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Thank You for Being a Friend
The unofficial guide to everything you need to know about life, according to the fearless wisdom of The Golden Girls’ Dorothy, Rose, Sophia, and Blanche.
More than thirty years after it first aired, The Golden Girls retains a steadily growing cult following. The show ran for seven seasons (collecting a staggering fifty-eight Emmy nominations and eleven wins along the way), and over the years, this hit comedy about four fierce and sassy broads sharing a house in Miami charmed millions of viewers with its wit and verve and, most of all, the strength and quality of the friendship between its four iconic characters.
Featuring fun and colorful illustrations throughout, Thank You for Being a Friend brings you the ultimate wisdom of Dorothy, Rose, Sophia, and Blanche. Find out which Girl is your true spirit animal with the “Which Golden Girl Are You?” quiz; get sex and dating advice from TV’s greatest vamp, Blanche Devereaux; and master the art of the witty zinger with Dorothy. There are cheesecake recipes for the perfect midnight snack, Golden Girls bingo, profiles on each of the extraordinary actresses who brought these incredible characters to life, and the Ten Commandments of shared house living.
Full of inspiration, fashion advice, makeup tips, trivia, and hilarious quotes direct from the lanai, Thank You for Being a Friend is here to help you discover the secrets to maintaining the lifelong bonds between friends who are more like family.
More than thirty years after it first aired, The Golden Girls retains a steadily growing cult following. The show ran for seven seasons (collecting a staggering fifty-eight Emmy nominations and eleven wins along the way), and over the years, this hit comedy about four fierce and sassy broads sharing a house in Miami charmed millions of viewers with its wit and verve and, most of all, the strength and quality of the friendship between its four iconic characters.
Featuring fun and colorful illustrations throughout, Thank You for Being a Friend brings you the ultimate wisdom of Dorothy, Rose, Sophia, and Blanche. Find out which Girl is your true spirit animal with the “Which Golden Girl Are You?” quiz; get sex and dating advice from TV’s greatest vamp, Blanche Devereaux; and master the art of the witty zinger with Dorothy. There are cheesecake recipes for the perfect midnight snack, Golden Girls bingo, profiles on each of the extraordinary actresses who brought these incredible characters to life, and the Ten Commandments of shared house living.
Full of inspiration, fashion advice, makeup tips, trivia, and hilarious quotes direct from the lanai, Thank You for Being a Friend is here to help you discover the secrets to maintaining the lifelong bonds between friends who are more like family.
- GenresNonfictionHumor
96 pages, Hardcover
Published October 3, 2017
5 people are currently reading
205 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
December 15, 2019
I started watching “The Golden Girls” when I was in college over thirty years ago, back in the late 1980s. I’d never seen an episode before that, since college was when I first started living in the U.S. I immediately became a Golden Girls fan and Saturday nights were my favorite!
Soon after that, I realized that the re-runs were playing every day as well. These were aired during the day, and for all my college years, whenever I had the option of choosing the time slot for a specific class, I would time it so that I could watch the reruns. I remember often rushing home from class in order to make it back to my dorm on time. My former boss and I would often laugh about each episode. Honestly, it was one of my favorite shows ever.
Several years later, my husband and I would watch it. Our now adult daughter was a toddler, and she would come running with utter joy towards the TV every time the theme song started playing. It’s one of my favorite memories of her.
This small coffee-table type book is fun and nostalgic. The illustrations are colorful and so pretty.
It would make a perfect gift for any Golden Girls fan. It’s full of fun little facts, quizzes, recipes, and even a few beauty tips. Now all I want to do is to start binge-watching the series again!
Soon after that, I realized that the re-runs were playing every day as well. These were aired during the day, and for all my college years, whenever I had the option of choosing the time slot for a specific class, I would time it so that I could watch the reruns. I remember often rushing home from class in order to make it back to my dorm on time. My former boss and I would often laugh about each episode. Honestly, it was one of my favorite shows ever.
Several years later, my husband and I would watch it. Our now adult daughter was a toddler, and she would come running with utter joy towards the TV every time the theme song started playing. It’s one of my favorite memories of her.
This small coffee-table type book is fun and nostalgic. The illustrations are colorful and so pretty.
It would make a perfect gift for any Golden Girls fan. It’s full of fun little facts, quizzes, recipes, and even a few beauty tips. Now all I want to do is to start binge-watching the series again!
December 31, 2017
I absolutely LOVED this book. If you're a fan of the golden girls, you're going to want to read this book. Full of quotes, stories, information about the actresses, even a spin off series (I didn't know Empty Nest was a spin off of the Golden Girls..), just all around a nice, charming, and smile inducing read that any fan will love and cherish.
November 6, 2017
Reviewed at Splitsider: http://splitsider.com/2017/11/fall-co...
It’s difficult to articulate exactly what it is about The Golden Girls that made it last this long in our hearts. Or at least, it can be difficult to point to any one thing out of its many pleasures. The sitcom, which ran from 1985-1993, featured four Florida retirees living together as friends, roommates, and a support network. Like so many sitcoms of its time, episodes followed a fairly strict format — regardless of the conflict, you knew they’d hash it out over sweets (usually cheesecake) eventually. Unlike many lasting ‘80s sitcoms, The Golden Girls wasn’t targeted at children who are now nostalgic adults. The storylines were largely those of geriatric women living in a world that expected them to be free of desire entirely.
As the title (taken from the theme song, “Thank You For Being a Friend”) suggests, the Golden Girls’ warmth and abiding friendship still hold an appeal more than twenty years after the show left the air. Thank You For Being a Friend is a fun gift book that opens with lessons in friendship gleaned from the series (“Be honest, not critical,” “Be a good listener,” and “Pay attention to the details,” among others). The rest of the book flies between profiles on the four stars of the show, a “Which Golden Girl Are You?” quiz (I’m a Rose), funny quotes, and more. It not only includes a cheesecake recipe (a staple of Golden Girls cuisine), but four variations for when you’re feeling more like a Dorothy (double chocolate fudge) than a Sophia (hazelnuts, citrus, and brandy).
It is also full of charming illustrations of the cast. Chantel de Sousa perfectly captures just the right expression for the characters, particularly when depicting them delivering banter from the series. Special attention is paid to the characters’ specific wardrobes, which are recreated with fine detail, particularly in the “Fashion Profile” section. The warm pastel color story of each page’s background gives the impression of encountering the Golden Girls in their home in Miami. Funniest of all, though, is de Sousa’s portrayal of Stan Zbornak holding his toupee while shrugging — he’s only pictured once in the whole book (appropriately), so it’s all the more impressive that the one picture captures his essence so thoroughly.
The introduction notes, “The Golden Girls…raised issues that many other light entertainment programs at the time wouldn’t touch.” It’s very true, and one of the few ways this book misses is by otherwise eliding that aspect of the series. Part of what made The Golden Girls such a groundbreaking show was the way the four leads dealt with a world modernizing around them. The characters were rarely explicitly political; they addressed challenging issues like marriage equality, immigration, and HIV by being open-hearted and considerate individuals. Instead of being stuck in old-fashioned ways like many of television’s elderly caricatures, the Golden Girls accepted that the world was changing around them, and the only way they could keep up was by holding on to their shared humanity. It was often inspiring and could be instructive for viewers unsure how to bring up these topics at home.
This book focuses more heavily on the depoliticized Golden Girls. Its introduction and conclusion address how big a deal it was to have a cast of women who talked openly about sex, but in between, it’s mostly advice about living with roommates, living with your mother, or Golden Girls grooming. And that’s all valuable, and makes the book a pleasure to read. But for all of the methods the book offers for living a modern Golden Girl lifestyle, it skips what The Golden Girls could teach us in 2017.
This is not the kind of book to read in one sitting. Like a DVR full of Golden Girls reruns from the Hallmark Channel, the best way to move through this book is to pick it up when you need to return to the world of the show (or when you’re availing yourself of Sophia’s marinara sauce recipe). And of course it’s even better leafed through with a friend willing to help you follow the guide to dressing like Blanche, or to take the quiz at the end to see who knows more about the show. Just make sure to follow the 10 Commandments for Sharehouse Living and “remember to keep holy the time when your favorite programs are on.” Luckily, everyone can agree on The Golden Girls.
It’s difficult to articulate exactly what it is about The Golden Girls that made it last this long in our hearts. Or at least, it can be difficult to point to any one thing out of its many pleasures. The sitcom, which ran from 1985-1993, featured four Florida retirees living together as friends, roommates, and a support network. Like so many sitcoms of its time, episodes followed a fairly strict format — regardless of the conflict, you knew they’d hash it out over sweets (usually cheesecake) eventually. Unlike many lasting ‘80s sitcoms, The Golden Girls wasn’t targeted at children who are now nostalgic adults. The storylines were largely those of geriatric women living in a world that expected them to be free of desire entirely.
As the title (taken from the theme song, “Thank You For Being a Friend”) suggests, the Golden Girls’ warmth and abiding friendship still hold an appeal more than twenty years after the show left the air. Thank You For Being a Friend is a fun gift book that opens with lessons in friendship gleaned from the series (“Be honest, not critical,” “Be a good listener,” and “Pay attention to the details,” among others). The rest of the book flies between profiles on the four stars of the show, a “Which Golden Girl Are You?” quiz (I’m a Rose), funny quotes, and more. It not only includes a cheesecake recipe (a staple of Golden Girls cuisine), but four variations for when you’re feeling more like a Dorothy (double chocolate fudge) than a Sophia (hazelnuts, citrus, and brandy).
It is also full of charming illustrations of the cast. Chantel de Sousa perfectly captures just the right expression for the characters, particularly when depicting them delivering banter from the series. Special attention is paid to the characters’ specific wardrobes, which are recreated with fine detail, particularly in the “Fashion Profile” section. The warm pastel color story of each page’s background gives the impression of encountering the Golden Girls in their home in Miami. Funniest of all, though, is de Sousa’s portrayal of Stan Zbornak holding his toupee while shrugging — he’s only pictured once in the whole book (appropriately), so it’s all the more impressive that the one picture captures his essence so thoroughly.
The introduction notes, “The Golden Girls…raised issues that many other light entertainment programs at the time wouldn’t touch.” It’s very true, and one of the few ways this book misses is by otherwise eliding that aspect of the series. Part of what made The Golden Girls such a groundbreaking show was the way the four leads dealt with a world modernizing around them. The characters were rarely explicitly political; they addressed challenging issues like marriage equality, immigration, and HIV by being open-hearted and considerate individuals. Instead of being stuck in old-fashioned ways like many of television’s elderly caricatures, the Golden Girls accepted that the world was changing around them, and the only way they could keep up was by holding on to their shared humanity. It was often inspiring and could be instructive for viewers unsure how to bring up these topics at home.
This book focuses more heavily on the depoliticized Golden Girls. Its introduction and conclusion address how big a deal it was to have a cast of women who talked openly about sex, but in between, it’s mostly advice about living with roommates, living with your mother, or Golden Girls grooming. And that’s all valuable, and makes the book a pleasure to read. But for all of the methods the book offers for living a modern Golden Girl lifestyle, it skips what The Golden Girls could teach us in 2017.
This is not the kind of book to read in one sitting. Like a DVR full of Golden Girls reruns from the Hallmark Channel, the best way to move through this book is to pick it up when you need to return to the world of the show (or when you’re availing yourself of Sophia’s marinara sauce recipe). And of course it’s even better leafed through with a friend willing to help you follow the guide to dressing like Blanche, or to take the quiz at the end to see who knows more about the show. Just make sure to follow the 10 Commandments for Sharehouse Living and “remember to keep holy the time when your favorite programs are on.” Luckily, everyone can agree on The Golden Girls.
December 29, 2017
Very cute book!
October 28, 2017
What’s not to love about a book completely dedicated to one of the very best tv shows ever?!?! Thank You For Being A Friend is a wonderfully colourful and fun celebration of the beloved show, it’s got everything a fan could want and more. If you cherish this show, as I do, then this is an essential addition to your collection.
May 2, 2018
Only reason I’m not giving it a 5 is because of some copyediting issues I noticed. Nothing terrible, but it showed a lack of diligence. That said, this book is a must-read for any true Golden Girls fan.
January 23, 2021
I liked this book a lot for two reasons. 1. I love anything about the girls! 2. My very good friend Karin gave it to me. I was disappointed in the factual errors I noticed in the book, though. I wish the author had asked me to copy edit it!
January 22, 2023
I love the Golden Girls. I didn’t love this book. On the outset it seems like it would be a good stocking stuffer, but it’s very sporadic and disjointed. I was disappointed, and won’t give it to the person I had it in mind for.
However, the illustrations are fantastic!
However, the illustrations are fantastic!
July 27, 2019
This is a cute and quick read about the Golden Girls. It has a little bit of everything for GG fans. There are brief biographies of the 4 main actresses, quizzes, fashion, show trivia, and more. The authors include a disclaimer that they are not affiliated with the show but are just huge fans. They did a great job with this book. Any Golden Girls fan is bound to enjoy it on some level and hopefully learn something new about the show.
September 8, 2018
It's pretty light and fluffy, but it will put smiles on all fans of "The Golden Girls". Although it's a bit safer than the characters it celebrates, this is amusing coffee-table (or cheesecake-eating) fun that doesn't outstay its welcome.
December 26, 2018
This was cute and made me happy and want to binge-watch GG with my gramma. So cute. Needed a read that wasn't heavy, and this did the trick. It's just lil' bits of information about the Golden Girls - both the show and the characters themselves.
August 13, 2018
Pure fun and nostalgia! 😃
December 16, 2018
This was a fun book and a cute read. However, it had mistakes in it.
February 9, 2019
3.5 stars. Love the illustrations!
March 5, 2019
A touching tribute to the beloved show, this book is full of nostalgia and fun for any fan.
August 6, 2021
I absolutely love the Golden Girls, but I don't quite understand the point of this book. It's partially written from the point of view of each Golden Girl, as though they were in present day and also partially a behind the scenes guide with bios of cast members--and sometimes it's written in both ways on the same page. It's not quite a homage and there's very little a fan would take away having not already known. It's just...odd. Though the companion puzzle using all of this same artwork in a darn fun time!
June 27, 2025
The Golden Girls is easily my favorite tv show. I watch it every night as I wind down for bed (thank you Hallmark channel). It is comfort food in television form and I adored this book. It was fun and funny and informative. A great little book for anyone who is a fan of the show.
Thanks Brett for gifting it to me and thank you for being a friend 🩷
Thanks Brett for gifting it to me and thank you for being a friend 🩷
January 16, 2021
I loved the Golden Girls and have always been a huge fan. This isn’t my first book about the Golden Girls and while it wasn’t the most in depth book, it is a light and interesting read that gives so fun facts about the show and gives you tips on how to live life according to the girls. Cute read.
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November 30, 2025Great little book paying homage to one of the greatest television shows ever. Anything GG themed warms my heart, tickles my funny bone and makes me miss my mom. All good, though. There are a few laugh out loud funnies but mostly just a brighten your day kinda book.
January 14, 2020
Good memories of their show and priceless advice. ;D
January 12, 2021
Cute. Interesting tidbits if you're a Golden Girls fan. Also, it shares some recipes!!
October 14, 2024
A fun coffee table book.
January 30, 2022
Pure fun and nostalgia! 😃
May 7, 2025
This is a charming little novelty book filled with Golden Girls factoids, history, trivia, and even a few recipes; like cheesecake and Sophia’s marinara sauce.
There isn’t much to it beyond fan service, but as a fan of the show and the girls themselves, I found it to be an entertaining and delightful read.
⭐️⭐️⭐️❌❌/5.
There isn’t much to it beyond fan service, but as a fan of the show and the girls themselves, I found it to be an entertaining and delightful read.
⭐️⭐️⭐️❌❌/5.
July 1, 2025
I thought this book was a cool way of getting to know the sitcoms a little better and seeing the girls again to
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April 23, 2019This was such an adorable book and since I love the Golden Girls it made this book even better! Such a quick read.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews