Jennette Fulda, aka the Pasta Queen, was kind enough to send me a copy of her book Half-Assed: A Weight-loss Memoir to review. I knew she was funny from her blog, Half of Me, and I knew her story would be inspirational -- the girl lost over half her body weight. What I didn't know was how wrapped up I would get in her journey.

The book isn't just inspirational because Fulda lost 200 pounds -- it's inspirational because of how she did it, which Bethany touched on when she posted on Fulda's Today Show appearance. She doesn't promote any specific diet or plan in the book. Instead, she relies on good nutrition and exercise in a completely real way -- she doesn't cut calories in a way she can't maintain, and she doesn't let herself be hungry. She starts out walking for a few minutes a day on a treadmill in her house because she's embarrassed to exercise outside, and ends up enjoying running outdoors and doing Pilates.

So what makes all this so interesting? Why did I pick up the book and not set it down for 239 pages? Well, to be honest, it's really entertaining. Yes, of course, it's informative, but the girl has a wicked sense of humor. For example, when she was down to 269 pounds and realized she could feel the outline of her pelvic bone, she writes, "My gynecologist had told me I had a pelvis, but I thought she was just starting a rumor."

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I don't know about you, but when I set out to drop some weight, I don't mind working extra hard for a defined period of time. I know, I know -- it should be a life choice, but the fact of the matter is that, while I can hit the gym six or seven days a week for several weeks, most of the time I'm more likely to get there five days, and sometimes less. So, when I received a copy of The Six-Week Bikini Countdown, I was stoked -- I can totally stick with a program for a month and a half!

The book, by Karon Karter (host of Pilates from the Inside Out) has some really good features. Each week has cardio, weight-training, and Pilates incorporated for a well-rounded workout.

Some of the workouts aren't too hard -- the first week, I found myself adding intensity to the cardio and doing extras on the weights. However, Week Two was harder, and by Week Three, I was working really hard. However, I tend to work hard at the gym anyway -- this book would be extremely challenging for someone brand new to fitness.

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Like most red-blooded Americans, you've been known to occasionally complain about the shape of your body. And, like many, you know better but you still head to the local McDonald's. I even have friends who've gone the distance just to get a burger from their favorite fast food chain! Me, I haven't eaten in a fast food chain for years ... for one spell my husband and I went 11 years without stepping foot in one. And, my children, well, they would rather have a real meal -- after I told them what was in the food -- not even a well designed toy could lure them in.

Not your kids? Well, they might change their mind if you let them read this book. It may just be the 'ah ha' moment they (and you) need. Chew On This is the preteen version of Fast Food Nation, focusing on the aspects that will interest them most - the nonconformist teen entrepreneurs who founded the industry; the mistreatment of animals in slaughterhouses and employees in restaurants; the shocking effects too much fast food can have on growing bodies; and the impact of the industry on schools, communities, and the earth. Basically, as the cover states, it includes everything you never wanted to know about fast food.

For starters, fast food is mainly chemicals and flavoring and the heart of the flavor industry lies between Exit 4 and Exit 19 on the New Jersey Turnpike a part of the state dotted with oil refineries and chemical plants that I often pass by while plugging my nose.

So the next time you or your child thinks about what they look like, read this book ... and then just imagine what it is that really lurks between those sesame seed buns!

Remember: Kids love fast food. And the fast-food industry loves kids: it couldn't survive without them.

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