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257th out of 271 books
—
123 voters
Hungry for Happiness
by
James Villas
In his engaging, powerful, and laugh-out-loud funny second novel, the award-winning author of "Dancing in the Lowcountry" serves up a story of friendship, dreams, and determination featuring a sassy Southern heroine as real as she is unforgettable.
Paperback, 275 pages
Published
November 1st 2010
by Kensington
(first published September 25th 2010)
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Hungry for Happiness is the story of Loretta Crawford, a 36-year old woman who's husband leaves her for another, thinner woman. Loretta decided to change her life and starts by having lap band surgery. Before her surgery she weighed 280 pounds (and was only 5'4"). Even though Loretta is losing weight, she still loves to cook and word gets around that she's one of the best cooks around. Soon she has her own catering business. Also, as she loses more and more weight, she catches the eye of more an...more
I was interested to read this book for several reason. I like books that purport to be "southern" and this one's blurb talked about southern cooking. I love to cook, and often like the books that tell stories involving food, and cooking (which I almost typed as "fooking", but that's something entirely different.) James Villas is a renowned food writer and cook book author, so at least that aspect of the book promised to be hopeful. I like stories about people who transform themselves, not necess...more
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I was in the mood for a light read and this book filled the bill. While it wasn't fabulous, it wasn't terrible either. The story is about Loretta, who was overweight most of her life until she had her stomach "banded." After losing a significant amount of weight, she still struggles with the acceptance of her new body, questions whether or not she is now "thin enough," and has many battles with controlling herself so she does not gain her weight back. Loretta is also an incredible cook, a talent...more
I hated it. First of all, it's incredibly insulting to anyone that has even a few extra pounds. And if a man is attracted to a heavier woman is a "pervert" and "needs serious help"? The main character is negative, hateful, and allows herself to be used and abused in an attempt to make her friends see how great she is. And, as a born and raised Texan, all I can say about the dialogue and description of these people and places is just NO. Has the writer ever been to Texas? If so I'd like to know w...more
I really wanted to like this book, and I tried to. I'm a southern girl myself who loves food and fights the scales, so going by the description I thought I'd love the novel. Or at the very least connect with the main character. But each time I picked it up and started reading, I felt like I was on the phone with some lady who kept calling to update me on her crazy life since her surgery and her many wacky friends and dates and work experiences. I didn't even find it humorous; it was mostly just...more
I really wanted to like this book, and I tried to. I'm a southern girl myself who loves food and fights the scales, so going by the description I thought I'd love the novel. Or at the very least connect with the main character. But each time I picked it up and started reading, I felt like I was on the phone with some lady who kept calling to update me on her crazy life since her surgery and her many wacky friends and dates and work experiences. I didn't even find it humorous; it was mostly just...more
I just don’t think I enjoyed this book at all. Loretta was a miserable woman and the way she talked about overweight people was dreadful, I could understand if it was about herself like an inner dialogue we all have that but the way she spoke about her mother, her sister and her friends got to be too much. It’s one thing to worry about their health but to call then fat tubs o’lard or fatties was just over the top. Also I really doubt everyone is called bub, southern people calling you hun yes bu...more
Ok, I'll be honest. I bought this book entirely because of the title and cover. Stupid way to spend $15, but it worked out well because I enjoyed this book a lot.
I assumed this book was about cooking, food, and life, and it is... But it's also the story of someone that chose to have weight loss surgery. The story is not ABOUT the surgery or recovery, but it is about living life after that.
The writing is very good. I could clearly picture the protagonist's world, I could smell her cooking, I coul...more
I assumed this book was about cooking, food, and life, and it is... But it's also the story of someone that chose to have weight loss surgery. The story is not ABOUT the surgery or recovery, but it is about living life after that.
The writing is very good. I could clearly picture the protagonist's world, I could smell her cooking, I coul...more
Two stars is correct - it was ok. The story was unspectacular and not what I was hoping for. For lack of a better phrase, the story was shallow. The narrator was shallow. The writing style was annoying almost to the point of distraction, and made it more difficult to like any of the characters. I've been to Texas. I have friends from Texas. They don't go around using "sugar" and "hon" every other word. I understand wanting to convey a time and place, but it's just insulting to me that the author...more
This book was somewhat interesting and funny but also predictable and annoying (mainly due to the exaggerated southern accent of the narrator). It seemed to be a collection of wacky stories that didn't come to a point, unless the point was for Loretta to finally realize she needs to love herself as she is, but it never quite made it there. It was still a fairly enjoyable book anyway.
Having finally received the book yesterday, after winning the drawing in November, I started reading it last night.
Meh. I've gotten about halfway through, and I've come to the decision that it's hard for men to write women characters. The premise is interesting: A woman's life changes a lot after having gastric bypass surgery and losing over 100 lbs. However, Loretta is very naive, doesn't see what's happening right under her nose, and she tries too hard to get her overweight relatives to chang...more
Meh. I've gotten about halfway through, and I've come to the decision that it's hard for men to write women characters. The premise is interesting: A woman's life changes a lot after having gastric bypass surgery and losing over 100 lbs. However, Loretta is very naive, doesn't see what's happening right under her nose, and she tries too hard to get her overweight relatives to chang...more
This wasn't bad but it could have been better. The heroine is a deep-fried Southern former fat girl and the story picks up after she's had lap-band surgery. She suffers through some strange, bizarre, and sad relationship issues, has countless arguments with her overweight family members who think she's 'putting on airs' now that she's lost weight, yet succeeds with carrying on her life despite all of the obstacles thrown in her path. My biggest gripes are the highly exaggerated Southern accent t...more
I could not like Loretta, the main character. Her disdainful attitude toward "fatties" kind of stuck in my craw. Maybe I am just sensitive about my weight but I found her rude at some points; also a bit of a slut. I am happy that she finally wised up and loosened up. Her recipes were worth the read.
This was a very light story that I read while in the hills of CA. It was a very light-read, but I enjoyed the voice of the author, James Villas. It is a story of an obese young woman, her loves, lives, and losses. It was just what I needed for my R&R! Glad I picked it up from the library.
Not my favorite. The premise was good and the story line itself was ok,but I didn't really like any of the characters. I expected more.
It was a so-so story. It was anti-climatic. It was derogatory. Nothing special and not worth reading again.
Had trouble with the southern lingo and most of the characters were unlikable, but the recipes look good!
This started out great, and progessed to a painful, read. Sorry.
This book is so, so bad on every level.
Boring, boring, and then boring.
Eh. It was okay. I didn't like the main character's voice much and had a hard time finding it authentic. All the talk of food made me hungry though.
Even two stars might be too much. This book was not good. The main character was unlikeable and the story was weak. It was supposed to be about a woman who loses a lot of weight and starts her own catering business but really it was just a bunch of random anecdotes strung together by a judgmental attitude. I was hoping for an ending that indicated that the main character had reached some sort of enlightenment and mended her ways but that didn't happen either. A big disappointment.
I enjoyed reading about the character's struggle with life after gastric bypass surgery and the protagonist's rather unsupportive family. I think these are pretty realistic situations. I didn't feel like the characters were fully rounded out, however. The novel felt a little thin. As the two stars denote, "It was okay."
Interesting story about a woman who has bariatric surgery after her husband leaves her. She works a few different jobs but really enjoys catering. Guess she finds herself at the end but it's probably more just coming to accept her life.
I couldn't get past the first chapter.
i don't know what was more offensive, the terrible writing or the absolute self-loathing and "fat stereotypes" that marked this story. per the author's not so subtle message, chubby chasing is a perversion. go figure.
2.5 maybe... this book was kind of "meh". I usually enjoy books that involve food but the main character in this book was just annoying and she just didn't seem the least bit realistic.
Jun 09, 2013
Kelly
marked it as to-read
May 24, 2013
Lori Jones
marked it as to-read
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| really want to read it! | 2 | 4 | May 17, 2011 03:16pm |
James Villas was the food and wine editor of Town & Country magazine for twenty-seven years. His work has also appeared in Esquire, Gourmet, Bon Appetit, Saveur, The New York Times, and the Atlantic Monthly, among other publications. Two of his cookbooks have been nominated for a James Beard Award. He has also won a James Beard Award twice for journalism and received Bon Appetit's Food Writer...more
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