The Day I Ate Whatever I Wanted: And Other Small Acts of Liberation

The stories she tells in each chapter are sensitive and well thought out. Each of the characters are easy to identify with. I loved it..

I've read many of this author's books and have enjoyed most of them. I hadn't yet read any of her short stories, so I thought this would be a good collection to begin with. Although I must say, they are not "short" stories in the sense of being just a few pages long. They are short stories of the longer version - some of which I wish she would develop into their own standing book. I would have to honestly say that a few of the stories could have been stronger, if to my liking, but overall, most of them were excellent. I suppose no author could write a large number of stories and have everyone who read them, like them all! What I did like about the majority of these stories is that the author's characters share with us a really honest look at life. And I mean regular everyday kind of life - nothing fancy, nothing unreachable - just the kind of situations, joys and fears, accomplishments and failures, that we all face sooner or later.For example - don't we always hear that a good strong relationship can endure honestly in its purest and fullest forms? I guess that would be wonderful and probably SHOULD be that way - but as the author illustrates in one of the stories "Rain," the main character realizes that being totally honest with one's partner can be truly risky, at times dangerous, and at times just a bit cruel. So how much of this honesty should he/she reveal? No one wants their partner to lie to them - so what happens? This story looks at these situations with a revelation of what honest relationships can or can't endure - and with either way, how and when do we carefully cross certain boundaries.Another story, "Double Diet," explores the differences with which men and women look and approach most everything, but in this case, it's dieting - yet dieting, leads to a couple's discovery of these "differences" into many other aspects of their marriage and relationship. These two characters also discover how their subject of focus in this story actuallly helps them discover how their marriage, as well as they themselves, have changed because of passing years. The honest look into this aspect of life reveals that we may perhaps be fearing fear itself, but instead we should be simply moving forward and changing along with the years - you can't hold onto things forever as they were! This story explores so much more than just merely a diet.These are just a couple of examples of the depth of the author's stories in this book. They all have something to do with food, relationships and midlife, however, they end up with exploring so much more. I do recommend this book highly. It's definitely worth the read. Undoubtedly, there were a couple stories which I less preferred than the others, probably because I wished they had either a) ended differently, and/or b) continued just a bit more because I felt let down that the story had been wrapped up enough. Anyway, that may be just my opinion! Overall, this is a wonderful book in which it's very easy to get lost in the characters, their stories, and the life revelations that we can all relate to.

I started this book while recovering from yet another round of COVID. I was banished to our guest room and waking frequently in the night, coughing and congested so my Kindle was getting a lot of use. This book kept me company in many of those wee hours. Sometimes I wasn't too happy with this book when I'd be in a chapter that had me blubbering like an idiot which only made me more congested. But then I'd move on to a chapter that soon had me giggling like a schoolgirl. I recommend this book SOOOO much. It is a mix of chapters with her observations on life and chapters that are short stories in themselves. Each chapter is a gem. I would say RUN, yes, RUN to get your hands on this book or audiobook. You will thank me. I promise!

This book was extremely entertaining. Elizabeth Berg has a true gift with words and she finds the inner thoughts of the majority of women and turns them into a very funny experience. Since this was a collection of short stories, there was no plot to keep you going throughout the book and was not her usual page-turner, however, it was very enjoyable and a good book to have when you time is limited because you can read just a few stories at a time.

Elizabeth Berg is an exquisite author. Her stories are complex and beautiful worded, with a touch of nostalgia. I'm not a fan of short stories, but this was perfect for our bookclub. Each week we had something new to talk about and no one fell behind, because even if you skipped a story, it didn't set you back since each story is about a different someone! I read in many reviews that the stories were inspirational, but I wouldn't label them that way. I don't like sad depressing stories, NOT AT ALL, so I will be sure to say that these are not that. However, they can make you go "awe" a lot, not so much that its sad, but because they are true and real and so much throughout can a person completely understand the feelings felt without ever having to be stated...because we've all been there, we've all experienced at least one thing in these stories. There is so much story that is unsaid in this novel, it really makes you think. The story isn't on the page, it's between the lines, and between those lines is depth and character and a realness that I've never seen captured on the page of any book - and I read a lot!Berg really has talent, and after this book I'm even more impressed with her than I was before. The best thing to do with this, is read it slowly when you can, one story at a time. Really question the stories, and sometimes maybe even apply it or compare to your own life. That's what our book club has been doing, and we love it.Oh, and drink wine...lots of wine! :)

I gobbled up this book in just a couple of nights. Though I enjoyed all the stories, one of my favorites is "Mrs. Ethel Menafee and Mrs. Birdie Stoltz" - a warm, funny, poignant story of friendship that is deeper than any other relationship can aspire to.Berg threads food - the love, hate, desire, frustration of it all - through all of her stories in this collection. Her characters struggle against food, and embrace it --much as they do life."The Day ..." is a joy to read - bite by bite.

Kind of depressing

Great book, I love this author!