I LOVE a good book....

....and the one I read today made me cry. While I usually enjoy the books I read, it's not often that it makes me cry to the point that I use up half a box of tissues.

I'm what most people would call a "larger woman." I've never been what people consider skinny. Even at my lightest weights, I was still bigger than most other girls. I first read one of Jennifer Weiner's books a few years ago (In Her Shoes) and was amazed at how well she understood the "big girl's" mindset....so finding out that she was writing from experience wasn't too surprising.

She frequently has a character that is a big girl who is handcuffed emotionally and/or mentally by her size. Usually, the character has a skinny sister or friend with whom she has a love/hate relationship.

But I just finished Good In Bed.....what a great story!!! As usual, the lead character, Cannie, is a "larger woman" and has just broken up with her boyfriend. Although in a slight twist, he was very much in love with her and she broke up with him (typically, the woman is dumped because the boyfriend can't handle her size in these types of stories). While he ends up not having been a prince, he has the right attitude about "Loving a Larger Woman."

Cannie has the typical emotional/mental issues with her size, but in this story it hasn't kept her from being successful not only at her job, but also in relationships. She's a serial monogamist who is sexually aware. She's funny and irreverent. And while she's trying to lose some weight, it isn't the sum total of her existence.

In the end, without giving too much away, Cannie works through her anger and shame after a few mis-steps. She learns that while some people just aren't capable of truly loving relationships, you can surround yourself with people you love, who will love you back.

And in the end, when you surround yourself with the right people, size really doesn't matter....