The Sweet Potato Queens' Book of Love

I wasn’t quite sure what to think of this book when I first saw it. Who are the Sweet Potato Queens? And why are they dressed so strangely? And if this book is so popular in the South, then as a non-Southerner, will I even get most of it? What I found was that The Sweet Potato Queens’ Book of Love is a slyly clever, wittily wise, and wholly hilarious handbook for the modern woman’s life. It’s up to the reader how seriously she takes each bit of insight, but I was delighted to discover an echo to some of my own frustrations and revelations. And the recipes? I can’t wait to try Chocolate Stuff and the Mambo Margaritas!

Really, we Queens love men. They taste just like chicken. Well, we can't really say that for a fact. The ones we've actually bitten were not only not cooked properly, they were alive and kicking. Shrieking, as it were. In our defense I would have to say that they deserved it, and in retrospect I imagine even they would agree. But anyway, we do love men. In theory, at least. I mean, they do sound great on paper, don't they? And we are quite the eternal optimists, we are. Even when there are no serious contenders in the game, we like to have a number of men on hand. Just to play with, you know. We think of them as cat toys.

A very funny book about a group of women in Jackson Mississippi who although not approving of beauty pageants, show more believed that it was every woman's right to wear a crown. So they crowned themselves as the Sweet Potato Queens and entered a float in Jackson's first St. Patrick's Day Parade, and the Sweet Potato Queen phenomenon just seemed to grow from there. Whether dressed in their figure-enhancing green dresses and red wigs or in their everyday clothes, the Queens have a lust for life, fattening food and the cute majorette boots they never had as little girls. Their discovery of the Magic Words that never fail to make any man do exactly what you ask, must rank as one of their greatest achievements.

I heard about this book a while back, and found a copy for 30p in the local library sale last month. And being the lightest and fluffiest non-fiction book on my TBR list, it soon floated to the top. show less

Jill Conner Browne's perceptive, witty and blunt humor will have you laughing out loud at some of her anecdotes centering around the life of a sassy divorcee in the deep South. This book is not only entertaining, it's empowering and motivating. When you're done, you will be scoping ebay for your own tiara.

Oh, and your husband/boyfriend will want to know what is so funny in the book, but you won't be able to tell him. He surely won't find it humorous at all!

PS - it's also got some wonderful recipes that are sure to make you the hit of your next potluck!

Story of a nice, divorced, shameless Southern woman who ENHANCES herself with padding and hurls sweet potatoes from parade floats, surrounded by other queens for the day.
Who can resist this voice? God, I love it. Cheers me right up. Much of the advice concerning men is sound, if exaggerated. But one book of this series is enough for me (as with Harry Potter).

Another one from the "light/fun/Southern" book category for my irl book club.

It's from the 1990s so everything didn't quite make it unscathed through time but there were a few chuckles in there even so. I'm not sure why it had chapter designations as the content always quickly veered away from the topic. It would have been fine as one long stream-of-consciousness story. Not really my cup of tea but not the worst thing I've read. What can I say? It was...

Not too many books can make me laugh like this one did. I really enjoyed it. Would've given it a "10" rating if it hadn't been for the last part of the book just not being quite as funny as the rest.

Loved this book. It made me laugh out loud, sitting in a room by myself. If you are from the south you will recognize the people in this book. It didn't try to be something it wasn't. It was just a fun read and if you got something out of it, great and if you didn't, that was okay too.