amazing. This is why I love to read. This would make a great book for a book club!

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

“When you have everything, the only luxury left is taking things away from others.”

Lula Dean’s Little Library of Banned Books reminded me so much of the movie, Pleasantville. This tiny town of Troy, Georgia starts out in black and white. Women wear belted dresses and stockings and live in the kitchen. But the teenagers are curious and rebellious, and with each discovered banned book, pops of color emerge.

Kirsten Miller surprises me every time, because the covers of her books are often sweet and cute. They give little indication of the punch within. They are often witty, numerous, and packed with perspectives on human rights issues that would sway even the most ignorant.

The Change was one of my favorite books from 2022, and I can safely say that Lula Dean’s Little Library of Banned Books is one of my favorites of 2024. It showcases how important representation is. Not only to the person who is pleading in their mind to find someone like them, someone who makes them feel normal and seen, but also to the people who love them.

Reading is escapism, and there is forced empathy in that. We are regularly put into someone else’s shoes, and it’s exactly what we need as a society. We need empathy and understanding, and banning books keeps us ignorant and separated. I encourage you to read this book and other banned books.

It was a sad and happy story. Made me laugh and it made me cry. Gave a wonderful perspective of social issues happening right in front of us today. Gave the book 4 stars.

I will read anything Kirsten Miller writes. Lula Dean is a great follow-up to The Change - but I wonder if anything could stand up to the remarkable novel that that one was. Lula Dean is a joy. Look forward to more from this author.

I loved Kirsten Miller’s The Change and was eager to read her latest offering. Well-crafted, 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 an engaging read.

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.

I loved that the author incorporates certain books (a few of which are banned in some parts of the US) into the plotlines and shows how those books not only inspire individuals to effect change in their own lives but also enable them to gain perspective and expose those spreading hate in the community.

The author tackles several heavy themes and social issues such as censorship and book banning, homophobia, bigotry and racism, antisemitism, sexual abuse, racially motivated violence, misogyny and much more.

Many thanks to William Morrow for my ARC in exchange for my review!

As usual, thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow Books for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Before you also choose to pick this up, please note that the book talks about racism, anti-semitism, homophobia, and other important topics that might be triggering for a group of people.

While this books brings up a lot of important topics and has important messages to us all, the book is also very entertaining. We have this Lula Dean, very annoying Karen, who we all know exist in real life. She opened up her own little library that offers books she claimed she likes, when in fact she had never even read those books. Lindsay, the daughter of her “rival” (Beverly never really thought of Lula as a rival), decided to have her fun and swap those books with the books Lula had banned. Without knowing the consequences, each book that Lindsay has put in that library ends up affecting the people who read them. The plot was very interesting to me that I read this book in one sitting.

The happy ending to this book might not have been realistic, but hey, isn’t that why we read fiction?

I would say there are so many other fiction books that are much more entertaining or have better stories when it comes to the topics I mentioned, but I still think it’s nice to pick this up if you need a quick entertaining read!

In our world of book banning, Miller imagines a Southern town wracked by conflict over the threat posed by books that some deem offensive. Just as books are threatened today, the small town of Troy, GA is embroiled in a controversy over books that are often considered classics. Lula Dean is a one-woman crusader trying to rid her local school of books that might teach about subjects she thinks are inappropriate. Maus, Are You There God It’s Me Margaret, Beloved, Speak, The Diary of Anne Frank and others are on Lula’s hit list.

Lula sees herself as a victim, someone no one really likes and no one listens to. At least until she begins to whip up fear by saying books like those she disapproves of, promote pornography and might make people feel bad about history. Suddenly, people are listening and she loves the attention she’s getting. Her Little Library in front of her house is filled with books she herself feels are “safe.” These include outdated and inappropriate titles such as The Southern Belle’s Guide to Etiquette and Our Confederate Heroes. What Lula doesn’t know is someone has switched out her books by placing the dustjackets on the very books she is trying to ban. Now visitors to her little lending library find books to read that enlighten them to topics like the holocaust, rape and teen sexuality.

Miller uses the conflict over access to books as a platform to demonstrate how books can open minds, educate, and create better understanding. Lula is a complicated person who is desperate to have people listen to her. Despite the unpopularity of her campaign, she takes great joy in using scare tactics and intimidation. But in Troy, there are others who are willing to stop Lula’s efforts and demonstrate the importance of the right to read.

Set in a small town in Georgia, the book effectively captures the quintessential hometown drama, featuring a diverse cast of characters that elicited laughter, acknowledgment, and reflection on the current political climate.

What I appreciated most about this work was its skillful balance of humor and incisive social commentary. Miller addresses significant issues—such as racism, sexism, homophobia, and book banning—with a refreshing candor that resonates strongly in today’s society. While some of the narrative's situations may seem a bit improbable, they emphasize an important truth: books possess the ability to change hearts and minds.

However, the novel introduces a substantial number of characters, which can make it challenging at times to keep track of everyone. Additionally, if you have specific political leanings, some of the commentary may be difficult to digest; nevertheless, I encourage you to approach it with an open mind.

This book is timely and relatable, it's entertaining with the satire and straightforward attitude about topics that can be hard to talk about. I liked the approach to current events. Personally, I struggled with the different point of views and intertwining story lines, it felt like it kept me less engaged and invested and found it hard to keep track of the characters. Thank you to William Morrow and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

The word that kept coming to mind when reading this book was “timely”. It hits on so many hot topics in our society today - racism, sexism, rape, violence, homophobia, book banning, etc - and approaches them all in a realistic and honest way. There are a lot of characters in this novel and it can get difficult to follow each one, but overall the story comes together easily and I believe you will come out on the other side with what you should. It’s a book that will make you think about a lot of different things. And it sure made me want to pick up several banned books to read!

As a passionate reader AND crusader against the banning of books, I adored this novel. Funny, sharp, and decidedly liberal, it doesn't mince words when it comes to fighting back against the banning of books and fighting for the marginalized communities targeted by book bans.

Lula Dean, a curmudgeon in a small Georgia town, has filled her little free library with, what she considers, "appropriate" books. However, someone else in town decides to replace the books within the book jackets with books Lula and her conservative crusaders want to ban. As more and more townspeople start taking the books and reading the true books underneath, they learn the truth: reading and books can change minds, hearts, and truly make the bad good.

What I loved most about this book was that Miller doesn't sugarcoat things--she blatantly "says" that book bans are NOT legitimate and do go against freedom of speech. I will admit, some of the situations seemed a little far-fetched, but, underscoring all of them is the power of books to change hearts and minds, which is absolutely true.

I loved this book. It's absolutely perfect for this time in history. Thanks to Miller for speaking against the banning of books so beautifully in fiction!

I love love loved this book! It’s about a woman in a small town who’s trying to implement a book ban. The author did a great job including issues such as racism and homophobia. Well done!

When I saw that Kirsten Miller had a new book, as I absolutely loved The Change, I had to get a copy. It did not disappoint!

A small town in Georgia. A lot of people who live or lived in the area at one time. Typical hometown drama. It had me laughing, nodding my head, comparing it to today's climate.

A cast of many characters, it seems to mostly go back to Lula Dean, who is fighting to keep "bad" books out of the library and shares "good" books in her own little library, and Beverly, a former town cheerleader who sits on the school board and disagrees with Lula from day one. All of their lives are intertwined throughout the book as a town is changed because of the banned books and the actions of the townsfolk.

The Good: I laughed! Sometimes stories are too serious, and this was just what I needed. At the same time, the author shared some interesting insight about the banning of books and even how it plays along with some of the political ramblings of today.

The Not So Good: There is not much that I did not like, and I highly recommend this book. However, there are a lot of characters, and at times I would forget who was who. Also, if you lean a certain way politically, you may not enjoy some of that is said. Try to keep an open mind.

HIGHLY RECOMMEND!

As book bannings are increasing throughout the country, Lula Dean's Little Library of Banned Books is perfect for a book club selection.

In a small town, Lula Dean, the town's noisy neighbor, works on banning books and putting what she considers appropriate books in a Little Free Library in front of her house. In an act against censorship, someone else swaps out the books behind the book covers in Lula Dean's Library with an array of books that are considered banned. As people start grabbing books from Lula Dean's library they find the books aren't what they expected, but end up being exactly what they needed.

The first half of this novel really worked for me. I liked how each chapter was highlighted by a banned book and who it helped to shape the life of the person reading it. Many times it was the book they needed to help propel their life forward. In this portion it really helped to show important all literature is and how no one should be censoring books for others. If you don't want to read something that's fine, but don't decide what's appropriate for someone else, unless you're their direct parent. The second half of the novel took a hard left turn into small town politics. I don't normally mind narratives of this nature, but it didn't have the same feel as the first part of the novel.

Because of themes throughout the novel I feel like it would make a good selection for a book club. Also if you're up for a book discussion with someone, this would make a good selection.

Who doesn't love a book about books? And banned ones at that!

In a time when books are being questioned, when kids are literally not allowed to go into libraries without consent, this couldn't come at a more perfect time. Imagine a small town, surrounded by the misinformed, and the ones who want to ensure this bigotry is stopped at the highest level. Lulu lives in Troy, a tiny town in Georgia, and believes imposing her beliefs upon others is helpful, when quite frankly, it's evil. There's a mix of different characters and the small town feel of being forced to believe one way, without realizing books don't force you to be one way, instead, they teach you how others around us might live.

A timely and fun book.

Fun book addressing some serious issues but in a light manner (mostly).
Lula Dean is a conservative woman and the town odd ball. After she finds an inappropriate book in the library, she puts up her own little personal library box and fills it with books she deems appropriate.
What Lula doesn’t count on is pranksters! They take the books in her book box, remove the outer cover and put the cover on newly banned books. I LOVE IT! What the pranksters didn’t count on was the chain reaction this caused. People opened their eyes to new ideas and found courage to stand up for what’s wrong.
I enjoyed this read but some conservative people may not.

This work is told from the POV of many, many characters. Most chapters seemed like they were from the POV of a new character, and while this might seem overwhelming, the author did a wonderful job at keeping it manageable. Much of the time, the POV of the current chapter was from a character who was mentioned or who was active in the previous chapter. I did notice though that when I was unable to get to the book for a day, when I picked it up the next day, I had a bit of a hard time remembering who was who, but I’ve also never been good with names (in real life or books).

It was honestly quite impressive how well the author juggled the primary plot, multiple subplots, and the many characters without having pacing issues or leaving anything feeling underdeveloped or unresolved. I also enjoyed how well some serious and relevant topics were explored but still balanced with humor to keep the read from feeling too heavy or dense. I wish the ending had been a little less perfect, but that’s just a personal preference. I also wish that there were a few less themes in the work as it felt like the author included almost every social issue possible, but again this was only a minor complaint.

If you’re looking for a character-driven work focused on relevant social issues set in a smalltown in the southern U.S., then you’ll likely enjoy this one. I’m certainly looking forward to reading more from this author. Many thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for allowing me to read this work. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I’m catching up on all my reviews, and this book from NetGalley caught my attention very quickly.
What did I like about it? It was a quick read, jumped points of view but all interconnected, and had a good theme of not restricting knowledge——knowledge is power.
What did I NOT like about it? The way it portrayed religion, I won’t even call it Christianity the way they talked about it in the book. It felt very biased against anyone who would have convictions based of their religious morals.

Communicating Across Party Lines and LULA DEAN’S LITTLE LIBRARY OF BANNED BOOKS by Kirsten Miller

Cover of the book Lula Dean's Little Library of Banned Books used to describe skills of communicating across political party lines.
Troy was a quiet town. Perspectives and values differed, but people respected each other (with notable extremist examples). Then, someone hid a racy book in the library's cookbook section, and a town busybody adopted the cause of banning books. Political tensions flared. Things were so polarized and on edge that this seemingly safe town felt about to erupt in violence.

Troy’s community was bitterly divided along political lines. Neighbors and family members became distant, and disagreements grew further entrenched.

The political has always been personal. Politics has also become contentious within otherwise caring relationships in our current climate of consistent news alerts, opinions on social media, and dire rhetoric.

These days, people usually know each other’s political beliefs and are less likely to spend time with those whose beliefs differ. This is worrisome because when people with opposing viewpoints don’t spend time together, families and communities are torn apart, no bridge or neutralizing force exists on diverging political ideology, and sustainable paths forward become elusive.

Here are tips for communicating across party lines with people you care about.

You Don’t Have to Talk About Everything: Rehashing arguments inflames hurt feelings. It’s ok to have topics you avoid discussing. You can love someone while valuing things differently.

If You Do Discuss, Set Achievable Goals: Before discussing controversial topics, identify your goal. Are you trying to repair a rift, understand their perspective, or find common ground? Avoid the goal of getting them to agree with you, which provokes defensiveness.

Connect and Communicate: Most people believe their views are logical, and those in opposition are irrational. Share the stories that shaped your viewpoints and listen to stories shared by others. See nuance in the other person.

Practice Active Listening: Ask nonjudgmental questions seeking understanding. Avoid verbal attacks. Remember that if you’re talking, you’re not listening.

Lula Dean's Little Library of Banned Books by Kirsten Miller

One of my favorite books this year! It's so clever and in your face.

One small town Southern woman goes on a rampage after finding an erotic cake book at the local library and starts a group that want to start banning books. She decides to set up a Little Free Library in her front yard with books that she deems appropriate. Only some mischief is invoved and it starts all kinds of triggers around town. There is something in here for everyone. As a LFL steward, I loved that concept in the book. I really enjoyed reading this one - all the emotions, triggers and craziness.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for a temporary, digital ARC in return for my review.