I loved this book.... it reminded me of the petty attitudes of some people, and their intent on everyone following the same rules!

Quite funny in places.... the penis cake I don't think I will ever forget!

I thought the blurb sounded interesting and it was quite good.  It was a pretty easy and entertaining read, with lots of humour but a definite morality underneath.  I also thought I could detect a thread of rage from the author at the sheer injustice of it all.  There were a lot of characters so some of them were only stereotypes or mere shadows, rather than being fully fleshed out.  The plot itself was fairly straightforward, although there were a few little surprises here and there.  There's obviously a strong desire to spread the reality of banned books, and I really don't blame the author in that one bit.  My only concern would be that the book seems to be very much preaching to the choir.  Surely people who read a book about banned books already know of the situation and how ridiculous it is?  Still, it does give out a good message so hopefully it will make its way to those who really need it. 

Many thanks to the publisher and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy to review.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of the excellent book. A 4.5 star read for me.

Warning: if you are racist, homophobic, misogynistic, antisemitic, sexist or an otherwise alt-right leaning bigoted idiot then this book isn't for you!

This book tackles incredibly difficult and important themes but managed to do so with humour and hope.

A great read that I enjoyed from the first sentence to the very end. Yes, it's cutesy and twee but that just adds to its charm. A really thought provoking insight into the American South and the rise in book banning, particularly the damage limiting people's access to various sources of information can have.

Great writing, great character development and a fun read on some heavy topics - I highly recommend it!

I was keen to read this book as it’s about censorship. However, I struggled a bit with it due to the poor formatting and editing. I shall therefore review it for Netgalley but will wait until I can get my hands on a print copy after publication before reviewing for Amazon and Waterstones. Other reviewers seem to have had the same problem.
Reading the reviews has been interesting especially as for some reviewers the book reads like fiction as it’s set in a small community in the States and not in the UK where they have not come across this type of censorship. Having worked as a librarian with children and young people in schools and public libraries since the early 80s, I have certainly come across censorship. In a Catholic school, books on abortion were removed. Another job involved going through shelves searching for racism. Some parents questioned books on homosexuality. This book highlights the problems of banning books and will make an excellent book for discussion.

This was nothing like I was expecting it to be at all! I can’t say too much about it without giving it away, but this book deals with a lot of sensitive topics such as race, sexuality, sexism etc in such a beautiful, clever and engaging way that I couldn’t put it down! There are so many wonderful characters between the pages, as well as some that are less than desirable! Another brilliant read by this author!

To the book community this plot is the ultimate horror story. Both very sweet and quietly terrifying. Funny and shocking. An easy read with a hard lesson.

In Troy, Georgia, the concerned parents committee headed up by local woman Lula Dean, have cleansed the libraries of any material they deem unsuitable. Don’t worry though, in its place Lula has opened up her own library with wholesome books that won’t lead anyone away from the righteous path. But when curious hands open Lula’s books, they get more than they bargain for. Opening up that dust jacket is opening up a lot of cracks in Troy.

I’m British and after a quick Google, I don’t think this kind of Orwellian censorship is very common here. So to me this is fiction, but in other places this is very much not which is terrifying.

I love the concept of the pure opposite book being hidden in the dust jacket and it bringing meaning to the reader. I love that a book about the domestic life of a gay couple was boring rather shocking. And I found it heartbreaking that a reader didn’t know the ending of Anne Frank before picking up the book.

The way the story jumps around from family to family can get confusing, I got there eventually as they are eventually tied together but there are a LOT of characters. Equally some of the subplots were more interesting than others. In a sea of characters there are some incredible stand outs, but I’ll leave you to pick your own favourites.

My only point that stops this being a 5☕️ is that the story doesn’t really drive forward until close to the end. It was interesting but there was no urgency to pick the book back up.

I love how the book keeps coming back to the statue. This is something I can relate to, how something you see everyday can stop having any meaning but these are things you should stop and examine more closely. Why DO we still have so many statues of really terrible people?!

This novel about censorship should be disseminated as widely as it can go, in as many mediums that can take it. I can see this making an excellent TV series one day.

Thank you to #Netgalley and @HQSTORIES for my my #arc

Gloriously and unashamedly inflammatory, uplifting and full of a love of books.

It's hard for me as a lifelong UK resident to understand the mindsets one sees in books such as this. I know often there's tropes, stereotypes, exaggeration, but I also see enough of international news and interviews to know that the types of characters represented here are far from fictional.

And this book made me mad. Mostly because I am a fervent and passionate reader, former librarian and big believer in the power of reading to inspire change, educate and as a source of comfort and community. And I think Kirsten Miller agrees with me, from what I read here.

In a small Georgia town (the literary subtlety here was not lost on me), a war is going on, though on the surface all is peach pies and happy families. Lula Dean, long-time thorn in school board member Beverly Underwood's side, has mounted a crusade to ban books from the school and public libraries that she feels are damaging the town's youth and morals. Replacing it with her own homemade lending library, full of 'The Southern Belle's Guide to Etiquette'-type titles will of course send the townsfolk down the correct path to righteousness.... of course.

But Beverley's daughter, with access to all the stored banned books starts a rollercoaster of change off when she replaces each book with one of those banned, recovering them, and the Troy residents, each of whom with their own personal problems and questions, start to discover understanding, answers and the courage to change their lives in what they are reading.

That’s when all the townspeople who’ve been borrowing from Lula’s library begin to reveal themselves. It’s a diverse and surprising bunch—including the local postman, the prom queen, housewives, a farmer, and the former DA—all of whom have been changed by what they’ve read. When Lindsay is forced to own up to what she’s done, the showdown that’s been brewing between Beverly and Lula will roil the whole town...and change it forever.

I loved this. I loved the array of characters: those needing answers about girls, long-downtrodden wives realising what they've been prevented from achieving, young people with fears of homosexuality, an older lady giving up on fighting her money-grabbing relatives... all can find motivation from the written word. There are more than a dozen storylines each threaded together by Lula Dean's library, and I didn't find this a problem on the audiobook to track.

And how it all comes together... oh, it was marvellous! I desperately want to see this on the screen. Some wonderful roles here, a fair bit of sermonising, some very funny scenes (the cake scene was a standout) and I'm just so glad books like this actually exist. We need them, to remind us what education, knowledge and the freedom to think for ourselves does for ourselves and for everyone collectively. Thank you Ms Miller.

With thanks to Netgalley for providing a sample reading copy.

This book tackles a very prescient and troubling discussion - the banning of books - with a sharp wit and a kindness. Has a very light touch for what is quite a dark comedy, and the interthreading of stories meant that even most of the 'villains' were three-dimensional characters with some sympathetic features [except the ones who REALLY didn't deserve it].

A satire with a gentle bite and a cosy ending.

Absolutely loved this. A brilliant observation of the clouded viewpoints of so many people and very on topic given everything that is going on right now. Told with sharp with sharp wit - despite the ark topic matter it's an easy, entertaining read.

Lula has decided to educate her town and has banned certain books. The residents are only allowed to read what Lua wants them to read.
But not everyone is happy!

The first banned book I read (aged 12) was The Sin of Abbé Mouret by Emile Zola, after I discovered a banned reading list in the back of a school Bible. The concept of banning books is always contentious but essentially people should be free to read what they choose (assuming the element of age appropriate is considered). Lula Dean sets herself up as judge and censor but happily, rebels inhabit the small American town. This is a delightful romp and broadside on bigotry, and all forms of prejudice. There were several interesting characters who join the resistance – their backstories lent weight and humour. Certain events were predictable, but entertaining nevertheless and the book is goo ‘time out’ read.
I found the publisher’s copyright stamped on every page – often more than once – more than somewhat distracting, as were the missing words and ends of sentences. I would happily sign a non-disclosure agreement rather than tackle these again.

This is a lighthearted and. very readable look at prejudice in small town America. But really it's a cautionary tale that it could happen anywhere. The small minded folks all get what's coming to them in the end, but it does leave the reader thinking that this could so easily happen anywhere and how important it is to take a stand again prejudice and bigotry.

I was a little worried this book might be too ‘cosy’ for my liking but it turned out very well and the story touches on a very negative issue facing society today - censorship.

America has taken the lead by banning books deemed inappropriate, mainly by narrow minded stuck ups and, honestly, visions of ‘1984’ and ‘Fahrenheit 451’ kept flashing across my mind.
These were works of fiction that are turning into bleak reality.

We learn about the residents of Troy and their stories, ranging from abuse/abuser, sexuality, racism/slavery and mushrooms. I admire the range covered in this book, I don’t think I’ve come across anything like this before where several major subjects are covered in a small space and works.

Towards the end it did get ‘cosy’ and I started feeling queasy but the rest of the book was so good I have chosen to ignore this.

I am recommending this to everyone because our books need to be left well alone.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins for this ARC.

Lula Dean is determined to ban "offensive" books that will damage the morals of the young people of Troy. On a short trip home from college, Lindsay Underwood decided to take on Lula in her own way by swapping the books out. This "prank" has a ripple effect on the community of Troy as we see townspeoples lives transformed by the books they read in Lula's library. Kirsten Miller used humour to deal with serious topics such as racism, sexism and homohobia and really drills home the importance and power that access to literature offers everyone.
I really enjoyed reading this as the characters were well written and developed, however I found the final chapters a bit disappointing and the story wrapped up to easily.

An entertaining look at life in the southern states, peopled by a cast of characters who are linked by a history revered on the one hand, and reviled on the other. The title refers to the indignant and misinformed mothers of America, supposedly protecting their offspring from the evils of modern life. The banned books of the title lead unwittingly to revelations and many changes of attitudes, with amusing incidents on the way. The writing was very well expressed and organised, as it could have been very confusing, with constant new characters brought in along the way. The far right comes in for a good bit of criticism, and all sorts of diversity are celebrated also.

A 4.5 star read for me! Lula Dean is on a crusade to make a name for herself through ridding her town of filth. When she gets the opportunity to start a) banning books and b) a small library in front of her house filled with only the most wholesome reading material, she takes it.

But of course the town fights back. And in these individual stories and narratives, some of which interweave in the most surprising ways possible, you get to meet a real breadth of characters all navigating their lives in this little Southern town as best they can.

I don’t think I’ve read many books set in the contemporary South but this is a great one. Timely, topical and thought-provoking.


The only reason I’ve chosen to round down rather than up to 5 stars is because the ending went a little off-piste for me with the final showdown a bit too unrealistic. But I’d read more from this author for sure!

This book is brilliant. I could start and end my review with the words - stop reading reviews and read the book already. But I really should explain why...
So... the action takes place in a small Southern town and revolves around banned books. Lula Dean is on a mission to rid the world of anything she finds offensive and, to that end, has a very long list of books that she wants banned from the library and school. To replace them, she has installed in her front yard, a library of good and wholesome alternatives for all to borrow.
Lula is the nemesis to another of our main characters, Beverly Underwood and, as the book progresses, we delve into the past to see what happened to make the two lifelong enemies.
And then there's Lindsay, Beverly's daughter who is the instigator for what will happen in the rest of the book. She secretly replaces the good and wholesome books in Lula's library with the banned ones. Swapping out the dust jackets to cloak them.
We then sit back and watch the action as, one-by-one, the townsfolk start to borrow the books. Each one seems to borrow just the right book... but I am going to leave you to discover the whys and wherefores of all that as the author intended.
I loved this book. I can't wait until it is actually released as I will be getting the audiobook and revisiting it all. It's quite a deep book as certain of the characters are going through some pretty heavy stuff in their lives. And this, in turn, reinforces the power of books. Both fiction and factual, and their place in assisting people to understand things they struggle with. I'm being deliberately opaque as I do not want to give any examples which might spoil things.
Aside from the books, the story of Beverly and Lula is also interesting and kept my attention nicely along with all the other townsfolk's stories. I ran the whole gamut of emotions as I was reading it, even laughing out loud on the bus and getting some strange looks.
Along with this book, I would also recommend this author's other adult fiction book, The Change, which I read a few years ago.
My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

In small town, Troy, Lula Dean and some ‘ Concerned parents’ band together To try and ’ Improve’ The Morals of the towns people by banning books which they consider to be perverse and non-American in their outlook.

So goes the tail of Troy, And has some concerned citizens decide to share their opinions through Lula Dean’s little Library. Had set up her library to share the contents of her personal Library with the townsfolk in order to better them and leave them in the path of goodness. (According to her own opinion).

Although this is a fictional story, it could be set in any small community Where people believe they know better, that they judge others, and that they can use their power to control the thoughts and ideas, and actions of others

I enjoyed the story and I hope the message will travel far and wide, that hypocrisy, and judgemental attitudes should not be the Way to live.
Thanks to #NetGalley For the opportunity to read this digital copy, and listen to the audible of this book and exchange for an honest review.

If there’s ever a book that takes you by surprize then this is it.
I couldn’t put it down. An absolute must this summer.

Through a series of vignettes we are introduced to the community of Troy, which at its helm are two strong women with a grudge to bare going right back to their cheerleading days. Lula Dean the local busybody has made it her mission to introduce the town to a library catering for books she deems appropriate. In short anything (that doesn’t corrupt the young mind). Her right wing beliefs and attitudes however are dangerous as they go unchecked by the town.

Her rival Beverley Underwood is her nemesis especially when she confronts the small southern town and its history by introducing issues surrounding the slave trade and the fight against the North to keep it going. Other characters are used to highlight subjects like homophobia, misogyny and neo-Nazism as we explore their stories. There is a brutal rape recount, which has been hidden for years that is revealed and punished to a certain extent.
For me it was the voices of the women, some who had been silenced for years were now heard.
Thank you NetGalley for this brilliant read

Apologies but I tried to read this title but the editing of the file must be off because the words “material”, “copyrighted” and “publishers” appear every few lines in the middle of the text and it’s really distracting