We're Just Like You, Only Prettier: Confessions of a Tarnished Southern Belle

We're Just Like You, Only Prettier: Confessions of a Tarnished Southern Belle
Average customer rating:

To Enjoy, must not take yourself too seriously!

Southern Belle

Gobs o'giggles!

move along, nothing to see here

I snorted in a waiting room......

We're Just Like You, Only Prettier: Confessions of a Tarnished Southern Belle
Celia Rivenbark
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0312312431

Book Description

"On the short drive to the preschool,I dutifully unwrap a NutriGrain bar andtoss it into the back seat to my four-year-old.Sometimes I'll even unwrap one for myself.Studies have shown that it's very importantfor familes to eat together. . . . "Why couldn't the Sopranos survive living down South? Simple. You can't shoot a guy full of holes after eating chicken and pastry, spoon bread, okra, and tomatoes.What does a Southern woman consider grounds for divorce? When Daddy takes the kids out in public dressed in pajama tops and Tweety Bird swim socks. Again.What is the Southern woman's opinion of a new "fat virus" theory? Bring it on! We've got a lot of skinny friends we need to sneeze on.Want to become honest-to-Jesus white trash? Spend two weeks' salary on hair extensions and pancake makeup for your three-year-old so she can win a five-dollar trophy in the Wee Tiny Miss pageant and the adoration of, well, nobody much.What does the Southern woman think of Paul McCartney's marriage to a model thirty years younger? We're not surprised. Statistically speaking, it's almost impossible for billionaires to discover that their soulmates are fifty-five and restocking the shampoo end caps at Kmart.In this wickedly funny follow-up to her bestselling Bless Your Heart, Tramp, Celia Rivenbark welcomes you, once again, to the south she loves, the land of "Mama and them's," "precious and dahlin," and mommies who mow. Ya'll come back now, you hear.

Customer Reviews:

To Enjoy, must not take yourself too seriously!.......2007-08-20

I can't imagine anyone not finding this funny, but alas, there are some out there, bless their hearts. Yes, some of the chapters aren't necessarily about the south so sue Celia - my God! You may have to take yourself a couple of rungs of the perfection ladder to laugh at this - but it IS funny!

Southern Belle.......2007-08-03

Thought it would be funny. Just another put down for southern life and from one of our own. Sad. :(

Gobs o'giggles!.......2007-07-02

This is worth reading if only for the chapter "Screw the Wisdom of Menopause." I laughed so loud when I read that one (at bedtime, in bed, with my folding fan sitting nearby ready for my next hot flash) that my dog became alarmed, flattened his ears, and needed to be hugged. I even read select passages to my husband, who wasn't amused -- no surprise there. But just one thing, ladies (because that's who's going to read this, dontcha' think?), this is not "southern literature" (per a previous review), and it's not even specifically southern. It's a collection of humor essays (except for one that is what I would call a "feel-good piece"), that offers wry observations about being a Mom, a wife, a woman of a certain age, *and* a Southerner. Rivenbark's language is occasionally rough, but then she spent years in a newsroom, so that's to be expected. The only reason she gets four stars instead of five from me is that she occasionally lets her writing get sloppy and her humor lapse into nastiness. Apart from those brief lapses, this was a lot of fun to read. Yes it was.

move along, nothing to see here.......2007-05-30

I thought this was going to be a book about the south and how cute and funny we are. It's not. It's about the new south that has had the south beaten out of it and homogenized beyond recognition by someone who has been not raised by parents but by a big screen TV, magazines and what she has bought into that passes as women's lib. This unnecessarily potty mouthed woman has every tired joke, reference and scenario that you have heard before. The book is outdated and I hardly cracked a smile the whole way through after about the 2nd chapter. If you love being grossed out and think everything your play group does and your gal pals talk about especially their children then this book might be funny to you. If you are looking for sophisticated humor it won't be here. There is very little to relate to here if you actually are Southern, and don't just happen to live here.

I snorted in a waiting room.............2006-12-15

Unless you want an entire waiting room full of people (actually patients, but not very....) looking at you, don't read this book there. I snorted in public and am forever humiliated. This book makes you laugh out loud. Yeah, it does!!!!!

A Southern Belle Primer: Why Princess Margaret Will Never Be a Kappa Kappa Gamma

Average customer rating:

Well done
In reply to WHITNEYBELLE from Spartanburg, SC:
Deep, deep South
puh-leeeez
What Mayonaise Do You Use?

A Southern Belle Primer: Why Princess Margaret Will Never Be a Kappa Kappa Gamma
Maryln Schwartz
Manufacturer: Main Street Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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What Southern Women Know (That Every Woman Should): Timeless Secrets to Get Everything you Want in Love, Life, and Work
We're Just Like You, Only Prettier: Confessions of a Tarnished Southern Belle
The Grits (Girls Raised In The South) Guide to Life
What Southern Women Know About Flirting : The Fine Art of Social, Courtship, and Seductive Flirting to Get the Best Things
The Southern Belle's Handbook : Sissy LeBlanc's Rules to Live By

ASIN: 0385416679
Release Date: 1991-08-01

Book Description

The Southern belle lives on, in a world of proprieties and protocols that would shame the Royal Family (and have). An uproarious guide to the manners, mores, and mystique of the legendary ladies of the South. What The Official Preppy Handbook did for the madras-and-penny-loafer set, A Southern Belle Primer does for the indestructible ladies from below the Mason-Dixon line.

Customer Reviews:

Well done.......2007-01-03

This is aptly titled as a primer on the Southern Belle and Southern culture. Its very well written, and would be a must for someone from places other than the South who is coming to live among us. Factual, funny, and real. We Southerners, and Southern women in particular are a complicated lot; but fun. Excellent read with understanding and lots of gentle, insightful humor.

In reply to WHITNEYBELLE from Spartanburg, SC:.......2006-12-08

OMG!!! I graduated from Duke, so I really can sympathize with you! I had my silver pattern picked out at age 13 (Chantilly by Gorham). None of Yankee friends from Duke can understand why my Grandmother gives me a place setting for each birthday. "Why aren't you getting Prada?" they inquire. How could they ever understand?!? Especially considering that one friend from above the Mason-Dixon did not know about General Robert E. Lee!

Deep, deep South.......2006-10-15

Now you can't come from anywhere more southern than I do...Victoria, Australia..any more south and you'd be at the South Pole! I have dear girlfriends from both Louisiana and Texas and they all declare that I'm a perfect southern belle in my outlook, which some people call old fashioned, and my values. I simply adored this funny book and yes, I do have and use, devilled egg plates, although I had to beg friends to raid their mother's china cabinet to find them. To those people who scorn the refinements of the style of southern women, I must tell them that it's an attitude of kindness, self respect and respect for other people's feelings that show the good breeding needed to qualify as a belle..the parts about the silver patterns just don't apply here in Australia and are taken as just a bit of fun. I've read this funny little book several times now and love it for its tongue in cheek humour and what is basically a lesson in good manners and common sense. ps..not only would I not want to be seen wearing white shoes after labour day, I wouldn't want to be seen wearing white shoes EVER!

puh-leeeez.......2006-04-27

This "lady" flatters herself! Let's start on the cover: a true Southern belle, if she goes to a public university, is a tri-delt!

What Mayonaise Do You Use?.......2006-04-19

I have to say this book is just wonderful. Being from the south, along with my mother, I can't tell you how many times I had to read excerpts from the book to her. I love the explanations on why we use the word 'tacky' , why we have a need for a deviled egg plate, and why it is tacky to use Miracle Whip in your chicken salad. And I learned something new, I beeter pick out my silver pattern, it seems to define what type of lady that you will be. If you have ever wanted to learn about why your southern friends could live off of 'sweet tea' this book explains it!

Average customer rating:

What the heck happened?
Ham Bones - A fun, mysterious read
Southern Belle moving on up.
Diva Sarah Booth
Broken Bones

Ham Bones (A Southern Belle Mystery)
Carolyn Haines
Manufacturer: Kensington
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Bones To Pick (A Southern Belle Mysteries)
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ASIN: 0758210922

Book Description

As bracing as a mint julep on a hot afternoon, Carolyn Haines's Southern Belle mysteries kick sleuthing up a notch with Sarah Booth Delaney, the sassiest heroine this side of the Mississippi. When Broadway comes to the Delta, Death takes a bow—but Sarah Booth is the star suspect... Zinnia is abuzz: displaced from its New Orleans venue, a red-hot touring production of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof is opening right in the heart of town, featuring hunky star Graf Mileau! While most folks are excited, Sarah Booth, who had her own brief stint on The Great White Way—and on the arm of Mileau himself—is less than thrilled. Graf is now linked with his costar, Renata Troviola, a dyed-in-the-wool diva who plans to ride Graf's coattails all the way to Hollywood. But Renata's trip to the top comes to a screeching halt on the play's second night, when someone laces her lipstick with cyanide.

The plot thickens when Renata's brother arrives on the scene and makes it clear exactly who he thinks the killer is. It seems Renata was stirring up plenty of drama behind the scenes, making enemies galore: her long-suffering makeup artist, an extremely harsh critic, an angry audience member...even boy toy Graf had a motive. But the most damning evidence points to Sarah Booth herself, and before she can say Big Daddy, she's topping Sheriff Coleman's list of suspects.

Being a P.I. accused of murder is bad enough, but being investigated by the potential love of one's life is downright mortifying. Now, to save her reputation and her romance, Sarah Booth reckons she'll have to bring the curtain down on a mystery with more twists and turns than the Old Muddy...

Customer Reviews:

What the heck happened?.......2007-09-19

I picked up the first book in this series a few weeks ago and have been voraciously reading them one after another. At the end of Bones to Pick I was really excited to read this one to see what happens between Sarah Booth and Coleman. And all I have to say is..... what happened?!?!?! SPOILER ALERT!!!!!!! She went from being excited for what her future held at the beginning of the book to tossing true love away and going to Hollywood?!?!?! I was as heartbroken as Coleman to read that ending. I understand you can't toss the heroine & hero together right away, but we're also 7 books into the series. Even Janet Evanovich didn't wait that long to throw Stephanie Plum and Joe Morelli together! I also understand that the star-crossed lovers thing makes for interesting reading, but Sarah Booth has to catch a break at some point. I am in hopes that the next book doesn't become the "Hollywood Starlet" mysteries, cause I sure won't read it any more. Any story without Jitty, Cece, Tinkie and even Harold just isn't a book I want to read. Maybe the author is trying to give Sarah Booth some kind of fresh start after all of the "living in the past" references in the past few books, but what made us love this character is her Southern roots; it's Dahlia House and the close-knit community she grew up in. Sarah Booth spent her time in New York' she had her self-centered years when it was all about being a "star", and realized that the rest of the world is not always better than your own back yard. I sincerely hope she finds the same thing in the next book. I still recommend all of the books in this series though, because up till now I found it to be thoroughly enjoyable.

Ham Bones - A fun, mysterious read.......2007-08-23

"Ham Bones" was a fun book to read as well as presenting a mystery with an unpredictable ending. The fun part is keeping up with Sarah Booths friends and their activities, especially Tinky. Somethimes Sarah Booth seems to be out of her element, and Tinky is usually the one to level the playing field of thinking. Sarah Booths love life seems to be out of kilter concerning Coleman, but new possibilities are just as uncertain. We see new dimensions in Sarah Booth when we find out the issues of her failed acting career. "She could'a been a contender". How unique, her nemesis plays her biggest curtain finale.

Southern Belle moving on up........2007-08-22

I'm a big fan of the cozy and I love this series. As a former L.A. (lower Alabama) country girl gone big city, I appreciate Sarah Booth's transformation. She's growing but without abandoning her roots. Jitty wouldn't let her do that! Awesome addition to the series. Carolyn Haines keep 'em coming.

Diva Sarah Booth.......2007-08-17

I loved this addition to the Bones series. Sarah Booth as actress adds a charming new dimension to this off-beat sleuth (feminist southern belle--an oxymoron is there ever was one). And I loved Jitty as always, the ghost former-slave serving as Sarah's Jimminy Cricket. If you're looking for a fun mystery read, this is it!!

Broken Bones.......2007-08-13

Was Sarah Booth always this shallow? The answer must be no or else I wouldn't have remained a faithful reader of this once amazing series. I can't believe the woman I once rooted for proved to be so utterly unappealing this time around, not to mention her newest friends. The new potential love interest can't touch Hamilton, Scott, or Coleman, not to mention once a relationship has ended because one of the parties is a vapid non-supportive, self-centered louse there really shouldn't be a going back. Sarah Booth was once a smart, self-realized, wonderfully delicious woman, now she isn't much more than a pouting little girl.

The mystery proved to be the weakest in the history of the series and the solution was painfully obvious to me. Though, I'm a reader that can forgive a multitude of plot failures and sins if the characters are delightful, sadly few were, sadder still, Sarah Booth and her new group of "friends" can not be counted in the delightful group. I guess at the end of the day I shouldn't be surprised considering the cover reminds me of another highly touted mystery series with a female lead I really don't enjoy.

I'm so very disappointed and a little shocked by the glowing reviews, but to each their own are words of absolute truth. If this book is indeed, the bridge between what Sarah Booth's world once was, Zinnia, and her new world, Hollywood, well I thank you kindly for the ride Ms. Haines but I believe this is my stop.

Bones To Pick (Southern Belle Mysteries)

Average customer rating:

Inane, pointless, plotless drivel.
a fun romp through the Mississippi Delta
Pleasing Pick
Southern Stereotypes Meet Bad Writing
Daddy's Girls Rule Delta!

Bones To Pick (Southern Belle Mysteries)
Carolyn Haines
Manufacturer: Kensington
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0758210906

Book Description

Wickedly witty and full of more dirt than a debutante's diary, the mysteries of Carolyn Haines bring the southern Delta to roaring, rollicking life...

Intrepid P.I. Sarah Booth Delaney has been known to single-handedly save her family's Mississippi plantation, converse with Dahlia House's ghost, and capture a killer or two. But when a local girl is found dead in a cotton field, it's enough to make a lady toss back a Bloody Mary before noon on Sunday.

Someone held twenty-three-year-old Quentin McGee's face down in the rich Southern soil until she suffocated. The lawmen think Quentin's lover killed her. When the suspect's brother hires Sarah to prove his sibling innocent, Sarah quickly learns that the victim had plenty of wealthy, powerful enemies. Each had a bone to pick with Quentin for writing a scandalous exposé on her hometown. Adding spice to the gumbo is the news that Quentin was due to inherit the family fortune the day after she was killed...and that a second book was in the works. From illicit lovers and outraged families to slandered aristocrats, everyone is a suspect--and no one is safe...

"Carolyn Haines has done for the Delta what Janet Evanovich has done for New Jersey." --The State

"Wickedly funny. Devilishly clever. Scintillatingly Southern. Carolyn Haines is an author to die for." --Carolyn Hart

Customer Reviews:

Inane, pointless, plotless drivel........2007-09-02

I purchased the first six books in this series on the strength of the first two books and the hope that the promise shown in the author's growth would flower. Unfortunately, each book has gone downhill since then. After the third book, I would have purchased no more. Note to self - buy only one book in a series at a time. This will save both money and time.

This author has so many agendas that it is hard to see a plot around them. Have you ever seen the back of a car with so many bumperstickers, you can't figure out what the driver is trying to get across? That is what a Carolyn Haines book is like to read.

The mystery is non-existent - anyone could figure out who did it in the first thirty pages. I get the feeling that the author writes the beginning and the end of her books and then uses filler in between.

The author is busy keeping a black ex-slave down on the plantation. Her portrayal of blacks place in modern-day society is offensive. Besides the ex-slave ghost, she also has a black woman as a fortune teller, an older black woman as a seamstress, and an older black man as a bartender. I can't begin to tell you how racist this comes across.

All of the men are two dimensional. Seems like if they are in the plot as likeable, it is because they are either madly in love with Sarah or were madly in love with Sarah's mother. I don't buy Sarah as a femme fatale.

What gives with the heartache over the married man? Does this appeal to the reading public? I don't find Sarah's running from person to person in this town begging for news of her would-be married lover to be at all endearing, or frankly, interesting. It makes this character even more shallow as the series progresses.

Right from the first chapter, the book is ridiculous. Explain to me why the acting sheriff calls Sarah to view the crime scene before the body is moved? Is Sarah the coroner? Is Sarah a crime scene forensics specialist? Is Sarah even a licensed private investigator? The answer to all is NO. So why is she called? She hasn't even been hired to investigate as yet. How did this town ever survive before Sarah returned home as a failed New York actress.

It gets better as Sarah and her cohort, Tinkie (the only character worth reading about in this series) run from spot to spot easily finding clues that the police have missed or not bothered to look for. Anyone else notice that Sarah doesn't really do any investigation? She merely falls over clues and then, at least two steps behind her reader, figures out whodunit.

My advice to the author - learn to write plot development and keep a mystery a mystery for at least 20 pages of a 350+ page book.

My advice to the reader - pass on this author and read some decent mystery books by Earlene Fowler, Donna Andrews, Elizabeth Peters, or Sharon McCrumb.

a fun romp through the Mississippi Delta.......2007-08-22

Bones to Pick is indeed a charming and fun mystery. It's not literary, it's not heavy. In fact, the end is slightly dragged down by all the thematic messages the characters start spouting.

Still...this Haines mystery does not disappoint in providing a madcap investigation by two unlikely partners (and their hounds) with a bit of complicated love interest and an opinionated ghost thrown in.

Any reader would be wise, however, to start at the beginning of the series, and not to take details too seriously (such as a patient having just had major thoracic surgery getting up from his bed to break up a fight.) Quick fun read with characters I've come to enjoy.

Pleasing Pick.......2007-08-10

Haines did not fail in her continuing series of the southern belle detectives. I can't wait till the next one.

Southern Stereotypes Meet Bad Writing.......2007-02-09

This book dumps the reader in the middle of the series. Within a few pages the reader meets Jittie the ghost obsessed with the heroine getting married, Tinkie the former debutante PI partner of the heroine, and Sweetie Pie the red tick hound. Then there's the banker with a heart of gold, the mean ole witch Bed and Breakfast owner, and a transexual gossip writer. (NB to author, sex changes are not only done in Sweden any more). In absentia, but talked about all too much-- the former sheriff who decided to honor his vows to his insane, pregnant wife and a rich, hot looking former suiter that the heroine had turned down in a rather humiliating way. All of these characters are two dimensional and wooden.

The mystery is also dreadful, involving a dead 25 year old author who had written a best seller exposing a lot scandals. She also happened to be the beneficiary of a trust if she was unmarried as of her twenty-fifth birthday. One of the questions to be answered is whether she was 25 as of her time of death. (NB to the author, time of death is tricky and a second autopsy is not likely to be the method used to contest time of death.)

Don't bother with this one.

Daddy's Girls Rule Delta!.......2007-01-24

Sarah Booth Delaney's mama "raised her right," but she also taught her to think for herself. It's hard for Sarah Booth to conform to Southern Belle standards, but when a finishing school graduate is horribly murdered (Quentin McGee had just launched a scandalous tell-all book before her death), Sarah Booth has to resort to conservative clothing and panty hose. Sunflower County (Mississippi) Sheriff Coleman Peters is on leave, the acting sheriff arrests Quentin's lesbian lover for murder, and the suspect's brother hires Sarah Booth to prove her innocence. This is one of the Delta Darling's most dangerous cases, but, in my humble opinion, one of her most rewarding. Sarah Booth is my kind of gal!

Hell's Belles: A Tribute to the Spitfires, Bad Seeds & Steel Magnolias of the New and Old South

Average customer rating:

Don't Be Fooled By Scarlett O'Hara on the Cover
Hells Yea!
Fun
In Praise of Southern Women
Parochialism? No, just good fun

Hell's Belles: A Tribute to the Spitfires, Bad Seeds & Steel Magnolias of the New and Old South
Seale Ballenger
Manufacturer: Conari Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1573240966

Amazon.com

Bad seeds, belles-lettres, rule breakers, shrieking violets, bar belles--how could any collection of impudent sketches that celebrates and lampoons the American Southern belle go wrong? Most of the women on these pages are instantly recognizable. Among those whose exploits or imagination vaulted them to fame are writers Carson McCullers and Anne Rice; emancipator Harriet Tubman; actress and one-time town owner Kim Basinger; ex-Black Panther Angela Davis; '30s outlaw Bonnie Parker; and mascara maven Tammy Faye Baker. A few little-knowns and relative newcomers have elbowed their way on stage, too: Dorothy Allison, author of Bastard out of Carolina; Anna Edson Taylor, the first barrel-rider over Niagra Falls; and women's basketball star Luisa Harris-Stewart.

Customer Reviews:

Don't Be Fooled By Scarlett O'Hara on the Cover.......2006-02-14

I bought this book because I loved the cover. Admittedly, I didn't do much research about it, but wish I had. This book is anything but about true Southern Belles. There are a few women in this book who might fit the real description, but even they are marred by the author's insistence on revealing all the negative and dark side of these women. Don't be fooled..this book is not about true Southern Belles. I was born, and raised partially, in the South and was taught that a true Southern Belle is a woman who embraces her feminity, is proud of her heritage, passes on traditions and always conducts herself like a lady. That definition seems to upset the author because she includes many women who are anything but Southern Belles. Just because a person was born in the South doesn't make them a Southern Belle. The author seems to think that just by virtue of being Southern born, that makes one a "Belle." Her book proves just the opposite. Then when I finished the book, I saw that the publisher is located in Berkeley, CA (surprise!) and is associated with a group called The Wild Women Association, also out of Berkeley. If you are looking for a book about true Southern Women, a.k.a, Belles, I suggest you read Ronda Rich's book, "What Southern Women Know (That Every Woman Should)" or Deborah Ford's "G.R.I.T.S. - Girls Raised in the South."

Hells Yea!.......2003-02-06

I picked this book up at the Margaret Mitchell Museum in Atlanta. Being a southern woman I found the title and the subject matter interesting. Boy am I ever glad I read this little book! It was pretty intriguing to read 2-3 page summaries about historical and current southern women who've made an impact or just made there presence known. I'd recommend this book to anyone and everyone. It's a quick and enlightening read.

Fun.......2002-12-19

This is a great little find. There are some great quotes and it's just plain fun. Who ever knew that there were pirate belles or native american belles, American revolution and confederate spy belles.

In Praise of Southern Women.......2002-09-17

A glorious book - a celebration of southern women, and all that they stand for, from their notorious southern charm to their unique and equally-infamous 'darker' side. They're all here - Tallulah Bankhead, Scarlet O'Hara, Priscilla Presley, as are many lesser-known but just as 'potent' southern belles. Photos, tributes, anecdotes, photos. The entertainment quotient is high and what a history lesson!!!

Parochialism? No, just good fun.......2000-07-16

I admit it, the enchanting cover photo of Vivien Leigh (Scarlett O'Hara) compelled me to buy this book..but I was also intrigued by the sales-pitch blurb on the back cover. Inside, I was pleasantly surprised, with many of my favourite southern gals featured, including Selena, Anne Rice, Margaret Mitchell, Carson McCullers. Hell's Belles is written in exuberant tabloid style (witness the title!)and contains interesting anecdotes and fascinating accounts of Southerners, most of whom I've never heard of but leave me wanting to know more..luckily, Ballenger provides a list of references. The only thing that left me feeling a bit miffed is some blatant Women's press advertisment at the back - as if we need reminding of 'role models' and 'empowerment'and other genderist stuff to feel good about ourselves! Subtle it is not. And one question - drag queens are belles, yes? but Truman Capote?

The Southern Belle's Handbook: Sissy LeBlanc's Rules to Live By

Average customer rating:

Not what I thought
I love this lil' book!
Cute "Little" Book
This book not only sucks it blows
IF...

The Southern Belle's Handbook: Sissy LeBlanc's Rules to Live By
Loraine Despres
Manufacturer: William Morrow
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0060540893
Release Date: 2003-04-29

Book Description

Learn how to navigate life with the effortless savior faire of a true daughter of the South with The Southern Belle's Handbook.

Sissy LeBlanc's rules to live by will teach you how to hook, hold on to, and handle any man as well as conquer any personal situation with the poise and confidence of a sophisticated southern stunner.

And because every woman possesses her own sassy instincts, you can also record your own rules for unstoppable fabulousness and success.

Customer Reviews:

Not what I thought.......2006-03-20

This book is cute. It is more of a coffee table book for a young girl's room. I did not realize that it just listed off quotes to "live by". It is formatted with like a "rule" on each page.

I love this lil' book!.......2005-10-15

If you're a gal who is looking for a good man and finds herself meeting all the wrong fellas, then this is the book for you. It's an eye-opening pick me up kind of read! Will make you realize that you deserve nothing but the best and that you, as a gal, are fabulous! You'll find yourself reading it over and over again. I find it to be enlightening every time I read it.

Cute "Little" Book.......2005-01-08

This is a cute book for a teenager.

I thought it would be more of a "guide" but all in all for the price I'm not disappointed.

This book not only sucks it blows.......2004-01-12

If you think this book is going to be another Divine Secrets Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood or Little Alters Everywhere, forget it. Don't waste your money. Don't waste your time. This book sucks.

IF..........2003-12-10

If you are walking through a store, bored out of your mind or simply disgusted at the lack of selection, your eye will be caught by this (admittedly) teeny book. Or at least, that happened to me. This is a very good read for everyone with "too much of the South in 'em", or not enough! Great quotes, ladies' humor, and southern philosophy that everyone can enjoy. I definitely recommend this book, because even though it wasn't long enough to fill an appetite, it definitely whets the eyes for more. It is the kind of "little thing" you pass on to your daughters once they blossom, which is exactly what I plan on doing!

A Southern Belle Primer: Or Why Paris Hilton Will Never Be a Kappa Kappa Gamma

Average customer rating:

Disguised as Humor
Good Overview of Southern Ways
Cute and funny
SAME BOOK--DIFFERENT COVER

A Southern Belle Primer: Or Why Paris Hilton Will Never Be a Kappa Kappa Gamma
Maryln Schwartz
Manufacturer: Broadway
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Essays | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

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A Southern Belle Primer: Why Princess Margaret Will Never Be a Kappa Kappa Gamma
Puttin' on the Grits: A Guide to Southern Entertaining
The Southern Belle's Handbook : Sissy LeBlanc's Rules to Live By
Suddenly Southern: A Yankee's Guide to Living in Dixie
The Grits (Girls Raised In The South) Guide to Life

ASIN: 0767925270
Release Date: 2006-09-12

Book Description

Who knows what lurks in the hearts of the women of Dixie? A Southern Belle Primer tells us all. In this rollicking guide to survival in a society that has not gone with the wind, the mystique of the Southern belle is exposed. Maryln Schwartz’s cult classic and perennial bestseller returns with a new look to steer the next generation of belles through the enduring world of Southern propriety and protocol.

Being a belle is not a part-time job—it’s a cradle-to-grave commitment—and A Southern Belle Primer covers it all. With anecdotes, observations, lists, and delightful illustrations, the Primer delves into family trees, big hair, the Twelve Patterns of the Silver Zodiac (everyone knows girls who choose certain silver patterns are fast), the fashion calendar (the do-or-die seasonal etiquette of patent leather, gloves, and stockings), honorary belles, wannabe belles, fallen belles, and even why Paris Hilton will never be a Kappa Kappa Gamma.

The Primer also reveals shocking real-life stories from contemporary Southern belle history: the truth behind the Garden Club wars in Natchez, Mississippi, the Chattanooga woman shunned by society for a faux pas in her chicken salad recipe, and the disastrous white-shoe-in-September affair during the Texas visit of Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York.

What The Official Preppy Handbook did for the madras-and-penny-loafer set A Southern Belle Primer does for the indestructible ladies from below the Mason–Dixon Line, in an uproarious guide to navigating a society that continues to fascinate people the world over.

Customer Reviews:

Disguised as Humor.......2007-09-19

I loved this book when it came out in 1990 (right?). I see it has been somewhat updated. It contains very helpful, true information. I just wish it wasn't all disguised as humor. Many of my friends didn't like this book because they thought it was making fun of us.

Good Overview of Southern Ways.......2007-08-01

This is the same basic book as, "Why Princess Margaret will never be a Kappa..."
It offers good insight into Southern women/culture in a lighthearted way.
Great for someone moving to the South or a young woman going to college in the South for the first time.
Easy and fun to read.

Cute and funny.......2007-05-04

I agree with the above reviewer in that this book is just like the first book. It only changes a couple of things, like adding a few comments about Paris Hilton. I do wish it had been a little more up-to-date but it is still a great read. By the way, my silver pattern is Rose Point!

SAME BOOK--DIFFERENT COVER.......2007-01-03

I THOUGHT I WAS PURCHASING A NEW RELEASE BOOK. IT IS THE SAME BOOK PUBLISHED AS A SOUTHERN BELLE PRIMER OR WHY PRINCESS MARGARET WILL NEVER BE A KAPPA KAPPA GAMMA. THERE ARE A FEW PARAGRAPHS THAT HAVE BEEN CHANGED TO REFLECT PARIS HILTON RATHER THAN PRINCESS MARGARET. THE ORIGINAL BOOK WAS A "5", BUT I AM DISAPPOINTED THAT I SPENT MONEY FOR THE SAME BOOK.

Average customer rating:

Belle Boyd--A oustanding book

Belle Boyd in Camp and Prison
Belle Boyd
Manufacturer: Louisiana State University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

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Similar Items:

Memoirs of a Soldier, Nurse and Spy In The Union Army: A Woman's Adventures in the Union Army
An Uncommon Soldier: The Civil War Letters of Sarah Rosetta Wakeman, alias Pvt. Lyons Wakeman, 153rd Regiment, New York State Volunteers, 1862-1864
They Fought Like Demons: Women Soldiers in the Civil War
She Went to the Field: Women Soldiers of the Civil War
The Woman in Battle: The Civil War Narrative of Loreta Janeta Velazquez, Cuban Woman and Confederate Soldier (Wisconsin Studies in Autobiography)

ASIN: 0807122149

Customer Reviews:

Belle Boyd--A oustanding book.......2000-05-16

I thought that this book was wonderful, it's content was direct and to the point while still telling a wonderful story of this woman's struggles of keeping secrect among the Union soldiers. I love this story and I would recomend it to anyone that has an inerest in the Civil War.

Southern Belles Paper Dolls in Full Color

Average customer rating:

Colorful Visual Reference
Beautiful...simply beautiful

Southern Belles Paper Dolls in Full Color
Tom Tierney
Manufacturer: Dover Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Similar Items:

Fashions of the Old South Paper Dolls in Full Color (Paper Dolls)
Great Fashion Designs of the Victorian Era Paper Dolls in Full Color
Gibson Girls Paper Dolls in Full Color
Victorian Debutante Paper Doll
Hoop Skirts and Crinoline Paper Dolls (Dover Thrift Editions)

ASIN: 0486275345

Book Description

This collection highlights the elaborate dresses and military uniforms typical of a well-to-do planter family of the Civil War era. Includes a pair of southern belles, one of them a bride, each with 5 elegant ensembles featuring hoop skirts. 8 other members of the 3-generational family and wedding party are shown. 16 plates.

Customer Reviews:

Colorful Visual Reference.......2007-08-23

I purchased several of Tom Tierney's historical paper doll sets to augment my family history projects. I have 150 years of family photos which are mostly in black and white, of course, so it's great to see the period clothing in detail and in color. The paper dolls will add so much to my research and my family's appreciation of the historical times and stories. Although I intend to keep the paper dolls uncut, they are printed on card stock which would be easy to cut and not tear apart if well-cared for.

Beautiful...simply beautiful.......2001-12-14

I found that these gowns and the people were beautiful. I could spend all day looking at this book...

Average customer rating:

EXCELLENT READING
overloaded
Like a good book gone bad...
Would not have finished it - if not for my book club
Fresh & Vibrant Read

The Southern Belles of Honeysuckle Way
Linda Bruckheimer
Manufacturer: Amazon Remainders Account
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Mothers & Children | Women's Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Dreaming Southern
Bingo Queens of Paradise : A Novel
American Pie: A Novel
Patty Jane's House of Curl
This One and Magic Life: A Novel of a Southern Family

ASIN: B0009S5AD0

Book Description

Hailed as “a worthy successor to Fannie Flagg” (New York Post), nationally bestselling author Linda Bruckheimer follows up her acclaimed debut with a novel that brings back the irrepressible southern Wootens.

The Dallas Morning News hailed Dreaming Southern, Linda Bruckheimer's first novel, as “comic…fast-paced…Vividly recreates America in the 1950s.” The Los Angeles Times crowned it “zany,” and Marie Claire magazine dubbed it ”a comic odyssey guaranteed to induce grins.”

Sisters Rebecca and Carleen, along with their daughters, are headed for Blue Lick Springs, Kentucky, where they are looking forward to reuniting with their baby sister Irene for their mother's seventy-fifth birthday. But what begins as a road trip is really a journey of the heart for each sister as they put the pieces of their lives together before the big celebration. Rebecca decides to save Blue Lick Springs single-handedly from ruthless real estate developers bent on razing beloved landmarks to make way for parking lots. Carleen's hoping to right the world's wrongs with her weekly pet peeve column, but when an attractive McDonald's executive becomes her subject matter, she finds herself reevaluating her marriage. Encouraged by Lila Mae, Irene moves back to Kentucky to live with her ninety-five-year-old grandmother. Rather than getting away from it all, she ends up hiding in the bushes of a trailer park as she investigates an insurance scheme. And their feisty mother, Lila Mae, may still have a surprise or two in store for her lively progeny.

Customer Reviews:

EXCELLENT READING.......2007-01-29

I read Dreaming Southern, which is Book 1 of this series, and Southern Belles. They are excellent and keep you guessing and entertained. I would highly recommend them to anyone who enjoys reading about life in the south and at the same time, wants to be thrilled with plots and funny stories, all in the same book. These books take you cross country and are full of Hollywood glamour and down home southern happenings.

overloaded.......2005-03-29

with similies...while they are original, one in every two sentences is a bit much.....the characters are caricatures and come off as stupid and hillbilly-like.....i would be offended if i was from KY

Like a good book gone bad..........2004-10-25

I'm Southern and love books about Southern women, but this book left me irritated. It started well then went downhill from there. The plot jumps around so much, it's difficult to figure out where you are in timeline or with which character. I skimmed the last few chapters just so I could say I finished it. This is one of the few books I've ever read in which I didn't like ANY of the characters. It's poorly written; Ms. Bruckheimer cannot seem to make her characters and scenes come alive without use of similes. The result is a work that reads as if written by a high school sophomore. I was disappointed!

Would not have finished it - if not for my book club.......2004-08-08

I thought the author tried too hard to be funny and it just wasn't working for me. It kind of reminded me of a slapstick movie (I know some people love that stuff but not me).

This was chosen as a book in the book club I attend. I really don't think I would have finished it otherwise.

I am not "Southern" but if I was, I would be insulted by how so many of the characters were portrayed (complete imbeciles). I can't believe that the people in Kentucky or Tenessee are that dumb.

Fresh & Vibrant Read.......2004-06-10

Being a Southerner is definitely not a requirement to appreciate the keen humor, biting wit and imaginative, descriptive verse loaded in "The Southern Belles of Honeysuckle Way". This is a book that has been tenderly-though not cloyingly-written about family, personal history and what really reigns important in life. The dialogue-especially from Miz Olive-is laugh out loud funny. The turn of phrase is fresh and vibrant. As in any compelling tale, the characters drive the story and keep you turning the pages to learn their fate. As Miz Olive would say, "Let's get ooon with it."

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