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3.99 AVERAGE
3.99 AVERAGE
If you need something to cheer you up, then this is the book for you! Fannie Flagg has created another wonderful novel, and her narration on the audio book is just perfect!!
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Lettura piacevole e leggera, ti riporta nel mondo di Whistle Stop con delicatezza, tuttavia non è all'altezza di Pomodori verdi fritti.
To see more reviews check out MI Book Reviews.
I got an ARC of this book.
I have reviewed pretty much every book that Flagg has ever written. She was one of the authors I did an author study on when I was just starting this blog. I LOVE Flagg and what she writes. When The Whole Town’s Talking came out, it was said it would be her last book. I was sad, but I accepted that Flagg deserved to retire. So now I have to plan a trip to California to beat one of my favorite authors with a stick.
This book means a lot to me. The first in the series was one of the first queer books I ever read and the movie was one of the first queer movies I ever saw. I have seen the movie enough times that I could probably recite every line word for word. I still shout “Towanda” when I am being ridiculous. The characters are characters I love so deeply that no others will ever compare. So seeing them all again had me tearing up reading a book that did have some sad moments, but was generally a happy book. Flagg has shown a pattern that in her last book in a series there will be multiple deaths, mostly from old age or age related illnesses. I didn’t expect to be hit so hard by them, despite knowing they were coming. So if you are as emotionally invested as I am, maybe read this one when you aren’t at work so your new coworkers don’t panic.
The entire book read as an epilogue to the first book (and movie). There was a similar format to the writing even. The issue is, I don’t think this book could stand alone in any capacity. It is so tied up in the plots of the first book and movie that nothing will make sense and it wouldn’t have any emotional punch. You do need to have read the first book AND watched the movie. Evelyn Couch is introduced as a character in this book and she is not the same woman the movie had, because she had grown. She is older and much richer. Her weight is mentioned repeatedly which really wasn’t something I expected from Flagg. This book more gives closure to people who fell in love with the book and/or movie. It didn’t really have a big plot or anything that made it special on its own. There was a plot, but it was still wrapped up in the first book. It was the idea of family and coming home, which are big Flagg plots but she normally has something else going on too.
Ruth and Idgie, my first queer couple. They women who made me feel seen and loved when I was just coming out as a lesbian (this was before I knew being trans was really a thing, so I thought lesbian was my only option). In this book, their relationship was both denied and affirmed. So often they were called friends and Idgie was Aunt Idgie, but then there was talk of Ruth being more than a best friend and that Idgie really was a parent to Buddy. I was annoyed at how often the relationship was denied or hidden, just because who could really deny it was happening? Did no one else see that flour fight? I can understand it, but doesn’t mean I have to like it. This was one of my two big disappointments. The other being how little Idgie was in the book. She appeared here or there, but her antics were either in the past or toned down to grandma level antics. I missed Idgie proper.
All my favorites came back. Sipsey, Big George, Dot Weems (who couldn’t love Dot Weems), and even Ruth and Idgie. I really liked this book, but it is not the first book by any means. I am both so happy and a little let down. I finally got closure to the weird plot hole the movie had (one of the very last lines implied that Ninny was really Idgie, but this clarified that Ninny just knew that Idgie was really wild and would just do what she wanted to do so could appear whenever she wanted). So if you are a fan of the first book and the movie, this may be the book for you. If you weren’t a huge fan, you might want to skip this one and try a different Flagg book.
I got an ARC of this book.
I have reviewed pretty much every book that Flagg has ever written. She was one of the authors I did an author study on when I was just starting this blog. I LOVE Flagg and what she writes. When The Whole Town’s Talking came out, it was said it would be her last book. I was sad, but I accepted that Flagg deserved to retire. So now I have to plan a trip to California to beat one of my favorite authors with a stick.
This book means a lot to me. The first in the series was one of the first queer books I ever read and the movie was one of the first queer movies I ever saw. I have seen the movie enough times that I could probably recite every line word for word. I still shout “Towanda” when I am being ridiculous. The characters are characters I love so deeply that no others will ever compare. So seeing them all again had me tearing up reading a book that did have some sad moments, but was generally a happy book. Flagg has shown a pattern that in her last book in a series there will be multiple deaths, mostly from old age or age related illnesses. I didn’t expect to be hit so hard by them, despite knowing they were coming. So if you are as emotionally invested as I am, maybe read this one when you aren’t at work so your new coworkers don’t panic.
The entire book read as an epilogue to the first book (and movie). There was a similar format to the writing even. The issue is, I don’t think this book could stand alone in any capacity. It is so tied up in the plots of the first book and movie that nothing will make sense and it wouldn’t have any emotional punch. You do need to have read the first book AND watched the movie. Evelyn Couch is introduced as a character in this book and she is not the same woman the movie had, because she had grown. She is older and much richer. Her weight is mentioned repeatedly which really wasn’t something I expected from Flagg. This book more gives closure to people who fell in love with the book and/or movie. It didn’t really have a big plot or anything that made it special on its own. There was a plot, but it was still wrapped up in the first book. It was the idea of family and coming home, which are big Flagg plots but she normally has something else going on too.
Ruth and Idgie, my first queer couple. They women who made me feel seen and loved when I was just coming out as a lesbian (this was before I knew being trans was really a thing, so I thought lesbian was my only option). In this book, their relationship was both denied and affirmed. So often they were called friends and Idgie was Aunt Idgie, but then there was talk of Ruth being more than a best friend and that Idgie really was a parent to Buddy. I was annoyed at how often the relationship was denied or hidden, just because who could really deny it was happening? Did no one else see that flour fight? I can understand it, but doesn’t mean I have to like it. This was one of my two big disappointments. The other being how little Idgie was in the book. She appeared here or there, but her antics were either in the past or toned down to grandma level antics. I missed Idgie proper.
All my favorites came back. Sipsey, Big George, Dot Weems (who couldn’t love Dot Weems), and even Ruth and Idgie. I really liked this book, but it is not the first book by any means. I am both so happy and a little let down. I finally got closure to the weird plot hole the movie had (one of the very last lines implied that Ninny was really Idgie, but this clarified that Ninny just knew that Idgie was really wild and would just do what she wanted to do so could appear whenever she wanted). So if you are a fan of the first book and the movie, this may be the book for you. If you weren’t a huge fan, you might want to skip this one and try a different Flagg book.
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
It is a light-hearted read, very soothing during this chaotic time. The narrator did a great job. All the characters are very vividly described, which has pushed the story going. I can easily to see this series be adapted to a TV mini series.
Well, well, well. Ok so I started off this book hugely disappointed. I loved all of Fannie Flaggs books and this did not have the same feel. I was struggling for the first 50 or so pages, and if wasn't for the fact that I know she is a brilliant author I might have stopped. I am sooooo glad I did not. Around page 70 I was laughing out loud. Around 100 I was so engrossed you couldn't have paid me to stop reading. By the end I was in tears. This book was perfect it was just what fans of her books needed after Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe. If you have read that book I am not saying you need to read this book I am saying you must.
slow-paced
funny
hopeful
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Yes
A really nice story about the small town of Whistlestop, the people who lived there, and the buildings where they gathered for fellowship and business. The book alternates between different storytellers for each chapter and also a different time period for each chapter. While this could cause confusion, it's so well written and the chapters are short, so you are able to bounce back and forth with ease and ultimately see the whole greater story weave together.