Beautiful Bodies : A Novel

Rating:
Summary: Beautiful Spirits more than bodies
Review: The six best friends of the title have, I think, more beautiful spirits than bodies. That's what makes them great -- they are not falsely glamorized. they are very real, especially to me. I am sure I know these women, maybe I am one -- the one who throws the dinner party and is not ready and throws her cellphone out the window rather than wait for her new guy to call! I identify! They are true human beings,with funny idiosynchrasies who make mistakes and their friendships wax and wane, through 15 years and the one night that is the setup for this EXTREMELY FUNNY NOVEL. I wish I was a writer so I could adequately explain how much I enjoyed this , how smart it is and how uplifted it made me feel about myself, my best friends, the men, the one nighters and even my ex-husband! This is humanity, at its best, the fact that it makes you howl and cry is a triumph. I personally thought Martha the funniest creation, Lisbeth the most enduring...I wanted to be there with them. This is the real book, Girlfriends. Don't miss it!

Rating:
Summary: celestial babes!
Review: Laura Cunningham writes about women the way we truly are, with all our flaws as glorified as our attributes. Literate and funny Cunningham draws us into complicated lives which reflect our own. Brava!

Rating:
Summary: Read this book!
Review: All men should be required to read this book to understand what and how the women in their lives are thinking. Everyone should read it for the pleasure of it: for the great storytelling, and the kind of writing that makes you say, I could do that, until you realize how subtly textured and perfectly structured this book is and are grateful that you don't have to do it, that Cunningham's done it for you and done it beautifully.
She is, as is evident in all of her writing, a brilliant observer of human nature, and of women in particular. Each of the characters in Beautiful Bodies is fully fleshed, has strong opinions about the nature of that flesh, has desires, disappointments, triumphs, terrors, and articulates all these in a voice and idiom that's hers alone. They're great talkers, these women, with voices that are honest and familiar. I KNOW these women!
Don't be fooled by the light tone of the first pages. Cunningham has given us a very funny book, at times airy as a soufflé, yet these women are all grappling with the grittiest stuff life has to throw. And the overall effect - the taste in your mouth when the feast is over (Cunningham writes wonderfully about food; I wish she'd do a cookbook, it would be like standing in the kitchen with your best friend who happens to be a world class cook!) - is one of gratitude: Cunningham's women extend toward one another, after an often hilarious struggle, deep understanding and abiding compassion. It's a very rich book. I can't wait for her next one.

Rating:
Summary: "A great read"
Review: Very funny, enjoyable read. My only quibble: the unnecessary quotation marks on almost every page. It's not necessary to put "quotation marks" around words in order to emphasize them!

Rating:
Summary: Loved it every page - Sheer pleasure
Review: As a single woman, aged 35, living in a big city but not New York, I was breathless from start to finish. I did not stop reading this book for a day and a half. Went without sleep. For me, this is the first book that describes a world I know, a life I lead. I identified completely with Jessie, the woman who must throw the party - and clean the cat box, cook the meal & and is so totally distracted yet pulls it off. A loving spirit infuses the very exciting sex with so much more than I accustomed to finding in a "great read." The stories are truthful, hilarious and heart breaking. Laugh, cry, lend to your best friend, your sister, your mother. A true depiction of female friendhip. I fell in love with the book, hope it is a movie or a tv series. Out-sexes sex and the city, with compassion for its characters.

Rating:
Summary: Mediocre and poorly edited
Review: The constant fixation with the surroundings of each story was mundane, distracting, and, at times, incorrect for a story set in the 21st century. Although the novel is not bad for a quick read, often repeated phrases such as "mucho dollaros" and "cheapo" are jarring and should have been edited out.

Rating:
Summary: So Fun, didn't want it to end, awesome new novel
Review: My older sister was reading this with her friends and said I was too young (16) but I don't agree. This is a book I can relate to, in every way. The friendship among the six girls is very accurate, like sometimes they are ... but they care a great deal too...The fun part is how they dish, it all comes out -- the wild stories, the sad parts of being dumped etc. And on top of this, they have laughs and a great dinner. DEVOUR IT!

Rating:
Summary: As erotic as it is intelligent
Review: Not for dumbos, this highly literate author (a famous memoirist, author of the best childhood book ever, Sleeping Arrangements) takes on the often tacky tale of single women and their love lives in the city, with grace, wit, style and an obvious I.Q. This is Sex in the City for smart people. Always sensuous, the narrative of six best friends, driven together to confront the strange behavior of one woman, is often funny, through the tears...Heart rending, belly-laughing. I have 3 copies -- for my best friends!

Rating:
Summary: An oscar winner: Six Star Women
Review: What a fest -- six women star in this one night on the town in NY--Each woman is recognizable -- I may be one of them! Hachahacha. Finally a real book for women that doesn't reduce your mental IQ. Sexier than sex in the City.

Rating:
Summary: Female Masterpiece...Riveting Read
Review: Read, read, read, couldn't go to bed. Nuf said. Hysterical.