Saturday, April 30, 2005

Chick Lit I'm Thinking About

Up until now I've pretty much avoided Chick Lit. I've read a couple here and there, but I admit that I've been bad and bought into the stereotypes you sometimes hear about it: they're shallow, they only talk about shopping, the characters are all self-absorbed, they sleep around.

Shallow or self-absorbed would bug me. Some is okay; everybody is somewhat self-absorbed. But not a whole novel full of it. Shopping would bug me too. A little mention of clothes, shoes, etc. here or there is okay, but not whole books centered around it. I'm not into shopping IRL, I'm not into it in books. Sleeping around is tough. I don't have a problem with sex in books -- I like sex in books. I even sometimes like multiple partners -- I think it can be more realistic depending on the character. But I don't like reading about someone who sleeps around because she has no self-esteem or thinks she has got to get married now so she's got to sleep with every guy she meets hoping he'll magically fall in love with her like in a romance novel.

Anyway, I'm trying to give the genre a chance and I've seen a few that look interesting. Anybody read/know anything about any of these titles?

2 comments:

Amie Stuart said...

I want the Frog Prince and the Diva's Guide....but I haven't read any of them--trying to curtial book buying since everything I buy, I have to pack (and move!). I do know Lynn's first book did rather well, but I know nothing about her new one. I love Mary Kay Andrews(southern chick lit style mysteries) and I'm reading Lani Diane Rich's Time Off For Good Behaviour (it's a riot), if that helps at all.
Good luck and happy reading!

Gabrielle said...

Really enjoying your blog. I haven't read "Tart" but I read her first book, "Summer In The Land Of Skin," and really enjoyed it. Not a shopping expedition to be seen :-) Some other great reads are Laura Caldwell's "The Year of Living Famously," Heather Swain's "Luscious Lemon," and, as cece mentioned, "Time Off For Good Behaviour."

Looking forward to checking out your links.