According to USA Today, there are enough chick lit offerings to go around this summer. If you can’t find something you like, you’re not looking hard enough…or so “they” say (whoever “they” are).
Now, read through these. Tell me which one of these, if any, appeals to you:
Falling Out of Fashion by Karen Yampolsky.
Setting: Manhattan world of publishing.
Heroine:Jill fashion magazine editor Jill White
Predicament: Huge media company takes over Jill’s parent company and tries to undermine Jill.
Momzillas by Jill Kargman
Setting: Upper East Side of Manhattan
Heroine: Hannah Allen, wealthy but overwhelmed mom of 2-year-old Violet
Predicament: She’s caught up in the competitive world of high-stakes mothering and its $300 baby dresses and the pressure to get Violet into the right pre-preschool.
Notting Hell by Rachel Johnson
Setting: Notting Hill, posh London neighborhood
Heroine: Mimi, who seems to have it all: perfect husband and perfect children, home on Notting Hill and part-time vanity job
Predicament: Mimi falls hard for new billionaire neighbor.
Remind Me Again Why I Need a Man by Claudia Carroll
Setting: Dublin
Heroine: Amelia Lockwood, a TV producer
Predicament: Desperate for a man and tired of dating, she signs up for a night course called “How To Find a Husband over the age of Thirty Five.”
Shoe Addicts Anonymous by Beth Harbison
Setting: Washington, D.C., area
Heroines: Shopaholics Lorna, Helene, Sandra and Joss
Predicament: Financially strapped Lorna forms Shoe Addicts Anonymous, where members (must be size 7½ medium) swap shoes as well as personal problems. Helene is a bored wife of a politician, Sandra is an agoraphobic phone-sex operator, and Joss is a nanny for the family from hell.
The Sleeping Beauty Proposal by Sarah Strohmeyer
Setting: Boston college scene
Heroine: Genie Michaels, college admissions counselor
Predicament: When her boyfriend, Hugh, proposes on national television, everyone thinks he’s proposing to her, but he’s not.
Queen of Babble in the Big City By Meg Cabot
Setting: Manhattan’s upper-crust hangouts
Heroine: Lizzie Nichols, star of last year’s Queen of Babble, college grad with a degree in History of Fashion
Predicament: Lizzie works in a bridal-gown salon but can’t get Jean Luc to step up and say “I do.”
Slummy Mummy by Fiona Neill
Setting: London
Heroine: Frazzled mum Lucy Sweeney
Predicament: Mother of three is in constant competition with the sexy Yummy Mummies and the hyper-competent Alpha Mums.
Slacker Girl by Alexandra Koslow
Setting: Manhattan investment firm.
Heroine: Jane Cooper, artsy, unambitious, allows law of attraction to fulfill her wish list
Predicament: Cash-flow problems force her to take on a real job.
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Shoe Addicts Anon, because I love the Shopaholic books and it’s set in DC. The thing is, the Kinsella Book works because it skewers the main character. I hope this does the same.
Sleeping Beauty Proposal, because Strohmeyer cracks me up.
Queen of Babble, because I enjoyed the first one.
by Diana June 8th, 2007 at 5:42 amI’d go for Meg Cabot and Sarah Strohmeyer because they’re funny. The rest, you know I really don’t relate to these kinds of problems so I’d skip ‘em.
by Charlene Teglia June 8th, 2007 at 10:03 amYou know, I was JUST LAST NIGHT discussing possible book premises with my lovely spouse and we discussed the vapidness of ChickLit. I was taking the “ChickLit is not the Devil” take — you know the Devil’s Advocate position, and lovely wife was taking the “They make me throw up” position, complete with finger poised near open mouth…
I said, “you know, the setting works… it’s still exciting and people want to read about such exciting places”
She said, “you know, they all suck.” (She’s much better with words than that, so I’m paraphrasing here)
I said, “but sweetie, if you have some great characters, it doesn’t matter where the story is set, and you can even make the setting into a character…”
She replied, “Yeah? Name one of them that doesn’t suck” (Well, something like that)
I said, “You know I don’t read that crap”
Her point made, she said, “See? Nobody does”
Me again – “But you could sell it. Marketing loves that stuff, because they halfway think it’s about them and their troubles. ChickLit sells because the folks in publishing like stories that come from their world and –”
“Keep talking like that and I’m going to have to hurt you” (or something. Me paraphrasing again)
ah well.
PS: email me when you get your headset! We’ll chat!
by Walt June 8th, 2007 at 12:14 pmShoe Addicts Anonymous would probably be the only one that I would give a second look. I love shoes and I live outside of D.C. so it may hold my interest.
by Patty L. June 8th, 2007 at 4:10 pmThe Sleeping Beauty Proposal. It sounds like it would be funny.
by Stacy S June 8th, 2007 at 4:59 pmThe Sleeping Beauty Proposal by Sarah Strohmeyer I like to read humor when I’m reading chick lit and a book about a mistaken proposal sounds hilarious.*g*
by danette June 8th, 2007 at 6:51 pmThis is so fantastic, partly because, though I hear often from readers who know me, it’s really interesting to see what grabs an unknown audience. Frankly, publishing should be doing more of these queries.
In fact, please let me send one of you – chose at random – a copy of The Sleeping Beauty Proposal. Plus, I’ll send Helen one, too, for being so smart for asking this question.
Just send me your snail mail address to writesarah@aol.com and remind me in the subject heading that you came from Helen’s blog.
Thank you so much for this.
Sarah
by Sarah Strohmeyer June 9th, 2007 at 11:55 amI’m sorry. Helen Kay.
My bad.
by Sarah Strohmeyer June 9th, 2007 at 11:57 amOuch! Walt. I’m wounded! “The vapidness of chick lit?” You might as well say “the vapidness of romance.”
It’s an entire genre. How can an entire genre suck?
by Diana June 10th, 2007 at 10:47 pmYou know, I was JUST LAST NIGHT discussing possible book premises with my lovely spouse and we discussed the vapidness of ChickLit. I was taking the “ChickLit is not the Devil” take — you know the Devil’s Advocate position, and lovely wife was taking the “They make me throw up” position, complete with finger poised near open mouth…
OMG, I don’t know WHAT wife he was having this conversation with, because it was not ME, sheesh. He was throwing around shopping and shoes, and I was explaining that such plots may have defined the genre in the beginning, but it has way grown up. Someone is going to be hurt. Badly. (He just TODAY told me about this post. The man must suffer.)
by Alison June 13th, 2007 at 3:32 pmI’m thinking Walt was trying to get Alison in trouble… Diana is right. An entire genre does not suck. Some books are stronger than others. Like many of you, Sarah Strohmeyer’s book is the one that registered the strongest with me. I’ve read her in the past and enjoyed her. And, will pick up this one.
by HelenKay June 15th, 2007 at 12:45 pmGotta say…I just finished reading The Sleeping Beauty Proposal (which I heard about here), and it was a great read! Fun, lively, stay-up-late-to-see-what-happens.
by Katrina Stonoff June 29th, 2007 at 9:43 amYou don’t really need or want that lifestyle, it might hurt y’all slowly more…….Just tell him you
by BrullYBib October 30th, 2007 at 5:43 pmdon’t wanna repeat something your not too proud of z7uas.