Fat is the New 30 - Jill Conner Browne (Review & Giveaway!)

We interrupt our regularly scheduled YA program - 

to bring you a bit of Southern humor!

 

3.5  Stars

ABOUT THE BOOK -

The Sweet Potato Queens® are back and bawdier than ever in Southern belle extraordinaire Jill Conner Browne’s ninth edition of the hysterical series. Having experienced pretty much ALL of the crappy parts of life, Browne feels it is her duty to render whatever assistance she can to her fellow sufferers — and she does so in her own inimitable fashion.

Her father taught her there are very few situations in life that we really and truly cannot change, and it is up to us to figure out how to either make fun OUT of them — or make fun OF them. And fortunately for the rest of us, Browne is well equipped for both. Including the exploits of the Queen contingent and her family, she delivers applicable tidbits like:
* Thinking or talking about watermelon can save any negative situation.
* If you get drunk in Scotland, you can’t have your cow with you.
* When sanity and reason fail, you can always cheerfully resort to ridicule.
* Denial means that every situation is perfectly perfect.
More fun than a Cracker Barrel full of monkeys, Fat Is the New 30 will change your life — or at least give you ideas for making fun of your ownself.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR - 

Jill Conner Browne - Jill Conner Browne is the multiple #1 New York Times bestselling author of nine Sweet Potato Queens® books and has created a global phenomenon--6,200 chapter groups in 37 countries--based upon her philosophy and world-view as recounted through these rollicking, raucous and riotously funny essays. Women and smart men understand that the bawdy, sassy, down-to-earth humor is simply the vehicle by which the greater message is conveyed--that is, one of self-reliance and empowerment, inspiring all to do what makes their hearts sing.
All hail the Sweet Potato Queens -- Mississippi’s very own faction of margarita guzzling, tiara wearing, divas of the Deep South, and Jill Conner Browne is the Boss Queen of the queens. With fan favorites like The Sweet Potato Queen’s Book of Love and The Sweet Potato Queen’s Book of Love, Browne dishes up delirious romantic advice and delicious recipes for the growing-ranks of Sweet Potato Queens across the country! 

MY REVIEW -
I liked this book but didn't love it. To me it was funny in parts, but other parts were just not funny. So I would say - "So-so". Definitely worth the read, if only because it is not a story, every chapter is about something different. You can pick and choose what to read or what to skip. Sometimes I like reading books like this. It is a nice break from Novels.

This book has a chapter about everything - Traveling, Parenthood, Holidays, Manners, and Birthdays.

I loved the titles of the chapters, they are real cute. Here are some of them -
"I Left My Heart... On the Porch, Actually"
"Potholes on Parenthood Road"
"27 is the New 39" (this one made me laugh out loud)

I loved the chapter about traveling. Especially the part about Laws that were actually in effect at one time -

"In Alabama you can't drive a car blindfolded!
In Washington you can't pretend your parents are rich.
In TN you can shoot Whales from a car but nothing else!
In CT you can't walk across the street on your hands.
In Idaho a man can not give a gift of candy under 50 lbs!
And in WY you can't have sex in a walk-in freezer, brrr."

I also really like the chapter on Parenthood, that one was pretty funny. But having a daughter myself - I can relate! "Children, God's gift: the gift that keeps on talking." I can totally relate to that! I don't think my daughter ever stopped talking from the time she learned to put two words together. She is 23 and still talking!

One big turn off for me was that it had quite a lot of swearing. Now someone else might read it and say - "Oh stop being a prude, it wasn't that bad." but for me, I didn't care for it. I normally do not like a lot of swearing in my books.
Please judge for yourself. If you like funny, southern, tongue-in-cheek humor - you will probably love this!

THE GIVEAWAY -
I am giving away my copy of this book.

* To win a copy of this book, please fill out the form below.

* Please US & Canada only.

And please only enter once!

* Winner will be chosen on 4/20/12

* Winner will have 48 hrs. to respond.

Thank you Katie from "Little Bird Publicity" for sending me this book to review.