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Interviews | November 19, 2009

Dave: IMG Finding John Irving: The Powells.com Interview

1 comment By Dave

johnirving[Editor's note: The following is a reprint of our 2005 interview with John Irving, whose new novel, Last Night in Twisted River, has just come out... Continue »
  1. $19.60 Sale Hardcover add to wish list

    Last Night in Twisted River

    John Irving

Good in Bed

by Jennifer Weiner

Good in Bed Cover

Synopses & Reviews

Publisher Comments:

For twenty-eight years, things have been tripping along nicely for Cannie Shapiro. Sure, her mother has come charging out of the closet, and her father has long since dropped out of her world. But she loves her friends, her rat terrier, Nifkin, and her job as pop culture reporter for The Philadelphia Examiner. She's even made a tenuous peace with her plus-size body.

But the day she opens up a national women's magazine and sees the words "Loving a Larger Woman" above her ex-boyfriend's byline, Cannie is plunged into misery...and the most amazing year of her life. From Philadelphia to Hollywood and back home again, she charts a new course for herself: mourning her losses, facing her past, and figuring out who she is and who she can become.

Review:

"Weiner's witty, original, fast moving debut features a lovable heroine, a solid cast, snappy dialogue and a poignant take on life's priorities. This is a must-read for any woman who struggles with body image, or for anyone who cares about someone who does." Publishers Weekly

Review:

"Pick up Good In Bed and I promise you'll be introduced to one of the funniest full-figured heroines to come along in years. Cannie Shapiro's wild ride through crazy romantic entanglements, dysfunctional family dilemmas, and battles with an ex-boyfriend who just won't go away will keep you turning the pages right up until the story's tender, touching finale." Susan Segrest, Mode Magazine

Review:

"Good In Bed is a delight, a contemporary Cinderella tale told with intelligence, wit, and style." Susan Isaacs, author of Almost Paradise and Red, White, and Blue

Review:

"Cannie's adventures will strike a chord with all young women struggling to find their place in the world, especially those larger than a size eight." Library Journal

Synopsis:

The day pop-culture journalist Cannie Shapiro reads her ex-boyfriend's published story about their sex life is the day her life changes. Embarking on a journey through her past she confronts her ex, deals with her lesbian mother, and sifts through the answer to how she got where she is — single, angry and exposed.
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What Our Readers Are Saying

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Average customer rating based on 3 comments:
Embeck2, July 15, 2009 (view all comments by Embeck2)
I agreed to read "Good In Bed" for a book club before I knew what it was about. I immediatly fell in love with the characters and the writing, and enjoyed the group discussion about it. As soon as I was done, I searched for other books by Jennifer Weiner and have not yet been disappointed.
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rwilson, April 28, 2008 (view all comments by rwilson)
If you read this: "larger woman," and think this: "fat girl," you will love this book. This is no formulaic chick-book, though. The clever, witty protagonist descends into a very believable darkness and. . . well, read the story.
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jenna yates, September 27, 2007 (view all comments by jenna yates)
I just got done reading Tino Georgiou's masterpiece--The Fates, and thought Good in Bed would be just the same old vapid chick-lit. Yeah, an overweight woman insecure about her weight. Wow, that's reinventing the wheel. Yet Cannie was different. She wasn't middle aged, like most protagonists in such works, she was in her late twenties. She wasn't an unattractive recluse who did nothing but eat all day. She was actual cultured, articulate and intelligent with an active social life. The book tended to be a bit topical at times, like Cannie's mother announcing at 56 years old she's a lesbian. But Cannie is uncomfortable with this, like most people would be. Despite being a Princeton graduate, living in Philadelphia, working for a newspaper their (a recipe for being a liberal if I ever heard one) Cannie cannot bring herself to put on a happy face about this development. Even the more farfetched events that take place don't seem so farfetched when written in Cannie's glib, self-deprecating voice. While not much on plot (an aspect that doesn't bother me as characters should dictate your plot not the other way around) the characters and stories are more than engaging. If you missed Tino Georgiou's novel--The Fates, I'd recommend reading that instead.
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Product Details

ISBN:
9780743418171
Author:
Weiner, Jennifer
Publisher:
Washington Square Press
Location:
New York
Subject:
General
Subject:
Literary
Subject:
Humorous Stories
Subject:
Young women
Subject:
Love stories
Subject:
Women journalists
Subject:
Philadelphia
Subject:
Overweight women
Subject:
General Fiction
Subject:
General Fiction
Subject:
Philadelphia (pa.)
Copyright:
2001
Edition Number:
1st paperback ed.
Edition Description:
B102
Series Volume:
E 604
Publication Date:
April 2002
Binding:
Paperback
Grade Level:
and#93: A.<P>
Language:
English
Pages:
400
Dimensions:
8.50x5.18x1.14 in. .79 lbs.
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