I really enjoyed Kirsten Miller's contemporary satire novel "Lula Dean's Little Library of Banned Books". It was a refreshing, well-written read that intertwined a small southern town, history, and the current climate of banned books in the US. I love the variety of characters in this novel, varying age groups, genders, financial status, and racial backgrounds. I thought it was clever of Miller to name each character after a "book" - some including banned book titles.

This is my first novel I read from Kirsten Miller. I thoroughly enjoyed her writing style and hope to read more of her works in the future!

4 stars!

Thank you to NetGalley, Kirsten Miller, and William Morrow Books for an eARC in exchange for my honest review!

I liked the idea of this one more than the execution. It tried really hard but in the end I just didn’t love it.

A little too neatly tied up for the large cast. And everyone learned the perfect lesson for the theme of the book... just too neat in a world where it is so messy.

Each chapter felt like a vignette that wove together the impact of Lula Dean's book banning mission and the impact reading the secret banned books had on individual townspeople. I liked the deeper character dives and how they interconnected and moved the story forward. I also found this thought-provoking and am looking forward to discussing it more- why do people ban books? What are they afraid of? Why is change so hard? I the characters were unique and deftly described. Lots to think and talk about.

Thanks to the publisher for sharing a copy of the book. All opinions are my own.

Lulu Dean's Little Library of Banned Books written by Kirsten Miller is a well researched book about old prejudices in the South, banned books, and family. The characters are well developed. I loved this book and found it to be timely on the subject matter. I highly recommend Lulu Dean. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

This book was so cute, funny, and heartwarming. Exactly the kind of read I needed! Highly recommend.

The small town of Troy, Georgia, is home to Lula Dean. To many, Lula is a crankpot that’s lived her entire life finding fault with how others choose to live their lives. To Lula, she is a champion of the people, fighting to keep wholesome family values and the all-important history of Troy alive and well. In an attempt to garner attention, Lula goes on a book banning spree, convincing the majority of the town to pull books with “questionable morals and values” from the shelves of the local library and replace them with virtuous books highlighting family, history and honorable hobbies in her own free little library. Unbeknownst to Lula, a member of the neighborhood decides to take it upon themselves to replace Lula’s books with the banned books by switching out the book jackets. As the townspeople begin to borrow books from Lula’s new little library, Lula’s impact becomes far reaching in the town, but not exactly how she expected it.

📘I was impressed by the sheer number of characters that were included in this book and how all of their stories wove amongst each other.
📘Dealt with themes of racism, religion, morals and ethics, historical truths, and tolerance
📘This book delivered a very powerful message and was an extremely entertaining, heart warming read from laugh out loud funny to informative to reflective.

Loved this book about challenging book banning in a small town. Especially watching the villain's plan of banning books back fire.

I really enjoyed this book. The topic of banned books, fascism, far-right religious extremism, and the lack of acceptance so many people are facing is such a timely topic right now. I enjoyed the way the community came together, how the villains eventually got their comeuppance (mostly), and the way the younger and older generations learned from each other. The choices of books that were actually in Lula Dean's library were hilarious. On the whole, I enjoyed this book and my only regret is that we don't see this outcome happening in the towns banning books across America.

A huge thank you to the author and the publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

Miller blends humor with deeper themes of censorship, freedom of expression, and the power of literature. Lula is a relatable, witty protagonist, and the magical library setting adds a sense of wonder. The story encourages readers to think critically about the importance of free speech and the danger of silencing voices.

Overall, Lula Dean’s Little Library of Banned Books is a delightful, engaging read that celebrates the transformative power of stories and reminds readers of the importance of access to diverse ideas.

This book is a liberal fantasy - don’t get me wrong it’s fun and I wish we could change the world with a little library. I. The current political climate it gave hope that people can change and that hate can be overcome by knowledge. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC.

This is a sweet story of the power of books in bringing a community together. In the small town of Troy, Georgia one woman, Lula Dean, leads an effort to ban books she deems inappropriate from the public library. She then sets up a Free Little Library outside her house with "appropriate" books. In reaction to the banned books, another character fills the Little Library with banned books with deceptive book jackets. I really enjoyed how this story showed various characters finding unexpected books that led to a range of personal and social awakenings. As enjoyable as this book was, it is very much an idealized world of what is possible. Things are tied together very easily, and many of the characters are simple. I am excited to read more by Kristen Miller.

I recommend this book as a heartwarming tale of a community coming together and learning how to support one another.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow books for providing an eARC in return for my honest review.

Such a smart, engaging and timely book. I really liked The Change, so I was hopeful that I’d love this author’s subsequent book, too. I wasn’t disappointed. I appreciated the way that each character’s story intertwined so poignantly with specific titles in literature. It made me value the ways that books really help you get through life, through difficult situations, through the crossroads where decisions need to be made. Books can fortify you when you most need direction and focus. I think this novel would lead to a great discussion at book clubs. Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for the opportunity to read an eARC of this novel in exchange for my honest feedback.

A witty and provocative collection of stories on the butterfly effect books have. Lula Dean is the “Karen” of her small town. She embodies a mom’s for liberty agenda and rises to fame while destroying uncouth books. In place, she erects a little free library of sorts in front of her house with books she assume are better for society. Unfortunately, for her, the youth of the town switch the books and the dust jackets (I guess there are no paperbacks and all the books are the same size) so that unsuspecting townsfolk will read the book they NEED instead of the book that Lula Dean dictates.

Cue a multitude of shorts of how these “scandalous” but, inevitably, helpful books transpire around the town, exposing hard truths.


A wonderful concept and fast read but not entertaining enough to recommend.

This was an enjoyable and engaging story. It starts off with a small town that starts to ban books. One woman’s library turns into a secret place for these banned books to be read unbeknownst herself. As people read these banned books it inspires them to take action in their own way.

“Only books in Lula’s library are about cakes and Newt Gingrich. I don’t know how she manages to be evil and boring, but damn, if Lula ain’t killing it”

A love letter to libraries and the magic of books, this book has it all–humor, satire, and entertaining from cover to cover. Miller dazzled me with The Change, being one of my top books of the year and this one follows suit, with her signature brand of suburban mischief and a dose of social commentary. I absolutely loved it!

Thanks to HARPER COLLINS for the early look and AUDIOBOOKScom for the audio copy. The audio was fantastic, narrated by January Lavoy, it captured the characters flawlessly.

I loved the references to so many great books that have been banned throughout, and how they ended up in the hands of just who needed them.

Lula Dean's Little Library of Banned Books is highly enjoyable read. It not only showcased a variety of banned literature but also provided insightful commentary on the reasons behind their censorship. Dean’s writing is engaging and accessible, making the complexities of literary freedom relatable. The book serves as a fantastic starting point for discussions about the importance of free expression. Overall, a must-read for book lovers and advocates of intellectual freedom

It goes overboard on the themes:, misogyny, gender discrimination, racism, homophobia, religious discrimination, discriminatory school policies, mental health, gaslighting, anti-Semitism, closet Nazis, slavery, rape, the role of the media in spreading hate, fake news, and many more. Every single theme was important, no doubt. But not all of them needed to be in a single book.

The story was to tidy. Everything worked out perfectly and it wasn't realistic. I liked the books that were featured.

Many thanks to the author and NetGalley for my gifted eARC.

I absolutely love books about books and I loved this one! I definitely recommend to all book lovers!