Chick Lit

[dnt]

I wanted to like Charmed Thirds so badly but I hate what has been done to Jessica Darling. They took a great, strong girl and turned her into a nympho who now embodies many of the traits she hated in others during high school. I just don't believe that Jessica would have evolved into what Megan Mcafferty has made her.

I hated her in this book, too. There’s one page where she informs the reader that she and Marcus fucked (as opposed to something else, make love?) and she says that if you don’t know the difference, she’s sorry for you. I immediately thought of Britney and her “I wish you had what I have” quote. I thought the relationships and sex she had post-Marcus were realistic, I just hated what a brat she was.

I’m reading Herself by Leslie Carroll right now because I really liked her other books; it’s okay so far. I like that the protagonist is older than most chick lit heroines. Last year, I read The Girl’s Guide to Witchcraft and I thought it was really funny and interesting. Supposedly, there will be a sequel out sometime this spring, which I’m looking forward to.

[jennipoo]

I just tried to read the latest Shopaholic (With a Baby?). I got about 20 pages in and felt like throwing it across the room. I won't be able to get that POS back to the library fast enough. I like fluff... hell, the book I read before that one was a western romance novel while I was suntanning. This was just annoying beyond belief.

[Deleted]

I felt the same way. I actually enjoyed the first ones (up until wedding) and then disliked her but by the time she had the baby I didn't understand so many things. Like 1) How does she have friends? 2) why on earth does her husband love her? 3) is she mentally challenged? 4) Is she 15 years old? I mean honestly what the hell is wrong with this girl? Absolutely no character development at all.

[bossyboots]

I thought that after the first one. And trust me, I'm all about the fluff. I just couldn't get on board with Becky -- her shopaholic tendencies were pathological to me, not cute.

[tinyshoes]

I couldn't get past the first chapter of the first book. I wanted to shake her and tell her to stop spending fucking money. How was I supposed to sympathize with a dumb-fluff bimbo like that?

I couldn't get into Can You Keep A Secret? either. It was like Kinsella tried too hard to make her main character quirky, but made her look like just another dumbass. Too stupid to live.

Right now I'm reading The Big Love, as a palate cleanser from all my political books, and I'm getting a leetle bored with it. It's like she'll tell you what's going to happen, play a snippet of said scene, and then go into her commentary or a bunch of backstory. I can't really get into the story itself because she fails to set the scene and keep the plot moving forward. I don't even have the attention span to read a chick-lit book. How sad is that?

[Deleted]

I recently read Bergdorf Blondes and I really enjoyed it. It is some pretty decent New York chick lit - tons of references to shops, restaurants, neighborhoods, etc... The main characters were all so superficial but instead of being annoying it was sort of hilarious. The novel works best as a light social satire and not as a (very predictable) romance. Some parts of the story were very forced, but the book had this nice way of pointing out how bizarre the behavior of the characters was without ever making them out to be complete idiots or shallow, annoying fools. I felt that I was laughing at AND with the characters - something that is missing from a lot of chick lit. I think that is a talent Nancy Mitford had (although Plum is nowhere close to Nancy Mitford in terms of style or substance).

Maybe I was just in the mood for some frothy, diverting fiction, but I enjoyed Bergdorf Blondes far more than I ever thought I would.

[bossyboots]

I started Bergdorf Blondes and couldn't get more than a few pages in -- the writing was brutal. But now that I've been to (and fallen in love with) NYC, maybe I should give it another try from a different angle.

[jennipoo]

I just tried to place Bergdorf Blondes on hold at the library. I never can decide whether or not I like Plum Sykes. On one hand, she kind of a faux-socialite. On the other, she conducted that interview with Gwyneth which seemed all BFF but ended up casting Fishstick in a very unflattering light.

[Deleted]

Aww, I actually liked the last Shopoholic (though I disliked the last two). I hear you on her annoying behavior, but I thought she redeemed herself pretty well in the last chapter of the book. Anyway, I get the feeling it's the last one, the author seemed to be wrapping things up.

It certainly was better than the last chick lit book I read, "A Match Made on Madison" by Dee Davis. The characters were flat, with absolutely no charm, boring dialogue, really dumb plot.

[linared]

I recently read Sammy's Hill by Kirsten Gore. It was actually pretty good, the one thing that I really liked about it is that the character really liked her job. In most chicklit books I read, the characters always hate their job and have no ambition. However, I could tell that her editors made her pump up the chick lit cliches, like Sammy accidently sends a dirty email to everyone in her address book. I wish she hadn't to add those parts, it didn't make sense for this character to suddenly be flakey.