Do you have a list of good books to read yet for the summer? A good e-book for the plane on the way to summer vacation? A good book while laying out in the sun with some lemonade? That “lazy days of summer” feel often brings the need to read, and sometimes we just like to read something light and fun. That’s where chick-lit comes in.
First of all, what is chick-lit? “Chick” refers to a woman, and “lit” is just an abbreviation of literature. Wikipedia defines chick-lit as “genre fiction which addresses issues of modern womanhood, often humorously and lightheartedly.” Chick lit can deal with anything from relationships, to family, to loss, to career, but it always features a female character. Numerous sources point to the book The Diary of Bridget Jones by Helen Fielding as one of the first chick-lit novels, and this type of book became very popular starting in the 1990’s.
Well-Known Must Read Chick Lit Novels:
(For those that just need a good place to get started!)
The Girl’s Guide to Hunting and Fishing by Melissa Bank
Good in Bed by Jennifer Weiner
Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin
Confessions of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella
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Recent and Upcoming Releases:
Wedding Night by Sophie Kinsella – Release Date: April 23, 2013
“Kinsella’s latest romantic romp revolves around two sisters with very different notions about love. Impulsive Lottie is expecting her boyfriend, Richard, to propose to her; she’s floored when he instead suggests a vacation using his frequent-flier miles. When Richard balks at the idea of marriage, Lottie breaks up with him. She runs straight into the arms of an old flame, Ben, with whom she spent a magical summer at the age of 18 on the island of Ikonos. Ben is more than ready to rekindle their relationship and walk down the aisle with her. When Lottie’s practical older sister, Fliss, gets wind of her plan to marry Ben, Fliss is determined to stop the nuptials. Ben’s coworker Lorcan seems equally opposed to the wedding, and Fliss thinks they’re set, until Lottie and Ben have a hasty ceremony and jet to Ikonos. Fliss decides she has to sabotage the honeymoon in the hopes of getting Lottie to see that she’s making a huge mistake. There’s plenty of silly fun to be had in this charming comedy of errors.” – Booklist
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All the Summer Girls by Meg Donohue – Release date May 21, 2013
“In Philadelphia, good girl Kate is dumped by her fiance the day she learns she is pregnant with his child. In New York City, beautiful stay-at-home mom Vanessa finds herself obsessively searching the Internet for news of an old flame. And in San Francisco, Dani, an aspiring writer who can’t seem to put down a book—or a cocktail—long enough to open her laptop, has just been fired . . . again.
In an effort to regroup, Kate, Vanessa, and Dani retreat to the New Jersey beach town where they once spent their summers. Emboldened by the seductive cadences of the shore, the women begin to realize just how much their lives, and friendships, have been shaped by the choices they made one fateful night on the beach eight years earlier—and the secrets that now threaten to surface.” – Publisher
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Wallflower in Bloom: A Novel by Claire Cook – Release date: May 21, 2013
“Deirdre Griffin has a great life; it’s just not her own. She’s the around-the-clock personal assistant to her charismatic, high-maintenance, New Age guru brother, Tag. As the family wallflower, her only worth seems to be as gatekeeper to Tag at his New England seaside compound.
Then Deirdre’s sometime boyfriend informs her that he is marrying another woman, who just happens to be having the baby he told Deirdre he never wanted. While drowning her sorrows in Tag’s expensive vodka, Deirdre decides to use his massive online following to get herself voted on as a last-minute Dancing with the Stars replacement. It’ll get her back in shape, mentally and physically. It might even get her a life of her own. Deirdre’s fifteen minutes of fame have begun.” – Publisher
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Ladies’ Night by Mary K Andrews – release date: June 4, 2013
“When Ben cheats on her, Grace drives his car into the swimming pool. Now she is living above her mother’s Florida bar, the Sandbox, and attending a court-assigned therapy group. But instead of therapy, Grace and the other women end up at “Ladies Night” at the Sandbox, discussing the therapist who seems to have her own problems. Even as Grace finds a little house to fix up, and a man with his own marriage problems, she can’t escape the mess she left behind. Set on Florida’s Gulf Coast, featuring sunsets and walks by the water, Andrews’s latest beach read (after Spring Fever ) will have great appeal for readers who enjoy stories of women rebuilding their lives, with the support of other women. Add in a dog, a sweet little boy, hilarious stories of women getting revenge, and romance, and it’s a vacation escape.” – Library Journal
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The Time Between by Karen White – Release Date: June 4th, 2013
“Fourteen years after an accident left her sister Eve paralyzed and herself guilt-ridden, Eleanor Murray struggles to atone–not only for the accident, but also for falling in love with her brother-in-law, Glen. The accident fractured the family, dashing Eve’s future as a beauty pageant contestant. And after their father dies, Eleanor’s dreams of playing piano at Juilliard dissolve. Their mother holds Eleanor responsible for keeping together the family she broke apart. Eve knows she should forgive Eleanor, but she can’t quite let go of her anger. Glen, too, is torn between his commitment to Eve and his attraction to Eleanor. Balancing her work at a law office with caring for her mother, sister and brother-in-law, Eleanor too often finds that neither time nor money will stretch far enough. So she arrives late or leaves early, grateful that her boss, Finn Beaufain–the handsome, gray-eyed, divorced father of an adorable yet fragile daughter–tolerates her erratic schedule. She gets dinner on the table, bathes her sister, placates her arthritic mother and occasionally slips on a slinky red dress to play piano at a local dive, hoping someone might offer her solace in his unfamiliar arms. Finding her at the bar one night, Finn gives her a chance: a chance to recover her lost self and perhaps a chance at love. Finn gives her a job caring for his aunt Helena on Edisto Island, where Eleanor grew up.” – Publisher
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Revenge Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger – Release date: June 4, 2013
Sequel to Devil Wears Prada
“Almost a decade has passed since Andy Sachs quit the job “a million girls would die for” working for Miranda Priestly at Runway magazine–a dream that turned out to be a nightmare. Andy and Emily, her former nemesis and co-assistant, have since joined forces to start a high-end bridal magazine. The Plunge has quickly become required reading for the young and stylish. Now they get to call all the shots: Andy writes and travels to her hearts content; Emily plans parties and secures advertising like a seasoned pro. Even better, Andy has met the love of her life. Max Harrison, scion of a storied media family, is confident, successful, and drop-dead gorgeous. Their wedding will be splashed across all the society pages as their friends and family gather to toast the glowing couple. Andy Sachs is on top of the world. But karma’s a bitch. The morning of her wedding, Andy cant shake the past. And when she discovers a secret letter with crushing implications, her wedding-day jitters turn to cold dread. Andy realizes that nothing–not her husband, nor her beloved career–is as it seems. She never suspected that her efforts to build a bright new life would lead her back to the darkness she barely escaped ten years ago–and directly into the path of the devil herself. . .” – Publisher
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Beautiful Day by Elin Hilderbrand – Release Date: June 25, 2013
“The Carmichaels and the Grahams have gathered on Nantucket for a wedding. Plans are being made according to the wishes of the bride’s late mother, who left behind The Notebook: specific instructions for every detail of her youngest daughter’s future nuptials. Everything should be falling into place for the beautiful event–but in reality, things are far from perfect.
While the couple-to-be are quite happy, their loved ones find their own lives crumbling. In the days leading up to the wedding, love will be questioned, scandals will arise, and hearts will be broken and healed. Elin Hilderbrand takes readers on a touching journey in BEAUTIFUL DAY–into the heart of marriage, what it means to be faithful, and how we choose to honor our commitments.’ – Publisher
Blaise says:
RFPL Reads 