Book starts a little slow, but the last half is very funny. I found myself having to share some of the excerpts with whoever was in the room with me! I definately recommend!

Jen is a self discribed narcissist who wakes up to realize, after years of stuffing her face...that she is Fat. She bacially whines throughout the book on how hard it is to loose weight and makes everyone around her pay for it. She is sharp witted and funny lots of times, but I wondered more than once that some of her "snarky" dialouge comes out of her imagination rather than factual events. She comes off as a cartoon chartacter, not a real person. She claims "fear" is what has kept her from growing-up, but she never lets the reader into what that is all about. She criticizes Weight Watchers Meetings because they talk about "feelings" too much and felt "those people" needed therapy. She may want to use some of her royalties on a good shrink. She is clearly a legend in her own mind. I was disappointed because what could have been a thoughtful, insightful journey ends up wetting the bed. She is a walking sterotype of the "bitter fat girl" who projects her own fears on to others. In her journey to loose weight she makes fun of the homeless, disabled and the poor and at the end, although more fit is still fat. It is hard to have sympathy for her when others, call her a "fat b" I think it is a sad commentary that weight loss is such a triumph and worthy of publishing..I am all for living healthy and spreading education about obesity but really these "personal accounts" are boring and pathetic. I am not sure why this book got published....I mean I go to Target all the time, do others really want to read about it??? All and All I got suckered in by marketing and what appears to be false, contrived reviews...a poor memoir*

* The footnotes are a distraction and stupid, save your money

I don't know if I've ever read a book that made me laugh this hard. Even though I'm from Chicago and loved hearing the names of all the attractions and suburbs, it's her writing that's so wonderful. I am going to immediately buy and read her other books!

Just like her other two books this one is an amazingly funny tale of Jen's life. It made me laugh out loud!

This book chronicles Jen's quest to lose weight. I found it insightful and funny. As women, we have all gone through the emotional roller coaster of loosing weight. Jen has a great sense of humor and I find myself saying, "Hey that's me." Although I didn't think it was as funny as her second book, it was still hilarious and I would absolutely recommend it.

I really had a lot of fun reading this book. While I don't have quite as much to lose as Jen did, I was totally able to relate to her. It was like hanging out with my best friend. She and I were so much alike, it was like she wrote a book about me. I've been to Jenny Craig and Weight Watchers and thought all the same things! I really loved it, and I am now motivated to start working out. If Jen can do it, so can I!

I liked this book, it was funny and I enjoy Jen's writing. I've read all her books and her blog, Jen is at her best when she's being honest and I appreciate that she lays it all out there. My favorite part was towards the end when she runs into a couple of fans at the gym. Classic!

Jen's best book was the first one. I didn't give this one five stars because I found the beginning strange, I actually ended up over-eating through the first couple of hundred pages as she goes on and on about everything laden in butter. At one point I wanted to yell "Heart disease!" to Jen change the way she cooks and I'm glad she's making some changes. I also thought it peculiar that her, Fletch, and her girlfriends all talk exactly the same. Maybe they do, but some speech nuances might have been helpful.

Overall, Jen is one of the funniest writers out there, and I would recommend this book!

It's nice to read a book where someone who is a size 12 isn't the "fat" girl. It's also nice that the author was super confident and didn't care about losing weight....yes, it made her feel better and made her healthier, but she was perfectly fabulous the way she was when she was over-weight.

What I like about this book is the fun Jen makes of herself. And yeah, the book's title reveals that she's narcissistic, but it's playfully done, self-deprecating, and not over-the-top where you want to just roll your eyes and bash her head in. Not like that at all! You read Such a Pretty Fat and you laugh along with the antics of her experiences.

And how can you not cheer for someone with such a positive self-image attitude! I mean come on! It's hard enough being a woman in today's world where everywhere you go there's plastic boobs shoved in your face, and God knows what else to make the women around you look the way they do... So good for Jen for being generally happy with how she looks!

As someone who has done Atkins and now loathes the sight of eggs, and a life-timer on Weight Watchers, I loved reading about her experiences with the different weight-loss plans and how she approached them.

And reading about Jen and Fletch ... it's like I'm sitting on that couch with those dogs listening to them having the conversation while I'm drinking my two-point, four-ounce glass of chardonnay and laughing right along with them. Jen's that funny!

I just hope when they make the leap to the western 'burbs of Chicago, that she'll call me up cuz Mr. Manic and I would LOVE to take Jen and Fletch out to NaperTHRILL and show 'em how much fun living in the burbs can really be. Oh, and Jen, there are some GREAT dog parks near me!

Congrats on another successful book, and on the success of getting fit. And I'm totally jealous as I fear the sleeveless look and would DIE to go sans sleeves someday!

I have NEVER laughed quite so hard when reading a book before.

Not only is it funny, it was easy to identify with, and so so much fun.

This is an awesome book. It is funny and real, and easy to relate to. Anyone could appreciate the struggles of losing weight, but Jen Lancaster puts a humerous spin on both success and failure.

Jen Lancaster's "Such a Pretty Fat" is entertaining and easy to read. She is sarcastic and can be terribly mean. Her meanness is highly entertaining, inspiring me to harness to bitch within. I WISH I could come up with half of bitting and insulting retorts she so generously spews on others. She says what she thinks, whereas I say what I deem "nice" and instead only think what Jen says out loud. She doesn't censor herself at all. She readily admits to drinking too much, order Barbie heads on the internet while high on Ambien and eating doggie treats. These horrors are justified because she never premeditates these embarrassing actions. She always seems surprised when she takes something a little too far.
Apart from the hilarity that is Jen Lancaster, this is an inspiring story about finding your inner beauty and strength. Her message is clear " be happy, be healthy" and for that, she wins my approval.

Jen Lancaster has a deft comedic touch. That much is clear. She is unwaveringly honest and has no reservations about poking fun at herself, which makes this a very funny read at times. I will give her that.

However, the sheer self-centeredness of this book, and the constant whining can be overbearing. I grant you that I should have known and expected this since Lancaster openly admits to being a narcissist in the title. However, I was not prepared for just how narcissistic she was, and was hoping that she would open up the book to a larger perspective on why she's doing what she's doing and the whole health movement in general. Instead, we get page after page of her saying she's going to try, then not trying, then complaining. Rinse and repeat.

This sort of read like a blog gone completely haywire, then put onto the written page. I would recommend reading it in small doses, because Lancaster is very funny at times. But if you try to read it all at once, you will find it extremely annoying.

I have read all of Jen Lancasters book and just like fine wine, she only gets better! She has a way of making even the most mundane of tasks hysterically funny and is self-deprecating in an endearing way. This book is a must have!

This is SUCH a bad book, a whining unhelpful rank about overeating. Not helpful at all or even all that funny.........

Jen does it again! This woman makes me laugh so hard I lose my voice, and have tears streaming down my face. (The story associated with footnote #154, possibly my favorite in the entire book!)

If you've loved Jen's other two books this will not disappoint - if you haven't read her other two books yet you're just stupid.

Okay, Jen Lancaster is on fire, as usual, and is the reason I manage to laugh so hard that diet soda exits my nostrils. That said, getting this book was a real pain. No flipping open of my Kindle and pressing the button and waiting the 30 seconds it takes to get my read on. I have now been to THREE bookstores (count 'em, three!)because it isn't available for the dedicated e-book nerd like me, and the bookstores in my area are about five years out of date. Then there was the hit my bank account took due to the amount of driving I had to do while searching for the book...even if I'd found it, I couldn't have afforded it with gas prices at $4.25 a gallon. Sooo, rather than order it and wait for it to ship, while going hungry in the process as I dipped into the grocery fund for gasoline, I borrowed the book from a friend, but I still want it in my Kindle collection....Ms. Jen, if you are reading these things...call your publisher and fix this....I'm dying over here. Seriously, my friend wants her book back and I'm holding it hostage indefinitely.

Jennifer had me laughing out loud, again! I seriously love all 3 of her books and eagerly await the next one! I can so totally relate to her on so many levels ... especially her Jenny Craig experience?!? LMFAO! Too true and too funny!!! She says what we all are thinking! Thanks Jenn, for being one of the 'real life women' We love you for it!!! :) Everyone should go read this book! Its fabulous!

Jen Lancaster's memoirs are not only honest, they're hilarious! In the third of her memoirs, she tackles the topic that I tackled myself last year. Relatable and almost like listening to your best friend tell you a story, I recommend this book for anyone who's ever struggled when there's a whole box of twinkies in the house. Jen is someone who you'd be thrilled to chat with over a slice of chocolate cake at your favorite restaurant.

AT FIRST I HATED IT. I FOUND HER SELFISH AND ANNOYING AND IF SHE DIDNT SAY THAT SHE WAS ON THE EVE OF HER FORTIETH I WOULD HAVE GUESSED HER TO BE A SELF INDULGENT TWENTYSOMETHING WITH AN ENTITLEMENT COMPLEX, BUT THEN...
I KEPT READING AND I FOUND MYSELF CHEERING FOR HER AS SHE DISCOVERED WHAT WORKS AND WHAT DOES NOT...I LAUGHED AND I SYMPATHIZED(THE FANTASTIC BARBIE:) AND I UNDERSTOOD(2 GIRLS ON TREADMILLS IN GYM) AND I LOVED THIS BOOK!
HAPPY READING!

I have read all of Jen Lancaster's books and "Such A Pretty Fat" is a funny diet book! I love Jen's sarcastic, smart-alecky way of looking at people, things and life. She takes us down the road of Atkins, Jenny Craig, Weight Watchers and personal trainers and makes us laugh while we are rooting for her to lose the pounds. My favorite part if where Jen's husband Fletch is eating some French Toast and she can't have any because she is on Atkins. You'll laugh till you cry. If you've never read Jen's books before, personally, I would start with "Bitter Is The New Black" and read her books in sequence. You don't have to but I think the story flows better if you read them in the order she wrote them. Jen, I hope you continue writing more books about your life.... can't wait for your book when you hit menopause in your 50's. I'm sure it will be a riot as you deal with hormonal changes!!! Anyway, back to her current books, buy Jen's books and read them in order. They are hilarious.

Wonderful tale of the truth....completely spot on for any women who has ever been on a diet!

This book is nearly as terrific as all her others. I adore Jen Lancaster and her sense of style, this helped us know how human her experience is too. Weight loss is such an American issue and as females we can become so hung up on the unimportant. She makes the unimportant laughable.

Jen Lancaster just may be the funniest writer ever! I've read all three of her books, and each of them made me laugh so hard that I nearly wet myself. (I guess you really didn't need to know that, did you? Too late.)

In Jen's most recent memoir, "Such a Pretty Fat: One Narcissist's Quest To Discover if Her Life Makes Her Ass Look Big, Or Why Pie is Not The Answer" (love those ridiculously long titles!), Jen tackles her biggest challenge yet: her weight. Screw unemployment and psychotic Chicago neighbors: Nothing is scarier for a woman then stepping on the bathroom scale. In Jen's case, she wasn't happy with the numbers she saw on that scale, so she decided to do something about it. Well, actually, she sold a book proposal about trying to lose weight, so she kind of HAD to do something about it. But that's not the point. Jen never used to be the type of woman who would go to the gym every day (or at all). However, she decided to face her fears and give her physical well-being the same kind of attention she devoted to other important aspects of her life: her husband, her pets, her drinking, her shoe fetish, etc.

"Such a Pretty Fat" is a very honest look at what it took for Jen to get herself in shape. Nobody said it was going to be easy. She stumbled plenty of times along the way and gave nearly every diet plan a try, from Atkins to crash dieting to Jenny Craig to Weight Watchers. In the end, Jen finally realized that most diets are B.S. The key to losing weight and being healthy is to make responsible choices and (duh!) exercise. And that's exactly what Jen did.

I think "Such a Pretty Fat" is Jen's best book to date. (My only complaint is that certain chapters gave me monstrous cravings for things like ribs, Twinkies, and Olive Garden bread sticks...damn you, Jen!) Not only is the book chock full of Jen's snarky humor (and the footnotes...I LOVE the footnotes!), but it's also an inspiring true story about a plus-size woman's determination to lose weight. I really admire Jen for her honesty, her dedication, and her results. In addition to losing a lot of weight, she became a fitter person and felt much better about herself, which is really what being healthy is all about.

Loved her first two memoirs and this one does not disappoint. It's brutally honest, hilarious AND inspirational, whether Jen planned for it to be or not. I already want to read it again and can't wait for her next project. Until then, I'll be loitering around at jennsylvania.com.

Loved the first memoir, dislike the second, loathe the third. The real question here is why she's STILL fat after writing an entire book on her "weight loss" (since she never gives actual numbers we'll never really know if she lost weight- no before/after photos, and only a outdated b/w author photo. Get a real job Jen...And please, someone...SAVE FLETCH!

I decided to celebrate getting this third memoir by taking off the day and reading the entire thing while drinking wine. Unfornuately for me, I snorted wine out of my nose several different times while reading. In addition, my boyfriend looked at me oddly when I started chortling to myself. This book definitely speaks to me and will to anyone who has forced their body to eat premade foods or drink chalky "shakes" in order to lose weight. The reflections on the atkins diet were espically accurate. I can't recommend this highly enough. You should buy this book already.

I howled with laughter and nodded knowingly throughout this book. Jen, please, please tell me you will write about house shopping next?

I've read Jen Lanchaster's other books and was excited to see this one come out since I've struggled to lose 30 pounds myself in the past year--but done it. I was SO sick of these emotional roller coaster tales of women's journeys with weight. Jen is far from that and absolutely hysterical! Buy this book now for a good, quick read. Plus, try to see her on her book tour. I did. She was wicked funny, sweet, and actually sweated wine!

Jennifer Lancaster, once again, brings the type of humor to her work that most all of us wish we had the nerve to say in conversation. She's a great author and I found the book inspiring. Focusing on "strongs" versus every single morsel of evil food I put in my mouth is the exact type of message that needs to be sent. Being a size zero is still no fun if you can't walk up two flights of stairs without getting winded (Yes, I know people like that).

For those of us of a certain age and of a certain, well, "body shape", this book is a hilariously relatable account of that weight loss journey we've been on so many times. Jen Lancaster proves to everyone that even as the governor of Jennsylvania, she is "gasp" not perfect and to her credit steps up to do what needed to be done, making me laugh all of the way down to my elliptical machine to get in a cardio session.
My only complaint is that the book was so good I finished it in one day and now have to wait patiently (ha) until her next adventure is published.

I laughed the entire time I was reading the book. Actually, I laughed reading all 3 books. Jen has a talent for telling a story and I can't wait for the next book. In the meantime, I'll keep re-reading the 3 I have.

Such a Pretty Fat is Jen Lancaster's third memoir. In it, Lancaster takes on weight loss--through eating right and exercising. At first, it seems like your typical weight loss memoir, except for the fact that its Jen Lancaster writing it, with her trademark good humor and see-the-forest-through-the-trees approach to her subject matter. Jen's not an expert, but she definitely knows how to entertain, which is why I keep coming back to her work time and time again.

What I love about Lancaster's work is that she knows when to laugh at herself, and at others' foolishness, without going over the top. For example, there's brilliant scene in Such a Pretty Fat where she goes to Jenny Craig and then Weight Watchers, where the meeting participants discuss of the evils of food in the work place. Birthday cake is always, always mentioned, and Jen harps on that theme mercilessly.

In all, I thought the authors' message was a positive one for people struggling with their weight (though I'm not one of them). The message that some weight loss programs endorse is that food is evil; but Lancaster challenges that theory outright, saying that food is not, in fact, the enemy; food is in fact good for you if you eat right. Jen's weight loss resulted as a result of wanting to feel and look good, not because of outside pressures, which I also thought was an important message.

It is so cool to read as Jen's life transforms from negative land to a positive I can do it girl! A must read for anyone who has been on a diet.

I love this woman! She is hilarious. I was nervous that she wouldn't be able to keep up the great writing, but this one is just as funny, just as real, and just as amazing as the others. I was laughing out loud on a plane, drawing much attention I'm sure. It was worth it. The only bummer is now I am back having to wait for the next book all over again. Jen, get off the myspace and get your next one written! Fletch won't be the only one breathing down your neck!!

I could not wait until "Such a Pretty Fat" was released, so imagine my surprise when my local book store shelved it about three days before the actual release date! Jen gets funnier with each book, yet has a way of allowing her readers to relate to everything she experiences. I can't wait for the foruth book!

Both of Jen Lancaster's previous memoirs have been enjoyable and compulsive reading, but this one has a charm all its own. Perhaps its the ever appealing (if sometimes appalling) subject of growing up (and not out) that made this book endearing, or perhaps its the wit and winsome way the tale is told. Perhaps it is simply all the references to cheese! Lancaster's tale offers readers a glimpse of womanhood and its possiblities at 40, and unapologetically tells them to embrace it.

I loved this book. In my opinion, this is her best one yet, which says a lot because her last 2 were top-notch.

Jen Lancaster's new book made me laugh out loud...again! I love her sarcastic, true life way of writing--her ability to capture stories of daily life -- stories most women can relate to -- and tell them with unwavering and unapologizing honesty. The 400-ish pages flew by. It is a great read!

Another funny book by Jen Lancaster. Really liked it and yes, pie may be the answer after all.