Chick Lit

[bossyboots]

re: Something Blue, I was annoyed by Darcy, but I thought Giffin did a decent job of making her somewhat human (having the story told in her voice helped, I think) and showing her change and redemption. It actually seemed realistic and believable instead of instantaneous. The book wrapped up exactly as expected but it was still satisfying.

[groovethang]

sarcasticcheese, you and I are on the same reading path. On my nightstand are the Stephanie Plum books 4 through 6 and Something Blue. I finished Something Borrowed last week but wanted to read a Stephanie Plum book before diving into Blue. I was hesitant to buy it because I didn't think I'd like a book narrated by Darcy either, but the reviews on Amazon convinced me otherwise. A few reviewers even said they were hesitant for the same reasons but enjoyed the book a lot in the end.

I'm also making my way through the Harry Bosch series by Michael Connelly. Have about 4 more to go.

[Deleted]

groovethang said:

sarcasticcheese, you and I are on the same reading path. On my nightstand are the Stephanie Plum books 4 through 6 and Something Blue. I finished Something Borrowed last week but wanted to read a Stephanie Plum book before diving into Blue. I was hesitant to buy it because I didn't think I'd like a book narrated by Darcy either, but the reviews on Amazon convinced me otherwise. A few reviewers even said they were hesitant for the same reasons but enjoyed the book a lot in the end.

I'm also making my way through the Harry Bosch series by Michael Connelly. Have about 4 more to go.

HA, that's too funny! I haven't read any Michael Connelly. I may have to go check it out. Actually, I just went and looked and I have two of his books. Chasing the Dime and City of Bones. Now that I'm done with all my library books and my books I bought haven't arrived, I'll have to read them.

[tinyshoes]

sarcasticcheese said:

Me and used bookstores are very, very dangerous.

So much word. That's where I get my chick lit fix by the armload. Of course, when my own personal chick lit book comes out, I expect all y'all on this board to pay the full retail price.

I just finished Diary of a Blues Goddess and it's pretty good, even if the last chapter was a little weak. Still, Erica Orloff is a pretty good writer. I don't want to read her latest, Do They Wear High Heels in Heaven? because I'm not much for the tear-jerkers.

[Deleted]

Well, my books arrived. The first one I tackled was The Other Woman by Jane Green. Definitely my least favorite of all her books. I had such a hard time getting into this one, but I did manage to finish it. I only hope her newest one is better than this one was.

Now I'm reading Bergdorf Blondes. Good lord, could these women be any more annoying? But, I'm liking this one much better than The Other Woman.

[Sukie]

Has anyone read One Hot Summer by Carolina Garcia-Aguilera? I just finished it and couldn't stand it. I thought it would be a nice, fluffy distraction but not really. First of all, the author describes everything in minute detail. She also name brand drops throughout. If this had been a TV show, the product placement would have been obvious.

Plus, the story just sucked. I had no sympathy for the character or her ordeals( most of which she seemed to bring onto herself).

[kafka]

About 2 weekends ago, I read 3 Chick Lit books in 2 days. Apocalipstick by Sue Margolis wasn't good but it was the best of the bunch. I'm not sure that's saying much....

Female Intelligence by Jane Heller was painfully annoying, not because the characters were ditsy (they were supposed to be the exact opposite) but because of the main character's smugness and the whole underlying theme of "Men are stupid cavemen and must turn into women if they're to be smart, tolerable and desirable." It was heavy-handed, preachingly superior, condescending, male-bashing and ..... yuck.

The 3rd book was so bad that I've permanently blocked it, the title and author's name out of my mind.

My favorite Chick Lit book of all time: Jill Mansell's Fast Friends. I literally laughed out loud while reading it, repeatedly; it just made me happy. All her books do because she's very witty and has a great, slightly dry, British sense of humour. Her characters are always funny, well drawn, slightly eccentric and daffy, caring and very loveable. It's never all about money and labels, there are numerous characters who are far from stick-thin, and often there are genuine difficulties which the main character experiences, not made-up, shallow, totally assinine difficulties caused by the main character's idiocy. (See e.g., the annoying Shopaholic series.)

I highly recommend Mansell if you can find her. Unfortunately, it's very hard to do so in the US as she's a British author who isn't sold on Amazon US. I get her books from a friend who orders them from Amazon UK. (I'm too cheap to do so given the ordinary cost of books, without adding international shipping and currency exchange costs to the mix.)

[tiggertoo]

I'm glad to hear others didn't like The Nanny Diaries - I thought I was the only one. I've read all three of Emily Giffin's books - Something Borrowed, Something Blue and the latest one, Babyproof - I enjoyed them all, but the third one probably the least. It was okay, but not too much actually happens. Interesting concept. I read an interview with the author and she originally she was going to make the man be the one who didn't want kids, but having the woman was a bit more unusual.

I really liked Anybody Out There? by Marian Keyes and generally most (but not all) Marian Keyes novels.

The Shopaholic series really left me cold by the end but I enjoyed The Undomestic Goddess.

I've taken notes of some of your suggestions- thanks!

[Deleted]

I have tried and tried and tried but I just cannot get into Anna Maxted. I like the idea of her stuff - that she incorporates bigger issues in to the "fluffy" chick lit formula and I like reading British chick lit but her stuff just leaves me cold. I don't understand why this is (I mean, I even enjoy the dreaded Jane "Jemima J." Green AND I read all of the Shopaholic books) but she just doesn't do it for me.

I recently re-read Bridget Jones's Diary and I just really enjoy that book. It did spawn a lot of sub-par imitations and the romance between Mark and Bridget doesn't work as well on the page as it did in the film (thanks to extra scenes) but I just love Bridget and her neurotic ways.

[sleepy]

I read Kinsella's Undomestic Goddess this morning, and I liked it. I know some of you mentioned disliking the formulaic aspects of it, but I didn't find that problematic. I expect formula and predictability in chick lit. As far as this genre goes, I thought it was pretty damn good.

The book was far better than the annoying train wreck Shopaholic books (I only call them train wrecks because I can't not read them, even though I hate Becky Bloomberg -- that was the "heroine's" name, right?). Undomestic Goddess and the Shopaholic books seem like they were written by two different people.