Book Reviews of Fat Girls and Lawn Chairs

Eh. Honestly, this book was pretty disappointing. I had high expectations, thinking I was going to experience the like of Laurie Notaro or Augusten Burroughs in the pages, but no go. I skimmed through most of the essays. They weren't funny. They were sometimes sad, but mostly boring. The title makes you think this is going to be sarcastic and witty, but it's not.

This book was awful. I started it and could only get about 60 pages in before I had to give up. I expected to LOL but unfortunately this book let me down.

An endless collection of 3 or 4 pages of "laughs". Wears very thin after the first half dozen stories

Humorous, but not overly so, nor terribly insightful, as it tries to be. I prefer Laurie Notaro when it comes to LOL essays.

A good quick read. The cover is my favorite part.

Read it in two days. Amusing, but I wouldn't say funny.

Just so-so...the title makes it out to be better than it was. A fast read, reminded me of Laurie Notaro's writing, although a bit more serious.

This book wa a delight to read. The brief essays each had a smile even though one was bitter sweet. A wonderful feel good read!

I'm not sure how this book ended up on my shelf but when I got around to reading it I was not disappointed. I enjoyed the short stories and often found myself laughing out loud.

Fun and light-hearted. The stories that Cheryl Peck tells are very funny and enjoyable for everyone.

All I can say is ha ha ha. Very funny book.

Great book- funny, insightful, with the absolute BEST cover photo I've ever enjoyed on a book! I almost just kept it for that!

I enjoyed this book. It was a fast, easy read.

"FAT GIRLS is a gay Erma Bombeck meets A Girl Named Zippy in a hilarious collection of true stories about the misadventures of a woman of size." - - Kathy Patrick, Founder, The Pulpwood Queens Book Clubs.

Kathy, you nailed it, what more can I say?

Cheryl Peck has many stories to tell-of her naughty cat, her quirky family, and her experiences as a large gay woman in the American heartland. Now in a potpourri of real tales by turns poignant and laugh-out-loud funny, Cheryl talks about family and growing up, love and loss. With self-deprecating humor and compassionate insight, she remembers the time she hit her baby sister in the back of the head with a rock, how her father taught her how to swim by throwing her into deep water, and the day when-while weighing in a 300 pounds-she became an inspirational goddess at her local gym. Filled with universal stories about a daughter's love for her parents and the eternal quest for finding meaning in it all, this book reveals many seemingly unremarkable moments that make a life-the weighty events that, like fat girls sitting on lawn chairs, just won't let go.

Boring. Lame. Lackluster. Poorly written. If you want an amusing book of essays, I suggest reading Laurie Notaro or Jen Lancaster's writing. Peck's life is nothing worth reading about.

very funny

some smart and fun anecdotes interspersed with bits of poetry.

From Publishers Weekly:
As is evident from this book's cover-featuring a cat in lime-green glasses and purple wig, posing with its tongue sticking out-Peck's debut collection of humorous personal essays and poems is nothing if not irreverent. These warmhearted reminiscences cover everything from Peck's childhood (when she was driven to be the "first, fastest, loudest and best" and therefore hated by her peers and feared by her four younger siblings) to her experiences as a gay woman of size.

In the title story, the 50-something Peck explains how she came to conclude that "no self-respecting fat girl ever really trusts a lawn chair,"
A few of her essays fall flat.

Cat lovers will appreciate the goofy narratives told by her cat, Babycakes, but the author's self-deprecating wit and ability to see the drama in everyday situations make this collection so inviting.

funny memoir -- "naughty cats, quirky family, large gay woman in the american heartland"