Lula Dean's Library of Banned Books is a captivating and thought-provoking read that shines a spotlight on the often contentious topic of censorship. With its unique narrative structure, the book unfolds through alternating stories of diverse characters. This clever storytelling technique not only keeps readers engaged but also illustrates the interconnectedness of their struggles and triumphs.

What I loved most about the book is how it balances humor with weighty themes. The characters are vividly drawn, bringing a mix of wit and wisdom that makes their journeys both relatable and enlightening. Lula Dean’s exploration of the reasons behind book bans is insightful, tackling issues like freedom of expression, identity, and the power of storytelling in a way that is both accessible and profound.

As the chapters progress, the threads of each character’s story begin to weave together, culminating in a satisfying and poignant conclusion that reinforces the importance of literature in our lives. The humor laced throughout lightens the narrative without undermining the seriousness of the subject matter, making it a compelling read for anyone interested in the cultural implications of censorship.

Overall, Lula Dean's Library of Banned Books is an essential read for anyone passionate about literature and the freedom to read. It's a delightful reminder of how stories can connect us, challenge us, and ultimately, empower us. Highly recommended!

This was a timely book considering how schools and libraries are still banning books. It had serious subjects, but it also had some hilarious parts. The end had me in stiches!
I really enjoyed reading this book and have recommended it to a lot of my library patrons.

This wasn't really what I was hoping for it to be and that let me down big time. This was very politically driven and I felt myself rolling my eyes and getting mildly frustrated with the way the author was portraying some of the characters. I think that this is something I'd enjoy if I was in the right mood for it, but when I read this ARC, I simply wasn't there. It was well-written and I felt a connection with a few of the characters, so this is one I might come back to one day, but for now this is going to have to be a DNF with future potential for me.

Do you have a favorite banned book? A LOT of my favorite books have been banned at one time or another. In honor of banned books week this past week, I’m finally posting a review of a book I read and loved in August.

Lula Dean has never read the books she wants to ban, but she has heard that they contain dangerous ideas. She takes her outrage out by getting many, many books banned. She becomes a local celebrity for “saving” the children. She puts a little library of books she deems appropriate in front of her house. Her lifelong nemesis, Beverly Underwood, has a daughter named Lindsay. Lindsay goes to Lula Dean’s little library and puts banned books within the slip covers of the appropriate books. What will the town readers think when they read the banned books?

My thoughts on this book:
• Different characters in town read different banned books that open their eyes to a wider world view, and it changes their lives.

• This was a well-crafted social satire novel. It was very engaging and humorous.

• I enjoyed all the different characters and subplots.

• It was fun seeing what different books that have been banned in the US were found in the little library and how they changed lives. For example, the wife of Nazi sympathizer reads a copy of The Diary of Anne Frank.

• This book is very timely and deals with current issues. Do not read this if you don’t like to read about politics.

• The citizens of the small town have different politics, but they can explore their differing opinions and change their perspectives.

• There is a great author’s note at the end that discusses her inspirations, being from the South herself. There is also a list of the books named in the chapters and whether they are banned.

• This book is very inclusive in the types of characters that live in the small town.

Overall, Lula Dean’s Little Library of Banned Books is a timely social satire that was a great read.

Book Source: Review copy from NetGalley. Thank-you! Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This author has been off my radar because she primarily writes for young people, but oh, my, she knocked this one out of the park. It's a highly irreverent take on a serious subject.

I'm a sucker for any book set in the South, primarily because there's always some quirky people in the small town and a lot of their expressions and situations are just built-in amusing. There's language in the book some people won't like. There's a whole lot of "woke" some people aren't going to like, either. I think people need to put that aside and understand the basic message. We shouldn't be banning books. Parents can and should be involved in what their children are reading, but shouldn't be making rules for other people's children. Some people are going to say every single Southern stereotype was thrown in the book. So what? If you recognized yourself as one of the "bad guys" then maybe you need to work on that.

I can't wait to read more adult books by this author! Thank you, NetGalley, for the chance to read and review a digital copy of this book. All opinions expressed are mine and freely expressed.

Amazing message in Lula Dean's Little Library of Banned Books! An easy read about important subject matter.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC for an honest review.

I was late reading this book - but my #netgalley eARC almost expiring kicked me into gear and I quite simply loved what the author managed with this book - tackling serious subjects with a light hand and in a funny and heartwarming way.
It's a book for book lovers that takes up heavy issues like book banning, white nationalism, anti-Semitism, and all sorts of prejudices.
I loved the way this book gave us a glimpse into the heads of so many different POV characters - all ages, all stages without being confusing.
The plot is set in small town Georgia, where after a teenagers prank books get banned and association that wants to ban more takes hold. Lula Dean is at the helm of this movement feeling wronged by so many people in town for different reasons, and she sets up a Little Free Library with what she deems to be the right kind of books. Someone decides to switch these books with the previously banned books by switching them into the dust jackets.
What follows is the reader seeing how these banned books have impacted the residents of this small town.
Everything is a bit over the top, every villain gets their due and the good people win, which may not always be realistic but it is highly entertaining. I enjoyed my reading a lot !

A very important story. I loved the way this one started and interwove the small town in Georgia. Book banning is terrible and I loved how it was a bigger conversation on small towns.

The topics introduced in this story are definitely timely and important. The author does a good job of covering them in a rather satirical and humorous way. This was a quick read, but there are a lot of characters to keep track of,
My rating - 3.5 stars

In Troy, Georgia, old high school rivals Lula Dean and Beverly Underwood are at it again. Now on the school board, Bev is fighting as Lula launches a boycott of "inappropriate" books, starting her own Little Lending Library with carefully curated, “wholesome” titles. Unbeknownst to Lula, Bev's daughter swaps those tame reads for the very books Lula wants banned. As the townsfolk devour these rebellious titles, minds open, lives change, and chaos spreads. When the truth comes out, it's a final showdown between Lula and Beverly that will leave Troy forever changed.
As someone born and raised in the South, though perhaps not the most traditional part of it, this book resonated deeply with my own experiences. In her note, Miller seemed to capture my thoughts exactly—her past mirrored mine in so many ways. In Lula Dean, Miller masterfully tackles heavy topics with both satire and subtlety. Each chapter focuses on a different character, allowing me to immerse myself in their individual stories without feeling overwhelmed.
Living in a state where lawmakers are aggressively working to ban books, it saddens me to think that today’s children may never have access to the same impactful stories that shaped my own childhood.
As the daughter of an educator, I was fortunate to have unrestricted access to information and was encouraged to explore. "Look it up in the encyclopedia" was a household mantra (Google didn’t exist, y’all). Some of my fondest memories are getting lost in the school library stacks waiting for my mom to finish work. I still treasure my copy of Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson and can vividly recall the fierce sense of injustice and empathy it stirred in me. In recent decades, a new wave of heroes has emerged—women who played crucial roles in winning wars and people of all races whose heroic contributions were long overlooked. Their names deserve to be remembered and celebrated.
As Johnny Cash once said, "Take lessons from life and leave the world a better place."
Thank you to NetGalley & William Morrow for the ARC. 3.5 stars

I will absolutely read anything this amazing woman writes. Empowering, well-tied together, deep characters…I highly recommend!!!

I misread this title thinking it was going to be a simple easy read, a bit of fluff to while away a few hours. It was a whole lot more. Lots of “isms” are explored including the Nazis, the woke, the far right, the gays, the trans, race, semitics, small town politics, families who support each other and hang together and those that shatter and split apart. The humor thankfully helped moved this piece beyond dark and menacing. Lots of characters, lots of opinions, lots of clever tricks, twists and turns with an interesting ending.

The issue of book censorship and banning - what is considered appropriate, is so timely as to be unbelievable that we are still struggling with the concept of who can read what. This book has a lot to say, all of it relevant and important and the delivery was near perfect. Many thanks to William Morrow/HarperCollins for a copy

This book was just not for me. First, it felt very choppy, I almost thought it was a bunch a short stories. I found the whole book to be quite goofy & off-putting.

Attention craving Karen like Lula Dean wants to control what the people in her small town are reading. After leading a successful book banning campaign which wipes out every classic she deems offensive, she opens a little library on her front yard. Unbeknownst to her, the banned books get placed inside of the book covers. This is such an important book for these times about how the right book finding its way into the right pair of hands can change the world.

Kirsten Miller’s Lula Dean’s Little Library of Banned Books is a delightful romp through the quirky world of small-town Georgia.

Pros:
Satirical Brilliance: Miller masterfully tackles book banning with humor, turning a serious issue into a side-splitting read.
Character Transformation: Borrowers from Lula Dean’s library experience unexpected personal growth, proving the power of literature.

Cons:
Predictability: The plot occasionally follows familiar beats.

Overall, this witty novel earns its 4 stars for its cleverness, heart, and the reminder that books can change lives - even in a wooden hutch by the roadside.

I had no idea what I was getting into truly when I quickly read the preview of this story. It was so much than I anticipated and I thoroughly enjoy it. Wilma had me laughing out loud in the beginning, and then things sobered up as the story progressed. It was a well weaved story of a true time in many people’s lives and I’m glad Kristen told it.

I wish I would not have waited to read this. I LOVE LOVE LOVE this story! As a huge advocate of choice, this book is perfect for me!

The story of a small town and a busybody. Lula wants to protect the people. She is fighting to get books banned in her community. She sets up a Free Little Library in her front yard to provide good wholesome books. That is until someone decides to swap the books but leave the covers. Just follow the story. It is heartfelt and needed in our divisive country right now!

A super fun, somewhat satirical look at the south and the current divisiveness in our nation politically. What started out as a mostly silly and at time ridiculous story built to a very moving story.

Lula Dean's Little Library of Banned Books by Kirsten Miller was as surprising as it was hilarious, and it's release over the summer prior to an election year is an excellently timed satirical response to the satirical reality that some communities and towns across the south have become. The story is just close enough to real, to make you scratch your head because it's easy to believe that there are Lula Dean's out there, all over the country, stewing and cooking up nonsense. Quick, hilarious read, and a great follow up to Miller's The Change, which was another great over-the-top, but relatable ridiculous romp through real-life shenannigans.

I loved every single character in this book, and while I typically don't like stories with a whole bunch of characters to keep track of, Miller created people that I recognized and loved/hated (or just hated) so easily that I didn't have to check myself on who was who.

This book will certainly offend the folks on my feed who believe they should pick my reading material (and that of my children). It will offend people who are comfortable and confident in their open hatred of their LGTBQIA+ neighbors. But really, they were going to be offended anyway, so go read it. It's fantastic!

I really like how Miller's books are so timely. This story, on its surface, is about a group of people in a small town who are hell bent on banning "inappropriate" books from the town library. Deeper than that though, the book dives into so many important topics we are dealing with today, from racism to anti-Semitism, homophobia to gender roles, religious discrimination and more.

There is a very large cast of characters in the book, and each character has an interaction with Lula Dean's LFL. Many of the chapters are broken out almost into their own short stories. I really liked the way that each character 'magically' found the book they didn't know they needed. The characters' different stories all came together in the end.

Overall, I thought this was a good book with an important message. There were some scenes that felt a little over the top, and there were SO many characters that I had trouble keeping track of everyone and their backstory. It wasn't on the same level as The Change for me, but it was a good book.

Overall, I would recommend checking this one out.