Chick Lit Books

Wikipedia defines Chick lit as:

"a genre fiction within women's fiction which addresses issues of modern women often humorously and lightheartedly"

Think Bridget Jones Diary or Rachel's Holiday by Marion Keyes or Sophie Kinsella's Shopaholic series, they feature the everyday lives of women, all the funny, embarrassing and insecure moments that life deals us.

To me it's the books that are great to read at the beach or when you want to relax and escape. There are so many types of chick lit books many say it now has sub-genres. There is mummy lit, divorce lit, single girl a la Bridget Jones and career girl lit to mention just a few.

Monica is probably our most prolific and best-selling Chick Lit author. I have read and enjoyed every single one of her books. She was born in South Australia's Claire Valley and grew up living in various parts of the country. She now lives in Dublin with her Irish husband. Most of her stories feature Australia and Ireland and concern family themes and strong well developed characters. I have been trying to single out my favourite to tell you about here but really I can only manage a top 3.

read an except of one of these and decide what you think....

Alphabet Sisters
Family Baggage
Those Faraday Girls

and I still feel bad about leaving the others out! If you like stories about families and relationships you will love Monica's books.

I guess Kathy Lette's debut novel Puberty Blues was probably the first book I read that was written by a woman, about women my age. Mind you we were both girls then ;-) I did not get around to reading another of her books until 2006 and her book How to Kill your Husband was published... thankfully this is not a DIY title but a very funny thriller that will have you smiling with quotes like "no woman has ever shot her husband while he was vacuuming"

Kathy is now based in London and has a total of 12 funny but sometimes though provoking books for you to enjoy.

Find out more on her website

Maggie is London born and now living back in London now but she lived and worked here for so long that we all thought she was Australian. Even Wkipedia agreed ;-) Maggie was a writer for the Sydney Morning Herald's magazine for many years and her columns are what got me into reading her books. She has written 6 novels so far. A few of her books feature women moving from the UK to Australia to start new lives...

In her book Mad about the Boy she introduces us to Antonia who has emigrated to Australia with her husband and small child to what she thinks will be a perfect life only to discover while 'Some of my best friends are homosexuals. I just didn't expect my husband to be one too.' and so the story begins.

Find out more about Maggie and her novels. on her website
she also has a blog