2006 Book #1 - Conversations with the Fat Girl by Liza Palmer
I think I remember reading a book review either in "Bookmarks" magazine or "Entertainment Weekly" for this book. It was a good review and the story sounded interesting, so when I came across this title on one of my random meanderings through a bookstore, I picked it up. It turned out to be appropriate, I suppose, to be the first book of this year I finished reading as I've decided this year to lose at least half of the 80 lbs of which I'm overweight.

So about the book itself... my opinion coming up but for now from the back cover:

Maggie and Olivia have been best friends since they were in grade school. Both overweight, they befriend each other when no one else would. Now grown up, Maggie is still shopping in the euphemism-if-there-ever-was-one "women's section," while Olivia went and had gastric-bypass surgery in search of the elusive size 4, the holy grail for women everywhere. So now Olivia's thin and blond and getting married to a handsome surgeon, and Maggie's the fat bridesmaid, again, in charge of planning "The Shower" and keeping Olivia's secret: that she's really a fat girl in a thin body. Ain't life grand?

With wit and wisdom, Liza Palmer gives voice to women everywhere who wish for just once that they could forget about their weight.

I was hesitant about registering this book under "Women's fiction" because I find I personally hate so many books labelled as such. Not so for this book. Although the cover is in those annoying cloying colors of neon pink and neon green slapped onto every book publishers want deemed "chick lit," I don't think it's that type of book at all. While most of the time the books I've read of that "genre" make me feel like I'm being condescended upon, this book did no such thing. Of the back cover, I only disagree with the last line in that I don't think every woman wants to be a size 4, but it should definitely be read by those who do.

I found it refreshing that although Maggie does have many insecurities and lacks much self-respect at times, there's not that lame-brainedness (is that a word?? :D) that so many books on this topic hold. Rather than being over-the-top catty or juvenile, Maggie has a good head on her shoulders despite her weaknesses. It was nice to see her blossom, you could say, and come into her own without makling it too melodramatic and the ending is pretty priceless. At that point I was salivating for what ended up happening and I was thrilled that Maggie came into her own in such a relatively classy way. I wouldn't have done it any differently.

I definitely recommend this book for those of you who like to read "women's fiction" without too much melodrama or too much airheadedness!

In a fit of insanity I decided to make this book into a bookring, the first I've ever started.

Look here for updates on the book's location. This ring is now closed.

Only a couple of rules:
Please try not to keep the book for more than a month. I may PM you to ask you to pass it on.

If someone doesn't respond to PMs asking for address or they decide they're not interested anymore, please go on to the next person. Make a journal entry saying whether someone passed etc.

Thanks for participating!

Participants
EllyMae58 (in SD,CA/Round Rock; US only)
innae (in CO; anywhere)
beautyredefined (in MI; US only but open)
macdonv (Windsor; N.Am.)
chronicbooker3 (Burlington; N.Am.)
RidingReader (Jack, FL; anywhere)

Click their names to PM them!

Margih (Finland; Int'l)
momrisner (S.C.; U.S. only)
sarradee (TX; N.Am. but open) <--Here as of 11/08/06
lyssrose (TX; U.S. only)
synergy (TX)

RELEASE NOTES:

EllyMae got her address to me in time today for me to mail it before the post office closed. I hope everyone in the ring enjoys the book and by the time it returns to me I'll have lost some weight so I'm not the Fat Girl of this book...

I received this today! I don't think I've ever been the first reader on a bookring before. What fun! I'm currently reading a book, but will start this one in a day or two, and then it can be merrily on its way.

Thanks so much for sharing this, synergy! I'll journal again when I've read it.

My 24th read of 2006.

Not a fantastic read, but not a bad read. I really liked Maggie, but I really got tired of her attitude about herself. I'm glad that she started to make some changes in her life by the end of the book.

I loved what she did at the rehearsal. As soon as Mrs. Morten delegated the slide show to Maggie, I knew right then where that was going! Olivia was such a bitch. I'm surprised Olivia even stayed friends with her, considering Maggie had to have been a constant reminder of her "old" life.

I'm also glad that Domenic likes Maggie, she really deserves someone nice in her life.

Thank you for sharing this with me, synergy! I am mailing it on to innae tomorrow, 2/2!

Delivery confirmation #0305 1720 0000 1922 9115.

I'm sure this will be journaled soon. I checked the tracking today:

Your item was delivered at 2:10 pm on February 13, 2006 in LITTLETON, CO 80128.

Enjoy the book!

Looks like this one got to me while I was out of town, so sorry for the delay in journaling :( As I finished the other book I was reading, and was actually looking for what was next -- This one moved to the top!

Thanks for sharing and I will journal again when I finish.

So this book is fantastic. And it did what another book I picked up earlier this week just couldn't...(that book was "when Food is Love" a self-help book designed to make you realize why you eat too much) It has given me new insight into my life. And when my boyfriend called while I was reading the final pages, and I realized that I do have WONDERFUL things in my life...I cried. Yes, this book made me cry (even without the phone call I think I would have cried) -- so, I will be passing this book on to the next in the chain, and wishing her good reading :-)

This came in the mail today - and I'll get to it once I finish my current book (not too long, don't worry!)

I finished this and sent it on its way yesterday (though I probably could've just driven it over across the border). Anyway, I don't have time to write up my thoughts now, but I wanted to reserve this space for me to do so before macdonv gets it!

Received this today, and what luck! I'm between books at the mo', so now I have something to read!

I read the back cover, and the picture of the author had me smiling already. I'm sure I'm not the only one who hates when skinny people write about the travails of fat people (like they'd have any clue!), so to see a picture of a...Rubenesque woman was heartening. Then I read the "About the Author" page, and I think I love this woman! She sounds just like me, if I had any oomph to go to author readings. :-) And I *so* understand the whole Lucky Charms/non-fat milk/Shape magazine thing! I've actually done that - though if memory serves, it was Diet Coke/Supersize Glossettes Peanuts/Shape magazine. Liza Palmer sounds like one cool chica to me.

Now, to read the rest of the book! Thanks for doing this ring, synergy!

This was such a good book! (Even though every now and then I wanted to smack Maggie upside the head.)

Palmer has captured the pains of growing up and growing apart and the not wanting to admit it's happening. Maggie is a wonderful character, and I'm happy to see that Palmer didn't fall into many other "Women's Fiction" writers' failings and make her a hard-to-like, fat whiner. The "thar she blows" incident was Olivia's turning point, and in this book, we get to follow Maggie along as she discovers what her turning point is. We get to see her realize she *can* change who she is, and it doesn't have to be in the negative way that Olivia changed. She can lose weight and still remain...Maggie.

The ending was absolutely priceless. I was talking to the book, telling her "you don't have to take that! Say something!", but Maggie's way was perfect. A great story - thanks to synergy for putting this ring together!

I've PM'd poohbear3/chronicbooker for her addy, and then the book will be in the mail.

Mailed today. Sorry for the delay.

This arrived in the mail today. Perfect timing as I was just on my last page of what I was currently reading. Thanks for passing it along.

I just finished this as part of a bookring I signed up for. It was an amusing read with some laugh out loud parts. I was a little disappointed with both the main character and her friend Olivia due to some of their "choices", but overall the book didnt drag and I would read this author again.

Chronicbooker3 let me slip in on this bookring because she thought I might enjoy the novel. I have already finished it and will give it back to her on Tuesday so she can send it continuing its journey.

At first, I was annoyed by the stereotype of "the fat girl" that the author portrayed Maggie as - shy, scared, with low self-esteem, longing to be loved, pathetically desperate to get a man and on and on. Believe it or not, not all "fat girls" feel badly about themselves or have bad self-esteem.

I did like how Maggie came around and realised she was not worthless, however, I think that Olivia (fat-girl-turned-skinny) was also a huge stereotype.

For a book full of stereotypes, it was an entertaining and quick read and in the end, I did enjoy it.

This will be mailed to Ridingreader on the weekend.

I'm not going to read the previous readers' comments until I finish the book. This is my first bookring! I look forward to the read and to passing it along to the next ringer! :)

As much as I hate to admit it, I saw parts of me in both Olivia and Maggie. Some good, some bad... some simply human. I suppose the importance lies in the recognition of these parts and that is something Maggie comes to terms with and grows from. I like Maggie's internal metamorphosis. It freed her in ways she's never really known. Striving to be our own champion is what makes us strong and Maggie has reason to cheer.

Mailing to Marita in Finland. She's been contacted and knows to expect it soon. :) Thanks to synergy for allowing me to participate in my first bookring!

The book finally arrived :)
I have at least 4 ring books (all in Eglish) to read before this one so I can say I´m in "trouble". But I`ll do my very best to send this book to the next reader before September will end.

I finished the book last night and I did like it a lot! Maggie is a strong person and all the difficulties she has to face makes her even stronger. Olivia doesn´t accept her extra weight and wants to get rid of the kilos the easiest way. But, who finally accepts herself as a normal, happy woman?

I´m sorry I kept this book too long but I had almost two weeks period at hospital when I was not capable to read. I´ll send the book to momrisner this week. Thanks for sharing this book, synergy!

Received in the mail today. Can't wait to read it!

11/1/06. PM'd the next person on this list to get their address.

This may not have been the "best" book I've read this year, but it is a VERY good read. I'm glad I asked to join this bookring. There were a few times I identified with Maggie and I was excited with her as she started changing her life for the better.

Arrived safely today. I'll journal again after I have some thoughts to share.

Oops, finished reading this on Saturday and forgot to post a journal entry. I agree with the sentiment that Maggie came across as intelligent and thinking even though she lacked self esteem. A refreshing change from the air-head chick-lit protagonists that abound in the genre, especially when it comes to the subgenre of "fat-chick-lit". I recently read one book where the main character kept wailing and bemoaning that she was so huge, so very huge she needed to be weighed on a truck scale, she couldn't fit through revolving doors etc. and it turned out that she was a size 12 - that turned me off quite a bit because at a size 12 myself I don't consider myself enormous.

I pm'ed lyssrose on the 13th but haven't heard back yet, so I'm going to try again.

Tried to PM lyssrose twice with no reply so PM'ed synergy who said that lyssrose may be busy with either a pregnancy or new baby. Synergy knows I have the book and am done, she's going to try to get ahold of lyssrose via Live Journal to see if she's still interested. I'm ready to send it on whenever. Thanks for letting me be part of the journey.

Heard from lyssrose who has been out of town - will mail the book out tomorrow, hope it gets there quickly since it's only going a couple hundred miles. :)

Electronic Delivery Confirmation #: 9102010521297706550978

Arrived here, safe & sound! I'm already a few chapters in, and am liking it so far.

It looks like I'm last in line, so once I'm finished, it goes back home to synergy!

What a fabulous book! Thanks so much, Synergy, for sharing this! I wasn't sure at first if I was going to like this; I think I was afraid that it would just turn into another Jemima J, where the main character doesn't feel happy until she loses weight. With Maggie, though, I found a heroine that I actually liked, and finally, a character that loses weight because she's happy - not the other way around!

__

And now, the book has been dropped in the mailbox, to return to Synergy! Thanks again for sending this around! :)

Welcome home! I received the book from the lovely lyssrose on Friday, but with the holidays upon us you know how we lose track of time! It made it back in just under the year since I first sent it out.

Thanks to all who participated in the bookring! I hope you enjoyed the book and maybe got a little inspiration along the way.