The Pulpwood Queens' Tiara-Wearing, Book-Sharing Guide to Life

By Kathy L. Patrick

Book Overview

When licensed cosmetologist turned publisher's rep Kathy Patrick lost her job due to industry cutbacks, she wasn't deterred. One year later, she opened Beauty and the Book, the world's only combination beauty salon/bookstore. Soon after, she founded The Pulpwood Queens of East Texas -- a reading group that dared to ask the question, "Does a book club have to be snobby to be serious?" The idea spread like wildfire. Now there are about 70 chapters nationwide. The overriding rule -- aside from wearing the club's official tiara, hot pink, and leopard print outfits -- is that the groups must have fun. The club's mission: To get America reading. THE PULPWOOD QUEENS' TIARA-WEARING, BOOK- SHARING GUIDE TO LIFE celebrates female friendship, sisterhood, and the transformative power of reading. It includes life principles and motivational anecdotes, hilarious and heart-warming stories of friendships among the Queens, and stories from Kathy about the books that have inspired her throughout her life, complete with personalized suggested book lists.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0446695424
• ISBN13: 9780446695428
• Release Date: August 1970
• Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
• Length: 352 Pages
• Weight: 0.79 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.5" x 8.4"

Customer Reviews

Funny, inspiring, wonderful reading!

What a wonderful reading experience! Kathy takes you so many places with such vigor and energy! Whether or not you were raised in the midwest in the 1960's, you can relate to the childhood stories. But that's such a small part of the overall experience. For anyone who can use the inspiration to get over whatever life has dealt and live your passion. She gives us true and vivid life to the saying, "when life hands you lemons.... make margarita's!!!" Kathy's writing is a thoroughly entertaining tribute to promoting literacy, imagination and fun for fun's sake. Read it wearing your tiara and share it with your best girlfriend. It's worth it.

Kathy Patrick's Book Glitters Like a Tiara

A wild Yee-haa of a read. Laughs galore, I enjoyed both the humor and the humanity on every page. So whether you have big hair, short hair, or no hair you'll love this book!

Wow!! What a Great Book!!!

I loved every word of this book. I did not want it to end. Kathy Patrick writes as if she if in the room with you having a conversation. She is the ultimate girlfriend, the guru of readers and a fantastic author. I thoroughly enjoyed the book lists!! Most of all, I enjoyed the honesty of Kathy Patrick. She tells it like it is. She is a wise and personable woman. I like the way she has learned her lessons in life and the sweetness of her. But, through it all, Kathy Patrick is a powerful woman. In my opinion, this is a must read. She knows how to live and enjoy life - and she takes her friends along for the ride!!!

A feast for serious book lovers!

Kathy Patrick is a national treasure. She is a tireless promoter of literacy and her love of books comes through loud and clear in this wonderful book. Kathy tells her story in a refreshingly candid style. The book is filled with her favorite lists of books- an invaluable guide for book clubs and serious readers. I enjoyed reading about the road trips the Pulpwood Queens took, and I enjoyed learning more about Jefferson, Texas (Kathy's hometown). Kathy doesn't take herself too seriously, but don't sell this lady short. She knows books, and more importantly, she puts her money where her mouth is. Her passion for literature and life come shining through in this book. Thank you Kathy for all you do for readers and writers. I'm proud to be an honorary Timber Guy. Highly recommended!

Rollicking Good Read

Reviewed by Olivera Baumgartner-Jackson for Reader Views (12/07) If somebody were to ask me to classify Kathy L. Patrick's "The Pulpwood Queens' Tiara-Wearing, Book-Sharing Guide to Life," I would be at a loss. Is it a book about books? Is it about book clubs? Is it a memoir? A cookbook? A self-help one? Well, it is all of that and much, much more. "The Pulpwood Queens' Tiara-Wearing, Book-Sharing Guide to Life" is first and foremost a great book and a life-size one. It encompasses all the really important things in life: life, love, friends, good food, big hair, lots of books, snazzy clothes, glitter and glimmering eyes and sparkling outfits and flashy tiaras. It talks about the life-changing events and people that forever alter our lives with seemingly minor acts. It provides a recipe for a killer Margarita (actually, a Marla-rita!) and teaches you how to found and run a book club. It stresses the importance of having girlfriends and how a great hair stylist should act. It makes you laugh out loud and if you are from the South like me, sob when re-living the hurricane Katrina and its aftermath. It teaches you how to listen and how to take care of yourself. It gives you the permission to be the best you can be and wear a tiara whenever you please. It shows that reinventing yourself is not only possible, but can also be immensely rewarding and fun. Most importantly of all, it feels like a great, big hug from your best friend. If all of the wonderful insights, stories and advice from Kathy L. Patrick would not be enough, there are also lists and more lists of one of my favorite things in life: books! There are books for every taste and most every age. Ms. Patrick listed a few books that I've read, actually a few that are old, cherished friends; but also very many that I've never even heard about. And reading about all the fun the Pulpwood Queens have at their meetings, I am severely tempted to start a chapter myself. With an amazing Queen like Ms. Patrick, life can only get better and more fun. And while I am not sure about wearing my hair big, I can definitely envision myself in animal prints and a sparkling tiara. "The Pulpwood Queens' Tiara-Wearing, Book-Sharing Guide to Life" is definitely on my next year's list of books to give to my friends and I bet your friends would love it too.