The Honk and Holler Opening Soon (Bookcassette(r) Edition)

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Summary: Strange Names, Good People
Review: After having read Ms. Letts first book I felt this was a must read and I was not disappointed. The characters with the strange names are so easy to like, you feel you know them. It was hard to close the book when it was finished, it should have gone on. I'm now anxiously awaiting another book by this author.

Rating:
Summary: Small town people, big warm-hearted novel
Review: Billie Letts proves once again that she can evoke genuine human emotions from her small-town characters. As she did in her first novel, "Where the Heart Is," Billie Letts allows us to sit in on people we are glad to know and, by the end, we feel as if we made a few new friends. Her novel centers around Caney Paxton, a Vietnam vet, confined to a wheelchair, who opened a restaurant 10 years ago and has confined himself inside. A misunderstanding led to the neon sign outside his establishment to read "The Honk and Holler Opening Soon." "Opening Soon" was to have been placed below "The Honk and Holler" as to be removed once the place opened. Now it is the joke of the town as it is forever a part of the restaurants name. Several people become a part of Caney's life: Molly O, a long-time friend who helps not only with the restaurant as a waitress, but as a friend as well. Vena Take Horse who comes to the restaurant after fleeing from where she was. Bui Khanh, a Vietnamese, in search of a life. As in "Where The Heart Is" Billie Letts chooses interesting names for her characters which immediately draw you in to their being. Added to these characters are the regulars who frequent "The Honk and Holler" to eat and gossip.This novel is a wonderful work of art as Ms. Letts shows us that there are good, caring people out there eventhough one may feel that no one cares and that nothing is going right. And, after reading Ms. Letts's novel, we seem to walk away feeling more purposeful about ourselves. Another successful endeavor by Ms. Letts and hopefully another one will follow shortly.

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Summary: A LAUGH OUT LOUD QUICK AND EASY READ
Review: Bille Letts takes ordinary characters and make them extraordinary. You can't help but fall in love with her quirky characters. Ms. Letts takes everyday heartache and shows us that we can find humor in life's ups and downs. I actually laughed out loud reading both her books. She is a talented writer and I hope she gives us more books soon because both her books are quite entertaining.

Rating:
Summary: Read through almost without stopping.
Review: Billie Letts creates the most engaging characters! You've never met anyone like them but they love and hurt and feel happy just like I do but thought no one knew about. She writes in a way where you know what's gonna happen, hope it won't 'cause it's awful, and then it does -- just like real life -- but her characters survive when they should and, in this book, don't when they shouldn't. I want her to write a new book every week.

Rating:
Summary: Heart-warming
Review: This book was a joy to read; one of those books that you can't put down. The characters were well-developed; quirky, but fun and human. The reader gets to know, like and care for the people at the Honk and Holler. It's fun to see how the characters grow individually and together and realize that they're not alone in the world.

Rating:
Summary: Billie Letts has my attention for sure!!!!!
Review: "The Honk and Holler"....was absolutely fantastic!!! Caney Paxton was injured in Vietnam and when he came home in a wheelchair, he never went outside. MollyO, his faithful partner at the "Honk", is a mother of a teenage daughter who has run off. Together the run the "Honk" and have regular customers every day, but not a booming business. Then along comes Vena Takes Horse, and the whole place changed. Vena decided Caney needed "curbside sevice", so she took to carhopping in the parking lot. Caney falls in love with Vena. Also on the working crew is Bui, an immigrant from Viet Nam. Vena and Bui finally get Caney outside in a surprising way. This is a great story, and I loved it almost as much as "Where The Heart Is." Ten thumbs up for this one!!!!

Rating:
Summary: Memorable people in memorable places.
Review: Billie Letts touches my heart again with another story of broken people who have every reason in the world not to be anything, and yet somehow rise above their circumstances to be people I would love to know. Letts' style of writing is what I would call "comfortable." No huge surprises, or great leaps; no preaching or strong-arm tactics to force the reader to take a postition one way or the other regarding the characters; just subtle nagging and tugging at the heart as each character overcomes their afflictions and learns to love themselves and, subsequently, others. Billie, keep going.

Rating:
Summary: Charming, funny, and tender.
Review: The characters in this book reach out, take your hand and lead you into their lives! After the last page is turned you find yourself wondering what will happen next.

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Summary: An evening at the Honk and Holler Opening Soon.
Review: Reading Billie Letts is like that old saying "If I were a fly on the wall." I feel immediately transported to the characters' place and time. They come vividly alive and I don't want to leave them at the end of the book. When the last page is read, it feels as though I am saying good-bye to close friends. Ms. Letts has a way with characters which really makes them come alive. I have eagerly awaited her second novel and am not disappointed. I strongly recommend this book as well as her first book, Where the Heart Is.

Rating:
Summary: Characters that I cared about
Review: I enjoyed the audio cassette version of this book. The characters were easy to relate to and I found myself caring about them and wanting the book to last longer so that I could know the outcome for every secondary character.