Book Reviews of The Friday Night Knitting Club (Knitting Club, Bk 1)

Do women still knit? Is knitting just an old-fashioned skill? Are women in NYC cold and unfeeling and never reach out to each other. With this book you'll find that the answers are NO. This book is story of how women knit their lives together while meeting to knit yarn. A great story of women supporting women, even through the crises of their lives.

Fun. This book is a great testament to the social connections that form through traditonally-female crafts. The author is wonderfully perceptive in her descriptions of the characters -- I often felt like I knew people just like each character -- yet the characters remain multidimensional. Some unnecessary twists in the end, in my opinion, but they didn't detract from the good feeling I felt as I finished the book.

Wow. I was not interested in reading this book at first. A friend recommended it, so I figured why not? It might turn out to be good. This book was great!! Lots of depth. I laughed out loud and I cried too. Books rarely make me cry, but I finished this book in tears. I wanted to reach out and hug every woman in this book. It was very touching.

A charming read, even if you aren't a knitter. It's what friendship is all about...I think I'll dig into my knitting basket! I laughed, I cried,...enjoyed this book which is a very good first novel. I'm sure there will be sequels.

This book was selected as part of my monthly book club. It is about a group of women who accidently become friends through the Walker & Daughter store. Georgia Walker opens the store with the assistance of Anita, a mother figure to her. She also has a young daugher, Dakota who is entering her teenage years.

The club forms when women begin coming to the store every Friday evening. Initially it is for assistance with their knitting projects, but it turns into much more.

I couldn't put the book down and read it over a weekend. I thought I had the ending figured out, but it didn't end they way I had forseen in the first few chapters.

I usually don't like mushy books about female friendships, but this book was just plain good from beginning to end! I liked the way the author divided the book so that each character had their share of the spotlight. This was a good book to read while commuting-easy to read and easy to put down and pick back up later. This book was just so refreshing and as soon as I finished it, I started phoning some friends to get together. These female friendships are valuable, ladies! I have a new appreciation for my girlfriends now...I can't wait to read more by this author.

Such a GREAT book. Loved it! Very enjoyable read...and you don't have to knit to love it! I knit and it made me want to knit more. I also wish I had women friends in my life like the ones in this story. Easy, fun, read. You will laugh and cry...

This book is slightly generic, although it was a nice easy read. It makes me want to learn to knit! It's a good summer read. Not much to think about though, it's not very thought provoking.

I just finished this book two nights ago and I LOVED it! It is written well and touches your heart. I laughed, I cried, I enjoyed every minute of it. Take a few hours for yourself, believe me, you won't regret it!!

Thes story line of "The Friday Night Knitting Club" is similar to several of Debbie Macomber's books about knitting but the characters are developed much more deeply and in a more interesting manner. Just when I thought a plot line was resolved, another more detailed one popped up. I thoroughly enjoyed Kate Jacob's fist novel and hope she continues her writing soon.

The story follows a lot of characters, which was confusing in the beginning. I'm glad I stuck through the first couple of chapters when the interlacing characters just felt overwhelming. It turned into a sweet story.

Other than making me wish that I did knit, I wasn't crazy about this book. I thought it was very slow-moving and I almost didn't finish it. I will admit that it did pick up near the end, but I can't really say I would strongly recommend it.

Knitting. Friday Nights in NYC several women come together. Heartwarming. At least that was Kate Jacob's aim.

I was very much looking forward to reading this book. The cover is fantastic and the skeins of yarn are so pretty against the black background. I was in the mood for some good female bonding stories and learning more about the art of knitting. The blurbs written by USA Today and Booklist held a lot of promise, as did the many reviews here at PBS. Sadly, I cannot say that this is a book that I would ever recommend to a friend as a good read.

My reasons are as follows:

1-Predictable fluffy plot and predictable PC characters. USA Today wasn't kidding when it says on the front cover: "Like Steel Magnolias set in Manhattan". Yup. That about sums it up.

2-Poor writing style and execution. Way too many sentence fragments. Really. Too many. We also get to visit every character's head but instead of bonding with the characters I felt disconnected and distant from them. A more solid POV could have made this a stronger novel. I really did not care what happened to these people and they reminded me of overdone stereotypes instead of living, breathing human beings.

3-Now, I am all about willingly suspending my disbelief, but some of the characters really stretched my credulity. Are we really supposed to believe that a chronic womanizer will magically mend his ways overnight? Really?

4-Considering how flimsy the material is, this dragged on way too long. I found myself skipping through certain chapters and getting impatient for the plot to move forward.

5-The ending is really bad. Everything is way too pat and melodramatic. It was like bad T.V. from the 80's.

Unfortunately the old "don't judge a book by it's cover" is true for this book. The cover holds so much promise- but the contents do not deliver.

A very light read-- it reads fast because there is not much substance to the book. The characters are likable but the plot is fairly predictable.

When I picked up this book, I didn't remember that had already tried to read it when it was first published. I couldn't get into it then, and I fared no better this time. One dimensional characters, unoriginal, predictable and boring. Who cares? Once I found myself skimming page after page, I gave up. I didn't enjoy Ms. Jacobs' latest novel "Comfort Food", and I've removed "Knit Two" from my Wish List. I'm not sure that I understand how or why Ms. Jacobs got published. Books about friendships and knitting have been done before with far better results.

I really don't like giving negative book reviews. I feel bad but....
I didn't like this book. I thought the writing was elementary. The author tried have too many topics (terminal illness, death, racial issues, parent child issues, abandonment, pregnancy, and many many more!) and then never went it to true depth in any of the topics.

I did finish the book but painstakingly....

This bok was not my favorite. It seemed "jumpy" to me...the author would try to write a chapter ending "cliffhanger", only to seemingly forget about it and move on to something else. Some of the story lines were dragged out and then the ending seemed rushed. Maybe put together differently, I would have enjoyed it more.

I've had this book in my "to read" stack for a couple of months. After finishing a dark themed book that kept me awake at night I was ready for some lighter fare. I really enjoyed this story. At times, I thought I knew exactly what was going to happen, but I was wrong and I'm glad about that. The surprise ending was completely out of left field! I am so glad that I finally read this touching story about the friendship of all these women.

My only complaint is the language Georgia used to talk to her daughter and all the pet names. To me, it made the daughter seem much younger, maybe 8 or 10 instead of 13. My 14 year old daughter would probably refuse to respond to me if I called her "Muffingirl"!

Excellent book about relationships centered around a group of knitters who meet on Friday nights at a small yarn shop. I enjoyed the characters and the way the main players grew in character and relationships. I look forward to book two in the series. Carol

A wonderful read. Detailed relationships, well formed characters and an easy to follow yet still complex plot. I was sad to see the book end.

While the writing in this book seems stilted, too formal, and too detailed in many ways (probably because this is the author's first book), the story of these women coming together is ultimately satisfying.

In a world where many of us think we're too busy or wrapped up in our own lives to reach out and become part of a group, especially after the high school and college ties that bind have faded away and the politics of the working world often prevent solid bonds from forming, this book provides inspiration and reasons for seeking out and finding a "closeknit" (pun intended) group of women who want to hear what you have to say, will support you through the best and worst of times, and who show you the true meaning of love, friendship, strength, and courage.

What can I say. I just couldn't get into this book.

Although it is not one of my favorite genres, I have read and enjoyed fiction by several authors (Debbie McComber is the author that pops into my mind off the bat) in which women unite, usually through a craft group, like knitting or quilting, or a reading group, slowly revealed their personal lives and problems, and healed and moved on personally and together as they supported each other. Usually the individual and group stories are told with warmth and perhaps a touch of humor here and there without sacrificing other feelings or decent writing.

But, in this book, the writing style was flat. I continually got the characters and action mixed up. And, I really felt nothing for the women's individual stories.

Maybe if I didn't have so many other books that need reading, I would have soldiered on through the book to the end. Maybe I would have finally gotten into the characters and the story. (After all, I have read many books that got good, but not right away.) Maybe I was just tired.

But, I finally just put the book aside and picked up another that interested me more.

Though the book starts out a bit "slow," it quickly draws the reader into the lives of the people involved in the shop, Walker and Daughter. Even if you've never knitted, you'll quickly be captivated by the friendships and other relationships in this book and how real-to-life they are. You'll also find yourself feeling what the characters are feeling and will be a bit shocked and amazed at how this story ends...

This book is wonderful. The character development is fabulous and you really fall in love with teh characters (even the annoying ones). It is so well written and it is a total fun read. I finished it in about 2 weeks (would have finished it earlier if not for work and an almost 2 year old). I highly reccommend it to anyone who loves chick lit and a good story.

I found this story of women's friendships, growing out of an informal knitting club, surprisingly good. Using the same basic formula -- and some of the same life events -- as Deb Macomber's "Blossom Street" series, "The Friday Night Knitting Club" manages to avoid the shmaltz and features characters who seem much more real. Even though Jacobs, like Macomber, tends to use wealthy-fairy-godmother types to deal with some problems, it's not as hokey in this work.

I read somewhere that this is the new "Steel Magnolias." Very apt description. Wonderfully diverse characters and heartfelt story line. Highly recommend.

I'll admit it, this book did make me cry (something I NEVER do with books). It's a story about a single mother raising her nearly teenage daughter in NYC while trying to run a knitting shop, and the lives of the women who frequent the store. This book reminded me of a grown-up version of "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" to a degree in terms of how women from different backgrounds with different personalities who probably wouldn't talk to each other normally are brought together by circumstance. It was a VERY quick read (read it Thanksgiving night until Saturday afternoon) and made me want to take up knitting again (abandoned it in middle school) but I know I don't have the patience for it! I just found out about the sequel, and I look forward to reading that someday (hopefully the wishlist moves fast)!

I enjoyed this book for the most part. For some reason, I had a hard time warming up to Georgia! To me, she seemed really too bitter and judgemental to be the character everyone was meant to love.

Although this was not the best written book and the characters not developed enough, the story was delightful and I read the whole book in just three "stop-the-clocks, I'm reading" sessions. It has a touch of struggle, romance, mother and daughter relationships, and the development of true friends so that in the end, the book does work for a light but enjoyable read. I look forward to reading more of this author.

I'm usually a mystery-historical fiction-horror kind of gal, but I really loved this story about Georgia and Dakota, Walker and Daughter. It tells a timeless story about friends, family and forgiveness. I'll be looking for more of Ms. Jabobs' books! Highly recommend.

I really enjoyed this book. The character development was great. You really felt like you knew these people and by the end that you'd like to hang out with them. I had a hard time putting it down and read it very quickly even though it's a bit long. I would recommend it for sure if you enjoy books geared toward women and their relationships. It's similar to a Jennifer Weiner book in that regard.

The book really had very little to do with knitting, but "knitting" was common bond shared by these women. The book was about friendship. You do not have to know anything about knitting to enjoy the book.

Its a chick book but its a great chick book. I fell in love with those ladies.

At first, I thought this book was really slow. And cliche. In fact, during the first half of the book I was tempted several times to put it down and move on, but since I have a hard time quitting a book once I've started, I kept on. Finally, around page 200, the story became interesting. The second half of the book moved much faster. It took me days to read the first half, and only hours to read the second.

I felt the characters and events were a little unrealistic. Though I'm glad I finished it, this book does solidify my skepticism towards contemporary fiction. It seems so much of it is shallow and contrived. Nevertheless, I am glad I stuck with it and was actually quite surprised by the ending.

I have not yet read this book but was looking at it and read the reviews...too bad some people cannot review a book without telling what happens in the end. If you want to read this book do not read the review from stubbytate or the ending will be ruined for you!!! I am still going to order though!

I think I'm the only one who didn't like the book. It was great for the first few chapters but I can't stand a book where you get deeply involved in the main character only to have her die in the end. What a burst in my balloon as I was sure she'd finally have the man of her dreams, a daughter who was every exception to every rule and friends who joined her in journey to growing old together.

I enjoyed the knitting aspect but couldn't get a visual on all the creations because the descriptions weren't meaty enough.

*sigh* will there ever be a book where drama and angst isn't the Ruler of the Female World?

i picked this up at the domicile today for a buck! sweet!! it was totally worth it. i really enjoyed this book (though i had hoped it had a little more substance).

it's about a woman who owns a knitting store and is raising her daughter on her own. she develops a friendship over time with the people who frequent her shop and people from her past- a kind of misfits club.

it was a sweet and endearing story with a twist at the end. it kind of came out of nowhere and didnt really fit with the book. it was like-i dont know how to end this great story- so uh- over. the end.

still a great story. its the author's first, so i hope she improves as she writes more.

It's a rarity for me, but I did not finish this book. The storyline seemed a bit predictable and the character development seemed contrived. I know everyone else seems to like this book.

The many dimensions of this book left me riveted. I laughed and cried - literally! This story spans a gap so completely - through generations, races, socioeconomic statuses, and more. Not only do I want to join a group like this, I want to join THIS group! Definitely worth the read...

I loved this book! It was a sweet story that addresses real life situations. It did get sad at times but overall it was very touching. I cant wait to read the second book in the series that is coming out in November!

I listened to this book rather than read it which made it a bit easier. It is certainly not something I would have wasted my time reading, but it was a distraction while folding laundry, cooking and KNITTING!! It wasnt a terrible book just mediocre. I guess I am just not into "chic lit", and found this story very predictable.

Walker and Daughter is introduced as a knitting shop that has a club materialize out of nowhere every Friday evening. When I begin reading I worry a little that this will be a poor attempt at imitating the Debbie MacComber knitting series.
The cast of characters are plentiful and hard to keep track of at first, but by the end I was hoping that the reason for so much info on each means this author will continue this club in future novels.
This is a first novel for the author and a very good one at that. There are twists and turns and smiles and yes some tears. At one point there were sobs and more than once outright laughing.
This is definitely one to not miss.

I loved this book and as a beginning knitter it has inspired me to create my first sweater.

After reading all of the reviews for this book I couldnt wait to get it in my hands and begin reading it. I was sooo unbelievably disappointed. I found it to be extremely slow and didnt even end up finishing it. Complete waste of time for me.

This was a great book! Kept me wanting to read on!

I really loved this book. It is an interwoven tale of strength and family... and not only blood family, but also the family of close friends that develops over time. Although I don't know how to knit, I do want to learn, and even without having a clue about knitting, this story sucked me in from the start.

predictable and elementary

great easy read. you can almost see things as you read due to the great author depiction.

i liked it, but i did not love it... had a hard time relating to the characters. i had a hard time picking it up for long periods of time, it just never grabbed me like some other books have.

I loved this book! Once I started I couldn't put it down. I loved the relationships between the women & how they changed. It's been a while since I've knitted, but I'm making plans to start a new project soon. It's not so much about knitting as it is about being creative & sharing your gifts. Great read!

I’m sure by now, everyone is familiar with the premise of this book – it’s in the title, after all! A group of women join together, unintentionally at first, and form a knitting club that meets every Friday night at Walker & Daughter in Manhattan. While the knitting club is where we meet our cast of characters, it is really only the background in this charming tale.

As a knitter myself, the book made me long to pick up one of my numerous projects and work on it. It’s hard when you’re torn between two of your favorite things, knitting and reading, because I at least cannot do both at once. However, I have no doubt that Georgia Walker, the owner of Walker & Daughter, would have been competent at doing the two things together!

To read the rest of my review, please visit:
http://www.dorolerium.com/?p=726

I was really enjoying this book, until a plot twist with about 75 pages to go. I, for the first time, decided to stop reading the book. It could have been better without the twist.

Like the cover states, this book is like Steel Magnolias set in Manhattan. I loved the characters in this story and felt as though they were my friends. But, I felt bad by the surprise ending. Hmm... couldn't the author have been a bit nicer with that? An enjoyable, easy, summer read.

Great book! You really get to know the characters... you wish you could be there every Friday night!

Well this book got me started knitting again and it keeps me away from the refrigerator in the evening so that's good, although I'm not very good at it and somebody is going to get some very big socks. I thought the main character was a little lacking. Some of the others were more developed than she was.

Wonderful read!!! Definitely a page turner. The story captures your heart and draws you into the stories of the women who make up the knitting club. Absolutely wonderful!

I found this to be a light but entertaining read, with interesting personalities and some genuine emotion.

A very touching story of a woman with a dream and a teenager by her side. The knitting club is a store in manhattan where many walks of life come together to knit a sweater, and end up knitting themselves into the fabric of the lives of others. A straight forward read encompassing broken relationships, broken families, and how knitting and sharing themselves with one another helps put things back on the mend.

I thought it was a great story about strangers who were able to bond over a common hobby of knitting.

I thought it was a pretty good story of woman and how they are such a great support for each other. I just didn't enjoy all the swearing.

Good reading . Its not what I read in general but it kept my interest. Its a book that most women would enjoy.Friendship and love.

Really thought the ending was bad. And leading up to it was no picnic either. I was very disappointed, I had so looked forward to reading this.

I enjoyed the characters in this book. Easy and fast read.

I'm sure this is a great book but I just couldn't get into it and I was half way through the book. I might come back to it someday, but another book caught my eye and I didn't finish this one.

Excellent book! I could not stop reading!!!!!!

I enjoyed this book so much. It is an easy book to put down and come back to in a couple of days if it is a busy time. I felt like I was a member of the Friday night knitting club by the time I was done reading it. Every time I picked the book up, I felt like I was checking in on my friends. It even made me want to learn to knit!

this was a great novel- a light, quick read, great storyline and emotional plot with a touching twist at the end, and enough knitting and yarn related little details to make any crafter happy.

worth reading.

I enjoyed this book. I wish the characters Cat, KC and Peri were a little more fleshed out but all things considered a good read. Hard to put down for the most part. I really liked Georgia's Gran

A fun book to read. Good for a book club discussion

While the book started a little slowly for me by the middle I couldn't get enough of it and when I finished I felt like I had lost a friend.

I have to admit this book was a little slow in the beginning but halfway through I was hooked, loved the writing style and the terrific characters.

Wow... great story. But it's quite sad. Grab your kleenex!

This was a good, easy read full of feel-good women friendships. A good summer read.

slow moving but very interesting relationships - in the end it's well worth the time!

A heartwarming book and a quick, fun read!

One of my absolute favorite books. Kate Jacobs keeps you turning pages.

A wonderful story about women; not so much about friendships but the growth of each woman in the "club" into her own. Georgia Walker, owner of the yarn shop and single mother of 12 year old Dakota, starts the club in order to teach or coach customers. Each woman has her own story that is developed in the book. You come away with a sense of who each woman was and how their individuality creates a oneness among them. I loved the book!

Great read. The characters are interesting. The personalities are so different in this "knitting club" which turns out to be the glue that holds them together along with the main character named Georgia. Truly heartwarming and charming book. I see this author has also written a sequel to this which I intend to read too!!

This was one of those feel good feel bad books that keeps you wanting to find out more! It was very good at the beginning and then I felt it drag a bit, but it picked up and I really liked it. It makes you realize how important friends are to your daily life and to get out and smell the roses more if you aren't already doing so. I'd say don't pick this book for a quick read because it will stay with you for awhile.

Loved this book. I read a lot and this book is definitely a must read. Makes me want to start knitting!

Good entertaining read. Emotional and insightful. It kept me entertained throughout.

Fun book, shows different personalities of women and how we all mesh-a good read, thinking of reading the sequel.

I loved this book! I enjoyed getting a glimpse into all the various characters lives, dreams, failures and second chances. I felt quite at home in Walker and Daughter Knitting Shop.

good cozy read

This was an emotional story that I enjoyed so much! Between the bonding the mother and daughter kept the story going. As well as all the daily activities that happened at the yarn shop. I loved how the women connected and getting a glimpse into each woman's life. Definitely a good book. I cannot wait to read the next one.

This was a great book about female relationships and the value of having close friends.A very easy read it is a good book to when you are looking for a a feel good story.

This is a cute book - you don't have to be a knitter to like it.

I didn't really like this book. It was okay enough that I finished it but not that I'd read again (or even suggest to anyone to read themselves). It was hard to follow the characters in the beginning. The story line was all over the place. It really got irritating. The only reason I did finish it is because I wanted to see what became of the secondary character (main character's friend). I gave it 2.5 stars and really that was probably one too many.

Awesome book, actually cried

Very similar to Debbie Macomber's books. OK read for the beach.

The book started out great! I loved the characters and the way they all come together because of their own reasons. I would have liked to know more about some of the characters. I felt like when I was done reading, the book was neatly tied down but sometimes I like a loose end here and there left to imagination.
The book was very positive and inspiring in it's own way.

Very enjoyable woman's book. Something for every lady to relate to. Excellent light book club book.

As a new knitter, I was thrilled to get this book. Little did I know how deeply it would affect me! I laughed out loud, I sobbed, I wanted to throw the book...yet on I read. Give it a try. I think you'll like it.

What a great book! I couldn't put it down...

WOW!! Great book. Highly recommend.

Very enjoyable...I highly recommend. I miss 'the club' now that I'm finished!

<< Back to Book Details of " The Friday Night Knitting Club "