I love my local library. It has saved me many times from both boredom and financial problems- it would be easy for me to max out my credit card at the local bookstore! And while I love almost everything about the library, one thing drives me crazy. Chick Lit is not recognized as its own genre- it is lumped together with romance. I take great issue with this, because I think they are very distinct genres. For starters, chick lit is not about the romantic relationship-though that may play a large role- it is about the personal journey of the female protagonist. She faces struggles and difficulties with which the reader can sympathize, and though many chick lit novels are hysterically funny, they tend to pull at the heartstrings too. There seems to be more layers to (most) chick-lit novels than to the typical romance novel. The plot involves more than the classic boy meets girl, girl changes boy, boy marries girl scenario. They are usually more realistic and more real-life. And most importantly, I love a good chick lit novel, but I can barely tolerate romance novels!
My favourite chick lit authors are definitely Sophie Kinsella and Helen Fielding, but recently I've discovered another fabulous author- Jennifer Weiner. I first discovered Weiner when I read In her Shoes after seeing the movie. Having experienced my own up and down (but always there for each other) relationship with my own sister, I related to the story of the tumultuous relationship between two completely opposite sisters. Recently, I read Little Earthquakes at the recommendation of a co-worker who, as it turns out, has fabulous taste. This novel tells the story of four very different women and the way their funny, heartwarming and even tragic experiences with their pregnancies and children bring them together. This novel made me laugh and cry- I thought it was great. In Goodnight Nobody, a woman with three kids and an absentee husband moves to a Stepford-like community where she just doesn't fit in. When a seemingly perfect mommy is murdered, she is determined to find out what happened. This is more of a suspenseful read, although thoroughly enjoyable.
I hope to continue to add to my repertoire of fabulous chick lit authors. Happy reading!
