I'm sorry I have to DNF this book. I thought I'd really enjoy it, it sounded like I would, however I just couldn't get into it t all. I tried a few times but it seems like there's words missing, there's random words placed all over, copyright, publisher.....
I may try again when it's released.

A prank being the catalyst for change! Based in a small town in America with various prejudice, experiences and ideals of the residents. Both light hearted and exploring big topics such as racism and cancel culture.

I really liked that the chapter narration shifts between characters, each linked to a specific book. Easy to read and just the right length.

Thank you HQ for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
#LulaDeansLittleLibraryofBannedBooks #NetGalley

This is a relatively lighthearted look at the evolving world around cancel culture and small town prejudices, centered around the seemingly random banning of books thought to lead the youth of the town down immoral pathways.
Each banned book finds its ways onto the hands of a resident and changes their views on life, culminating in an increase in tolerance and a greater mutual understanding o how the past does not have to dictate the future.
The only downside was the appalling layout of the book for Kindle (presumably which will be fixed!) where sentences were incomplete on most pages, some of which the missing words were randomly at the end of the next paragraph and some of which were never to be seen again!
That is not the fault of the author though and although it detracts from the readability of the book it does not affect the content or storytelling.

Awesome! I love the way each chapter is initially defined by a book but as it progresses the town and it's prejudices are gradually brought out. Thought provoking and emotional. Very pertinent at this time

An empathetic look at cancel culture and book banning in the US that is a surprisingly feel good read. Through the stories of each of the residents in the southern town we learn how discovering one of the 'banned' books that has been removed from the school or public library has had an impact on their lives. This book celebrates the power of knowledge that reading can bring as well as the empathy and understanding for those that we struggle to understand. I think the book is very clever and the notion of replacing the so called acceptable books with the banned books in a little book swap box was just wonderful. The right books were then in the hands of people at just the right time that they needed them. I was left with a real sense of hope that people can overcome differences of opinion and beliefs if we just try and understand each other. This is a real delight for book and library lovers with some wonderful characters - a joy to read!

I was looking forward to reading this but the copy thst opened was unreadable
random words in capitals and publisher names randomly popped in. I couldn't follow the story
disappointed

Beverly Underwood and Lula Dean have been arch enemies ever since their high school cheerleading days. The mostly silent rivalry between them becomes public however after Lula embarks on a book-banning mission. To ‘replace’ the books she’s removed from the local schools and library, Lula has created a little library filled with titles Lula deems appropriate reading in her front yard. Not that Lula has read the books she has banned or the titles in her garden.

Beverly’s daughter Lindsay is outraged about Lula’s actions and uses the cover of night to fill Lula’s little libraries with banned books wrapped in dust jackets that belong to books Lula approves of.

Curiosity being what it is means that inhabitants of the town of Troy pick up books from the Little Library and most of them finish reading the stories even after they discover the book in their hands isn’t what they thought it was.

Actions have consequences and it isn’t long before Lula and Beverly are running against each other in the town’s Mayoral election. And that’s when the repercussions of Lula’s library and Lindsay’s counter action become visible. Because everybody who picked and read a book from the Little Library has been affected in one way or another.

At first glance this book offers an easy to read, mostly light-hearted story. It appears to be one of those Southern novels in which even the bad people end up sounding adorable. Don’t let first impressions fool you though. Once you settle into the story you will find a darker edge to many of the chapters. What really scared me is that quite a few of the right-wing ideas shared on these pages don’t sound immediately shocking or wrong. It’s almost too easy to understand how people stumble into traps laid by people like Donald Trump and how a journey down that road comes without a return ticket for most people.

Although it is very easy to read and get lost in, this book doesn’t try to make our current reality look any better than it is. In this book the silent majority are people who have no interest in banning books or excluding certain people from society. They are those who can easily live their lives under the radar and prefer it that way. In this book, as in reality, they don’t speak up until they feel their way of life and/or their sense of fairness is under threat.

While the book is overall a fun read, we shouldn’t lose sight of the fact that book banning and censorship are real issues, in particular in America. Only this week I came across the following tragic news: An Idaho Public Library Will Become Adults-Only per July 1, 2024. News like that makes me want to cry. There’s a part of me that feels Lula Dean’s Little Library of Banned Books is too easy to read to make a difference in real life. On the other hand, maybe an easy read with characters most people would recognise is exactly what is needed to get people to question what is going on around them. Sure, real life is never going to come with perfect solutions like the ones found in this book, but maybe this book can make imperfect solutions possible in real life. And if that isn’t a fabulous reason to promote Lula Dean’s Little Library of Banned Books, I don’t know what is.

I loved the layout of this book. Lula Dean has decided that the way to power is through fear, so she has decided to ban certain books from the public library and the school. These are books she has deemed unsuitable and that will corrupt young minds. She has gained quite a following in her southern state town.
I enjoyed the layout, with each chapter featuring a resident of the town of Troy who picks a book from Lula's book cupboard and is surprised to find what's between the covers.
However, like other reviewers, the layout of the text in my kindle has made this a frustrating read. I am guessing the ending of sentences and every single page has a copyright text on it. Glad to know it's not just me, but not sure how to give a full review.

I love the idea of this book, and I think it's one we need to be talking about, but this is unreadable. Sentences cut off or started in the middle, publisher's copyright interrupting sentences. I'll look out for the real one but I can't read this.

Sorry. I wasn’t able to read this - for some reason it wouldn’t send to my kindle in the way that other netgalley books have done. I will wait until it’s released

All the stars!
I’ve never read anything like it. It’s captivating and so unique. Kirsten has taken a hard-hitting topic - the slave trade - and written a book that will make any generation understand and take note of what impact this era had on people. The characters were compelling and I just couldn’t wait to go back to reading it. Loved it.

Using her well fleshed out characters and incredible story telling skills Kirsten Miller has made this book a book that tackles so many hard subjects (homophobia, racism and sexual assault to name a few) not feel like a really heavy read. I loved the nod to banned books and how they can inspire change. Just a brilliant read from page one.

Unfortunately I won't be able to give a proper review on this arc. There are words missing off the end of sentences and the publishers name is all over the text so it's became unreadable.

I feel like this would be a great book if I could finish it. I will be picking a copy up when it is published. Quite disappointed as I was really looking forward to this.

The star rating I have given is purely based on status of the arc.

I'm dropping my review to three stars for the simple fact that the EArc just isn't readable for me in its current format. Although for me, I do believe that without these issues this book could easily be a 4/5 star read so I shall be waiting until publication to pick this book back up as I have thoroughly enjoyed the story so far.
Missing words at the end of sentences and the publisher's bold print split between words and paragraphs is too distracting and is taking away my ability to truly lose myself in the writing.

An ode to the power of books! Lula Dean’s Little Library of Banned Books Kirsten Miller explores themes of racism, sexism, slavery and so much more through a series of intertwined stories.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC

Hmmmmm a little bit crazy but compulsive reading. Book banning, I wasn't even aware it still existed, how little I know. Read this if you dare and then try not to have an opinion. Riveting.

Like other reviewers I felt bad publishing ruined readability and what could have been a really great review. I enjoyed the book, the story, the characters but having to guess the end of sentences, missing words and words that had others on top made a clunky read.
That being said for a book I requested not knowing what it was about I was hooked! Yes, there are a lot of characters but there are in any small town. Is the 'ten years later' needed? I don't know. It could have been covered a different way that was less obvious. But I would advise a good read when published properly.
Thank you the Netgalley and Harper Collins for the arc.
3.5 stars for the bad copy - 4 when fixed

Lula's book banning really got out of hand. A booklovers worst nightmare.

Well written funny and the author not afraid to take chances with delicate topics. Think this book would have been banned if it was in schools at the time.

Tried putting this book done to do other things, but thought nah they will still be there later so continued to read. Late night it turned into, (well early morning)..
So enjoyed this book.

Thank you Netgalley for letting me read this book.

Book banning has always been a deeply controversial issue and it is deftly explored in this profound and wickedly funny novel about the power of literature. This story certainly took me back to my schooldays when I would hide a novel inside a textbook during dull lessons.

The concept of an entire library of suitable texts being replaced with banned books is a genius one. Chapters hop from character to character. as each discover the 'wrong' books in the covers of the 'approved' books. This creates a ripple effect which is felt by everyone within the community.

I live in the UK and have personally not witnessed the book banning demonstrated in the novel, which I understand reflects what is happening in the USA right now. However, I think all of us who loved books when they were younger - regardless of location - have had at least one encounter with an adult who told us the book that we were reading was inappropriate, and baulked at it. The conversation that is stimulated by this novel's premise is so important, especially when it pertains to young people. I'd wholeheartedly recommend this novel to book lovers everywhere.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and HQ for the ARC!

It’s the stuff of nightmares for book lovers: the banning of books. Lula Dean wants to rid Troy, Georgia, of books that have been deemed unsuitable, reserving only those who feels are ‘appropriate’ reads. Which is all well and good if you’re Lula, but not if you’re part of the reading revolution who won’t be told what they can and cannot enjoy. However, not everything is quite as it seems in this Georgian town which follows individual characters as that make a book choice that may just leave their lives changed. Clever and astute, I’d expect nothing less from the author of The Change, which was a cracking read.