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|  | Author: Lisa Wingate
Publisher: Bethany House
Category: eBooks
This item is no longer available
Rating:  55 reviews
Sales Rank: 4629
Format: Kindle Book
Languages: English (Unknown), English (Published)
Media: Kindle Edition
Pages: 368
Number Of Items: 1
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.54
ASIN: B002QHVJX2
Publication Date: February 1, 2008
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| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 51-55 of 55
 Lisa Wingate's Talk of the Town is an outstanding book! February 7, 2008
Ed Stevens
21 out of 26 found this review helpful
"Talk of the Town" is one of the best books I've read! I couldn't put it down until I finished reading it. It is an exciting, interesting and funny story of how a reporter, her boss, town people with various experiences, and a very talented young person deals with fame. One of the qualities I love about all of Lisa Wingate's writings is her ability to weave life enhancing information throughout the story.
As an example, "It's not your life Mandalay, it's just your job; there's a difference." Here we learn an important and easily applied lesson on how to deal with job related stress. Another "Quit fighting the sails & let the wind move the boat. Drift on faith for awhile." This one has many teachings, one of which is take a break and regroup while you enjoy your blessings.
"In Talk of the Town," Amber is the young lady who is thrown into the world of the paparazzi and fame so quickly that it's difficult for her to cope. Her privacy is lost. The story deals with how she copes. A beautiful, tactfully written love story adds to the excitement to make this an outstanding book. Lisa Wingate's "Talk of the Town" is already a best seller for me! I highly recommend it to everyone!
This book has all the characteristics needed for a great movie. I can't wait to see it playing in theaters across the country!
Ed
Great - FUN read! February 7, 2008
DL (Michigan)
3 out of 5 found this review helpful
I loved Talk of the Town by Lisa Wingate. It was fantastic to read a story told to me first person by two main characters/narrators. The story truly benefitted from the two totally different points of view. I found it very easy to identify with both women. Mandalay and Imagene Doll both gain a better understanding of what is truly important in life by the end of the book.
I loved the Texas accents that were easy to pick up on. They added so much richness to the story. I also loved the over the top Sweedish accent on the evil boss character. Everyone has encountered a person like her. Maybe not as a boss and probably not with the exaggerated accent but definitly with her personality. All of the characters are very believable, as if you could sit right down in the cafe and become part of the town.
The best were the nicknames in the book because you just know that there is more to come from these charaters in other books and this just keeps you guessing as to who will be in the author's next book.
I would really recommend this book to anyone. There were some passages that had me laughing so hard and some passages that had me reaching for my journal of inspirational sayings because they were just so good.
LOL! Lots of laughs and an excellent story... February 6, 2008
Jandi Oliah (Boston)
43 out of 47 found this review helpful
I bought this book last Friday and started reading it on the T. I laughed so hard, I'm sure people around me thought I was nuts. I finished the entire thing over the weekend, because I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN! Every chapter seemed to end in a cliffhanger that kept me turning the pages wanting to know what would happen next. Lisa Wingate is a great author, and this story is so contemporary, having to do with a show like American Idol, and the ups and downs of a reality TV life, and the culture clash when the reality TV people, press, and paparazzi swarm to a small town.
I loved every one of the people in the story. They were all unique and each one of them seemed like a real person you could meet anywhere (OK, maybe not JUST anywhere) and would enjoy talking to. I could hear the rhythm of the language of this little Texas town, and I could appreciate the fact that, even while being tempted by fame and fortune, they do the right thing for one of their own. I thought it was especially touching that the young singing star, Amber Anderson, doesn't turn out to be what you'd think she would be.
I'm very glad I picked up this book. No disappointments here. I can absolutely see why other authors endorsed it so enthusiastically, and why all the glowing reviews. This story shines. Wingate is a great writer. I agree with one of the reviews that said the religious elements were done in a subtle way, which I like. I don't think a book needs to preach at you or hit you over the head to make a good point. My grandfather was a pastor, and his message was gentle, never condescending or critical, which made him successful with people. He didn't turn people off, he drew them in.
This story draws you in. It makes a good point about the ways God can make use of someone's life, even if that person has flaws, the way society looks at morality, and the way people should act toward each other according to the Golden Rule. Any book that can do all that and still make you laugh until people stare at you definitely deserves five stars!
FANTASTIC READ IN EVERY WAY!!! FIVE STARS PLUS TWO! February 5, 2008
SHERRY
11 out of 12 found this review helpful
I am a lover of books of all types, reading at least one per week, and sometimes more. I read in all genres, everything from Christian fiction to non-fiction. Talk of the Town was one of the best reads I've come upon in a long time. The story was fresh and engaging. It begins with the arrival of American Megastar assistant producer, Mandalay Florentino, in the the tiny Texas town of Daily. Mandalay, who's not a small-town girl herself, has a tough job to do, arranging for the surprise "reveal" concert of a local girl, Amber Anderson, who has made the semi-finals on American Megastar. Little does Mandalay now, it's not almost impossible to keep anything on the "QT" in Daily, where, as Imagene says, the cafe spreads news faster than "chaff in a brisk wind."
From the minute Mandalay arrives in Daily, laughs begin. The chapters alternate almost seamlessly from the point of view of Mandalay to the point of view of local widow, Imagene Doll, often leaving the reader in suspense at the end of each chapter. The book kept me up late into the night many times, the surest sign of a good read. Being older myself, I found Imagene's story, her depression and grief, realistic and sympathetic. I could relate to her difficulty getting back into life after the loss of her husband. One of the things that impressed me most about Wingate's writing was her ability to blend both laughter and grief. The spectrum of emotions coexists realistically on her pages, and the friendly, quirk-filled citizens of Daily are fun and realistic. They show a sense of community spirit and concern for each other that makes you want to move to their town. The Christian element was well-handled, subtle, and not preachy.
All-in-all, this book is just plain fun. Do yourself a favor and enjoy this laugh-out-loud, tender, sweet, inspiring read. GREAT BOOK!!!
 Other authors' reviews are misleading. February 1, 2008
C. Widman (CT)
14 out of 24 found this review helpful
The main reason I bought this book was the reviews from other Christian fiction authors- who have written some of my favorite books- particularly Susan May Warren- saying it was "engaging" with "small town charm" and "hard to put down". After reading Talk of the Town, I'm having trouble understanding why there were so many rave reviews. It doesn't feel like I read the same book that they're talking about... The plot was predictable. Each chapter switches point of view from Mandalay Florentino to Imagene Doll. At first this was an efficient way to see the story and to see the characters from a different perspective. But it's not as seamless as it should be- there are some overlapping events and the story doesn't flow very well chapter to chapter. You don't feel as connected with the heroine because she's not telling her own story- you can only pick up bits from her and then the chapter ends and Imogene starts up with something else unrelated. It makes for a very choppy read. And since there are two narrators, some scenes are repeated but from the other person's point of view. That's annoying- you don't need to know where someone was when something insignificant happened. There were many times where I wanted to stop reading because I really didn't like the story, the characters, or the author's writing style (she likes to give people nicknames- more than one per person. Imagene= Majee, GiGi; Donetta= DeDe, Netta; Mandalay= Manda, Amanda-Lee. On one page they're called one name and another it's something different.) You're supposed to care what happens to the heroine and I really didn't. It was too obvious how everything would work out and who Mandalay would end up with.
The story takes place in Daily, Texas. I understand that Texans have a different way of talking but particularly in Imogene's chapters, it's hard to understand - "don't worry `bout a tha-ang...Yey-us, we shore do..." It's written the way they would say it but it's confusing to try and read it. The author works very hard writing dialogue phonetically- you have to talk parts out loud to get the full meaning of some lines. I can just imagine how much talking to herself she had to do...
For a Christian fiction story there was really very little comments regarding faith, prayer or beliefs. Overall a disappointing read. I guess I can't trust other author's opinions of each other- there are probably ulterior motives involved (i.e. same publishing house, agent, editor, etc.) I forced myself to read until the end hoping that I would see why someone thought this was so good... but I never saw why...
Showing reviews 51-55 of 55
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