Book Review: Sue Ellen’s Girl Ain’t Fat, She Just Weighs Heavy
Since signing up to be a reviewer with Litfuse I have inundated myself with some fantastic books to read! I just finished reading How Huge the Night by Heather and Lydia Munn and will have that review up for you on 5/23 as a part of that blog tour. So stop back and check it out! Today I would like to share with you a witty, funny take on self-help rhetoric. This Southern belle is sure to offer you a good chuckle, and some new recipes amidst her not so heavy on the advice, self-help book.
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About the book:
The bestselling author of Suck Your Stomach In & Put Some Color On! returns with more helpful how-to’s and keen observations from Dixie. Guided by principles from the ancient Belle Doctrine, the host of radio and television’s All Things Southern offers down-home advice on everything from health and fitness-managing thy caloric calculations without going Straight Running Crazy and surviving the Raging Inferno Syndrome (aka hot flashes)-to the Southern art of handling your man (Bubba Whispering). Whether giving business tips or debunking the Big Boned Theory, making political observations or celebrating the inevitable resurgence of big hair, Shellie is an adviser women can relate to and laugh with regardless of their age or which side of the Mason-Dixon they call home.
About Shellie:
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Shellie Rushing Tomlinson and her husband Phil live and farm in the Louisiana Delta. She is owner and publisher of All Things Southern and the host of the weekly radio show All Things Southern as well as a weekly video segment by the same name. Listeners also hear Shellie in her All Things Southern radio segments aired across the South. Shellie writes a weekly inspirational feature in Newsstar and a monthly print and online column for Louisiana Road Trips. When Shellie isn’t writing, speaking, taping her show, answering email or writing content for the next deadline, you can find her playing tennis with Dixie Belle, (the chocolate lab who thinks she is in charge of running Shellie’s life).
My Thoughts: The title of this book grabbed me right away. It just sounded like a title that was smiling at itself! My confusion started over the claim that this is a self-help book. Shellie wasn’t kidding in the beginning when she joked about possibly being light on the advice side and heavy on the stories. This read was like sitting in the coffee shop dishing with your girlfriend (one that does most of the talking). I could enjoy it up to a point, and nod my head at many of the things she touched on, like when she explores the reason for bubbas (husbands) not hearing us; She says “is it because hearing = effort and our bubbas don’t see the need to exercise that sort of supreme exertion when they can just ask their sweethearts to repeat themselves?” But I couldn’t really take the book as more than that. What I give her with this book is that it had whit and humor to it. So if you are looking for a light read, a woman to commensurate with, a peek into the south, or even some new recipes, then this might just be the book for you!
Other Books by Shellie:
Lessons Learned on Bull Run Road, Twas the Night Before the Very First Christmas, Southern Comfort with Shellie Rushing Tomlinson, and the Penguin Group USA release, Suck Your Stomach In and Put Some Color On, voted Nonfiction Finalist of 2009 by SIBA Independent Booksellers Alliance.
To purchase the book for yourself, head on over to Amazon and scoop a copy up!
I want to thank Shellie Rushing Tomlinson and Lit Fuse for the opportunity to review this book. I received a free copy of the book for review. However, my opinions are my own and have not been influenced in any way.
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Blog Tour Schedule:
5/18
Julie at The Surrendered Scribe http://juliearduini.com
Wendy at Wall-to-Wall books http://wall-to-wall-books.blogspot.com/
Tarena at Laughing Family http://laughingfamily.blogspot.com
5/19
Susie at Scraps of Life http://cafescrapper-scrapsoflife.blogspot.com
Glenda at Authors Book Corner http://www.AuthorsBookCorner.blogspot.com
Sharon’s Garden of Book Reviews http://sharonsgardenofbookreviews.blogspot.com
5/20
Heidi at Starts At Eight http://www.startsateight.com
Karla at Ramblin’ Roads http://ramblinroadstoeverywhere.blogspot.com
Hope at A Little Hope…Amidst the Chaos http://a-little-hope.com
5/21
Lena at A Christian Writer’s World http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com
Tracye at A Heart Poured Out http://tracyedukes.com
Laura at The Book Tree http://thebooktree.blogspot.com
5/23
Kim at Window To My World http://berlysue.blogspot.com
Books, Etc…by Bina http://www.booksbybina.blogspot.com
Mollie at The Gandy’s Home Base http://thegandyshomebase.blogspot.com
5/24
Danielle at The Happy Wife http://juanshappywife.blogspot.com
Deanna at Domestic Chicky http://domestic-chicky.com
Vic’s Media Room http://vicsmediaroom.wordpress.com
5/25
Deanna’s Corner http://ldgermany.blogspot.com
Julie at Book Hooked Blog http://www.bookhookedblog.com
April at Pinkie and The Bean http://pinkiefae.blogspot.com
5/26
Caroline at Happy Four http://happyfour.blogspot.com
Splashes Of Joy http://splashesofjoy.wordpress.com/
Wendy at Minding Spot http://mindingspot.blogspot.com
5/27
Megan at Homeschoolin’ Mama http://meg-homeschoolinmama.blogspot.com/
Rhiana at A Frugal Life http://www.afrugallife.org
Theresa at Frugal Experiments http://www.frugalexperiments.com
5/28
Tina at Mad Hatter Mom http://www.madhattermom.com
Deb’s Here http://debshere.blogspot.com/
Hayley at Hanging Off The Wire http://hangingoffthewire.blogspot.com/
5/30
Jenn’s RAQ http://www.jennsraq.com
Whitney at Rambles of a SAHM http://ramblesahm.blogspot.com
Jamie at Little Blurbs http://Littleblurbs.wordpress.com
5/31
Prerna at The Mom Writes http://www.themomwrites.com
Mel’s World with Melissa Mashburn http://www.MelissaMashburn.com
Margaret at Kitchen Chat http://kitchenchat.info
Kim at 2 Kids and a Coupon http://www.twokidsandacoupon.com
6/1
Angela at All Grown Up? http://pantylesspreacherswife.wordpress.com
Alexia at The Mommy Rambles http://themommyrambles.blogspot.com
Lauren at 5 Minutes for Books http://5minutesforbooks.com
Robin at Scribbles of the Heart http://www.scribblesoftheheart.com/
6/2
Jennifer at Adventures in Unsell Land http://www.theunsells.blogspot.com/
Lisa at Make Your Own Escape http://makeyourownescape.blogspot.com
Barb at Rural Mom http://www.ruralmom.com
Anna at The Cross Is All http://annawood.wordpress.com/
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To celebrate the Sue Ellen’s release, Shellie is having a Facebook Party!
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Join Shellie and the gang on June 2nd at 5:00 PM PST (6 MST, 7 CST, 8 EST) for a Southern style shin-dig! She’ll be dishing on Bubba Whispering, debunking the Big Boned Theory, and how to manage going Straight Running Crazy. If you don’t know what any of that is, then be sure to pick up a copy of the book (Not necessary to join the fun! Who knows – you might win a copy!) and join us at 5:00 pm on June 2nd at Shellie’s Facebook page. And tell your friends – she’s giving away copies of her books and some great gift certificates.
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Shellie
May 20, 2011 @ 4:49 pm
Heidi, thanks for the review. You pretty much nailed me. I’m all about humor. Indeed, I’d rather Penguin put me in the humor shelves, but they seem to enjoy pluggin me in self-help. Go figure. 🙂 Thx again.
Heidi
May 20, 2011 @ 5:11 pm
Shellie, I enjoyed the book and was happy to have the chance to review it. To be honest, I don’t like self-help books very much anyways. 😉 Your book was kind of a light hearted twist of self-help and girl talk! Thank you for the opportunity to review it!