In comparison to the last book I read, this was a much-welcomed fast read. This novel is very current in that it is pure chick lit centered on a fictional reality TV show.

Kat Larson is a big girl. At 230 pounds, she’s tired of being the fat girl that everyone brushes past. The only thing that gives her happiness in her life is her gorgeous British boyfriend, Nick. Only problem is: it’s an online relationship and they’ve never met. He thinks she’s a size four, and she’s done everything she can to keep him thinking that way. As their relationship grows, he starts asking for them to finally meet face-to-face. Kat knows she can never meet him until she loses the weight.

So when a friend of hers comes across an open audition call in the newspaper for a new reality TV show called From Fat to Fabulous, Kat decides she has nothing to lose by auditioning, except the weight. When she’s accepted onto the show, she thinks everything she wants in life is finally going to start falling into place. She’ll be thin, famous, rich and finally able to be the person Nick thinks she is.

Of course, nothing ever works out the way it’s planned. Except this novel. It’s extremely formulaic and predictable. It’s not boring, but it’s not a great piece of creative fiction either.

There are good things about being in a book club, and there are some bad things. This book is one of those bad things. A member of my book club chose this book for us to read this month, and I hated it. Hate hate hate hated it.

There are only a few types of people that should read this book:

1. Asian history buffs. No wait… history professors. For their own reading “pleasure” and not mandatory class reading for their students.
2. Insomniacs without medical coverage for the good sleep-inducing drugs.
3. Margaret Drabble’s husband and close family. And only if she asks you to.

Honestly, I can barely stand to think about it again to write this review, but for the fact I could be sparing some of you from the same misfortune.

(more…)

I read this book standing up during a busy shopping time at Costco. It took me about 3 minutes to read through it quickly, but I just adored it. In fact, I adored it enough to look for it again the next time I was in Costco and take a few minutes to read it again just for the smiles it brought on.

This is the story about a bored little Fox, whose mother tells him to go outside and make some friends. He decides to listen to his mother and gathers up materials (twigs, fruit) to literally make himself a friend.

When he’s finished building his friend out of twigs, he doesn’t understand why his friend won’t play with him. So he joins forces with another forest animal that happens to be passing by, and together they make a bigger, better friend. And the same thing happens. So they hook up with yet another forest animal to make an even bigger friend.

By the end of the story, Fox is disappointed that his attempts at making himself a friend didn’t work out, until his mother helps him realise that while he didn’t actually “make” a friend, he did end up making new friends in the process.

This is a great story for young children learning the concept of friendship. It’s also a refreshing reminder that kids still make friends the old-fashioned way by going outside the house and leaving behind all the toys and technology, and meeting other kids and playing with them.

The illustrations are beautiful too. Pick it up from your local library when you want to read a story to your kids about the concept of friendship. Even if your kids are too young to really appreciate the story and the illustrations, you will.