I love Fannie Flagg. This was a good book, but not exactly what I expected. I could not really find where these stories were hardly connected except for Velma throughout the book. I like the short stories, but not what I usually read.

✨I usually avoid short stories because they tend to leave me wanting more, but when I saw that Fannie Flagg was releasing a collection, I knew I would read it as soon as I could get my hands on it. I’m so glad I did because this was such a happy read at a moment when I really needed it.

✨In true Fannie Flagg style, this collection is filled with lovably endearing characters, refreshingly hopeful views of a long life, homespun wisdom and warmhearted humor. She writes about what makes us human and the everyday moments that turn out to be not so trivial after all. These are life lessons cloaked in humor and wrapped with empathy.

✨I definitely enjoyed this quick, cheerful read, and I recommend it for anyone who needs a little pick me up.

Being a fan of Fannie Flagg, I eagerly started reading this new book and was surprised, but not disappointed. The stories are very engaging and make you cheer for the characters. Many of the chapters are related, but several are stand-alone stories. "Don't Mess with Texas" is an absolute classic! Really enjoyed those characters and that chapter. We need more stories like this about people overcoming adversity and building resilience, all mixed with a touch of humor.

I received an electronic ARC from Random House through NetGalley.
What a charming set of short stories by Flagg. She sets up an interesting opening with the first story and wraps it back together with the connected final one. Readers see slices of life for ordinary American small town life. Flagg's light touch captures the joy for life with some serious undertones. She challenges readers to enjoy life and to look deeper too. Of course, I preferred some stories to others but all worked well together. I wish a couple had been a bit longer to flesh out the details but I could do that myself as a reader. Some were directly connected and told a fuller story together.
A light read that can be read in one sitting or separately.
This is a departure from Flagg's other books but continues to show her style.

Fannie Flagg's books are some of my favorites, portraying small-town America with unforgettable characters and a healthy dose of humor. Her latest book, Something To Look Forward To, is quite different. Small-town America is still at the forefront, but this time the author has given us 30 short stories--some of them short enough to be called vignettes. One family provides a satisfying through-line for several of the stories, but mostly they are unique, without shared characters. The length of each story, some as short as three pages, limits the amount of detail the author can include about the plot or the characters, keeping most of them broad and simplistic.

Fannie's signature love of people, however, is always in evidence. She aims to capture emotions and teach lessons--mostly with the focus on normal people but sometimes with the help of animals or even space aliens. I enjoy her humor and her always-positive messages. I will always prefer her longer works, but this one can be enjoyed in bits and pieces, perfect for the summer,

My thanks to Random House and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and provide an honest review of this book.

Such a good read--positive and funny and gives you feel good vibes. These thirty stories, some of which are interconnected, show people in a variety of places in America making do, feeling good and being happy despite circumstances that could drag them under. Flagg has that ability to show real people from small towns with their flaws but more importantly with their attributes that help both themselves and others. Thanks to Net Galley for the arc.

I received a free copy of, Something to Look Forward To, by Fannie Flagg, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I usually have something to look forward to, it helps get through a long day of work. Fannie Flagg has 30 short stories about normal American people. doing the best they can, with what they have. This was a n enjoyable read, at American Culture, everyone is so different in different parts of America.

A simple collection of somewhat linked stories, this was occasionally sad, sweet and filled with Fannie Flagg's charm, although not quite as charming as Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe, along with her others.

Overall, this wasn't my favourite of her books, although I haven't read more than a few of her books, but I did enjoy reading 'Something to Look Forward To.'


Pub Date: 10 Aug 2025

Many thanks for the opportunity to read Fannie Flagg's 'Something to Look Forward To'

Another amazing book from Fannie Flagg, and this has many short stories that as you read they intertwine, The short stories are interesting, encounter a vast array of topics, and it was something to look forward to, because we didn't know what was coming in the next stories. I enjoyed them all,
I received an ARC from Random House through NetGalley.

Love, love, love this Fannie Flagg's most recent book Something to Look Forward To! So much fun!

A bit of an accumulation of short stories, but some story lines repeated and wove through the book. Such quirky characters. Fannie Flagg writes the way we think, but are afraid to say. So many times I laughed out loud with this book! I'm planning to buy one book for my mom and one for my mother-in-law. I think they would enjoy it tremendously and then circulate among their friends.

I reread several sections many weeks after finishing and this is a book that I wouldn't mind re-reading.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for approving my request to read Something to Look Forward To in exchange for an honest review. Approx 288 pages. Publication date is Aug 19, 2025.

At first, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from this book. When I started reading, it felt like a collection of short stories about people across the U.S. navigating different life situations. But as I kept going, I really enjoyed seeing how the stories started to connect. It was wonderful to discover all the interwoven relationships and the different ways people’s lives intersect.

I loved how it showed that you never really know the impact you might have on someone. It could be a brief day, a week, or even just a short time spent together, but that connection can leave a lasting impression and shape a person’s life in unexpected ways.

This is a nice collection of thought provoking short stories. Many of the stories are intertwined. If you like Fanny Flagg you will love this collection. The characters are quirky and the small town setting is enjoyable. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.

Some of these were cute! Most were meh, the throughlines didn't really work and it seemed to intentionally flout inclusion with hero characters who just don't understand it but it wasn't the worst thing I've ever read.

This is a collection of short stories and funny anecdotes. I really enjoyed some of the stories, but some of the included material was so short that I honestly didn't see the point in including it other than to add to the total page length of the book. I would have loved if several of the stories, which were only a couple of pages long, would have been combined to become a story with more depth.

These thirty short stories, almost vignettes, offer insightful observations of American life as it unfolds. Many of the stories are interconnected, and all are written with Fannie Flagg’s signature blend of insight, pathos, and humor. I particularly enjoyed the clever twists in many of the stories and the colorful and endearing characters.

This book is a delightful read that serves as a refreshing palate cleanser. It evokes a sense of humanity that I believe we all desperately need right now. While it’s possible that you won’t love every story, I highly recommend this fast-paced read.

I've always loved Fannie Flagg's books -- she manages to tell engaging stories about wonderful people. It's so good to remember that most people really are caring, helpful, and nice to know -- you wouldn't get that from reading the news. I always treasure her releases.

A wonderful, hopeful book. Flagg is best when she is in her wheelhouse, writing about small towns and about the beauty and profundity to be found in everyday life. This book is like a spiritual hug, especially in these turbulent times.

I have fond memories of reading Fanny Flagg when I was younger, so this book felt like a big hug. Nothing earth shattering or new here, just a fun story that I was in the perfect mood for. I’m so happy to have been given the opportunity to read it.

Fannie Flagg can do no wrong in my eyes. Welcome to the world baby girl is still my favorite but this one was pretty good as well. Everything she writes will make you laugh, cry, and be so heartfelt. This one was like a bunch of short stories I feel that was the only different thing.

I cannot recommend Something to Look Forward To enough. While Fannie Flagg always writes the best stories, including the very aptly named Something to Look Forward To, she is one of the writers who will get me through the nuttiness of the current world. .