Rating: 
Summary: Good read
Review: I had seen this book on the best sellers table for quite some time at my local bookstore, and I finally picked it up. It is definitely not a waste of time as some reviewers have mentioned- it is an entertaining read. It did take me a bit of time to get into the book, and the book has sections that could have been explored in fewer pages. But overall, this is an interesting book.In a nutshell, Cannie is a reporter, and she has just informed her long time boyfriend Bruce that she wants to take a break. She is an attractive yet larger woman, and he is a slob and a dopehead. He interprets her desire as a breakup, and he uses his new gig with a Cosmo/Maxim-type magazine to explain why it takes courage to date a larger woman. She becomes livid, but she thinks she's made a mistake by severing herself from Bruce. The rest of the book explores her journey of self-discovery that leads from this one event. She meets a few new people, including Dr. K who leads her weight-loss class, and Maxi, a Hollywood megastar who befriends Cannie during a crying session in a hotel restroom. The book delves quite a bit into Cannie's childhood, and these scenes help you fully understand her hangups with men and why she continues to pine over Bruce. These are very key sections of the book; however, at times they dragged on and slowed the book down. I disagree with those who felt this is part of the Bridget Jones genre- this book is much more serious and not as flip. It is merely a book about an average woman who has emotional pains and finds herself working through these pains after finding joy. Without giving too much of the plot away, there is one part where the author gets preachy regarding a very difficult, emotional and controversial topic facing today's society. As I read Cannie's thoughts while she was making a difficult life decision, I found I stopped hearing the words of Cannie and began hearing the very preachy words of the author. I do not have a problem reading about this particular topic; however, I felt like I was being beat over the head with in one section and found it distracting. Although I agree with another reviewer that a Hollywood megastar would probably not take a near total stranger under her wing the way Maxi does in the book. But her character is fun and caring and compassionate, and she's just a nice person to have in the book. All of her giving actually made ME feel guilty! I recommend this book.
Rating:
Summary: just average
Review: overall i wansn't crazy about this book, the beginning and middle seemed to drag on. the most excitement was towards the end of the book and the ending was far too expected. the issue of her weight, i became annoyed with. i wouldn't necessarily recommend this book to a friend but i wouldn't say that it's a total waste of time.
Rating: 
Summary: Great Book!
Review: This was a funny, touching story with an interesting heroine. It was written keeping the audience's intelligence in mind and I enjoyed it immensely. I highly recommend GIB, as well as Weiner's other books.
And to the poster below, who gave the book only one star: The lead character's name is CANNIE with two n's, not Cassie.
Rating: 
Summary: What they said
Review: I don't write many reviews on Amazon, but I was so put off by this novel, that i had to warn others of the time they might waste in reading "Good in Bed". I shouldn't have read the other one-star reviews, because it's basically all been said already. Apparently, I wasn't the only who had a hard time getting through this sloppy writing and wishing the protagonist would do *something* do earn my sympathy. Her whininess and hypocrisy have been well described in other reviews. It was interesting that while the protagonist/author's dysfunctional family history was presented *ad nauseum* as tragic and worthy of sympathy, she chose to *constantly* belittle her mom's lover because she chose to seek help for her own difficult personal history. She is so persistantly down on her mom's lover (for no apparent reason) that 1/2 way through, I wanted to say "shut up already and give her a break for god's sake!". In my opinion, it's Tanya who deserves the movie star to whisk her away and spoil her on the beach in California. Tanya is the one who shows Cassie love and concern despite Cassie's imperfections. Why can't Cassie love anyone in this novel besides herself?
It's also interesting that "Cassie" is scandalized that her ex, "Bruce" is writing about their personal history in a magazine. In the author interview, Ms. Weiner admits that she was inspired to write this book itself after dumping a boyfriend, and then wanting him back unsucessfully, as he had moved on [just as "Cassie" has done]. So, the author writes a book in which she paints her ex in an extremely unflattering light, from personal hygeine to neglect of his offspring. Ummm... why is it wrong for "Bruce" to assassinate his ex in public, but not Ms. Weiner?
Please skip this book... i'm throwing it in the trash rather than putting it in the thrift shop box.
Rating:
Summary: -----------------> You can stop your browsing right here!
Review:
If you're looking for the next great novel, this probably isn't it. But if you're looking for a book that's not too heavy, funny, and extremely entertaining, then this is the book for you!
Because I hate people who ruin books before you can read them, I will try not to delve into too many details. This is a great women's book (definitely not a guy book) that deals with many of the issues that we go through on a daily basis. The central issue is self-esteem which even though not all would admit, most people have issues with. It's plot is constantly moving and changing which instead of making it hard to follow only makes it hard to put down.
Your attention is immediately grabbed in the first chapter when Cannie (the main character) finds that her ex-boyfriend has written about their relationship in a popular Cosmo-like magazine. Without revealing too much, I will say that it deals with her size and mainly her weight. After that, you find out about her journey on dealing with self-acceptance and discovering who she really is.
I will admit that I am a bit biased about this book because I related to Cannie more than most people might. When she describes her height (exactly the same) and size (also too close for comfort), I immediately bonded with the character. Although I've never had the experiences she has, I can relate to the way people respond to some of our stature. Don't think that just because you've never struggled with weight problems, you won't related to this book. It's written well enough that anyone can related to Cannie's experiences.
I've read many great books with hidden messages and implied nonsense. This is simply not it. But honestly, who would pick up a book titled "Good in Bed" and expect something on that level? This is not to say that this is an empty, meaningless book. It makes many good points but they are rather obvious and easy to swallow.
Plain and simple, this book is fun and easy too read. It's not so dumbed down that it's on a child's level, nor is the content appropriate for children! After I'd borrowed this twice, I decided to buy this one to have my own copy. This is a deceptively simple, yet wonderful book. But try it for yourself! Another novel I need to recommend -- completely unrelated to this one, but very much on my mind since I purchased a "used" copy off Amazon is "The Losers' Club: Complete Restored Edition" by Richard Perez, an exceptional, highly entertaining little novel I can't stop thinking about.
Rating: 
Summary: It was a GREAT book!
Review: Good In Bed is a very comedic novel. The main character Cannie, reminds me of Bridget Jones. The character is someone that I could get along with and she is someone that would make people laugh. When I first got the book, I expected it to be about a woman's sex life. Soon after I started reading it I realized that it was actually far from that! I liked how the book started out with something that really will grasp the readers attention (the column on her). I feel that doing that is very pivotal in the success of a novel because personally if I don't like the beginning of the novel, I find it hard to get into the book. Jennifer Weiner allows the reader to relate to the main character in so many different ways. I also enjoyed the fact that the book was not very predictable. The book starts out as one thing and then the second half of the book has to do with something totally different. I haven't read many books that aren't predictable so I was pleased with this one. The comedy in the book was very good and was not overused. I felt that the characters were humorous and serious at all the right times. The book left me laughing most of the time because of things the characters said. It reminded me somewhat of my own friends and people that I know. I also thought the articles that Bruce wrote were funny. I wouldn't expect a person in real life to write something like that in a newspaper, so it wasn't very realistic. I found his columns hilarious because of the way he described things that he had experienced with Cannie. I also enjoyed how the author used such great detail so I could really picture what was going on in my head. I like how it showed the character going through many changes in her life, both good and bad. The climax of the book was definitely the best part and is very sad! I would definitely recommend this book to anyone because I feel that a lot of people can relate to the story and they will be really interested in it. Overall, the characters are very well made and they are all very easy to relate to in many ways. It is definitely one of those books that are hard to put down once you get into it.


Rating:
Summary: Funny, Inspiring, and Very Entertaining
Review:
Good in Bed, by Jennifer Weiner is an excellent, fun book for any woman to read. It is considerably the ultimate "chick fiction book" that has the power to inspire all women, from big to small and tall to short. Jennifer Weiner has created a very realistic character, Cannie Shapiro that many people could find in their own personal lives. She is a woman with a good job, but who is also struggling with her weight, her father-daughter relationship, lesbian mother, and her recent break up with her boyfriend, Bruce.
Jennifer Weiner does a wonderful job in making you laugh, literally out loud, and at very emotional points, she makes you even tear. Weiner uses the story of Cannie to show that women are strong and smart despite what you may think about yourself. This book really teaches you to love yourself no matter what your body size, who you've slept with, or even who your loved ones are. To help with her problems, Cannie decides to confront the major issues of weight loss with a program she joins, and also confronts her ex-boyfriend, Bruce. These actions are just a few things that are able to help women all around the country that may be dealing with the same problems.
Anyone looking for a great, funny book to read should definitely consider Good In Bed. Once you pick the book up, you are not going to put it down. Jennifer Weiner is an excellent contemporary author that I think every lady can relate to. You should surely read this book and continue to read all of Wiener's books!
Rating:
Summary: Best book ever!
Review: This is my fave book of forever. I think every woman alive should read it. It's so good and touching and heartfelt. I only wish she'd write books more often!
Rating:
Summary: it was okay...
Review: cannie is a talented and outgoing writer who is going through the throes of 'who-am-i-and-why-did-i-just-dump-my-loser-(but-he-loved-me)-boyfriend'. cannie's family life and past reveals itself as the source of her problems but it's too late for her to change them. and it's too late to change herself...or is it?
cannies journey seems long and drawn out. there are some calm moments, but the end just felt like a mad rush. i liked cannie as a character but part of me just gave up on her at some point. overall, this is a good plane/train read...although i wouldn't recommend it at the beach, why would you take a dark cloud to a sunny destination?
Rating:
Summary: "living life large"
Review: One of my all time favorite books!
I think that Camryn Manheim, who wrote "Wake up, I'm Fat!" should play this movie role. Rosie O'Donnell would be my second choice... by a nose. I most often choose to read non-fiction, but this book was a great digression from my typical choices of books to read. I could not put it down and I recommend it to all of my friends who appreciate a good read and a great story with lots of passion and edgy humor.
I loved all of the family drama, personal drama, drama over being a fat woman, relationship and friendship dramas, and the metaphor of walking, walking, walking off your fat and working out emotional issues while walking to grow toward self love, self esteem, self worth, and self acceptance.
Murphy Brown has nothing on Cannie Shapiro regarding being a single Mom in a sitcom kind of way!
Being a Mom myself, I consider this book to be a story about the quest of a woman to become a Mom and the survival of a child born into the world with the challenges of being born prematurely, but surviving to flourish with the support of a passionate and loving Mom.
I think of this book as a story of self examination and self awareness and hope. This is a great wild story about a wild woman who is "living life large".
The fact that over 575 people took the time to write a review of this book should tell you to read it!
Now I want to read all of Jennifer Weiner's books!
|
