Overweight

Meatball Finkelstein is a character with universal appeal. He's smart, he's funny, he is an eternal optimist. He is the kind of kid you wish to befriend. And even though his classmates don't see that, readers will. "The Autobiography of Meatball Finkelstein" is a great read for anyone who has ever been bullied, and anyone who has ever done any bullying.

I loved this book. You should definitely read it. This is just too FUNNY.

It's clear that Venokur loves kids who are a little on the outside, but I think kids of all types, ages and flavors will enjoy this latest work!

Francie delights in her cozy marriage. She and her husband, Harry, are content as they approach their 25th wedding anniversary. They are big-time foodies: Harry is a master gourmet cook and Francie is his adoring fan. The two of them host neighborhood dinner parties, family get-togethers and other calorie-driven fests. When Harry wants to show his love for Francie, he cooks her luscious tidbits.

Their life is shaken when Harry wins a digital scale in a raffle --- and actually weighs himself. He and Francie are aghast to discover that he is one hundred pounds overweight. At his doctor's they hear terrifying news about his cholesterol, triglycerides and his chances of developing diabetes and heart disease. When the doctor discusses diet, all Harry can say is, "Is there any diet where I could still have butter?"

Harry cheats on his low-fat, low-calorie diet. Francie, horrified that her beloved husband will eat himself into an early grave, offers to do all the cooking. She also talks him into joining a university hospital diet study.

Luckily for Harry, the diet study program lets him have butter --- and steaks, cheese, sour cream and so on. It's a low-carbohydrate program, and Harry thrives on it. Fat begins melting off of him faster than grease from frying bacon.

Francie is so happy. Or is she? Sure, her husband is getting slimmer, but he's also gone all the time. He's constantly off at work or at the gym or getting together with his diet group. At home he's distracted. Francie doesn't want to believe it of her adorable husband, but now that he's looking so tasty, is his love life sizzling elsewhere?

I adored witty, down-to-earth Francie. I initially loved Harry, but as I read further I felt that I didn't know him very well (no doubt mirroring his wife's feelings). The author draws us in to the family dynamics in a realistic, humorous way. However, while two of the couple's children were truly people to me, the brief appearance of two other less-realized children served no discernible purpose. I also had some quibbles with the relationships toward the end of the book. Two cardboardish characters, Krys and Tommy, appear to be devices invented for the plot's convenience. I had a similar reaction to a rather contrived cruise scene and felt the ending to be just a bit too pat. These problems after the midway point of the story weakened a wonderfully original premise and a great voice.

However, despite my disappointments with the last half of the book, COOKING FOR HARRY is a quick, fun story. I recommend it to anyone looking for the reading equivalent of a light, fluffy no-carb snack.

--- Reviewed by Terry Miller Shannon

I started and finished this book in one sitting. It is a gourmet novel that indulges the sensual palette while exploring the success of an innovative diet. The plot is brilliant. The suspense and unanticipated resolution keep the book captivating until the very end. This is one I will definetly re-read!!!!!!!

This book is clever, witty, and breezy, and I enjoyed it completely. The description of poor Harry and how he ends up on his low-carb diet, and all the changes it causes in his life is very funny, and the book moves along very quickly, so you pretty much laugh for a couple of hours, and then you are done. However, this book will make you hungry, and it is most unfair of the author to refer to PeanutBetter ButterBurst cookies and a terrific cauliflower salad and not provide recipes!

Savannah Reid lost her San Carmelita police job when she challenged the authority of her ruthless superior Chief Norman Millquist. Savannah opened up the Moonlight Magnolia Detective agency offering private investigative services. Norman plans to be the next mayor of the small California town. Still loyal to her former police partner Dirk Colter, Savannah helps him on stakeouts when she can. When Dirk's former wife Polly returns to town, Savannah expects trouble. Polly dumped Dirk for a younger musician, but now wants something from the cop.

Savannah's instincts prove accurate as a hysterical Dirk tells her that Polly is dead. The murder weapon is Dirk's gun. Dirk claims he was taking a shower, heard a shot, and ran outside to observe an intruder bending over Polly's body. Dirk never catches the culprit. The police arrest him for premeditated murder. This leaves it to Savannah and her cohorts to find the real killer.

Savannah Reid is a sexy, voluptuous person who loves to eat and does not care that she is a full figured woman. She believes in herself and her worth, rejecting those who belittle her. G.A. McKevett provides a strong mystery that showcases Savannah's abilities. The pieces to the puzzle are in front of the reader, but placing them in the right positions is difficult and fun. The secondary characters are a group of eccentrics while the background of a Renaissance Fair adds to the overall enjoyment. SUGAR AND SPITE is a wonderful entry in a superb series.

Harriet Klausner

No matter what she writes, the people come across as real, and never fails to grab me. GREAT series!

I thought this book was really great, even though this was the first Savannah Reid Mystery I had ever read. It's about a PI, named Savanah & her ex partner Dirk,who is arrested for the murder of his ex wife, Polly. Well Savannah has to clear his name, so the book is basically about all the things she will do for Dirk & it also shows how strongly friendships can be (now i know that sounds cheesy, but its true!). So all in all i thought this book was really great!

I really enjoyed the book. As I have had the pleasure of meeting Marvin in person, I was excited to read the book. It was very entertaining and REAL! I picked it up on the airplane and did not put it down until the plane landed. I am a frequent guest appearing on QVC and Marvin's details about the "greenroom" were honest and quite revealing. Anyone who watches QVC or any shopping network will find the book to be quite fun and motivating. Pick it up!

I could really relate to this book. I grew up in a home with two perfectionists and as a result, suffered low self-esteem. Mr. Segel also did that, but totally turned his life around. I, too, tried every diet that came down the pike and always put the weight back on and more. This product works now, and can work for you for the rest of your life. The book is a must-read for anyone searching to take control of their weight and/or their life. Let Mr. Marvin Segel take you there.

When I first read the book, my thoughts were, how in the world could one person be so diversified! The book had a great deal of good information on how one can overcome being "labeled" in our society and how you can indeed turn you life around. He had good inspirational and motivating stories of weight problems and how he overcame the odds to beat them. I very much enjoyed his humor and down to earth approach. The book was right on target on the issues facing overweight people. When I started to read it...I had a hard time putting it down...well worth the read!

The blurb at the top of the jacket says, "Here is fat in all its glory and grandeur - a large-hearted celebration of the human spirit and each individual's unique value, regardless of size."

But it isn't. I was hoping for some proud, in-your-face fat people who believed in themselves. But nearly all the fat characters in this story collection are miserable, and some are tragic. The only contented one is a cat.

Some of the stories are marvelously written. Junot Diaz' "The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao" paints an amazingly colorful picture of the culture of young Dominicans in New Jersey. And Rhoda Stamell's "Love for a Fat Man," set in a public health clinic in poverty-stricken Detroit, is one of the few stories where people change in positive ways. But several others, including S.L. Wisenberg's "Big Ruthie Imagines Sex Without Pain," present people with too much self-hatred to identify with or enjoy.

Perhaps I was looking for something that doesn't exist. I'm not heavy myself. I regard overweight as a health condition, not a character flaw. I have a chronic condition myself, multiple sclerosis. But unlike overweight people, I get sympathy for my problem, not blame. I interviewed several overweight people for my book, "The Art of Getting Well: Maximizing Health When You Have a Chronic Illness" (Hunter House 2002). Even though some of them are very fit aerobics instructors, most have a lot of self-doubt. I don't know if society put it there, or if there's something else about being heavy that hurts your self-esteem. Anyway, the protagonists in these stories are mostly damaged.

It's worth reading, though. There are more poems than stories. I very much liked J.L. Haddaway's "When Fat Girls Dream." I think this book could start a lot of valuable discussion about weight and society's attitude towards it.

David Spero RN, author of "The Art of Getting Well." Write "david at davidsperorn.com"

For anyone who loves fiction and has struggled with weight (or not) this is a wonderful, insightful book. The stories are funny, sad, and real. I'm so glad someone had the guts to put together this collection. The book makes you realize that it isn't fat that's obscene, it's America's gluttonous hyped obsession with perfection and "skin deep" body image. (My only complaint is that I wish the book had been fatter.)

My first thoughts were "Bad timing, Ira."
Publishing a "fat fiction anthology" right now might seem tantamount to endorsing al-Qaeda, with Dr. Phil's new diet book dominating store shelves and airwaves and with an unprecedented number of local and regional news stories doing "lose-weight-or-die" features as well. (When a potential customer calls up "What Are You Looking At?" on Amazon.com, they are offered a "package deal-order it along with Dr. Phil's diet book and get $11 off.)
It's exactly what Oswego professor Ira Sukrungruang has done, though-and it's selling well. Critical and reader response to "What Are You Looking At?: The First Fat Fiction Anthology" has been good since its September 9 release, says Sukrungruang, who will speak about the book on October 2 at River's End Books in Oswego.
Perhaps it's because with story after story on the news networks bemoaning the health risks of obesity and hour after hour of talk show dedicated to people wanting to "get fit," some overweight people are just saying "Sweet living Lord, I need a little reinforcement here!"
At any rate, the collection itself is what merits review, more than the stories themselves, which have largely been culled from other sources. Sukrungruang says that "fat has been kind of an obsession" for he and his co-editor Donna Jarrell, both of whom characterize themselves as having grown up fat. "It's what we lived with," Sukrungruang says.
A variety of writers ranging from Ray Carver and Tobias Wolff to Sukrungruang and his wife, a fellow Oswego professor and poet, contributed to the anthology; even the oldest of the stories are very contemporary. Sukrungruang says that while he was at first shocked to find how much material was available on the topic, he later ended up leaving a lot of good work on the cutting room floor.
So much so, in fact, that he and Jarrell have signed with Harvest Books to follow up "What Are You Looking At?" with a second volume-this one dedicated entirely to personal experience essays that revolve around being fat.
It was a chore to find an agent to represent them, Sukrungruang says, because anthologies are rarely profitable for agents. Once they found someone to bring their work to potential publishers, though, it took only a few weeks to find the book a home at Harvest. The largest buyer of the book is also the nation's largest bookstore chain, Barnes & Noble, where students reported seeing the book a couple of weeks before its September 9 release date.
The anthology itself is a great blend of touching and humorous stories, blending the established writers and the "staples" of fat fiction with relative unknowns and gems found in the rough. They are told from a variety of perspectives and, for someone who has been thin (often not just "average," but actually "too thin") for most of my life, it's an interesting way to see through the eyes of the folks who catch a lot of ridicule in an image-conscious society like ours.

I was always a very obese girl, and the reason was because I never stopped eating. But the worst part was that I only ate sweats to stop me from being hungry. My doctor said I really needed to get healthy, and that I already weighed more than my parents. But when my mom bought me this book, I didn't like it that much. But soon after the fact that I still got to eat as much as I wanted of healthy food, I really liked it. I felt myself getting smaller and having more energy. My belly and waist got smaller, and so did my legs. I even was able to run really fast in P.E. This book really works, and all overweight kids should read it.

I found it difficult to find practical approaches to helping an overweight child lose weight. Let's face it...no child wants to eat salads and carrot sticks every day for lunch. Adult diets and eating plans don't work for children and there is precious little advice out there for parents. This eating plan is structured with the tastes and needs of children in mind. My son feels that it's easy to do, and I am relieved that whether I pick the menus or he does it on his own, he likes the meals. The dinner plans are suitable for adults too, so there's no cooking separate meals for the dieter. Especially great is the food exchange list of child friendly foods with portion sizes and calorie counts to guide you in customizing meal plans. If you're at wit's end, (as I was), I strongly urge you to give this plan a try.

In this book, the author immerses herself in the "diet world." She joins dieting groups like Weight Watchers, buys diet food, and most importantly, talks to dieting women. She is a sociologist, but she not only gathers information about other women, she asks herself the same questions. Although I can see this as a textbook for a women's studies class, I didn't find it a difficult or boring read. I found it fascinating. And as someone who has done quite a bit of my own research in this area, I found a host of new insights and ideas. Very well done.

Stinson has done an excellent job of capturing the commercial weight loss group which she studied. She not only does an excellent job of explaining and describing the plight of women's obsession with body and weight loss, she also does a wonderful job of tying it into how the lives of women are affected by the dieting industiry and in particular the weight loss group she was looking at. The categories she draws seem relevant and well thought out.

As a senior sociology student myself, Stinson's perspective is insightful yet does not get bogged down in too much theoretical jargon. Even, "mass society" can appreciate the information in this book.

However, if you are looking for something MORE sociological as far as qualitative research methods goes, Stinson does not delve into the methods of her research in much detail. But again, this makes the book acessible to a larger audience.

If you're looking for a better understanding of the dieting industry and how women "participating" in the industry understand their weight and weight loss, check out Stinson's book! You won't be disappointed....

I picked up "Good in Bed" thinking it would be another funny, cynical single woman looking for love and trying to get her life together book--and, don't get me wrong, I really enjoy those sort of books, despite being plenty cynical but no longer single--but author Jennifer Weiner's debut is a lot more than just another American version of Bridget Jones.

As with many first novels it's obvious that huge chunks of 28-year-old, somewhat overweight struggling journalist "Candace Shapiro" are taken straight from Weiner's own life. And the personal touch shows in the all-too-true writing, which draws you in and will make just about any woman sympathize with the often hapless "Cannie," as her friends and former lovers know her.

Cannie's already shaky world is turned upside when former slacker flame Bruce turns up as a the newest columnist for trendy magazine "Moxie," a "Cosmopolitan" clone. Not only does Bruce's sudden success shock Cannie, a second-tier entertainment reporter at a Philly newspaper, but the fact that he's writing about their sex life, and Cannie's struggles with her weight, is far from helpful. I mean, wasn't her missing missing-in-action louse of a father and the fairly recent discovery that her mother is in love with someone named "Tanya" enough to deal with?

As Weiner takes us into Cannie's life she makes everything from meeting (and befriending) a major movie star to dealing with the aftereffects of a misguided reunion, of sorts, with Bruce, eminently real and totally believable. Anyone who has ever struggled with weight, relationships, career and family--and that's everyone, isn't it?--will see pieces of themselves in Cannie.

Totally fun and deeply touching, Weiner is winner. I can't wait to read more!

This is a really wonderful novel.

Touching, sweet, warm, often-hysterically funny, Jennifer Weiner's debut novel is the kind of book you try to pace yourself on because you know you want to parcel out the joy, but find yourself staying up until 2 am finishing because you can't put it down.

Cannie Shapiro is a remarkable heroine with a true voice, wise yet still learning, embattled yet still fighting. This isn't one of those book where unhappy girl finds happiness by losing weight and finding a man. This is a book where happiness comes from self-acceptance and the realization that one is not alone, and if there happens to be a guy around, well, all the better.

Cannie is great. The office stuff rings true. So does that evil publicist in NYC. But it's more than the truth of how things feel -- it's Cannie/Jennifer's voice in describing her universe, so funny and warm, like a friend you wish you had. I even liked Nifkin!

Guys, ignore the pink stuff on the cover, and hide the title if it embarrasses you to read in public -- this one's for us too. Everyone should read this book, read it now, then buy another copy for a friend.

I cannot say enough good things about this book. Read it: you'll see. It deserves to be a movie, and it will be a great movie.

Whatever Weiner has in store for us next, I'll be first in line.

This book was great! It was hilarious and touching and I found it hard to put down. Frankly, I am stunned at the few people who have given this book a bad review. It's a great book and Jennifer Weiner's second book is equally as satisfying!

As a full figured woman struggling with my own weight issues and the prejudice that goes along with it, I thoroughly enjoyed this book that caught my eye and attention from the first paragraph. The scene in Leon's, the relationship with KJ and the mail box scam were my favorites. I was reading on the train when KJ's character was introduced. I unsuccessfully tried to contain the laughter while tears were running down my face and eventually gave up. I laughed so loud and hard that people around me started laughing and in turn wanted to know what I was reading!!! I have then passed the book around and told everyone I know to read it. I respect the way Van took a sensitive subject that needed to be addressed and presented it in a way that all can emphathize with. I also enjoyed the way Van developed Kayla and Sonny's relationship. The way the relationship grew and evolved was very realistic. I also wanted to note that there are many "Kayla's" out there - Beautiful full figured women who are together and have it "going on". I can't wait to read "Beeperless" and look forward to more of Van's books. (P.S. - I really feel a movie should be made from this book).

I wasn't that impressed with Beeperless Remote, but the cover of this book caught my eye. I promised myself that I'd only read a chapter before work but I could hardly put it down. From the beginning, this book caught my attention & made me laugh out loud. The characters are well developed; the author does an excellent job of introducing a serious subject (our attitudes about weight challenged people and food) without preaching. These characters are alive (and funny). Sonny and Kayla's dinner at Leon's is hilarious as is Sonny's attempt to redefine himself and his body. Who among us, in an attempt to reach a goal, hasn't slipped up once or twice? Another thing I really enjoyed about this book was the relationship between Sonny, Chet, and E; three men who were long-time friends and could hold a conversation (even when drunk) without a bunch of vulgarity and cursing. It was nice to read about a beautiful, strong, intelligent woman who just happens to be overweight; Kayla would put many thin women to shame. Mr. Whitfield did a fantastic job on this book & I highly recommend it.

Thia book is an amusing, sparkling entertainment with a lesson -- that large folks are human too. The characters and situations and feelings are funny, touching, and real. I could identify because I am a Weight Watchers member (I am at goal, having had only a few pounds to lose) who had a crush on a male groupmate of mine whom I found very appealing (Never got to go out with him though, he was seeing someone), and also because I was in love with a generously-sized gentleman who took all kinds of abuse from society. If I could give this book 10 stars I would!

For all appearance sake, Serpentine Williamson's life looked picture perfect. She had the great job, some encounters with romance and a loving family. But turn the page and unfolds a story of a Nubian sister torment since childhood with her weight. Serpentines' story is the all-too-familiar one that today's woman face, trying to be the perfect size to fit what the media has deemed as the "beautiful" woman.

In her quest to relive her life of her pain, she decides that taking her own is much less painful then trying to endure another pointless, senseless diet. This opens the door to another road that Serpentine must endure...facing up to the things, people and events that pushed her to the edge.

Pages members immensely enjoyed this book, the characters and the storyline. Berry did an excellent job of providing the reader with a good visualization of the relationship between the characters.

Heroine: abundant

Television news reporter Serpentine Williamson is making the arduous climb up the slippery slope to mental and emotional balance after a nervous breakdown and a suicide attempt.

Meetings with a psychiatrist lead her to begin keeping a journal, where she records her thoughts on the various influences on her life and her choice to embrace whatever messages they have sent to her, no matter how unhealthy or unkind those messages have been.

But with her eyes now opened wide to the patterns in her life, Serpentine begins to carve out a new identity for herself, one that belongs strictly to her, that owes nothing to no one: not society, her family, her job, or men.

What worked for me:

The story gives readers an abundance of social issues to reflect upon: suicide, racism, sexism, and sizeism. Yet despite the gravity of these subjects, there was a lot of dark humor in this book, particularly in the journal entries which opened each chapter. In many cases, they were the brightest gems in this story.

Size-wise we saw Serpentine at different times in her life, and each time she was a different size: average, voluptuous, abundant; but no matter what number graced the tags in her clothes, she was struggling to love herself.

What didn't work for me:

The jumping around in time could be a bit confusing, but the little vignettes of Serpentine's life over the years were fascinating and really helped to make her painfully real.

The novel felt a bit preachy in a few spots, but for the most part the messages were discreetly filtered into the book.

Overall:
"All of Me" has a touching, powerful message wrapped up in an attractive package and is well worth searching out.

Warning: there are some coarse words and sexual scenarios in this book.

If you liked "All of Me" you might also enjoy "The High Price of a Good Man", "Good in Bed", "Jemima J.", "Commitments", or "Etta Mae's Little Theory".

This is the first book that I have read by this author and I had no idea what to expect. I knew it was about a African American woman that was of large build. This book proved so true to real life. I could identify with many of the stereotypes that the main character of this novel, Serpintine, faced, aside from trying to commit suicide. Serpintine was a professional woman who worked as a television reporter which put her in the public eye and up for public scrutiny. As she began to put on weight her public made no qualms about telling her she was getting fat. If you think Serpintine could seek solace in her family, think again; her mother was a constant reminder of what she should be doing to control her weight. This author takes us through Serpintine's quest to find out how to love herself as she is, a big beautiful smart african american woman who should apologize to no one. But that quest was long and difficult with many trials. This book made me laugh out loud and it made me stop and think. Good job Ms. Berry, do it again!