Literary Chick: Great Chick Lit Books

Chick lit is a controversial label for a modern genre of books, encompassing nearly all works of fiction that explore contemporary women's lives, and often written by women themselves. The label is so overreaching (or overused?) that most experts say the beloved Jane Austen - chronicler of the single 1700s woman - would today be categorized as "chick lit." As in any broad category, some chick lit books are good while others are insightful, just for fun, or just plain stupid. And, of course, reading is a personal experience and everyone has their own opinion on whether or not a book is good. This lens focuses on the so-called chick lit that I think is good. (And I work with books, so I should know.)

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Original Chick Lit

As has been said before, Jane Austen would today be on the chick lit shelf. If you think classics aren't your thing, why not start by reading the books that inspired Helen Fielding to create Bridget Jones? And, for more romance, watch one of the wonderful movie adaptations of "Pride and Prejudice" (I prefer the Kiera Knightly one myself).

Pride and Prejudice (Bantam Classics)

by: Jane Austen

Amazon Price: $4.95 (as of 12/02/2008)

Persuasion (Signet Classics)

by: Jane Austen

Amazon Price: $4.95 (as of 12/02/2008)

Jane Austen: The Complete Novels

by: Jane Austen

Amazon Price: $12.99 (as of 12/02/2008)

Pride and Prejudice - The Special Edition (A&E, 1996)

Amazon Price: $14.99 (as of 12/02/2008)

Pride and Prejudice (Full Screen) (2005)

Amazon Price: $13.49 (as of 12/02/2008)

Bridget Jones

Bridget Jones is said to be the first "chick lit" book, so if you're new to the genre, it's where to start. In fact, the first book is a reimagining of "Pride and Prejudice" and the second a loose take on "Persuasion." Plus, each of her diaries has been made into funny movies, so be sure to check those out as well.

Bridget Jones's Diary

by: Helen Fielding

Amazon Price: $11.20 (as of 12/02/2008)

Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason

by: Helen Fielding

Amazon Price: $11.20 (as of 12/02/2008)

Bridget Jones's Diary (Collector's Edition)

Amazon Price: $9.99 (as of 12/02/2008)

Bridget Jones - The Edge of Reason (Widescreen Edition)

Amazon Price: $3.99 (as of 12/02/2008)

Shopaholic

Sophie Kinsella's Shopaholic series is nearly as synonymous with the "chick lit" label as the Bridget Jones name. Rebecca Bloomwood, the heroine who is unable to keep her credit card in its wallet, can wear a bit on the reader after her self-obsessed ways continue book after book. But what's so wrong with a modern fairy tale?

Confessions of a Shopaholic

by: Sophie Kinsella

Amazon Price: $9.60 (as of 12/02/2008)

Shopaholic Takes Manhattan

by: Sophie Kinsella

Amazon Price: $11.20 (as of 12/02/2008)

Shopaholic Ties the Knot

by: Sophie Kinsella

Amazon Price: $9.60 (as of 12/02/2008)

Shopaholic & Sister

by: Sophie Kinsella

Amazon Price: $6.99 (as of 12/02/2008)

Shopaholic & Baby (Shopaholic)

by: Sophie Kinsella

Coming 2/27/2007!

Amazon Price: $16.32 (as of 12/02/2008)

Biography as (intentional) Fiction

Chick lit mirrors modern female life. These books, though fiction, are actually faintly veiled biographies.

The Devil Wears Prada: A Novel

by: Lauren Weisberger

Amazon Price: $11.16 (as of 12/02/2008)

I Don't Know How She Does It

by: Allison Pearson

Amazon Price: $11.16 (as of 12/02/2008)

The Nanny Diaries: A Novel

by: Emma Mclaughlin, Nicola Kraus

Amazon Price: $12.55 (as of 12/02/2008)

The Devil Wears Prada (Full Screen Edition)

Amazon Price: $9.49 (as of 12/02/2008)

Beyond Shopaholic

Sophie Kinsella does not just write the Shopaholic series; she also has some wonderful stand-alones. And, suprisingly to many fans, her actual name is Madeline Wickham - a name she uses on further books.

The Undomestic Goddess

by: Sophie Kinsella

Amazon Price: $11.20 (as of 12/02/2008)

Can You Keep a Secret?

by: Sophie Kinsella

Amazon Price: $11.20 (as of 12/02/2008)

Cocktails for Three

by: Madeleine Wickham

Amazon Price: (as of 12/02/2008)

The Boy I Loved Before

by: Jenny Colgan

This book is written by Jenny Colgan, not Madeline Wickham (or her alter ego Kinsella) but they're supposed friends and it's a great read!

Amazon Price: $11.66 (as of 12/02/2008)

More Big Name Authors

Other chick lit authors like Jane Green and Meg Cabot (who doesn't just write the Princess Diaries) are well regarded without quite the level of fame of Fielding and Kinsella.

Bookends: A Novel

by: Jane Green

Amazon Price: $11.20 (as of 12/02/2008)

Jemima J: A Novel About Ugly Ducklings and Swans

by: Jane Green

Amazon Price: $10.36 (as of 12/02/2008)

The Boy Next Door

by: Meggin Cabot

Amazon Price: $11.16 (as of 12/02/2008)

Watermelon

by: Marian Keyes

Amazon Price: $11.86 (as of 12/02/2008)

Good in Bed

by: Jennifer Weiner

Amazon Price: $10.20 (as of 12/02/2008)

More Choices

To show just how wide ranging chick lit is, here are some other great choices that ranging from a critically acclaimed author's first novel (Prep) to the surprising work of an Irish Prime Minister's daughter (Cecelia Ahern) to a male author.

Prep: A Novel

by: Curtis Sittenfeld

Even though the narrator is annoying, you still want to follow through her education (in life) at a New England prep school.

Amazon Price: $11.16 (as of 12/02/2008)

PS, I Love You

by: Cecelia Ahern

Cecelia Ahern is wonderful and her first novel - written when she was 22 - is sweet and, I think, perfect.

Amazon Price: $6.99 (as of 12/02/2008)

Men and Other Mammals

by: Jim Keeble

With a first line like "I shouldn't have stolen the penguin, I know that now," how can you not love this story of two British brothers recovering from the unexpected death of their mother?

Amazon Price: $18.00 (as of 12/02/2008)

Behaving Like Adults: A Novel

by: Anna Maxted

Again, a British book, and one with a little more substance than others.

Amazon Price: $11.86 (as of 12/02/2008)

The Little Lady Agency

by: Hester Browne

Fun! I'm looking forward to the sequel.

Amazon Price: $10.40 (as of 12/02/2008)

Outside Chick Lit

Some of my favorite books are authored by females but have managed to escape the chick lit label. Here they are. Lisa Carey is not to be missed (and, by the way, the mother to an adorable infant).