'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.

This was a gripping read, I thought the characters were intriguing and I'm going to keep an eye out for more from this author.

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

Dark and funny in places and also a little bit scary and worrying how much disinformation is out there and it’s not restricted to one part of the world, anyway getting back to the book which I just loved and will be in my top five favourite books for this year, how what may have been a small act of rebellion lead to a huge catalyst of change and understanding. It was my first time reading anything by this author and I’m definitely going to check out her other books.

I'm sorry I'm unable to leave a review at the moment. I had a really bad ARC copy where the copyright writing was running throughout the pages. I found it too distracting to concentrate on the book.

I'm leaving 3 stars for the premise and the cover and will buy a copy on publication day and update my review

What a refreshingly original and entertaining story, which I would class as general fiction. This is a genuinely funny book and I found myself chuckling right from the first chapter; although at times it does have dark themes (Nazi supporters, homophobia, racism, and rape, to name a few). However, on the whole it is a lighthearted and entertaining read, which is perfectly balanced. 
I love the way this book is written, with the chapters reading as lots of short stories about people who reside in the town; with the ‘wronged’ taking affirmative action, spurred on and supported by the contraband books. The individual stories are seamlessly woven together as the overall timeline of the story progresses, making reading the book a joy. Books about books (this one being about banned books) are one of my favourite themes; where books are used to emphasise/demonstrate the impact books can have on a person’s life and this one certainly makes some powerful points. Thanks to NetGallery and HQ for allowing me to get an early copy of this book, which is out on 20th June 2024; I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. Highly recommended.

A really interesting book. It was not at all how I expected it to develop. Lots of great strong characters and an unlikely villain. Situations like these do exist where narrowminded people try to have books banned. Hopefully communities come together to thwart them like in this book.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book with no obligation to review.

I was disappointed in this book. It seemed to me to be a bit scrappy and unfinished/unpolished, more like a late draft than a final copy. I had the idea that it would be funny but it isn't. There are so many characters floating in and out of the interconnected stories that, apart from Beverley and Lula I soon was completely lost as to who was who and who was related to whom. I am still not sure to whom Bella is related, for example and I can't be bothered going back through to find out.

Matters were not helped by the fact that the advance copy I received had lots of words missing so this disrupted the flow and made you wonder if you had missed something important.

None of it really rang true to me, the characters were either "good" or "bad" with no nuances and I was surprised that it has a contemporary setting as many residents seemed very much set in the past in their beliefs and attitudes towards gender roles, control, marriage, lifestyle and behaviour etc.

I often like a "ten years later" bit at the end of a book but, in this case, not so much.

Not for me, I’m afraid. I liked the premise of the book very much but I found there were too many characters, most of them quite one dimensional, and the story was a bit cliched and heavy handed. Some of the individual stories were nice enough but it didn’t hang together as a whole and quickly became very repetitive. 2.5 stars

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy in return for an honest review.

This is a timely story given the plague of book banning that has gripped large swathes of America. The town of Troy, Georgia is no exception to the phenomenon and there, Lula Dean has set herself up as the arbiter of public morality when it comes to literature.

Fortunately a small but mighty set of people have decided to oppose her, determined not to take this lying down...

This novel is about so much more than one small town in the American South. It about the existential battle for diversity, inclusive education and the right to think for oneself.

Well worth reading for its intelligence and humour - and very possibly a book that could potentially face a ban in certain quarters if the troglodytes get their way! It gets 3.5 stars.