The Sweet Potato Queen's Wedding Planner/Divorce Guide

Brown's fifth outing shows no sign of wearing out her welcome as the Southern fried guru of belles past 40 but never past their prime. Browne justifies her one-stop shopping approach to relationships (which combines advice on planning nuptials as well as tearing them asunder) by quipping, "Statistically, 100% of all divorces do start with weddings." Browne's audiobooks are laugh-out-loud, steer-your-car-off-the-road listening experiences. But the reason there are nearly 4,800 worldwide chapters of Sweet Potato Queens is because she uses her wild and irreverent humor to empower and embolden her readers. Bemoaning that too many young women are going to college in search of a husband, Browne cautions, "If you're gonna go to college for Pre-Wed, I insist that you also take a full course in Pre-Death/Pre-Divorce and get yourself an education that will prepare you for the 'unthinkable situation'—taking care of yourself and possibly a bunch of children by yourself for a large part of your life." This benevolent Boss Queen has the rare ability to sprout phrases like "busier than a one-armed monkey with six dicks" and still sound refined. Her wonderful, deadpan delivery enhances the humor and her warmth radiates on every track. Simultaneous release with the Crown hardcover (Reviews, Nov. 28). (Jan.)