Review: Finally Thin! by Kim Bensen

This is not just a diet book, but offers a story that anyone can relate to. The author herself went through years of yo-yo dieting before finally losing over 200 pounds and keeping it off. Bensen's book is divided into three parts. The first part is a memoir of her struggle with weight loss that is told with such directness and honesty that anyone will enjoy reading it. She describes the stress of juggling parenting and work and offers up painful anecdotes of times she was humiliated by her size that take the reader directly into her experience. Her sense of humor and the support she feels from her family thoughout lifts her story up and makes it one of courage rather than self pity.

In the second part of the book, Bensen goes through a list of the many different types of diets out there, explains how each one works, and describes their pros and cons. Although she herself finally managed to keep her weight off using Weight Watchers, she does not support any one plan and is fair in her assessments. She then describes ten elements needed to follow a diet to the point where it becomes a maintainable lifestyle. Finally, she offers her own list of healthy recipes with nutritional information included for each.

Bensen's suggestions are common sense and useful and the fact that they come from the voice of experience make them particularly inspirational. If you've read every diet book out there, this is definitely still worth the read.

Lorna Rhyins

Kim Bensen will be visiting the library this Monday, September 21st at 6:00 p.m. for an author talk and book signing. Registration is required. Visit our Adult Programs page to sign up.

Review: It's Not That I'm Bitter: Or How I Learned to Stop Worrying About Visible Panty Lines and Conquered the World, by Gina Barreca

This is definitely a book that will be appreciated most by middle aged women. Since I fit into that category, I enjoyed it thoroughly. Gina Barreca, a professor of English and Feminist Theory at the University of Connecticut, writes a series of short essays about the things women think and worry about. Some of them are about silly things with laugh out loud one-liners: "once we hit forty, women have only about four taste buds left: one for vodka, one for wine, one for cheese, and one for chocolate." Others consider more meaningful issues, such as the decline of the women's movement. Barreca's essays are funny and thoughtful as well as quick and easy to read.

For anyone who enjoyed Nora Ephron's I Feel Bad About My Neck, this is a must read.

Lorna Rhyins