This first installment of the GroVont trilogy,is a work of art by itself, but don't stop at the end of this one. Capturing teenage angst, first love, family pathology, and small town America, Sandlin weaves a complicated but engaging tale. Sam Callahan, a semi-normal teenager despite his immature and alcolic mother, goes looking for freindship in a new town, far from his native N. Carolina in so many ways, and finds Maurey Pierce, smart, sassy, funny, and beautiful. Together they embark on an adventure including sexual experimentation, heartbreak, humor, and things they never bargained for. These characters are so real you can hear them breathing. I'm hooked on Sandlin, and am glad he kept this tale going for two more books.

Wow! That's the best way to describe Tim Sandlin's SKIPPED PARTS. I had heard nothing of the book or its author When i grabbed it off the shelf in a flurry of book buying a couple months ago. Boy, what a treat it turned out to be! I quickly went out and bought the remaining 2 books in the GroVont trilogy and they were ALL outstanding. I've read a good share of books, and i haven't seen characters with this much depth and who were so likealbe (even when they do stupid things)in any other novel in recent memory. Cheers to Sandlin and his great work!

Consider yourself lucky if you've just happened upon this page. Tim Sandlin's GroVont triology is funny, touching and even more funny. I'm talking laugh out loud funny. I'm quite jealous of people that get to read Sandlin for the 1st time...it's an awesome experience. Enjoy!

I was hesitant to read Sorrow Floats when I found out it begins with Maurey leaving her baby on the roof--how much more depressing can you get? In true Sandlin fashion it turns tragedy into comedy, and Maurey's character development is just fantastic. As a 22-year-old woman myself, I can attest that Sandlin manages to write from the perspective of a 22-year-old woman with astounding accuracy. Maurey is a good example of someone who screws up her life and then somehow manages to learn that she is worth saving. I went through that too, and so did you I bet. Read this book if you are curious about what happened in the spring of 1973 in a very memorable young woman's head.

What else can I say--another Tim Sandlin book that is as good as the last one...he is by far the best author I have ever read. Funny, sad, real, unreal. They don't come any better than this!

I have to say that I was not seriously searching for a book when I was browsing down at the local book store. I ran into the "out of print" discount table, and happened apon this book *Sorry Tim* I read the first few pages and laughed out loud in the middle of the store -- From that moment on I was hooked to Tim Sandlin. I finished this book in 3 days (would have finished it sooner but school and work call) and it has become my all time favorite. It wasn't until I was half way through the book did I realize that it was the middle book in the GroVont Trilogy, and I was thrilled that there were other books out there by him with the same humor (at times dark, off-color, and hilariously inappropriate) realness, and charm as this one. I went on to read the other books in the Trilogy -- Social Blunders, and the finally tracked down Skipped Parts. I highly recommened this book if you want a book that is a witty, realistic, and exciting adventure through and about life. I laughed at this book, and laughed some more, and cried some, but more than anything it made me feel -- I could relate to the characters in a way that I never thought that I could in a book. Read it. If you would like to chat about his books, e-mail me.

Katie

Besides being hilarious and lewd (a very good start), the novel is quite touching. We all do want to do the right thing, don't we, to believe that the things we do benefit the people around us, not just Number One? And don't we all screw it up royally lots of the time? Sam and most of the other characters in the book (exceptions: Gilia, Hank, a couple of others) seem like they were issued fun house glasses as children and haven't been able to see anything straight since then. Nobody, most of all Sam, knows the right way to be a good person and all his good intentions can't prevent him from walking into trees and holes. He learns a lot about himself by the end of the book; maybe he finds a way to see clearly. All-in-all, very entertaining with a humane message softly delivered.

Social Blunders was the first book I had read by Sandlin. This book made me want to read everything else by him. Sandlin is one of the funniest writers alive. His characters embody that small wacky part of us that we never actually live out. The man must keep writing. (if you send him a postcard, he will send you one back that's personally written)

The only thing wrong with this book was that it is the LAST in the trilogy! I will truly miss Sam, Maury, Lydia, Hank, and the rest of the "characters"! I have read every one of Tim Sandlin's books, and all I can do now is hope he will write some more!

I'm giving this one four stars, which is hard to do for a Sandlin book. But I think it's less to do with the writing than the fact that I've met these characters already in the second and third parts of the GroVont trilogy and like them better. Still, Western Swing is an excellent gateway drug to the rest of Tim Sandlin's collection. Sandling continues his theme of whispy men who need saving via strong women with commitment problems. If I had editorial power over this work, my only suggestion would be to kill the epilogue or at least revise it. After the dramatic mood swing from funny to depressing to ludicrous, it just didn't fit, that is unless you are the type who likes those "where are they now" moments at the end of Animal House and Fast Times at Ridgemont High.

I couldn't frickin' believe anyone gave this book less than 4 stars! Well, the humor is a tad dry, but this has to be Sandlin's best. This book is like that girlfriend you love just because she's a basketcase, you know? You'll love all the characters.

i have never felt so in touch with a book as i did with this one. i laughed & cried--especially when the end came and i had to put it down. there is so much depth in sandlin's characters, it's almost hard to see it if you aren't looking in the right place. i love this author, i have to go out & read his other stuff if it's as good as this!

I've only been on the Sandlin bandwagon for a year, but in that time I've read his first five novels--most more than once--and he's become one of my all-time favorite writers. That said, Honey Don't was a big disappointment.

There are two main differences between this and Sandlin's earlier work. First, Sandlin uses third person for the first time and it robs the story of a lot of the quirky charm exuded by the narrators of his earlier books. Much of the humor in those works came from the awardward moments of self-awareness present in the characters. As a result, this one comes off as much more generic--there's really nobody for readers to relate to on the level of previous books. Rather than a Sandlin work, I kept feeling like I was reading a knock-off Carl Hiassen. That's not a terrible thing, its just not up to par with something like the GroVont trilogy.

The second big difference is that rather than an off-beat look at life and relationships, Honey Don't functions more as political satire. While some of Sandlin's barbs hit the mark, too often things feel bitter so that on the whole this book lacks the insight and the pathos that made the earlier works so memorable.

That's not to say the book isn't without considerable strengths. Its packed full of belly laughs and the characters, if somewhat two-dimensional, have enough quirks to keep readers entertained. There are a collection of hilarious scenes, ideas and lines. But in the end, none of it ever provokes much of an emotional reaction, making Honey Don't perfect as light beach reading but far short of Sandlin's most memorable effort.

It's been years since I've read any of Tim Sandlin's books (and I've read every single one of them )...so I can't compare Honey Don't to his prior works. BUT I can say I really enjoyed Honey Don't. It took a little while for me to get into it but once I did, I found myself intrigued by the characters and what happened to them.

I don't want to give the plot away. Let's just say it is a dark comedy about the murder of a very famous man and the way the murderer and his girlfriend and various other characters deal with the situation.

What I liked most about Honey Don't is how Tim incorporated a lot of modern day pop culture into the story...ie: Starbucks and the internet. He didn't flat out make fun of them...but he kinda did in the subtle way he does make fun of every day life.

It's been a long wait for Honey Don't. I hope all fans of Tim Sandlin will read it. I had NO idea what it was about but I bought the hard cover copy anyway. I'm glad I did.

...That is how funny "Honey, Don't" is. Warning: Don't eat while you're reading this book. Just sit back and thank God that Tim Sandlin has written a new book!

This book is so easy to read, you can't help but like it. The breezy style and quirkiness of the main character make it a nice diversion. But I found myself wondering if an editor ever saw this book before it went to print. There were too many one-liners and odd flashbacks that should have been cut. The most ridiculous example of this is the last line of the novel. I can't believe a publisher actually allowed that sentence to see the light of day.

If you haven't read it already, your time is probably better spent on Nick Hornby's High Fidelity. That novel is far more resonant, deeper in its exploration of the twisted male psyche, and much more triumphant in its message of how love can make anyone crazy.

A truly enjoyable book. I happened across this book one day, never having heard of Sandlin. I read it in one sitting and promptly went out and bought his other 4 novels - reading them in a week. Sandlin reads like a Wyoming version of Joseph Heller and Kurt Vonnegut if they were younger.

Despite what other reviews say, this book does not make light of, or condone stalking. It's an off beat love story. It's about honesty and following your heart. Definitely worth reading - Then read "Skipped Parts."

I wandered into a used book store in the San Fernanado Valley near Los Angeles. On a shelf behind the cash register was a well worn copy of Sex & Sunsets. I figured what the [heck], at least I liked the title. That day I became a Tim Sandlin fan.

Over the years I have read all that Tim has written and his humor and off-beat style have captivated me each time. There are a whole lot of writers out there that win Edgers and Pulitzers, they regurgitate formulated novels that obey all the rules and risk little. I will take an ex-diswasher who is willing to take a chance anytime. How can you not love a novel in which the main male character hears voices in the urinal and the main female character kicks a football over the church, in her wedding dress, waiting for the ceremony to begin. Sex and Sunsets and all of Tim's book are a real find.