Thank you for the advanced copy of this book! I will be posting my review on social media, to include Instagram, Amazon, Goodreads, and Instagram!

I work at a library in a small Southern town, so this book touches on my biggest concerns - a “concerned citizen” with an agenda. Definitely relevant, and thought-provoking, but also funny. Loved it.

As an owner of a book store, bookseller and Library Board Member, I was anxious to read this book. I so enjoyed this story. There is, of course, the antagonist and her followers and the good guys. (My opinion).there are many intertwined stories involving the young, the middle aged and the aged and their back stories. As in many small communities there are many grievances from the past that seem to reappear in the current story. It is such a timely story and is handles with humor and compassion.

While dealing with a very serious subject - book bans, Kirsten Miller delivered a fantastic story
full of humor, some mystery and plenty to think about.

This is one of the best books I’ve read this year. The topic is so important and this book really got me thinking more about book bans.

The novel kicks off in small-town Georgia where two middle-aged women who have been feuding since high school are battling over what books are appropriate for the town’s children. You know the classic stuff - fear mongering, scaring people saying there are books that will “turn you gay,” “books pushing CRT, “ etc. - that garbage. The neighbor who is working to ban books puts up a Little Free Library full of “wholesome” books by Trump, conservative politics and baking/craft books. It quickly moves into a young woman “infiltrating” this Little Free Library (LFL) by taking banned books and placing them in the “wholesome” dust jackets and placing them back into the library. The town starts reading them and comedy, drama, and chance ensues!

The plot moves well, there are well developed and diverse characters, the writing is great and the topics explored are fascinating. This is a must-summer-read!

We all see the little free libraries out in our communities, but it wasn’t until I read this book that I thought one could be a tool for change. I’m going to put some important books in my local LFLs this summer… including this one!!

This book is going to get banned! And that is probably the highest praise! Seriously, if it is a subject that riles up the conservatives looking to control what people have access to reading, then it is in this book! Between that and the constant grandstanding against racism, sexism, homophobia, witches, indigenous people, transgender, sex work, etc (did I leave a box unchecked?), this book hit all the book banning boxes! And, before I start telling you all the things that maybe I didn't like about the book, I will tell you that I really really really enjoyed it! I loved the characters. Some felt more nuanced than others, some felt a bit typecast, but being set in a small town, the reader is told about interpersonal histories that still impact relationships now. And I liked that it discussed topics that exist everywhere but aren't visible to those not directly impacted by them. But, then at times it got a bit too heavy handed and preachy. At some points it made me chuckle but at other points it felt a bit too forced, like there was a list that needed to be checked to not miss a subject. While all the stories were resolved by the end, I would have preferred fewer of them. Some times this felt more like a collection of connected short stories instead of a solid book. The reader almost forgets what the main plot was while enjoying all the random stories that popped up. End result: I loved the book and the subject! I wish many of the topics had been touched with a lighter hand, or maybe fewer of them. But if that is what it took to have this book to read, I'll take it!

The world is a crazy place these days and this book tackles all of the controversial issues facing society. It was funny and satirical while still being serious about the “hot topics” in our nation. Lula Dean is leading the charge banning books in a small town in Georgia, but what occurs after she opens her little free library is unexpected. All of the character’s storylines were weaved seamlessly into one major plot. Bravo Kirsten Miller! Save the books! This is a story that needs to be told. I was so lucky to read the ARC of this one! Thank you to @netgalley, @williammorrowbooks, and @kirstenmillerbooks. This one may get people talking but I think that's the goal right? Have the conversations about the tough topics!

Thank you to netgalley and William Morrow Publisher for allowing me to read this book. This book is fast paced and full of humerus stories. The book has some serious issues as well but funny stories outweigh it. Lula Dean has a little free library in the South but, it is not the little free library that everyone is accustomed to. I enjoyed this story and couldn't put it down I was lucky to read an advanced copy. This book will be popular when it comes out.

In the small southern town of Troy, Georgia, normal life has been disrupted by a sudden push for book banning. Lula Dean, instigator of the book banning, becomes an overnight celebrity as she pushes for a return to the good old days. Lula creates her own little library with approved books, but things take a turn when someone switches out her books with the very books Lula vilified. When Lula decides to run for mayor, her arch nemesis Beverly Underwood also begins a campaign, hoping to save the town before Lula can destroy their small community. However, things are already beginning to change as people begin to reveal their true feelings.

Told in alternating chapters, townspeople share their stories and their opinion on the book banning and other strange events that have begun to happen in Troy. Kirsten Miller manages to grab your attention and run with it; I flew through this one. This book handles some very disturbing but relevant social issues, and at times the dialogue is uncomfortable. Although I did not expect this book to hit as many serious topics as it did (racism, rape, homophobia, antisemitism, Nazism, etc), I was pleasantly surprised (and I had big expectations having read The Change).

This book captivated me from the first page. I was completely invested in the shenanigans of the townspeople, their lives and interactions. Some were upsetting, most were hilarious.

I loved the characters. Lindsay and Bella were probably my favorites, but they were all amazing. The way each book touched the character that grabbed it was amazing. I loved the amount of character development.

Fast paced with a great plot, this was probably one of the books I read the fastest this year. I could not put it down; it was so addicting! You just keep turning pages because you have to know what they’re going to do next. From triping on mushrooms and allowing yourself to commit a crime with an angel, to making a penis cake to piss off your family… you just never knew what you were going to see. For me, this was definitely a five star book. I will be buying a paper copy when it comes out so that I can share- though I will probably be sending the eBook to a few buddies as gifts.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
We touched on some really heavy subjects here: language, racism, homophobia, emotional/ physical abuse, and sexual abuse. Miller took the book banning, white supremecy/ nazi leanings and everything else and added just enough humor without making light of the issues. I would say this one is geared toward adults and new adults, but I don’t think there’s anything here that would be too inappropraite for any age.


I recieved an eARC of this book from Netgalley working with William Morrow Publishing in exchange for an honest review. While I am grateful, it did not have an impact on my opinion of the book. My thanks!

Sometimes you read the right book at the right time - for me, Lula Dean's Little Library of Banned Books made me have hope for the South. When Lula Dean goes on a rampage to rid the library of books that are "unsuitable for the town's youth - the daughter of her sworn enemy decides to switch the books she has curated, like "The Southern Belle's Guide to Etiquette" or Chicken Soup for the Soul with actual banned books like "The Diary of Anne Frank" or "'How the Word is Passed" by Clint Smith. Some parts of this book made me laugh at loud, and others made me frightened at how quickly people be swayed by public opinion. The book covers topics like rape, LGBTQ, abuse, racism, and book banning. In the book there is a happy ending, which I can only hope for in real life.

Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC of this novel. This was a very entertaining story about how books that are now being banned can change lives. It takes place in a small town in Georgia where the scourge of book banning has taken root and there are lots of references to America's new MAGA reality. As a former small town Southerner, I appreciated this alternate reality where just about everyone learns a lesson, and the connections that are drawn between banned books and small town lives. Books certainly got me through my childhood.
Also, the ancestry part is spot on. Southerners have been living in willful denial about this since forever. I also think the book was a Hallmark movie and I kept playing through what actually would have happened in my small town under these circumstances. It would be a much more complex and less sunny story. But I think this book does deftly handle the seriousness of the issue of book banning without taking itself too seriously.

I loved everything about this book. Miller did an amazing job of exploring these complex characters lives and tying them all together to tell this beautiful story. Even the unlikable characters proved human in the end and I had some empathy for them. As a former high school English teacher and a current public librarian I declare this a must read for all of society - it eloquently explores today's divisiveness and hate in a compelling way.

This is such a wonderfully written book that tastefully addresses many social and political issues, while still bringing humor and entertainment throughout. I thoroughly enjoyed it! It is important be reminded that many of these “banned” books hold so much value, and I will certainly be recommending this book this to others.

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy!

For an avid reader this book was an absolute gift. It was so expertly written, dramatic, hysterical but still dealt with such a serious topic, racism, homophobia, sexism, reparations, violence in a very different way. It was written almost as a love story to the South and a soap opera at the same time. I loved how that author payed homage to some of the great books are always on the banned list somewhere. I found that this book took a lot of courage and insight how to record it. I loved this book and would love to see it in high school and college libraries where young minds are learning to explore topics for themselves. I cannot possibly rate this book any higher, everyone should read it!

5 stars

Kirsten Miller, the writer you are!!!

Lula Dean's Little Library of Banned Books is a novel of bold messages and subtle charm. Miller is not afraid to tackle hot-button issues in a way that is brash and in-your-face, but she never allows the reader to lose sympathy for the often flawed, often "unlikeable" characters that populate this story. It is sweet without being saccharine, biting without drawing too much blood. What begins almost as a series of vignettes slowly builds into the moving portrait of a town transformed by small acts of resistance that cast ripples across a sea of intolerance. I could not have been more enraptured by this book and I think it is one that anyone and everyone should get their hands on.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for an ARC of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review!

This book has some funny moments but its focus is on a few very serious topics: book bans, white supremacy and intolerance. There's a lot going on this small town of Troy, Georgia and Lula Dean has caused a lot of these events to happen by asking the school board to ban books that she disagrees with and that seems to multiple the intolerance already lurking in this town.

I wasn't sure what to expect when I started reading this on my Kindle, thanks to the early access from Netgalley but it was a microcosm of what's happening in the U.S. right now, sadly. Here's hoping that very soon this fictional story is a vague recollection rather than a mirror of today's world.

This one comes out the 18th and it is definitely one you are going to want to add to your summer reading list

This story challenges some tougher current social challenges we are all facing with the perfect balance of humor and grace. I really love stories that are told from multiple perspectives and you get that with this book. Practically every chapter is told form the perspective of a small town resident.

I also love stories that showcase how books impact us and Kristen Miller did a wonderful and clever job of showing that through the residents of Troy.

“The only thing that matters is who you’ve loved.”

This is a heartwarming, thought provoking, incredibly relevant and much needed story that I highly recommend.

Lula Dean has decided that enough is enough, and how dare there be books with mature content in the library of Troy, Georgia. She publishes a list of banned books, and those books are pulled from the library while the school board reviews the books. In the meantime, she builds her out Little Free Library in her front yard and fills it with titles that she finds more appropriate. She's got so supporters, but most of the town just sort of continues on with life. Until they start to discover that someone has replaced all of Lula's precious books with the books on the banned book list. Chaos ensues.

I was so, so impressed by this book. Book banning is one of those topics that I find misunderstood at best, and nuanced at worst. A lot of misunderstanding has led to people blinding arguing over things that they haven't actually read before. Kirsten Miller does a wonderful job of pulling the reader into the minds of characters on both sides of the debate.

I found the book to be hilarious and thoughtful and I really enjoyed reading it.

This book is cutesy, refreshing, well-written, highly political, and important. There are so many characters and storylines, which are effortlessly intertwined into the story of a town in Georgia and its history. Everything discussed in this book is relevant to today's landscape of the United States. Since I'm not from the US, any version of relatability didn't really work for me, but that didn't stop the story from being relevant. Everything seemed extremely familiar as news that I'd read, yet endlessly fascinating to read as a fictional town. Some of the characters are almost interchangeable, and pretty one-dimensional, but hard not to love. The books name-dropped left me shocked when I learned that they were truly suggested to be banned in the States at some point. The Diary of Anne Frank? Beloved? Maus? What a nightmare, truly.

This was the perfect summer/airport read. It also requires a little suspension of disbelief to enjoy. People who hold certain viewpoints and opinions often don't change them by hearing talking points. One can wish for it, though. Considering I picked this up as a casual read, I found surprising depth to the plot with some unexpected twists. A 4.5/5 read!

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Lula Dean is on a mission to rid the town of Troy, Georgia of inappropriate books. Her archnemesis, Beverly, was just elected to the school board, and the two are about to go head to head. Each night, Beverly’s daughter sneaks out and replaces the books in Lula’s little free library with banned books wrapped in “wholesome” dust jackets.

This book is told from the perspective of the town people who have been borrowing the books.


Oh boy, what a book. Banned books should not be a thing. Should kids get free reign to just read anything? Not necessarily, but I don’t think that books should be out right banned from public consumption. I believe that adults should help guide children to books that are written for them, and parents (or parental figures) should help decide what is appropriate for their children. Banning “The Diary of Anne Frank” for being smut? That’s ridiculous? But this is something that actually happens, and yes, it’s that outrageous. Where this book lost me, was that almost every chapter was a different point of view. For me it was just too much, and I felt the author tried to hit a lot of hot topic conversations. The book also got a bit over the top and felt that the author was just trying to cause too much outrage. The banning of books itself is controversial, no need to include every other controversial topic as well. I think that this book is written with a certain person in mind, and if you aren’t that person exactly, you won’t like it.

I did like this book because I did agree with it at its core, I just wish it was less polarizing because I feel that is harmful.

I would give this one 3.5 stars but since I can't give half stars, I will be rounding down.