Good In Bed, by Jennifer Weiner
This book has been on my "to read" list for years. Whenever I go to the library to check it out it's never there. I finally just reserved a copy from the mid-town Manhattan library and got it last week. I was exited to see what all the fuss was about (even though I'm about 8 years behind said fuss!)
Good In Bed follows the story of Cannie Shapiro, an over weight, 20-something, newspaper writer living in Philadelphia. When we meet Cannie she has great friends, has a bizarre family situation and has just broken up with her boyfriend of 3 years Bruce. Bruce then proceeds to write about their sex life in very intimate detail in his new column for Moxie Magazine, titled, Good In Bed.
The book weaves between Cannie's present and her past in a very subtle manner as we follow Cannie through registering for "Fat Class" (as she calls it), a surprise pregnancy, an important trip to Hollywood, among other adventures. Weaving through her past helps the reader understand Cannie as she is as a person today, her insecurities, her relationship issues, and of course her self-protecting sense of humor.
While Good In Bed was perhaps a little to racy for me at times (I could have done without the descriptive reading of Bruce's column...) overall I thought it was a really good read. It's about learning to love yourself for who you really are, accepting yourself, realizing your self importance and self worth in the eyes of others, and loving your family for they are regardless of their quirks. There is also some classicly good chick-lit in there as well with an ending that you'll root for. But I don't want to give anything away....
Overall, I enjoyed the writing style, I enjoyed the story, I did however think it was a bit long winded. I would say it was a solid 3.5 star rating. A book you'd enjoy if you picked up but I'm not saying it's a must read.
Fade Away, Harlan Coben
This is the 3rd book in Harlan Coben's Myron Bolitar series. I had read many of Harlan Coben's books but the stand alone ones. A year ago I decided to start ready the Bolitar series because they were his first books.
The gist is that Myron Bolitar, a super-star basketball player out of Duke, was injured early on in his career with the Celtics. Since then he had a stint with the FBI and is currently working as a sports agent. His sidekick Win runs a financial institution of impeccable reputation that all of Bolitar's clients use. Together Myron and Win work cases on the side, disappearances, murders, etc. They are great tag team and in this 3rd book in the series Fade Away they are as fun as ever.
Greg Downing, a guard for the New Jersey Dragons (and Myron's biggest college rival) goes missing just weeks before the playoffs begin. The owner of the Dragons brings Myron and Win onboard to help find Downing. Before long Myron and Win are in deep, gambling, debts owed, murder, blackmail, you name it. Can they solve the mystery and find Greg (hopefully alive) in time....you'll have to read to find out.
One of the things I love about Coben's writing is that it's simple, and it builds and builds until you get to the end. I can very rarely figure out who's done it before he reveals it to me. The only book where I've actually figured out the end was the 2nd book in the Bolitar series. The pagees keep turning and I know when I pick up one of Harlan Coben's books that I'll finish it in a day or two.
This book lived up to my expectations, it kept me turning the pages and kept me guessing until the end. I would give this book a solid 4 stars in the mystery department. I look forward to finishing this series and seeing Coben's writing style continue to develop!
Post in Comments:
Have you read Good in Bed? Did you like it?
Have you read Fade Away? Have you read any books by Harlan Coben?
Which do you prefer: chick-lit or mysteries?
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