The introduction when the AHEBB's are in the hospital doesn't make any sense until the end and makes the book really hard to get into.

Otherwise we enjoyed the book. Most everyone in our book club finished it!

I was surprised, but I thoroughly enjoyed this selection. I found myself comparing our book club to the "Angry Housewives" book club. I even picked up a few pointers to incorporate into our book club. I'm looking forward to discussing the book at our meeting this month.

Our bookclub loved this book, it made a great discussion. Each character in the book found a place in our hearts!

I laughed, I cried...I recommended it to everyone I knew, long before I was in a book club. I appreciate how the women bonded together in the face of all their highs and lows. I would HIGHLY recommend you read anything by Lorna Landvik you can get your hands on, you won't be disappointed.

I could not understand how anyone reading this could not lose a little piece of their own hearts to the wonderful characters in this novel. This is one of the rare finds that make you want to cry when you get to the last page, because its over. Lorna Landvik is an exceptional writer! I would be dumbfounded for anyone to tell me they did not enjoy this book.

When I first started reading this book, I was like, oh no, I don't care to hear about smoking housewives with cheating husbands and problematic children. And I especially don't like books where I need to draw up a character chart with dotted and dashed lines to clarify who's who. However, since my friend gave the book an enthusiastic 10-star recommendation, I figure I will read further. At least it's about a book club.

Glad I did. There were moments I bursted out laughing, and moments my heart felt heavy. You never quite know what the next chapter will bring, except that it would be a good read, as you follow the five women through the ups and downs of their lives. Grant is definitely not the only one wanting a membership in.

The story revolves around a group of women living in the same cul-de-sac who decide to start a reading group. It lasts several decades through births, deaths, divorces, teenagers, wife beating, etc. It doesn’t get into the books that they read other than to use them in the title of the chapters, and to tell why the person narrating the chapter chose the book.
Kari is the oldest of the members and is a widow who adopts a child of mixed race. Slim is the most energetic (she walks on her hands and fights for causes she believes in). Faith is the mother of twins who has reinvented herself with a past she deems more acceptable than her own. Merit is the beautiful victim of spousal abuse. Audrey is the eventually divorced granddaughter of a financially successful inventor.
The book was interesting and kept my interest on the plane. I might want to read other books by this author someday, but for now I’ve left them on the shelf in the bookstore.

good read. i laughed and i cried and wish there was more to read.great book about relationships.

At our book club, we discussed which of the characters we most identified with. Interestingly, all 5 of the women were chosen by someone. Faith was the character the majority of us felt an affinity to. I don't think I would have picked this book up at the book store- I'm so glad our book club chose it. I loved it so much that I have bought Patty Jane's House of Curl! DesaRae (NY CG Spouses Book Club)

Our book club read this, and we enjoyed it very much. There are many characters and you are bound to relate to one of them. This book spans many years, and shows the value of true friendship.

I found the characters each very interesting and different. The reader watches each of these characters grow as they face problems and events in their lives over a period of thirty years. There are many laughs, tears and secrets in this book. It's a great summer read.

This is a great summer read. Very light and easy read.

A book on sisterhood and the bonds of friendship. I really liked this book. Excellent flow, easy, and interesting reading. Great for discussions.

Reading this felt like the author bit off more than she could chew. There was SO MUCH to try to fit in to what was a decent number of pages but could have easily been doubled to accommodate numerous themes, characters, relationships,pop culture and political references that weren't fully fleshed out or simply could have been expanded on.

Whether it was lazy writing or editorial hacking, there were some things that left me feeling a little high and dry at the end of this book. Political references abundant in the beginning seem to be dropped halfway through the decades-long story. Some characters were caricatures (Audrey in particular). The point of view jumped from the first-person telling through two characters' eyes to third person on several others' seemingly unnecessarily or without reason. What could have been a great story through one's eyes became a little disjointed and lopsided with a jumping POV.

The best thing I took away from this book is the strong relationships the women had with each other. The writing itself, about said relationships, was distracting to say the least. Definitely reservations, but not the worst read.

This was a fun book with lots of great characters. This was the first book our club read. We were a collection of ladies who didn't know each other, but formed our club through a variety of connections. Reading and discussing this book was so much fun and was not intimidating; everyone got involved.

This book is light and moves along with a dramatic flair indicative of the actor/author. It's a break from the pursuit of literary depth and made for a lively discussion of the variety of characters.

although I did not like this book, I would recommend this book becuase it generated alot of discussion.

Loved the book because there is something for just about everyone. Loved the relationships between the diverse women. Looking fwd to our bookclub's discussion.

I loved this book it was an easy read and most of us liked it in my book club!

If you are in a book club i feel like this is a must to read. It is real women with real problems and children who have this book club and help eachother make it through life and the trials it throws at them. it was wonderful.

Our book club really enjoyed this one.

I enjoyed reading this book because of how it took the reader through the life journey of so many different ladies. I found myself identifying with each one in some small way but at different times in their lives. Every relationship takes work and precious time. After reading this book, I'm inspired to keep doing that with the couple of ladies who have made a difference in my life. Well Done Lorna!

Everyone seemed to enjoy the book fairly well. We all seemed to like the bonds formed between the busy women. Kari was our favorite character. Personally, i felt that 5 main characters were 1 to many to follow easily while reading but completely enjoyed the decades tracked in the book as well as following the ladies lives. it was easy to read and get into. It was pretty neat that we had just happened to discuss most of the questions already provided for at the back of the book. i think that was encouraging to us since this is everyone's first time being in a book club. We liked the ideas from the book to theme each meetup after the book just read...

This one was impossible to put down as I just had to find out what happened to each of the wonderful housewives. They sure didn't eat Bon Bon's but they were very inspiring. I wanted to run right out and meet with my girls.

predictable

2 1/2 stars. I liked it but I didn't like it. The first chapter intoduced too many people at once. After a while the stories held my interest but I was never truly sure about whom the chapter was about as it related to the first chapter. But I liked it enought to stick with it to the end.

It wasn't terrible but I liked the Ya Ya Sisterhood better.

All the women are different, yet become friends within their book club. Serving refreshments and having a theme to each meeting is something we practice in one of my own book clubs. I laughed along with these very funny women. I sobbed along with the sadness that entered into their group, as well.

LOVED this! Love the fun of it, and the history of it...just laughed and loved it.

Another addictive book! I felt like I knew the characters & was rooting for them. The friendship between the women reminded me alot of my friendships, some tighter, some not so much, but always together. I can see myself reading this one again in the future.

A must read if you are in a Book Club!

This book shows how powerful a book club's bound can become.

Great book for a book club because it helps you to appreciate how influential and important a book club can be in your life. I feel the discussions from this book brought our group much closer.

what a testimony to women and their friendships.

A book club reading about a book club...could have been strange, but I loved seeing how the structure of the book club gave this group of women (+ Grant) a format for their friendships and a way to share who they really were. As they built their "community" on the cul de sac, they grew individually and together. It was a great read and helped us see how we are building community here too.

I could not stop reading this book. It was interesting and fun. I loved the format of presenting the Host, book and then review/why they chose the book and followed with that characters perspective. I felt connected to the characters and cared what happened to them.(could have been a bit stronger with character development-a little to easy sometimes) Brought laughter and tears and showed the beautiful dynamics of friendship between women.
Book clubs will also get some fun ideas for their meetings.

It was a fun read; I loved how all the female characters had such an unique impact on each other’s life’s and families.

The women in this book are wonderful, relatible and fun. The span of over thirty years is remarkable. You'll dig right in and your head will spin..who's doin what now? and how will they help each other next?..and what crazy thing will happen?...its a very fun adventure to go on...so be inspired by a great book club and i know it has inspired our book club to last forever!!!

I enjoyed the journey through the life changing events in the lives of the women in this book. This is the book that made me decide that a book club could be a fun thing to be a part of.

I enjoyed getting to know each of these women and how AHEBB ment so much to each of them differently in their own lives. Very enjoyable book.

Light and Fun!

This is a funny and smart novel about the incredible effort and love for family and friends put forth by "ordinary" women. I loved the book club fomat

This was our 2nd book when we created our book club. We often talk about it and have a special connection to it. If you are in a book club, you MUST read this book since it is about friendship AND book club!

Thought it was going to be hoaky due to title. It wasn't. Enjoyed getting to know all the girls. Vivid description of domestic abuse. Realyy good read.

I didn't care for it because it wasn't enough of an escape from daily life. BUT - the other women in my book club liked it.

This is the story of five women who form a book club, following the women over decades of friendship.

This story is character-driven, with full, well-fleshed out characters. But that is not to say that the plot plays second-fiddle. This story is equally plot and character driven, and it covers the gamut. Childhood heartbreak, unhappy marriages, domestic abuse, substance abuse, the horrors of war, the pain and joys of parenthood. It has it all.

My final word: I enjoyed this book. I enjoyed the writing, and some of the stories the characters would tell. It had both serious moments and humorous moments, allowing you to watch the development of the character's lives over decades. I would recommend this one.

i loved this book! the first time I read it, I was sorry when I was done! so many great characters. Great Story!

This book is nothing like the description. It is poorly written by someone who was trying too hard. It is really cheesy and pretty much a waste of time