Rating: 
Summary: Funny and true--this book's a winner
Review: Melissa Banks has so completely gotten into the heart and mind of her loveable character Jane that I felt a loss when the book ended.I never WAS Jane myself, but I would really love it if she were my little sister or my daughter. If you're in your teens or 20's you must read this book! If you know and love someone who is in that age range you have just found the perfect present!
Rating:
Summary: AWSOME! I LOVE IT!
Review: I read this book over the summer three times! Although I'm only 13 I still loved it. It was a little bit difficult to read at first but I read it again and finnally understood it! In fact I loved it so much that I recently went to a local reading my Ms.Bank. That answered all my questions about the chapter with the neighbors("barney") you want to know what the heck it was all about e-mail me! Also for those of you who loved her you'll be happy to know that she is working things out for a few of her stories to put together in a movie! She would really like Jeanine gararfalo(sp?) to play Jane! I just reconmend this book to any girl between the ages of 13 and 60. It's just great!
Rating:
Summary: Funny, Smart and Sexy!
Review: The only thing I hated about this book is that it ended. I loved it, the character Jane is funny in a cynical sort of way. I read her grow from a cute and slighty obnoxious 14-year-old to a mature and wise-cracking 30-something single woman from New York.The only set-back I experienced in this book was those two chapters that weren't about Jane. Those two chapters made absolutely no sense to me---I don't know what Melissa Bank was trying to tell us but it had nothing to do with Jane. But this book is a great and light read. I especially love the last chapter, how Jane tried to follow every rule to getting Robert when all she had to do was be herself. I recommend this book to anyone--- it is not your usual "single woman in New York" book, it is so much more.
Rating: 
Summary: Lacked a compelling plot....a bit boring at times
Review: I really had to force myself to finish this book. I thought the lead character was a rich, spolied, narcasist without a sense of humor (unlike Bridget Jones' Diary). I really hated the middle chapter where she introduces new characters and never mentions them again! What's with that? At first I thought the editors just made a mistake - then I realized it was just a gimik - its just stupid if you ask me.
Rating:
Summary: Welcome To My World
Review: I had hesitation prior to reading this book, since there was so much hype, but I gave in, as I do, and I'm glad I did. It was a fun read and gave new meaning to my 'love life.' It put a good perspective on the lives of single women and what we go through with each passing day.
Rating: 
Summary: Captivating
Review: I really enjoyed reading The Girl's Guide to Hunting and Fishing. The main character was both interesting and amusing. This is a quick, interesting read. I highly recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: Well-written, witty and fun-to-read book
Review: I loved this book! It was fun to see Jane progress from 14 to in her 30s. It's a collection of short stories, the majority of which share a Jane as a narrator. There are two stories that at first glance don't seem to fit. They are there to give you perspective, the big picture. Just as Jane realizes there is life outside herself, so must the reader. Don't let the two non-Jane stories throw you- soak up the witty writing and beautiful metaphors.
Rating:
Summary: worth reading, but makes you wonder
Review: The interesting thing about this book is that it makes you wonder where the fiction begins and the autobiography ends. Considering this author's bio, it's easy to make plausible connections between her life and this story. You have to wonder, does she really have a cynical, n'er-do-well brother of imaginary talent who nonetheless manages to sojourn among ivy league schools and prestigious internships? Could she possibly, in real life, be captivated by a self-enamored man who breaks into song and dance as his contribution to a conversation, unaware that her readers wince in vicarious embarrassment for the poor fellow? Could the author share her protagonist's riot of contradictory expectations concerning prospective mates? (I want him to be wise, patient, generous, understanding - ie, possess maturity that is only obtained from time and experience - but he can't be older than my own 30 years. I want him to be a romantic, an artist, a poet, but he must have both feet on the ground, and not be dark and melancholy. I want him to be complex, yet not self- absorbed. I want him to have a blue-blood pedigree (Choate, Yale, country home, summers at Martha's) and yet be someone who achieves professional success on his own merits. I want it to all be about me, and when it's only 90% about me, I want to complain that it's all about him. I want him to be Michael-Bolton-I'll-jump-off-bridge-for-you desperately in love with me, but I may throw in the towel because we don't have the same taste in music. I want him to take care of me, but heaven forbid that he should ever really need me.) I'm not sure whether to laugh or cry for this person. (Although her love of dogs helps to compensate.) This book is worth reading, because the writing is good, and because it reveals some amazing anomalies of human nature, which (astonishingly) might not be so anomalous. This is one of the really interesting things about "fiction" - the way that authors, comforted by the disclaimer, seem to (unwittingly?) open a window into their own minds and their own lives. It's fascinating to wonder - how much is window? how much is painting? how much is mirror? When the writing is this good, I want to admire the author, and some make a rough go of it. However, since readers do interpolate in this manner, you have to admire the courage of an author who freely creates a work of fiction for publication, letting themselves flow into the piece, knowing that readers can and will do this.
Rating:
Summary: Don't Compare This Book to Anything Else
Review: I am really tired of hearing this book compared to books like Bridget Jones' Diary. The key difference is that Helen Fielding writes a demeaning tale about a spineless, neurotic wimp who I can't imagine being friends with, while Melissa Bank writes of a real woman whose wit and honesty make her just the kind of woman I'd like to know in real life. The stories are simultaneously hilarious and poignant, and the writing is strong from start to finish. I can't wait to read Melissa Bank's next book.
Rating:
Summary: A great book, I loved it!
Review: I thought that this was a terrific book--witty, charming, and sensitive. I really could relate to Jane, and thought that Melissa Bank did a wonderful job both finding the "voice" of this young woman and creating and defining her true character.
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