What Is Chick Lit? F.A.B.U.L.O.U.S.
It's Funny
It's About Women
It's By Women
It's Up to date and in the now
It's Light reading
It's Often full of romance
It's Urban (most of the time)
It's Stylish
It's new! It blossomed in the 1990's in Britain-remember Bridget Jones?
It's today! There's no such thing as historical chick lit (yet, although some consider Jane Austen to be the original chick lit author).
It's funny and light! If it makes you cry instead of laugh, if it's serious, it's not chick lit, it's women's fiction.
It's about women by women! (except the subgenre of "lad lit" such as Nick Hornby).
It's urban! Most of the time.
It's not romance, although it often includes romance. If the cover is hot pink and shows purses or shoes or martini glasses, it's quite possibly chick lit.
Usually by the end of the book the protagonist has improved her life, one way or another.
Chick Lit arguably came into being with Bridget Jones's Diary (1996) by Helen Fielding, about a single British woman. With the resulting publishing boom in Chick Lit, categories developed based on the type of story.
Singletons - the original Chick Lit about a single woman. Try The Girls' Guide to Hunting and Fishing (Bank)
Bridal Lit or Bridezilla - the chick gets married. Try Shopaholic Ties the Knot (Kinsella)
Ethnic Lit - written by or about chicks of color. Try Waiting to Exhale (McMillan)
Mommy Lit - the chick has children. Try I Don't Know How She Does It (Pearson)
Lady Lit or Hen Lit - the chick gets older than 20-30 something. Try Julie & Romeo (Ray)
Award Winners
RITA award for Best contemporary single title 2005: Bet Me by Jennifer Crusie
New York Times Notable Books, Fiction list 2002: I Don't Know How She Does It by Allison Pearson
New York Times Notable Books, Fiction list 1998: Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding
Library Journal Best Romance Books 1996: Anyone But You by Jennifer Crusie
(Originally posted onThe Readers Corner of Athens Regional Library System)
(http://www.clarke.public.lib.ga.us/services/readerscorner/ra4.html)
Melody started this discussion 3 years ago (edited). ( | permalink )
