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jess_mango's review
3.0
A collection of so-so short stories about women of a certain age doing what they want to instead of what society expects from them. This story collection was easy to read but wasn't something I eagerly looked forward to picking up again at the end of the day.
fatgirlreading's review
4.0
this book of short stories genuinely reached deep within me. “full count” was my favorite story, following a young girl realizing that her body is deemed “bad” by society. even if you don’t pick up the whole book, i recommend reading at least a few of the stories. much of the content in the book surrounds diet culture, fatphobia, and beauty standards, and though it is not done Perfectly (in all fairness, the book is from 2008 which surely was A Time), i felt seen as a fat person (especially one who identified as a woman for a long time and was socialized as such).
somanybookstoread's review
4.0
I forget who told me to check out Elizabeth Berg. When I did, I first read Home Safe, which I didn't like one bit. But when someone recommends an author to me, I'll usually give them two shots. With Berg, I'm glad I did. Berg is prolific. I could have researched what her better books are, but I was really attracted to the title of this short story collection, so I went here next. What a treat! These stories were extremely well-crafted and had me right from the start. The characters are rich and human. The narrative arcs were well done. All in all, I'm very happy I read this book and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys short fiction, a sharp eye, and wit. Were they the most literary short stories I've ever read? Certainly not. But they were most definitely well done.
chickienuggies's review
4.0
Very enjoyable collection of stories. I think the synopsis on the back of the book did it SO dirty because I thought initially that it would read like a cringey self-help book trying too hard to appeal to middle-aged women. This was not the case though. Ultimately, all the stories were well-written and relatable. They cover a wide scope of topics related to womanhood and some of the struggles that come with it, especially things to do with weight and eating. This book had some of the BEST food descriptions I've read and made me very hungry - I went out and got ChungChun & a cookie after reading it. ANYways, the various topics are dealt with in very realistic ways and from varying perspectives - from the view of a girl on the brink of womanhood to women who must grapple with the threat of death and loss in older age. There wasn't one story I didn't like, and it also fulfilled my need for grandma-type humour. A pretty solid 4 overall.
katzreads's review
3.0
Uneven collection for me. Some stories were great--I really enjoyed the title story--but others were hard to get through.
asurges's review
4.0
Yeah, more stories about dieting, making peace with one's body, etc., etc. However, did it stop me from reading? No.
Every time I feel ashamed for liking--and sometimes even loving--Elizabeth Berg (a couple of her books have been made into Lifetime movies--what's that tell ya?), I think of how Augusten Burroughs loves her too. It's coffee-clatch reading--easy, kinda sweet sometimes, sorta fluffy but not stupid and sometimes even kinda funny.
I hate when she writes about old people though, because she does it in that "ain't they cute?" vein. Shudder.
Every time I feel ashamed for liking--and sometimes even loving--Elizabeth Berg (a couple of her books have been made into Lifetime movies--what's that tell ya?), I think of how Augusten Burroughs loves her too. It's coffee-clatch reading--easy, kinda sweet sometimes, sorta fluffy but not stupid and sometimes even kinda funny.
I hate when she writes about old people though, because she does it in that "ain't they cute?" vein. Shudder.