Jennifer Weiner is Good In Bed

Do you remember the scene from Troop Beverly Hills when Cheech Marin says to Mary Gross:  "Annie Herman, boy yoy yoing!?"  Well, that's how I felt reading Jennifer Weiner's Good in Bed.  I loved it.  Why would I read "Chick Lit" you ask?  I was just doing my book blogger's duty.  When I asked what everybody's favorite book was, Meredith said Good in Bed.  Although I'm not averse to reading books that are geared to women (you can either call me flexible or a wuss), I had never seriously considered reading Weiner.  So when I saw Meredith's choice I thought:  "What the heck?"  I figured it would be a nice little diversion from "serious books."  I couldn't have been more wrong.  In fact, the book itself (written in 2001) is misleading.  On the cover, Janet Maslin of the New York Times says:  "This season's beach-book Queen for a Day."  Actually, I think it is too well-written to be downgraded to the beach.  This book has a lot of heart and soul and is definitely not a lightweight.  As my mother-in-law said right after the movie Election ended (while we cringed because of the language and sexual innuendo), "That was delightful!"  I feel the same way.

Cannie (Candace) Shapiro is a plus-size 28-year old pop culture reporter for the Philadelphia Examiner.  When the book opens, Cannie has just learned that her newly ex-boyfriend has written an article for Moxie magazine entitled "Loving a Larger Woman."  She is devastated, especially since it was her idea to "take a break" after being together for 3 years.  She was obviously just kidding (my son, Josh, used to trip his 2.5 year-younger sister, Meredith, and say "just kidding" - he wasn't, but Cannie was).  Even though she is referred to in the article as "C," she imagines that everybody knows that it's her.  What follows is a very heartfelt and very funny look at how Cannie handles the fallout from the article and the finality of the break-up.  It's about self-discovery and introspection.  Beach-Book my a__.

I want to emphasize how funny this book is.  There are a number of authors that make me laugh.  David Rosenfelt (Andy Carpenter series) is a very funny guy.  Brian Haig (Sean Drummond series) is also a funny guy.  Even Christopher Buckley has his humorous moments.  But I don't think I've ever laughed reading a book as much as I laughed with this one.  We've all heard expressions related to something being very obvious - such as "does a bear s__t in the woods?"  But in Good in Bed, Weiner says:  "Does the pope wear a big hat?"  I actually laughed out loud.  She also refers to the "pedicure police" at one point.  Really clever stuff.

I'm strongly recommending this book.  Will the Flynn-sters and Silva-ites like it?  Questionable.  Will most women like it?  Most assuredly.  Will men who are not just into Mitch Rapp and Gabriel Allon like it?  I say yes.  You e-readers of e-readers, download a chapter or 2.  Make up your own minds.

PERSONAL NOTE:  At the end of the book, there is a Q and A with Jennifer Weiner.  One of her answers resonated with me.  She said that her friends are like family to her.  I definitely feel that way.  If any of my friends read this, know that I'm talking about you.