I read an eARC of this book so thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley.

I made the mistake of starting this book late at night before I went to bed. A mistake because it’s not a book I could put down. Even after I stopped reading I couldn’t stop thinking about it!

This book is so full of rage, it’s a simmering, then blistering indictment of ignorance, bullying and hypocrisy. In a small town in Georgia, a woman starts a campaign against books that contain anything she doesn’t like. She starts a little free library outside her house with what she considers to be wholesome books (that she bought from a charity shop in bulk for this purpose) and passes off as the books that made her who she is. However the daughter of the leader of the school board replaces them all with books that were banned from the library, hiding the banned books under the dust jackets.

Gradually townsfolk find themselves reading books that they didn’t expect and it starts to change their perspectives, creating unexpected perspectives and alliances against the insidious forces looking to suppress free will and rights in their town. This book is so well structured, in the early chapters we come across different characters and the books and challenges they come across. These are very different people and the diversity of opinion helps make this book feel well-rounded. These storylines all come together so well in the later part of the book as we see how the books in the library bring people together with a common cause.

I loved this book, it was compelling, well-written and utterly fascinating. I would be really surprised if this doesn’t end up in my top ten books of the year.

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

Although the mass cast of characters was difficult to keep up with at times, and a lot of the America-centric references were lost on me, this was a great and engaging read

Thanks to Netgalley and HarperCollins for the ARC

When I got over the faults of the text - missing ends of sentences and publisher's name, etc. in the middle of the pages, I thoroughly enjoyed this. It was funny and yet tackled serious subjects which resulted from this; white supremacism, homophobia, racism, far right- wing attitudes, gun culture and misogyny, all of which were tackled in a sensitive way. I appreciated the author's note at the end which explained her point of view., To be honest, I fear for the United States because of these intolerant and fearful attitudes, encouraged by some of the churches and sanctioned by the likes of Donald Trump, (who may become President again soon - in which case, I fear for the world.) Back to the book - I was a little confused by the characters as the chapters switched between them with no warning, but the style of writing was flowing and easy. The choice of books, especially the ones which changed some of the character's attitudes was interesting. The book is amusing and sense prevails in the end.

Miller’s debut The Change was a really powerful book for me as a reader and I wasn’t quite sure how she would match it, but she absolutely has. Here she holds a mirror to America (but also to many other countries at current times tbh), looking at book banning and all the prejudices that lie behind it and are rife in our supposedly modern societies. Miller’s portrait of Troy, Georgia, is a pass-the-baton between the towns people, in what is a well-observed, funny, razor sharp and insightful portrayal of current thinking, as fuelled by the media and forces that seek to divide and pervert truth under the guise of ‘protecting our young and vulnerable’. A brilliant and important story which I loved and think will be seen later as a snapshot of personal politics at this point in history.

Loved it !!
The idea of someone switching out the books just brilliant I laughed so much but a truly lovely book :)

This book is a real pearl.
Kristen Miller has come up with a gem of a story. It deals with racist hatred and the apathy of it, anti gay behaviour, misogyny and coercive control and general narrow mindedness and yet more things in a small town called Troy in Georgia in the southern USA.

A local narrow minded busy body has pushed through a plan that results in a lot of books being banned from the local library. She set up some shelves outside her home of books that she deems appropriate. People are welcome to borrow these books. These books of course represent her idea.ised view of the way life should be in Troy. However things do not turn out the way she intended, the results of which ultimately affect many of the people in the town.
Although this book deals with many serious subjects, not just censorship, the author manages to introduce humour at several points thar really lift the story to another level.

A page turner of a read that had me chortling away, but also got my blood boiling. Under the light-hearted comedy are some big themes - racism, sexism, rape, homophobia, violence...and fear. The baddies are cartoon-like baddies, we're cheering on the goodies. Sometimes you just need a book like this that makes you laugh just as you're starting to feel rage.

Why do people ban books? How do we stop them?

This book shows the power books can have and how they can open our eyes. And the difference one person really can make in it all.

It's a little saccharine in places, but I'll forgive that as the world is so bitter at the moment and sweet was just what I needed.

Unfortunately I won't be able to send feedback on this book. The formatting of the e-arc made it impossible to read. There were random words interspersed throughout and at some points, there were even sections of the book missing. I'm so sad because I was really looking forward to this one.

'Lula Dean's Little Library of Banned Books' is a novel of tiny revolutions. Filled with despair and hope in equal measures, it celebrates the remarkable power of change books can bring people while acting as a rallying cry against increasingly puritanical book bans happening in the United States. Set in a small town in Georgia, most of the chapters visit a different resident of the small town the novel is set in and explores how them discovering a banned book (hidden inside the dust jacket of an 'approved' book) changes something in their lives for the better. A family becomes more tolerant of their gay son, a trapped women realises her worth - an elderly lawyer makes a penis cake. It's a rollercoaster of comedy and tragedy.

I'm not a character-driven kind of book person, but there was something about the writing of this book that just made me want to keep turning the pages. The plot isn't 'in your face' and therefore, the pace feels a bit slower than you'd expect - but it's just so interesting to read. What I really appreciated about the way it ended was with this enormous message of hope: hope that all the fear people instil in others, the way they try to hide history, to pretend as though things were better in the past - that people are fighting against that. It wasn't a 'happily ever after' ending, but it was a truly hopeful one and that made it so worth reading.

I wavered on picking this one up - don't be like me. It's a great novel and an even greater reminder of the transformational power of books.

This book felt a little surface level for me.
While it does pick up on important and serious topics I feel like they barely really go into depth with them.
I feel like less books and characters POV and just focus on two characters learning things.
There was so much potential here

Interesting read. A little too neatly complete and rose tinted for me, but that does not take away from the book at all.
Banning books is a current hot topic and this novel deals with some of the unintended consequences of a book ban.
Thanks to Netgalley for this ARC in return for my unbiased review.

I loved The Change so was looking forward to reading this.

I really enjoyed the first third of the book. The banned books and a small southern town's issues were interesting.

Characterisation was great but unfortunately I lost track of characters because of the narrative structure. Just as I'd grasped who a character was they didn't appear again until several chapters later and usually in a different thread.

I understand proof copies aren't perfect but having missing words, along with copyright wording and the publisher's name appearing in the middle of sentences, made this hard to read. It's a shame as if it hadn't ruined my concentration I think I would've been immersed in this novel more.

Loved the premise and enjoyed the start of this book but unfortunately the ARC I received is missing a lot of text and keeps showing the publishers name in large text across each page so I couldn't read any further. Look forward to it's release date so I can read it in full.

When Lula Dean and her little committee decide to ban numerous books in their local library, she sets up her own little alternative library outside her house. Then someone replaces her books with titles from the banned list - a prank with far reaching consequences.
This book is about hate. And fear. It is also about the power of books to change people's lives for the better which is something I can wholeheartedly agree with. There are a lot of different characters in the story which makes it a bit hard going to begin with, but eventually they come together and it all makes sense.
Unfortunately the advanced copy of the book on my kindle was corrupted so that there were words missing as well as Copyright and Publisher appearing in the middle of every page. I'm sure this will be resolved by the publication date but it made reading the book hard work.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC

As an English teacher I have always firmly believed in the power of books and reading to create positive change. In a world which can seem increasingly intolerant, I was drawn to this title by the premise of exploring book banning through the lens of a small town in Georgia.

Enter Lula Dean and her drive to ban books deemed “unsuitable”. Whilst this is an all too prevalent practice which angers me, I loved the fact that the prank of a young adult in the town to swap the “wholesome”, approved books from Lula’s little library for some of the banned books becomes the catalyst for change. One by one, local residents find a book which speaks to them, leading to a broadening of minds and a challenge to traditional viewpoints, for the better of the town.

This book tackles a current issue with care and a little humour. Everyone who believes in the power of books and having the right to choose their reading material should take a look at this one.

Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley for providing a digital ARC copy for review.

I really enjoyed The Change so was looking forward to reading this new novel by Kirsten Miller. Unfortunately every other page of my Kindle was stamped with the publisher's mark, and there were also words missing, so it very quickly became frustratingly unreadable, so I am unable to give this a proper review. A foolish move by Harper Collins (didn't even have to check there, as I've seen it on every other page so far!)

The premise of this book was great. In a town in the south of the USA, a woman goes on a campaign to ban books she deems unsuitable. Books like Beloved and Catcher in the Rye. Unfortunately this sort of thing is going on in some places in the US at this very moment so the appearance of this book is timely. Lula, the woman behind the ban, sets up her own little library which offers only wholesome books. But then someone replaces them with the banned books, exchanging the dust jackets so nobody knows.

Unfortunately the copy I received of this book was almost unreadable. The publisher's copyright was stamped on every other page on my Kindle and there were many words missing, often at the end of sentences. The book had an unfinished feel about it especially towards the end where it seemed to become quite chaotic. But there were other problems too. There are a multitude of characters and it was difficult to keep up with who was who.

The banning of books is horrendous and what's going on in the US is abhorrent. I applaud the author for tackling this subject but for me it missed the mark. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Tale from the Deep South about bigotry and prejudice - with a light touch! Very good stuff.

In Troy, Georgia, there's conflict between the reactionary Confederacy lovers and more liberal, forward-looking types. Lula Dean's little Library is the focus for banned books and "suitable" alternatives. A seemingly harmless prank brings about change in every aspect of this small town as prejudices emerge and bigotry is confronted. The characters, although perhaps a bit stereotypical, are enjoyable and well-developed and the plot moves along at a pleasant pace. The book won't appeal to anyone a bit close-minded but it's a very enjoyable and enlightening read, well worth a look. Highly recommended, especially in a world where book banning still exists, even in so-called civilized communities. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Although it's not a true story there are places in the world, particularly USA, where books are regularly banned. An interesting topic and the characters were believable for the most part, although not so sure about Lula Dean's children. Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

I really enjoyed this - with the banning of books and reduction in tolerance sweeping the States this is a timely warning of what can happen, but also offers reassurance that there are enough people out there who find it all too much and if they make a stand, however small, things can change.

Manages to make a social point, without lecturing or being too worthy! Great read