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What Would Dolly Do?: How to Be a Diamond in a Rhinestone World
by
A spirited homage to Dolly Parton that captures the unique humor, no-nonsense wisdom, flash, and sass of one of America's most iconic stars.
One of twelve children raised in a shack in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, Dolly Parton grew to become an international superstar famous for classic songs such as "Jolene," "9 to 5," "The Coat of Many Colors," and "I Will ...more
One of twelve children raised in a shack in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, Dolly Parton grew to become an international superstar famous for classic songs such as "Jolene," "9 to 5," "The Coat of Many Colors," and "I Will ...more
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Hardcover, 256 pages
Published
April 24th 2018
by Grand Central Publishing
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Start your review of What Would Dolly Do?: How to Be a Diamond in a Rhinestone World

What Would Dolly Do?: How to Be a Diamond in a Rhinestone World
I am a big Fan of Ms. Dolly and had to have this book! It is such a sweet, fun informative cute book. It one you will enjoy from the first page to the last page. I want to treasure this book so I had to read it gently and hope to enjoy it for years to come!
Loved it!
I am a big Fan of Ms. Dolly and had to have this book! It is such a sweet, fun informative cute book. It one you will enjoy from the first page to the last page. I want to treasure this book so I had to read it gently and hope to enjoy it for years to come!
Loved it!

I received a physical copy to read and review for Wicked Reads
Let me start my saying this is the first actual book I have read in years. Since getting my e-reader I always get e-books so this book was enjoyable on many levels. I liked that it was small enough to fit in my purse, I take whatever I'm reading with me everywhere. I will say the print was a little small for me, I'm used to being able to enlarge it on the e-reader. I have always loved Dolly and I have never read any books on her or by ...more
Let me start my saying this is the first actual book I have read in years. Since getting my e-reader I always get e-books so this book was enjoyable on many levels. I liked that it was small enough to fit in my purse, I take whatever I'm reading with me everywhere. I will say the print was a little small for me, I'm used to being able to enlarge it on the e-reader. I have always loved Dolly and I have never read any books on her or by ...more

Not what I anticipated - more of a forced self-help book than the light coffee table book I thought it would be. The book is in SERIOUS need of better editing, the most egregious error being a reference to Dolly’s childhood home WEST of Nashville. Also, two chapters devoted to physical appearance was off-putting. The categorizations in general felt forced, but I felt the warmth of the author for Dolly throughout.

⭐️⭐️⭐️” Find out who you are and do it on purpose.” ~ Dolly
As a Dolly fan, I have to admit I have been listening to her essentials lately, after watching Dumpin' on Netflix. This is not an autobiography, but rather the author consulted many references on Dolly's life and created a "how to". It was humorous and had real life advice, but some ideas were repetitive, which is why I rated it as I did.
What would Dolly do?
1) Care about your appearance
2) Let your god light shine
3) Love who you love
4) D ...more
As a Dolly fan, I have to admit I have been listening to her essentials lately, after watching Dumpin' on Netflix. This is not an autobiography, but rather the author consulted many references on Dolly's life and created a "how to". It was humorous and had real life advice, but some ideas were repetitive, which is why I rated it as I did.
What would Dolly do?
1) Care about your appearance
2) Let your god light shine
3) Love who you love
4) D ...more

This year has been one of self-discovery and finding the courage to finally follow my dreams. I've found some role models who have paved the way and Dolly Parton is at the top of the list. The more I learn about her, the more I am impressed and amazed.
She has not only followed her dreams and accomplished huge things, but she has given back and done unbelievable things through her charities. She has smashed through the glass ceiling in so many ways, we could all learn so much from her life.
The au ...more
She has not only followed her dreams and accomplished huge things, but she has given back and done unbelievable things through her charities. She has smashed through the glass ceiling in so many ways, we could all learn so much from her life.
The au ...more

What Would Dolly Do? How to Be a Diamond in a Rhinestone World is Lauren Marino's homage to Dolly Parton.
Super fan Marino draws upon Parton's stories, interviews, articles, songs, Parton's autobiographies, appearances and more to "curating and culling what I can only call the Dolly Parton philosophy as I see it."
Marino ponders 'What Would Dolly Do?" in chapters exploring happiness, style, love and marriage, money and business, home, creativity, philanthropy and many more.
I have always enjoyed Do ...more
Super fan Marino draws upon Parton's stories, interviews, articles, songs, Parton's autobiographies, appearances and more to "curating and culling what I can only call the Dolly Parton philosophy as I see it."
Marino ponders 'What Would Dolly Do?" in chapters exploring happiness, style, love and marriage, money and business, home, creativity, philanthropy and many more.
I have always enjoyed Do ...more

Sadly, this book disappointed me. I guess I shouldn't have judged the book by its cover, thinking it would be a playful tome about the eponymous Dolly Parton and her legacy. Instead, the book was more of a summary of Dolly's life, categorized into chapters with advice best-suited to young teenagers (e.g., a chapter on makeup and hair, a chapter on relationships with boys). In short, I found the book derivative and juvenile. It's important to note Dolly Parton had absolutely zero input into it, w
...more

The best thing about this book is the illustrations. Maybe it would be more successful as a series of inspirational postcards. This book is 200+ pages of information that any Dolly Parton fan already knows by heart. Not only that, it is redundant - entire paragraphs appear multiple times throughout the book.
I received this book as a gift and I feel like I should apologize to the sweet person who spent her hard-earned money on it because she knows that I am a huge Dolly Parton fan. Save your mone ...more
I received this book as a gift and I feel like I should apologize to the sweet person who spent her hard-earned money on it because she knows that I am a huge Dolly Parton fan. Save your mone ...more

This was fun, with lots of good nuggets:
Dolly has “the brains of a computer, the heart of an artist and the spirit of a minister.” - Nashville radio DJ Ralph Emery (p. 85)
Of her husband: “‘He’s my anchor and I’m his excitement.’” (p. 87)
On making her first movie 9 to 5: “‘A lot of people were saying, ‘Boy, I would l-o-o-o-v-e to see that. There ain’t no way them three bitches are gonna get along! Can you imagine three women like that?!’ And you know, we had the greatest time.’” (p. 117)
“‘Being a ...more
Dolly has “the brains of a computer, the heart of an artist and the spirit of a minister.” - Nashville radio DJ Ralph Emery (p. 85)
Of her husband: “‘He’s my anchor and I’m his excitement.’” (p. 87)
On making her first movie 9 to 5: “‘A lot of people were saying, ‘Boy, I would l-o-o-o-v-e to see that. There ain’t no way them three bitches are gonna get along! Can you imagine three women like that?!’ And you know, we had the greatest time.’” (p. 117)
“‘Being a ...more

I never say “ya’ll” but Ya’ll have got to check out this book, What Would Dolly Do! I thought I knew some stuff about her but this book has tons of information and knowing that she lives right down the road from me makes me smile so big!! I became an even bigger fan of hers after this quick read!
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Wow Dolly is someone to really look up to. She has torn down every barrier and broken every glass ceiling and certainly has done it all her way. I mean for 50+ years she has kept her private life priva ...more
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Wow Dolly is someone to really look up to. She has torn down every barrier and broken every glass ceiling and certainly has done it all her way. I mean for 50+ years she has kept her private life priva ...more

A fun read that teaches you about the wonderful life of Dolly Parton while inspiring you to take lessons from her story that you can apply to your own. The entire book was filled with biographical information while being engaging enough to keep you turning pages to learn more. Rather than the typical "life timeline" of most autobiographers (following childhood to present in the subject's life), this book has themed chapters which cover Dolly's philosophies, thoughts, views, and history on variou
...more

Feb 12, 2020
Sophie
added it
This is a fun and loving homage to Dolly, filled with great biographical bits and concise self-help summaries in each chapter. Marino uses Dolly's sage advice and famous witticisms to quilt together a succinct life guide for women (and men) who want to achieve their greatest dreams and look fabulous along the way. Marino is a wonderful writer; warm, inviting and chatty and her love and respect for Dolly is infectious. I already loved Dolly, but I finished this book with a deepened admiration for
...more

This book itself was a bit formulaic for me, but the content was wonderful. It has made me want to learn more about Dolly Parton and has definitely added her to the list of people I'd want to have at a dinner party.
Each chapter ends with a checklist summary of the main content points of the chapter, which is nice.
She is incredibly inspiring and does so much more than I had any idea. I'd definitely want to be her friend.
Note: This book is only 5.5 hours. I had issues with iTunes which is why it ...more
Each chapter ends with a checklist summary of the main content points of the chapter, which is nice.
She is incredibly inspiring and does so much more than I had any idea. I'd definitely want to be her friend.
Note: This book is only 5.5 hours. I had issues with iTunes which is why it ...more

“Shes a Honky-tonk version of a Renaissance Woman.”
A sweet, endearing tribute to the indefatigable Dolly Parton. I’ve always enjoyed Dolly the musician, but as the years advanced – I became deeply respectful of Dolly the woman. A brilliant, forthright individual that anyone would do well to try and follow suit. Clearly possessed of a tender spirit, Dolly is the embodiment of loving-kindness and mindfulness. Her poignant legacy on living a life that is large, genuine, profound and flat out big-h ...more
A sweet, endearing tribute to the indefatigable Dolly Parton. I’ve always enjoyed Dolly the musician, but as the years advanced – I became deeply respectful of Dolly the woman. A brilliant, forthright individual that anyone would do well to try and follow suit. Clearly possessed of a tender spirit, Dolly is the embodiment of loving-kindness and mindfulness. Her poignant legacy on living a life that is large, genuine, profound and flat out big-h ...more

It was interesting how Lauren took information, tidbits and biographical information about Dolly and put it into a book that feels like Dolly contributed to it while also serving as a fan written book full of Dolly's wisdom, quotes, personality, and life lessons making it totally relatable to the reader.
I totally loved reading about Dolly's philosophy on life, marriage, relationships, success and family.
If you love Dolly, you will love this book. ...more
I totally loved reading about Dolly's philosophy on life, marriage, relationships, success and family.
If you love Dolly, you will love this book. ...more

Disclaimer: I'm not a country music fan, and didn't know much about Dolly Parton when I started this book. Reading this book taught me so much about this amazing person! I have so much respect for Dolly Parton and her good works now. I liked the way the book was divided, though it did make for a little bit of repetition from section to section. The illustrations and graphic design of this book are delightful. Overall this book was an unexpected treat.
...more

I love her so much. I was less excited about this book because it is a biography rather than an audio biography. However, I learned more about her through an outsider’s perspective, who shared things Dolly wouldn’t necessarily deem unique or particularly newsworthy about her journey. A cute and uplifting little book. Helps with slowing down and appreciating the beautiful elements of each of our lives, while developing patience and resolve to handle the yuckier stuff.

Full of information and fun facts. All the material in such way that it is entertaining and insightful. Learned a lot of things I did not know about Dolly. This book was a fun and relaxing read. You can take away many life improving/life changing things form this book. I won this book in a GoodReads Giveaway.

I LOVE Dolly Parton! I found out about this book and I wanted to read it immediately. I finished it in five days (faster readers can probably finish it in less, but I like to somewhat take my time). This book has a lot of practical applications. It can come across as a little hoaky, but I find most of the chapters really enjoyable.

Part self-help book, part homage to Dolly Parton, this was an interesting look at Dolly’s idea and philosophies that the author believes has made the country star so successful. Dolly is quite admirable and this was a quick easy read (listen), but I found it a little repetitive and surface-y at times. Overall I enjoyed it - 3.5 stars

I'm not much of a country music fan, but I've always liked Dolly Parton as a person, and this book gave me a lot of insight into how she built her career, her outlook on life, etc. Any fan of Dolly should read this!
...more
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