Cathy's Chick Lit Holiday

I have loved Chick Lit since before I even knew it had its own label for the genre (or what I otherwise referred to as Women’s Fiction, for the majority of my life). Like with most things in my life, I go through phases of activity, intensity and duration of time spent and variation on the “genre that is keeping my interest at the moment” in relation to reading. When I lived in Boston, post-grad from college, Chick Lit was all the rage. I devoured the nail polish-color covered books one after another on my train ride to and from work. I could not get enough of them! I have always loved them for their quick, easy reading, humor, wit, charm and above all, their relatable content on everything from relationships to food , weddings to vampires and friendships to murder. Introduced to a select few authors, whether by word of mouth , visual awareness or at my local library, I found my favorite authors, who include, to this day, Sophie Kinsella, Marian Keyes and Candace Busnhnell. I have only recently (I don’t know what took me so long!!) added to this list, the woman I consider to be the queen of relationships in story telling, Emily Giffin.

I am constantly seeking to add to my list of favorite women writers, especially, since at this point I have read 99% of these three authors books (with only a few Marian Keyes books left to read…and maybe reread, since my memory just isn’t what it used to be) and as such, I have spent the better part of year trying to identify who I want to consider to add to my “Top Ten” list of female authors. So far, I can safely say that Lauren Weisberger, Kristin Harmel, Laura Caldwell, Carol Snow, Gemma Townley, Jen Lancaster, Madeleine Wickham (real name for Sophie Kinsella), Sarah Mlynowski and Kyra Davis are (relative) newbies to me and fantastic authors. I also have a list of authors that either I haven’t read enough of their books or they don’t’ have many books published for me to even check out. This includes books I enjoyed, like the Queen of Babble series by Meg Cabot, Love, Rosie by Cecelia Ahern, Brenda Janowitz’ Brooke Miller series, Kristin Gore’s Sammy’s series, The Bachelorette by Karen McCullah Lutz, Happiness Sold Separately by Lolly Winston and Enchanted, Inc. by Shanna Swendson. It will be interesting to see if these authors move into my favorite list after reading another novel or two.

One author that I have been oddly surprised to find that I don’t have much appeal for (mostly of her established mainstream status and media following) is the duo Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus. I have not read The Nanny Diaries but the movie was “okay” enough. I dragged my feet through the audio version of The Nanny Returns and about ¾ of Citizen Girl. I almost tried to listen to Dedication but couldn’t bear to within the first 10 minutes. I don’t mean to speak bad of any author, especially someone (or I should say two women) so highly acclaimed for their novel writing (maybe it’s just me and something I’m missing) but I just haven’t found a book by this pair that has made me want to run out and read another book by them. On the other hand, there is another author, who, thus far, I can go either way on: Plum Sykes. Her debut novel, Bergdorf Blondes was so hyped up that I ran out to get it right away but unfortunately, I was disappointed in it. However, this past winter, I picked up the audio version of her second novel, The Divorcee, and by about the halfway mark, I was hooked! I hope she puts out another novel because this seems like a woman who’s writing and story-telling improves with time and age.

In the Fall of 2009, I saw the release of one of my favorite authors’, Sophie Kinsella's Remember Me at the local drugstore and I had to pick it up. I don’t know why, but before that moment, I really hadn’t given much though to Chick Lit since 2005 or so. I mean, I still read from time to time, but it was more pure fiction type novels. Also, I went through a phase where I read strictly spiritual, growth, Buddhist and “find your own path” type books. Then, I hopped on the fantasy/paranormal band wagon and read (most of) the Harry Potter and Twilight Series. But reading Remember Me was different. Not only was it quick, fast, funny and lighthearted but it sparked in me something, more than a sense of enjoyment and pleasure, which I always get when I read a really good chick lit novel and it made me smile. Like my very own chick lit holiday or someting. From there I was off and running…

Since becoming (excessively) involved in the Chick Lit genre, once again, joining various book clubs on Goodreads and becoming a reviewer for the Chick Lit Club, my TBR list has become astronomically long! In fact, I saw a list recently on Goodreads that prompted me to write this blog. It was a poll of members’ “Can’t Wait List of 2010”. Readers’ choices for 2010 releases were ranked in ascending order based on the number of votes they received. I decided to create my own “Can’t Wait” List for 2010. It seems that every single one of my favorite authors has something new coming out this year. Some of the releases have already past (two, of which I read (Heart of the Matter by Emily Giffin and The Carrie Diaries by Candace Bushnell), others are sequels I’ve been dying to read the latest installment and still others, are authors’ I have been in anticipation of reading for sometime. If only there was more time in the day, in the week, in the month or even in the year to read all these books…and without further ado…

My “Can’t Wait” List for 2010

I Heart Hollywood by Lindsey Kelk 1/7/10

The Brightest Star in the Sky by Marian Keyes 1/21/10

Chelsea, Chelsea Bang Bang by Chelsea Handler 3/9/10

Just Like Me, Only Better by Carol Snow 4/6/10

The Carrie Diaries by Candace Bushnell 4/27/10

Gimme A Call by Sarah Mlynowski 4/27/10

Spotlight by Ilana Fox 4/29/10

My Fair Lazy: One Reality Television Addict’s Attempt to Discover if Being a Dumb Ass is Not the New Black; or A Culture-Up Manifesto by Jen Lancaster 5/4/10

Heart of the Matter by Emily Giffin 5/11/10

Vows, Vendettas and a Little Black Dress by Kyra Davis 6/1/10

An Ideal Wife by Gemma Townley 6/22/10

Thin, Rich, Pretty by Beth Harbison 7/6/10

I Heart Paris by Lindsey Kelk 7/8/10

Deeply, Desperately by Heather Webber 8/3/10

Last Night at Chateau Marmont by Lauren Weisberger 8/17/10

Mini-Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella 8/24/10

Bookinistas! 3 Months, 30 Books: The Spring/Summer Chick Lit Reading Challenge

I have been a member on Goodreads since late early 2010. It is a wonderful community to join and share with others your passion for books; reading, writing, collecting them; creating lists, adding TBR books to your pile, finding out which author is the latest and greatest, up-and-coming or hidden treasure. I co-moderate the Chick Lit Book Club with its founder, and I also started the Chick Lit Writers group, dedicated to women of all ages, aspiring to see their words in print, mainly of the Chick Lit genre but all are welcome. I typically read one book a month and discuss it with the others in Chick Lit Book Club and then I take part in challenges started by other groups.

So it's been a while since I've blogged (too many school and work responsibilities!) and since this site is my haven to share with my interests, passions, dreams and goals, I thought I'd set up a new section to include the Reading Challenges that I am taking part in. I will update them as I finish each book and try to include a review (or link to a review) and information on where to buy the book.

I hope this can become a resource to you for finding books and authors or trying out a new book or series. Please share or link your reading challenges with me. I always like to add new books to my ever growing pile! And, please join any of our groups on Goodreads. We are always welcoming new members.

This first challenge was created by the Goodreads' group, Red Dress Ink Fans. It is their To Be Read Spring/Summer Reading Challenge! (April 1st - June 30, 2010)

The goal of this challenge is to help us clean off our shelves and our TBR lists without acquiring any new books! The premise is simple: 30 Books, 3 months, as many as you can read!

I am in the middle of this challenge but please, read along with me or pick your own books based on the rules of the challenge!

The Rules:
1. For this challenge, you make three separate lists of 10 books each (plus up to 5 alternates if you so choose):
List A: Your Oldest 10 Goodreads TBR Books
List B: 10 Random TBR Books
List C: Any 10 TBR books – your choice
2. After the challenge starts (April 1), you can’t change the books on your lists. Up until then, shift whatever you’d like.
3. Each book can only count on one list for this challenge. So if one of your 10 Oldest TBR Books also ends up as one of your 10 Random choices, you need to pick a new book for one or the other.
4. You don’t have to go in order, and you can read off any list – but you can only count the book once.
5. You can select up to five alternate books for each list, and choose to substitute them for up to five books on each list. Alternate books have to be selected in the same method as the books on the list. (i.e. Your alternate books for list A will be books 11-15 on your GR TBR list)
6. Exception: If the book is in a series and you haven’t read up to that point yet, you may substitute an earlier book from the series (even if it’s not one of your oldest TBR or wasn’t randomly generated). Example: When I tried generating random numbers, I ended up with Janet Evanovich’s “To the Nines” as one of my choices, but I have only read the first book in that series. So I could use “Two for the Dough” in its place.
7. First one to cross off all their books wins!

Selecting your books:

List A: Your Oldest 10 Goodreads TBR Books
1. Go to your bookshelves and click on your “To Read” shelf
2. Sort this shelf in Edit view. This should number your books in the order in which you added them to your shelf.
3. Select books 1 – 10 on this shelf – these are the 10 oldest books on your GR TBR list. Books 11-15 may serve as your alternate choices.
4. If the books skip a number (i.e. if you have books 1-4, 7-10), then that means you’ve read or removed a few. So just select the first 10 (in the case above, I’d take 1-4, 7-12), and the next 5 as alternates.

List B: 10 Random TBR Books
1. Go to http://www.random.org
2. Using the Random Number Generator feature, type in 1 as the minimum number, and the total number of books on your To Read shelf as the maximum number. Click “generate” to generate 10 different random numbers.
3. Go to your To Read shelf in Edit view, and select the 10 books whose numbers correspond with the random numbers you generated.
4. You may generate 5 additional random numbers and use those books as alternates.
5. If you don’t have a book that matches a number that was generated, that means you have already read the book or removed it from your list. So, continue generating numbers until you find one that matches a book on your list.

List C: Any 10 TBR Books – Your Choice
1. Pick any 10 books out of your TBR stack. Any 10 books work – but you can’t change them once the challenge has started. The main goal is to not acquire any new books for this list!

To Post Points:

Each book read is worth 10 points (300 total points). To claim points, post the book you read and the list it is from. First person to read all the books on their lists is the winner!

Cathy's TBR Challenge Lists
List A: Oldest TBR Books:
1. Secrets of a Shoe Addict – Beth Harbison
2. Hope in a Jar - Beth Harbison 5/16/10
3. How to Sleep with a Movie Star - Kristin Harmel 04/06/10
4. The Art of French Kissing- Kristin Harmel 4/18/10
5. The Blonde Theory - Kristin Harmel
6. Baby Proof – Emily Giffin 4/18/10*
7. Citizen Girl – Nicola Kraus and Emma McLaughlin
8. Nanny Returns - Kraus and Emma McLaughlin 5/2/10
9. Tales of A Drama Queen – Lee Nichols
10. True Lies of a Drama Queen - Lee Nichols

Alternates:

11. Hand Me Down - Lee Nichols

12. Wednesday Night Witches - Lee Nichols

13. Fashionistas – Lynn Messina

14. Trials of Tiffany Trott – Isabel Wolff

15. Rescuing Rose - Isabel Wolff

List B: 10 Random TBR Books

1. 144 – Slightly Single - Wendy Markham

2. 131 – Italian for Beginners – Kristin Harmel

3. 205 – Are you there Vodka, It’s Me Chelsea? – Chelsea Handler 4/2/10

4. 189 - The Chocolate Lovers’ Club – Carole Matthews

5. 167 – Such A Pretty Fat – Jen Lancaster 4/27/10

6. 133 - Secret Diary of a Demented Housewife – Niamh Greene

7. 121 - Second Thyme Around/Thyme Out – Katie Fforde 4/23/10*

8. 72 - The First Assistant – Mimi Hare & Clare Naylor 4/14/10*

9. 122 – Wild Designs – Katie Fforde

10. 183 – Tallulahland – Lynn Messina

Alternates:

11. 115 – The Importance of Being Married - Gemma Townley

12. 95 – Carrie Pilby - Carrie Lissner

13. 81 – The Accidental Virgin - Valerie Frankel

14. 218 – Sex as a Second Language – Alisa Kwitney

15. 154 – The Pact – Jennifer Sturman

List C: Any TBR Choice

1. Girl’s Guide to Witchcraft – Mindy Klasky 4/10/10

2. The Night I got Lucky – Laura Caldwell 4/13/10

3. The Year of Living Famously – Laura Caldwell 5/4/10

4. The Carrie Diaries – Candace Bushnell

5. Holly’s Inbox – Holly Denham

6. Pretty in Plaid – Jen Lancaster 5/6/10

7. Enchanted Inc – Shanna Swendson 4/22/10

8. A Total Waste of Makeup – Kim Gruenfelder

9. Sammy’s Hill – Kristin Gore 5/12/10
10. Diary of a Mad Bride – Laura Wolf

Alternates:
11. The Big Love – Sarah Dunn

12. The Wedding Girl – Madeleine Wickham 4/8/10

13. Monkey Business – Sarah Mlynowski

14. Rachel’s Holiday – Marian Keyes

15. One for the Money – Janet Evanovich 4/26/10

16/30 Books

160/300 Points

*Visit www.chicklitclub.com/audio-books.html for my very own Audio Book reviews of these books!

If you want a review of any of the books I've crossed off so far, please email me at cgraceh at gmail dot com and I will post them asap. (No spammers please:) Thanks!