Louisiana Saves the Library

by Emily Beck Cogburn

For Louisiana Richardson, desperate times call for crazy-like-a-fox measures. As the new librarian at Alligator Bayou Parish's struggling library, she’s returning to her Southern roots and facing trouble hotter than fresh cornbread out of the oven. Somehow, she's got to draw readers back in and prove the library is still vital—even as domineering parish board head Mrs. Gunderson plans to shut it down for good. If that means Louise has to resort to some unconventional methods—like outrageous inter-library Zumba classes, and forming a book club that’s anything but Oprah-approved—well, it wouldn’t be the first time she went out on a limb…

Soon Louise is doing everything she can to rally the whole community. Before she knows it, she's sparking welcome changes—and uncovering surprising secrets—throughout her new town.  And between glasses of sweet tea, bowls of mouth-watering gumbo and the warmth of a tantalizing new love, the newly single Southern mom might find a life she never imagined—and a place to finally call home.
 
Emily Beck Cogburn crafts a novel full of charm, delight and acres of heart about the enduring joys of storytelling and the ways hope can write life's most extraordinary moments.

Genres: Fiction, Romance, Chick Lit, Mystery, Humor, Adult Fiction, Books About Books

312 pages, Paperback

First published January 26, 2016

About the author

Emily Beck Cogburn is a freelance journalist and fitness instructor currently living in Louisiana. She has a bachelor of arts degree in philosophy from the University of Minnesota, a masters degree in philosophy from Ohio State University, and a masters degree in library and information science from Louisiana State University. Her interests include cooking stinky food her children hate, yelling at her class participants to do “just one more rep!” and trying to read while handling requests for more chocolate milk. She has two children, two dogs, two cats, and a very patient husband. Visit her on the web at https://emilybeckcogburn.godaddysites...

Reviews

[Diane S ☔ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a big cozy reader but when I saw this one set in Louisiana and saving a library I just had to grab it. Alligator Bayou parish is a whole different world, with an underutilized library, a rather strange director and the library itself stuck in the past. To save the library Louisianan and her friend, both mew desperate hires with much to lose come up with some outlandish programs and other comedic adventures. Light, breezy, fun and easy. Some great one of a kind characters, well this is the South, and maybe a new romance for the divorced single mother of two.

ARC from Netgalley.

[Kalina Mincheva · Rating 2 out of 5]

Не знам как да обясня какво изпитвам към тази книга. Може би проблемът е, че всъщност не изпитвам нищо - нито съм очарована от историята, нито - крайно разочарована. Схванах основната сюжетна линия (или поне си мисля, че я схванах...) - старото и ново поколение се сблъскват над омършавелия труп на едно отиващо си културно средище, а именно енорийската библиотека на Луизиана. Модерното се сблъсква със закостенялото, с вехтите традиции и провинциалния мързел на местното население. И някак между другото живота на Луиз си влиза в релсите и всичка са щастливи.

Окей, хареса ми, че авторката бе включила заглавия от по-съвременна юношеска литература, така че да разбирам и аз един път препратките в диалозите, обаче като цяло се говореше много малко за книги в тази книга. Още по-малко пък се насочваше вниманието на читателя към това защо аджеба е толкова полезно за психическото ви здраве да четете. Вместо това спасяването на библиотеката бе жизненоважно за нашата героиня от финансова гледна точка, а не толкова от любов към писаните истории. И нека ви кажа от сега - заглавието е адски подвеждащо! Луизиана не си мръдва пръста освен само да удари едно приятелско рамо, защото всички идеи и голяма част от осъществяването им са дело на Силвия - най-добрата приятелка на Луиз и може би най-свестния и добре изграден персонаж в книгата. Ако наративът се въртеше около живота на Силвия, мисля че щяхме да получим в пъти по-интересна и завладяваща история. Вместо това сега вдигам безразлично рамене и мятам книгата в купчината за продан. А аз мразя да се разделям с книгите си...

Историята има един меланхоличен, бавен ритъм и леко депресираща атмосфера с протяжните си обяснения и постоянните нервни кризи на Луиз. Доста често губех фокус докато четях. А диалозите бяха изключително постни и без никаква емоция в тях. Честно казано наистина ми се иска да обвинявам недотам доброто си възприятие на тази история заради емоционалното торнадо, което преживях с "It ends with us" на Колийн Хувър, обаче с всяка следваща страница, доближаваща ме към края, се убеждавах все повече и повече, че няма как Хувър да е единствената причина. За мен "Луизиана спасява библиотеката" наистина беше просто окей, закотвяйки се на 2 звезди и бавно помахвайки на все по-отдалечаващата се трета. Но библиотеката е спасена, така че поне това е плюс в цялата работа.

[TL *Humaning the Best She Can* · Rating 4 out of 5]

This such a cute book! One of those ones where you just want to savor every bit and piece <3

I fell in love with the people in the town almost right off the bat... with a couple exceptions. Two of those once you dug deeper, my perceptions changed but the one... I pictured her as a certain HP character who I wished would fall off a cliff in OoTP.

There's an authentic feel to everything in the story... I felt like I could get in my car and drive to this town, visiting the sights and chatting with everyone.

The ending was perfect, with me doing a mini-victory dance and smiling wide at different parts for different reasons hehe.

Not a single criticism to be found... cept for it ending *pouts* A wonderful cozy read to take away the chill of Winter.

[Деница Райкова]

Емили Б. Когбърн - "Луизиана спасява библиотеката"

Разделих се с тази книга току-що.
Нарочно не казвам "дочетох", а "разделих се", защото накрая имах чувството, че не затварям последната страница на книга, а казвам "довиждане"на хора, които са ми станали близки.
Имаше много причини да пожелая тази книга. Работя с книги, и историите, посветени на книги, винаги са ме привличали. Особено когато в тях се говори за книжарници или библиотеки.А когато става дума за библиотека в градче в любимия ми американски Юг... е, исках я тази книга!
И тя не ме разочарова. "Луизиана спасява библиотеката" е история, каквато навярно може да се случи само в малко градче, в което всички се познават, и в което идването на нов човек може да разбуни спокойствието и да доведе до неочакван развой на събитията.
Градчетата в американския Юг не са като другите градове и градчета. Те имат свои неписани закони, своя тясна общност, в която "външен" човек трудно може да пристъпи. Имат свои отдавнашни съюзи и вражди. А... градчето в нашата история има и библиотека, която е пред затваряне.
Емили Б. Когбърн е създала една очарователна, уютна история. И в тази история е умело вплетен животът в градчето и неговата библиотека, ароматът и вкусът на типичните южняшки ястия, борбата на няколко души да запазят правото на достъп до книги на жителите на градчето - срещу твърдата решимост на онези, които искат затварянето на библиотеката.
За някои читатели тази книга може да изглежда като сантиментален опит за защита на нещо, което е изживяло времето си и си отива. Да, вече е лесно да се купи хартиена или да се "свали" електронна книга. Но за много хора - признавам, че е така и за мен - библиотеките все още са нещо нужно, все още могат да бъдат не просто място за трупане на книги, а хранилище на знания. А аз също съм от малко градче, и в една от библиотеките там влизат все по-малко хора. Затова разбирам Луиз, Силвия, Хоуп и другите и тяхната борба да опазят своята библиотека. Да, своята, макар някои от тях да са "пришълци" там. Защото когато наистина си се посветил на книгите, едно такова място става твое, обвързваш се с него и искаш да го спасиш, да му вдъхнеш живот - точно сякаш е човек, на когото искаш да помогнеш.
Хареса ми описанието на отношенията между жителите на градчето, южняшкият аристократизъм, старомодният им навик да се обръщат един към друг на малко име, но задължително с "господин" или "госпожа" отпред. Има нещо уютно в такова общуване, нещо, което те стопля и те кара да си кажеш: "Все още има уважение между хората".
Не всички герои в историята са достатъчно убедителни, имаше моменти, в които се чудех как се е стигнало точно до определено действие. Но Силвия, Хоуп, Луиз са образи, които ми допаднаха с отдадеността си. Историята между Луиз и Сал ми беше малко прекалено идеална, но пък... какво лошо има в малко старомодна южняшка романтика?
Честно казано, не очаквах особено щастлив край. Но се радвам, че се излъгах. Затворих книгата с чувство на удовлетворение. Луиз, Силвия и другите ще ми липсват, но пък често ще се "връщам" при тях, препрочитайки любимите си моменти.

[Kristina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Сладка, чаровна и приятна история за живота в малкото градче и взаимоотношенията между гражданите в него. Спасяването на библиотеката беше по-скоро фон, на който се разгръщаха човешките връзки.

Приятно, бързо и неангажиращо четиво, което ще ви усмихне и забавлява.

[Galya Ozan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Не мога да кажа, че не ми е харесала историята, но и очаквах много повече от нея.Самата история ми се видя много претупана.Докато четеш за една случка и в следващото изречение вече си в друга случка.По принцип не обичам многото излишни обяснения,но тук на места даже липсваха.Мислих да дам 2*,но все пак се разказва за нашата страст - книгите и спасяването на библиотека и имаше щастлив край ще дам 3*.

[Петър Панчев · Rating 3 out of 5]

История за книги, храна и малко романтика
https://knijenpetar.wordpress.com/201...

Ето че си избрах книга, за която предварително знаех, че е чиклит и спада към онези с не особено ангажиращо съдържание. Други са заглавията, на които изобщо не бих обърнал внимание, тъй че с готовност си я приготвих за четене. Привлече ме думата „библиотека“, а „спасяване“ просто допълни чашата със сладък еликсир, която очаквах да изпия без остатък. Последва разочарование, но понякога и това се случва. „Луизиана спасява библиотеката“ („Сиела“, 2017, с превод на Емануил Томов) може да се причисли и към „кулинарната художествена литература“, както наричам книгите с гастрономически заглавия, вече превзели рафтовете на книжарниците. Тази не носи такова, но от нея извира храна в индустриални количества. От кратката биография на Когбърн разбрах, че има магистърски степени по философия и библиотечни и информационни технологии, изявява се като журналист и е фитнес инструктор. Последното обаче не ѝ пречи да тъпче героите си със сладкиши и да ги мести от маса на маса, образно казано, подробно проследявайки кой какво си хапва. 😀 Извън това има една технологично остаряла библиотека, която се нуждае от нововъведения, за да привлече повече читатели. Това става, разбира се, с… храна. Понеже разбрах, че Когбърн е издала и още една книга, взех че надникнах. На корицата ѝ има маса с храна. Как иначе?
(Продължава в блога: https://knijenpetar.wordpress.com/201...)

[♏ Gina☽ · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a lover of libraries - everything about them - I was drawn to this book like a moth to a flame.

Written with a sense of humor, the story revolves around Louisiana Richardson, the newest librarian at a library that is about to go under. Leading the charge to close the library is a woman any book lover would despise. The head of the parish board, Mrs. Gunderson, is about as likable as a snake. She is as determined to close the library as Louisiana is to making it a vital library again.

In order to meet her goal, Louisiana needs to increase the community use of the library - and fast. She is willing to try anything, and she does. In her previous job as a Library Science Professor at a college, doing such things as a Zumba class on library grounds would have been unthinkable. But this is a small town with a small struggling library, and Zumba class it is.

As if losing her job at the prestigious college isn't enough, Louisiana finds out her ex husband is about to married in the next small town over. If nothing else, it makes her even more determined to be a success.

I really liked Louisiana (or "Louise" as she is referred to throughout most of the book). I love that she loved the books, and I loved that she understood that libraries are a vital part of the world, whether they are in a beautiful, prestigious college, or on a street in a tiny village.

[Bookish_predator · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars

Huge thanks to Emily Beck Cogburn, Kensington Books and NetGalley for this copy in exchange for an honest review.

When I first got this I thought it was a cosy mystery, it wasn't, it was a stand alone about saving a library and it was a flaming good book too!!

This is how everyone should feel about libraries, that they should be kept open and available to all people, it's social and educational and people need that.

Highly, highly recommended.

[Toni · Rating 1 out of 5]

Изключително глупава книга. Е, да, очакванията ми бяха големи - обожавам библиотеките, а и последната книга за библиотеки, която прочетох - за котето Дюи, наистина ми хареса, но тази книга не само не ме развълнува по какъвто и да било начин, но и ме ядоса с това колко бе скучна и безсмислено протяжна. Пълна загуба на време.

[Mrs. Midnight Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Това е от книгите, които чета за два дни. Лежерна, в същото време интересна. Хареса ми най-вече, защото ми напомни на любимите ми филми на Hallmark. Стилът е небрежен, диалозите, хванати от ежедневието и в крайна сметка - историята следи няколко сюжетни линии, вместо да се фокусира единствено и само върху темата от корицата

[Amber · Rating 1 out of 5]

This novel took forever to get anywhere. I read the entire novel and I still felt like it didn't accomplish much which is odd because plot happened; Louisiana did indeed save the library. I couldn't relate to the characters. To me, they were pretty flat. They tried with Louisiana, but she just came off as the same doormat she always was. I don't feel like she grew because we were left out of probably the most important proposal of her life. The point was for her to move on, but instead we just get a scene of her looking down at a ring that Sal apparently proposed to her with or something. Who knows--we weren't shown. And Sal, not one part of me found him attractive. Perhaps if we could see that lawyer brain in action rather than just farmer strong man, perhaps I would have felt somewhat differently, but he bored me. His dog obsession gave me terrible flashbacks of taking care of my grandmother's five tiny, barking dogs and he had ten. Ten. Do you have any idea how much of a mess ten dogs make? If one decides to go to the bathroom in the house, they all do. All of them. I do love dogs, but ten is just far too many. He's the crazy dog man.

The Brendan story line was unnecessary. We didn't need his redeeming, we didn't really get to see their relationship in the first place for him to need to come back into the kid's lives. The children were annoying hands down, but perhaps that was the goal of the author and she more than succeeded.

I don't understand why Louisiana let Brendan and Julia take the kids with them on their wedding night. I would think that there would be other celebrations rather than taking care of children that they were fairly unfamiliar with.

The pacing of this novel is all over the place, months and weeks pass without warning so it's hard to say where we are in time. I swear that the Furnace in the school broke not in the winter because just the week before Louisiana was walking comfortably bare foot on and in the mud to see her potential house, so that didn't make sense. There wasn't any moment that snow was falling because Sal was growing strawberries, so why did the school have to close because of the furnace...

But let's talk about the library, which is apparently the important thing here. This is one messed up library system and this town is just under 50% filled with fools. The bible does little to better any kind of education except for spiritual and spiritual education does not a well-rounded individual make. Go to the library. Read a book. Be decent human beings. Learn something more than one rewritten and reworked piece can provide. Back to the library (got distracted there). When we first encounter this library, it is described as shabby and falling apart. The books have several tears and are taped back together. It sounds like they have a very small, continuously dwindling collection and very little funding for new titles. My question is where are all these books that the librarians cataloging coming from? Is the main branch in charge of cataloging for every other branch? I work at a library, the most new books we get at once are probably just a little over 100 and that's if they are several repeats of kids books and we're a well-stocked and active system. Why is it taking them forever to catalogue? I don't understand this system. Clearly the author has library experience, but her library just doesn't make sense to me.

[Lauren Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay, so I completely feel in love with Louisiana aka Louise. She was shy and quiet at first, but after a little time she became bold and outspoken. Without Louise and Sylvia the Alligator Bayou Library wouldn't even exist.

After losing their jobs at a collage Louise and Sylvia accept jobs at a small library in the middle of nowhere. Welcome to Alligator Bayou. Louise ends up having to sell her house and move into the town to be closer to work and a co workers good looking cousin. Together they change the library for the better.

New classes, extended hours and more multimedia choices for patrons all help get a new tax for the library. In return, Louise gets a permanent job and gets to see the community grow.

While dealing with the library, Louise is faced with her ex husband moving closer and wanting a relationship with his kids. After their divorce the only thing he had for them was money, when he bothered to send it. Now with his new wife, they are all trying to figure out how to co-parent. It goes a lot better once Louise learns how to let go of control, and its a lot better for her too.

Then there is Sal, her new boyfriend. Thankfully, they are both willing to go slow and heal old wounds fist. This is a dynamite couple, in my opinion, that will last a lifetime.

Trust me, you NEED to read Louisiana Saves the Library!! You will thank me for it later :) Emily Beck Cogburn feels that Louise's story is finished, but if she ever decides to write a follow up I will without question be reading it! (Maybe one of the kids when their older? All the things they learned from a strong mother? Just ideas...)

I received a complimentary copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. These thoughts and opinions are all mine.

[Zlatina Nyagolova · Rating 4 out of 5]

Много ми хареса, но може би защото свързвах главната героиня с моя приятелка, която е досущ като Луиз.
Единствените ми забележки са, че може би трябваше да се казва "Силвия спасява библиотека" - това момиче беше инициатора на цялата работа и се ангажираше с повечето идеи и организация. Също така описанието на книгата подвежда читателя, че Луиз е "решила" да се върне към корените си, все едно това става по нейно желание. Първо - то й се налага и Второ - не е към никакви корени, а в съвсем друг град, където никога не е била. Според мен по-достоверно описание би било "Самотна майка е принудена да работи в малка библиотека, която в последствие се превръща в много повече, благодарение на най-добрата й приятелка. "
Като се абстрахирам от това, че имах съвсем другия очаквания за книгата - беше ми много лека и интересна за четене. Остави ме с наистина приятни чувства! :)

[Lenisa Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cute book based on a small town library. It was fun to read how a university librarian has to switch gears and work "just scanning barcodes" for library patrons in a southern Louisiana parish. There were lots of fun moments I could relate too with her along the way, but overall this work of fiction does not come close to the crazy moments that happen at my small town library. And, I can vouch that my staff are working a lot harder than they ever do in this story while clocked in at the library, ha.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Louisiana is a single mom with horribly behaved children and an ex she can’t stand. After losing her job at the college she finds a job in a small town library that is on it’s last legs. She and a friend bring classes,story time and multi medi to the library all the while fighting to keep the library open. She has to work on a campaign to pass a tax first to keep her job and than to keep the library open.

[Darren · Rating 4 out of 5]

It wasn't too bad of a book. I enjoyed reading it. I won this book as part of a good reads giveaway. It had a good story to it. This is my first book by this author. I hope to read more books by this author.

[Terry Buckner · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun read; nothing too challenging but definitely worth the time if you want a light, fun novel. As a librarian, I really enjoyed the setting.

[Gillian Brownlee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun little bit of fluff, especially with St. Tammany Parish currently dealing with all of the book challenges.

[Jen Meyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

A random find at the library and I couldn’t put it down. Really great characters, excellent story lines and who doesn’t like a book about a library?

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this a lot. I would have liked it even better if so much hadn't happened "off screen". I loved the setting and the cozy small town feel. The characters were all fun, too. I don't know why this is getting classified as a cozy mystery, because it's not a mystery at all. It's just a nice, easy to read, feel-good, plain old fiction with a little bit of romance thrown in.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I could see myself in this book as the main character! This book is very descriptive and easy to read. I love the setting-Baton Rouge, LA., (close in proximity to where I live).

[Jeanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel with the “get ‘er done” heroine, Louise (short for Louisiana) is awesome! ‘Louisiana Saves the Library’ is the debut novel of Emily Beck Cogburn, a new and welcome voice in women’s fiction. She shines a light on how some women really feel through the crises of being a single mother and a professional woman who feels compared to others and found lacking. I love this young mother who takes her children to a kid’s birthday party with an uneven, clearly not custom-wrapped gift. She feels as a ‘mutt among purebreds’. She’s busier than most, trying to be everything to her children and her employer. Ms. Cogburn’s down-to-earth story exudes Southern charm it shows the resilience of women who change career directions if needed, raise children, and keep going when everything in them wants to run away.
Louisiana (Louise) from Minnesota moved to Saint Jude, LA to when she was offered a position as a professor at Louisiana A & M. Newly divorced with two young children, she finds one friend among the well-heeled Southern women. Sylvia and Louise were going to be laid off from their positions, and neither could afford it. Louise and Sylvia urgently needed new jobs. Sylvia actually found two in the same place, working in a public library in tiny Alligator Bayou, where there was no multimedia for patrons, or current computer equipment, or competitive pay. This reader loved their first day at the library – what a blast! They worked hard, developed programs for all ages within the community, and tried to get what was necessary to help the community maintain independence while competing with bigger cities. When the voices of the movers and shakers planned to shut down the library, it looked as though they would have to find another new job. Sylvia and Louise had come to love the people in the Parrish; Louise moved there and began a friendship with Sal, her neighbor. The women were willing to fight to turn the tide to meet community needs.
The author included varied personalities in this novel, many of whom we may work with, mom-van pool with, work for, or include as friends. We see this novel mostly from the point of view of Louise and of Sal, Louise’s new neighbor in Alligator Bayou, so they are fully-dimensional characters. Trudy, one of the library employees, and Sylvia also become transparent to the reader. I was impressed with how each person was presented; the descriptions, conversations and behaviors are so well-put together I could almost think they were actual people whose lives I was privy to.
The story gains momentum quickly, with a plot becoming more complex with each twist. Watching Louise grow personally and professionally is a pleasure, and seeing events with the author’s wit and humor shows how we can take ourselves and others less seriously. I highly recommend ‘Louisiana Saves the Library’ to every woman who has felt like a ‘mutt among purebreds’, tried to keep a job she liked, raised her children without damaging them too much, or even someone who admits she can’t do it all and is okay with it. Women of all ages can appreciate it, and one doesn’t need to be a mom or work outside the home to ‘get it’. If you are open to the possibility that you can make a difference, this is your next read.
With a grateful heart, I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are my own, and no monetary compensation was received for this review.

[Kristina Anderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Louisiana Saves the Library by Emily Beck Cogburn is a fun book to read. Louisiana Richardson (aka Louise) is a newly divorced woman with two young children (her husband asked for a divorce about three months after the birth of their second child). Louise moved to St. Jude, Louisiana about a year ago with her two children to accept an academic position in the Library Science Department at Louisiana A&M. Louise is having trouble making ends meet on her salary and with the child support she receives from her ex-husband, Brendan (when he sends it). Then come the budget cuts. Louise and her friend, Sylvia Jones are both laid off from the college. Sylvia finds the two of them jobs at the Alligator Bayou Parish Library. It will be the first time either of them have worked in a public library (they have always preferred academia).

Alligator Bayou Parish Library stopped evolving sometime in the late 80s. The library is seriously behind the times. Mr. Foley Hatfield, the library director, spends his days in his office updating his goat breeding site (and some online gambling). Mr. Hatfield is not interested in bringing the library into the modern age (with DVD’s, CD’s eBooks, a young adult room, etc.) and make it more a part of the community. Louise and Sylvia decide to drag the library into the twenty-first century (despite the opposition from Mr. Hatfield and Mrs. Gunderson—a big wig in the town who would like to see the library closed). Louise and Sylvia have their work cut out for them, but they are more than up to the task. Louise also has to deal with her ex-husband, Brendan. Brendan (aka Mr. Critical) is getting married to Julie (young and rich). He is also moving to St. Jude. Just what Louise does not want (would make me want to flee). Can Louisiana save the library and keep her sanity?

Louisiana Saves the Library is an entertaining book. It is a little over-the-top at times, but overall an enjoyable read. The characters are interesting and what you would find in a small, Southern town. The only thing that really bothered me was Louise’s constant complaints about her children (they are out of control). Being a single mother can be very difficult, but the constant complaining (whining) was too much. I wish the author had provided a little more information on some of the characters (some characters we only get a first name or a last name for example). There are also some abrupt transitions between scenes which leads to confusion. One moment we are with Louise and then someone else (but you could not tell at first). I did like the ending. It was sweet and wrapped up the story nicely. I give Louisiana Saves the Library 3.5 out of 5 stars. I did like the programs for the library that are mentioned in the book. The author included some clever ideas to bring patrons to the library.

I received a complimentary copy of the book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Check out my blog for additional information about this book and author: http://bibliophileandavidreader.blogs...

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Louisiana is a divorced woman with 2 toddlers. As circumstances have it, she loses a job in academia and finds herself in financial stress working at a backwards failing library.

We watch her grow, evolve and come to terms with her situation and her relationship with her ex-husband all while developing a new relationship and successfully helping save a library.

I enjoyed the various characters, some quite endearing. I did feel though, Sylvia seemed to be the more aggressive employee pushing the library and rallying for its success. I don't think Louisiana was the main catalyst in its success.

This is a fast m, fun read. A book to just delve into when you want a simple uncomplicated story to lose yourself in for a few hours here and there iver a weekend.

[Carla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Louise, short for Louisiana is a recently divorced single mother. She relocated from Minnesota to Louisiana for a job. She is presently a professor at A&M University in Library Sciences. When Louise and her best friend Sylvia lose their jobs in a downsizing, they get jobs working at a library in Alligator Bayou parish. The library is stagnant and the director is resistant to any changes.

Louise and Sylvia get the other employees and the assistant director on their side and begin an ambitious revamping of the library. They add new programs, new resources and new hours. Up against a tyrant who wants to close the library and the unrelenting director, the women are able to get the parish on their side. Lots of fun and laughs occur.

In Louise's private life, her ex-husband and new wife move to Louisiana and want to start spending time with the two children and she begins a relationship with the hunky strawberry farmer next door. This is a great little romance that has a wonderful story. Being a retired librarian, this book was enjoyed on two fronts. I loved the way they fought to make that little library viable and to promote reading with the kids and teenagers. A wonderful book.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Melissapalmer404 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book #140 Read in 2015
Louisiana Saves the Library by Emily Beck Cogburn

This was a great southern fiction read; it reminded me of Ashton Lee's series set in a library down south. In the Louisiana book, after losing her job as a Library Science Professor at a college, Louisiana is hired at the Alligator Bayou public library. The public library is sorely lacking in programming and resources and Louisiana wants to modernize it and make the library the hub of the small town. The director is resistant to that idea and a local politician wants to close the library. As if those career issues were not enough, Louisiana's ex-husband is moving to a nearby town and getting remarried. This book was a great read for those for whom a library is near and dear to their heart. There were great Southern characters in it, nice literary references and a good balance of romance and humor. I received a copy of this book from Amazon Vine in exchange for a honest review.

http://melissasbookpicks.blogspot.com

[Kristin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well, this book was better than some other save-the-library books I could mention (The Cherry Cola Book Club), but ultimately it fell flat. Sure, the librarian's day-to-day life was more realistic than it usually is in fiction (although they sure catalog a lot of books for having such a small budget!), but the whole academic library science professor turning to rural public librarianship just seemed too unlikely. (Trying to picture some of my profs in that position - yeah right!) What really rubbed me the wrong way was Cogburn's characterization of the women who already worked for the Alligator Bayou library system before Louise arrived. They were less characters and more caricatures - all Southerners must be hicks with bad grammar and no education! Still, the overall sentiment and story were good, if simple. Yay libraries.

[Megan · Rating 1 out of 5]

I couldn't do it y'all. I tried, I really did. I just wasn't able to finish this. It was so riddled with poor writing and cliches that I couldn't see past it to the light-hearted easy story that other readers found. Not to mention that Louise is just plain mean. This is how she described a pair of plus sized teenagers: "The girls came in, sounding like a herd of elephants. Except that elephants were supposed to be highly intelligent animals. Maybe the B sister were more like hippos. Sweet, friendly hippos." I don't know if this was an attempt at humor but if it was it feel flat and left your protagonist looking petty and spiteful. Also the love interest gave off creeper stalker vibes right from the beginning. Are woman supposed to find lurking romantic? The author seemed to think so. And maybe it becomes a better book by the end. I doubt it but maybe. In either case life is too short to spend any more time on this story.

[Liesl · Rating 2 out of 5]

An enjoyable book about revitalizing a small town library--however there is distinct bias on both the narrator and some characters' parts against overweight people. I can u detains characters who are meant to have character flaws. I do it appreciate a narrator and descriptions that go too far. One example: "doughy hydrants" to describe overweight teenagers.

I wanted to like it more but just couldn't because of alienated I felt as an overweight reader.