Hey, everyone! I’m excited to announce a NEW feature on the Tart.
Each month, I’ll be posting a list of book recommendations entitled Quick Look Books. Each list will be themed and will give some info about books I’ve read but not previously reviewed on the blog. While reading in-depth reviews is fun, I know sometimes you just want an at-a-glance list of books in a certain genre, and Quick Look Books will provide just that! And, it’ll allow me to share even more books with you that pre-date my blog. WINNING all around.
So, without further ado, I’m pleased to announce that the Quick Look Books genre for August 2018 is … Chick Lit!
Even though summer is winding down (say it isn’t so!!), there’s still plenty of warm weather left to grab a great book and head to the beach or pool for some waterside reading. My preferred summertime genre? Chick Lit, a.k.a, Woman’s Fiction, but also referred to as Beach Reads or Summer Reads.
I sometimes feel that Women’s Fiction gets a bad rap; many often dismiss it as too sentimental or insubstantial in terms of its literary prowess. But, those in the know would heartily disagree. There’s a great deal of depth to these books, and people don’t give them or their amazing authors enough credit. Chick Lit provides real emotional connections to characters and situations, and the books feature strong, admirable, and — most importantly — relatable female leads.
I admit, I usually gravitate toward Chick Lit when I want a break from the heart-pounding thrillers or the mind-numbing supense novels. But, it’s not long after I crack open the book that I find myself continously beckoned back into its warm, humorous, and exciting embrace.
I’ve been a lover of Chick Lit since I read my first Jane Green novel almost 16 years ago, and one of her works is going to kick off this list. Here are my recommendations for fantastic reads in this genre.
1. Jemima J, by Jane Green. I personally could put all of Jane Green’s works on this list, but for now I’ll stick with one of my favorites. I purchased Jemima J while on the last leg of my post-college European tour. It’s about a fat girl who wants to change her life and find love, and she believes that the key to doing this is losing weight. So, that’s exactly what she does, with wonderful, confusing, and inspiring results. Like most women, watching my weight is a never-ending battle, but I was at my heaviest right after graduating college. Jemima J struck a chord within me, and the story and titular character inspired me to lose 40 pounds over the following year. I still re-read this book when I feel frustrated about my weight or need to get back on track with eating right. Jemima is my ever-dependable support system. It’s hard to find people who really understand what it’s like to be desperately unhappy with how you look, or how you can love food so much but have it be your worst enemy. Not to mention people who understand the willpower it takes to make an immense lifestyle change and stick with it. Not many people I know in real life can relate to all this, but Jemima always will.
2. My Not So Perfect Life, by Sophie Kinsella. Most of you will know this author from her Shopaholic series. I love me some Becky Bloomwood, but My Not So Perfect Life is, in my opinion, Kinsella’s best work. It’s fun, intriguing, inspiring, and sweet without being over-the-top silly or ridiculous, as I find many of her other novels can sometimes become. I also love that this book is set both in the city and in the country; you get charms of the simple life as well as posh, big-city excitement. There’s some well-built romance that doesn’t just pop out of thin air, and there’s a strong message about female friendships and the importance of being “real” in your life. You can’t ask for much better.
3. The Royal We, by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan. If you still have Royal Wedding fever (Harry and Meghan 4evs), this is the book for you. It’s a time-honored story — an American girl falls in love with a prince; whatever will she do? — that’s filled with snark, wit, emotion, and FUN. This book is everything a Chick Lit read should be. It gives you excitement and adventure; it makes you swoon with romance and the feels; and it makes you terrified that the ending will not be what you so desperately hope for. The Royal We seems very loosely based on Will and Kate’s story, with much of the authors’ own added spin to the supposed fairy-tale romance. Since I watched Will and Kate’s courtship/engagement/wedding unfold with great fervor, I really enjoyed losing myself in “their world,” no matter how fictitious the story may be. Plus, the cover art totally reminds me of the wedding kiss scene in The Little Mermaid, and that doesn’t hurt, either.
4. Summer at Tiffany, by Marjorie Hart. While this book isn’t Chick Lit per se, I feel that it could fit easily into this category. This is a memoir of two Midwestern girls who go to the Big City in the 1940s and land jobs at Tiffany & Co. jewelers. I work in NYC every day, so, to me, the city is a grimy and frustrating place that I am forced to commute to so I can earn money. It was wonderful to see this amazing city through the eyes of these girls; it became a place filled with glamour, opportunity, excitement, adventure, and sophistication. The 1940s seems like it was a Golden Age for NYC, and one I truly would have loved to be part of. And, thanks to this book, at least for a few hours, I happily was.
5. The Last Anniversary, by Liane Moriarty. This author has hit a new (and well-deserved) level of fame since her book Big Little Lies was turned into a TV miniseries by HBO. The Last Anniversary is an older work from Moriarty, and it is the first one I read by her; I actually feel it’s her best work. I stumbled across it on the Shared Reading Shelf at work, and I was immediately taken with the characters. I loved how their fates were all intertwined even though each woman often felt alone in whatever dilemma she was facing. The Last Anniversary is a bit more shocking and dramatic than the other books on this list, but Moriarty manages to keep a light, engaging tone even while addressing serious topics (as she so expertly does in all her novels).
Have you read any of these August 2018 Quick Look Books recommendations? Are there any other Chick Lit novels you’d like to recommend? Share your comments below!
I read this book when I was a young woman and loved it for the same reasons! Glad to see “a good read” doesn’t go out of style!