If you’re anything like me, many of your memories stem from remembering the television shows you watched as a kid. In my family, the TV was almost always on (maybe why I’m a bookworm now, a bit of rebellion) and I would hunker down on the couch near my mom to watch shows like Three’s Company, Roseanne, or The Golden Girls. The Golden Girls was one of my favorites because I loved the quirky women and their interactions with one another. If you loved this classic sitcom too, and wish there was something else like it, here are 8 books that might just be similar enough to get that catchy theme song stuck in your head.
1. Saving CeeCee Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman
Young CeeCee Honeycutt has been taking care of her eccentric (looney) mother Camille for years, but an accident forces CeeCee out on her own. The relationship between mother and daughter might remind you a bit of Dorothy and Sophia, and the Southern setting will bring to mind Blanche’s childhood stories.
Source: Amazon
2. The Year of Pleasures by Elizabeth Berg
After the death of her husband, Betta Nolan moves to a small town in pursuit of simple happiness. She gets more than she expected when a new lover enters the picture. The passion is reminiscent of Blanche’s notorious love affairs.
Source: Amazon
3. The Hot Flash Club by Nancy Thayer
Four middle-age women come together to form a club where no topic is off limits. These womens’ conversations will bring to mind the humorous yet insightful discussions The Golden Girls had over cheesecake.
Source: Amazon
4. The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan
Tan’s 1989 novel has become a modern classic. It’s the story of four Chinese mothers and their daughters who unite over mahjong and their personal experiences with tragedy. Rather than cheesecake, these women reveal their secrets over bowls of dim sum.
5. The Supremes at Earl’s All-You-Can-Eat by Edward Kelsey Moore
This novel explores the stories of three middle-aged women who were known as ‘The Supremes’ in high school. They’ve kept in touch all the years after graduating, and meet at Earl’s All You Can Eat diner to confide in one another over their new challenges as middle-aged women. This book will hearken you back to the line in The Golden Girls intro, “you’re a pal and a confidant.”
Source: Amazon
6. Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe by Fannie Flagg
This novel comes from the perspective of Mrs. Threadgoode, an older woman who’s recalling her past encounters with Idgie and Ruth who owned The While Stop Café in the 30s. A funny story emerges that’s full of love and laughter. Oh, and murder. Mrs. Threadgoode’s story might remind you of a tale Sophia would spin.
Source: Amazon
7. A Good Yarn by Debbie Macomber
A Good Yarn is a book centered on conversation and personal exploration. As you read, you could imagine yourself spinning yarn with the women of Lydia Hoffman’s knitting class and dishing out all the town gossip, just like the women in The Golden Girls.
Source: Amazon
8. The Same Sweet Girls by Cassandra King
The Same Sweet Girls, a group of Southern women, have been holding biannual meetings ever since college. Catching up on one another’s lives proves to be both compelling and heartbreaking. The Southern setting will bring up memories of The Golden Girls‘ southern belle Blanche.
Source: Amazon
Which book reminds you most of the lovable cast of characters from The Golden Girls?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wmd_ZzuzNm8
YouTube Channel: Next of Ken
Featured image via Salon
h/t BookBub Blog
