I’m Not the New Me by Wendy McClure

Wendy McClure is best known as a contributor to the ever-feisty “Television Without Pity” website, as well as her own blog at poundy.com She wrangled a book deal from her blog, and the result is I’m Not the New Me, a memoir of her struggle to lose weight.

For the first half of this book, I was in love. I laughed when Ms. McClure found her mother’s Weight Watchers recipe cards from 1973, featuring most memorably “‘Frankfurter Spectacular,’ which as far as I can tell, is an upright pineapple encased in hot dogs– hot dogs split lengthwise and attached with toothpicks to form a terrifying fist of pork.”

I showed the book to friends and told them, “I’m reading this great book!” as I carried it around.

But then McClure’s book stalled out. I was left regretting having paid for it. I should have just read the archives of her blog instead. Her life must truly be uneventful, with the massive build-up she gives to meeting a guy at a birthday get-together whom she later ends up briefly dating.

From the importance and foreshadowing McClure gave this, the reader expects her to go on to have two children and a messy divorce with the man.

Her weight loss is chronicled in a witty and inspiring way… but she ends up losing only about 25 pounds and losing her own enthusiasm for dieting, exercising, and writing about it. So why should I, the reader, keep up my enthusiasm for reading about it?

Wendy McClure is smart and funny, and I’d love to hang out with her. However, losing 25 pounds (and gaining back some of them) and briefly dating two men is not enough material for a book. I was frustrated with the chapters about her instant messaging and emails.

Honey, get off the internet and get outdoors, and then write us a REAL memoir.