Rating: 
Summary: Quick read...leaves you wanting more!
Review: This book took me a day to read and left me wanting more! While she is often compared to Helen Fielding, I see her writing as more real and more thoughtful. One can only hope that her next book (which I hope comes out soon!) is just as fulfilling!
Rating: 
Summary: So Sad
Review: An excellently written and imminently readable book for sure. Definately authentic to contemporary attitudes toward romance and marriage. And so very, very sad. Gradually through the book you understand that the comment isn't on a very messed up young lady, but merely a peppy presentation of the standard fair of today's culture. When you hit the title line toward the end of the book it is crushingly sad. Or you can refuse to really think about it and just enjoy it- like the character, and, I suspect, the author.
Rating:
Summary: wonderful book!!
Review: I wasn't sure if I was going to like this book when I started it. I was so wrong. The way the author writes each chapter keeps it interesting.
Rating: 
Summary: I'd rather BE hunting or fishing than crawl through this one
Review: Ugh...in a nutshell. From the beginning, I found myself rereading paragraphs to make sure I truly understood what was going on. The only chapter I enjoyed at all was the one where Jane and her current boyfriend go to stay with his ex-girlfriend and her new husband; and even THAT was ridiculous. I mean, who the heck who DO that?!? Each chapter was like a short story about the same characters- except for some bizarre exerpt about a family with no relation to Jane save that they live in her aunt's apartment building. Huh? Can you say "character development"? Was this a piece orginally left on the cutting floor and someone picked it up by mistake? You never hear about these people again! It seems apparent that Melissa Bank has writing talent- she does, however, need an editor that can help guide her and show her how to pull her thoughts together in an understandable fashion before putting them to paper. I gotta ask- who let the chapter about Barney in?? My only comfort is that I was able to obtain a hardcover copy at an outlet store for [less money]- and I still feel gypped. I'm desperately trying to understand why many women enjoyed this horrid novel. Ugh.
Rating:
Summary: This Girl's Guide to Great Fiction
Review: I put off reading this book for months. The cover would catch my eye in the bookstore every time I'd pass by the bestseller table, but for some reason I would just never buy it. I finally picked it up in an airport bookstore and read this book in the time it took to get from Miami to New Jersey. I wish I had read this earlier.Melissa Bank has created a wonderfully witty and three-dimensional character in Jane, one that I haven't run into in quite some time. She writes her stories in anecdotes, as if she's remembering things piece by piece, as so many of us tend to do. Ms. Bank doesn't waste our time with long, flowery speech, becoming so involved with the way the clouds look, or the air smells, that she forgets about her characters. Her writing style is very unique and to the point, and keeps your attention all the way through. I found myself laughing out loud on the plane one minute and getting choked up the next. Great writers can do that so seamlessly that our emotions never know what's in store, but we love every minute of it. (The reason I gave this book 4 stars instead of 5, is that I felt one of the short stories did not belong in this particular book. It was the only one that didn't involve Jane, and while it was a very good story, I think it could have been saved for the next collection.)
Rating: 
Summary: Okay, but not great
Review: I just thought this book was average. It had some strengths, especially near the end, but it seemed too often she was bringing up characters that had nothing to do with the story or its lead character (the next door neighbor who was in it for one chapter and then disappeared) or switching how she was writing about the lead character (the chapter where she is referring herself in the past tense and third person). The lack of resolution of any woman in her brothers life also seemed disjointed. It just took away from the general feel of the book. This book is definitely a light read and good for a few chuckles, I would recommend it for a beach read or when you aren't looking for a "great" book whose characters will stay with you after you close the cover. I forgot about these characters as soon as I shut the book, but I'm not disappointed I read the book, I just felt some of the hype was out of place.
Rating:
Summary: Hysterical hip book for women
Review: This collection of related short stories covers everything female from childhood obsessions to breast cancer to crazy neighbors to meeting Mr. Right. It's a must-read for single women and a should-read for any female over 25. You will laugh and laugh and laugh.
Rating:
Summary: For the Huntress and the Hunted . . .
Review: I have to say that I thought this book was about something else when I first picked it up. During the first 100 or so pages I muttered to myself "why am I reading this - this feminist journal?" and then it hits me. It hits me like a cold wet sponge in the face, that Melissa Bank has a way with words and discovers a way to convey her message to the reader and keep one's interest simultaneously. Maybe I never truly "got it" and I admit that this book was no "Perfect Storm" for me, but there was still waves in the story that piqued my interest. I enjoyed the book and would recommend it. "Light, Breezy, and Fun."
Rating:
Summary: Poignant, funny and readable.
Review: I read this book as quickly as I could simply because I could not get enough of it. It was wonderful because it was so true to life. A truly talented writer can make you laugh and feel and see things clearly in a sentence - this writer does that constantly. I was disappointed in just one thing - The New York Times' review of this book was markedly inappropriate and unrelated to the quality of this book. I frequently will read books that the Times has suggested. Next time I see a poor review by the Times I will examine that book much more carefully. I would like to thank the author for an enjoyable and insightful read.
Rating:
Summary: I was riveted from the minute I picked it up
Review: This book is incredibly successful in dissecting one girl's relationships to her family, friends and lovers, while keeping the book interesting. You get a real sense of the main character, Jane Rosenal, and her values. I began to root for her, and hope she achieved happiness. While the book jumps around to different periods in her life, it is easy to follow and is not annoying. Through Jane, you get acquainted with those closest to her -- her brother, on-again, off-again lover and other friends and family. Her life is chronicled here. This book is a study in the dynamics of human relationships. You don't necessarily have to be fascinated by human nature to thoroughly enjoy this book.
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