Chick Literate » books

New chick lit

lklawless — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 05:29:03 +0000

You may have noticed that the books I’m reviewing aren’t exactly hot off the presses. This is because I started this blog many years after I started reading chick lit, and for now I’m just trying to remember all of the books I’ve loved and hated. It’s also because I get most of my books through PaperbackSwap, and because I live in France. But I’m a voracious reader, so if any of you out there have written or know of good chick lit (new or old) that I should read, I will happily accept review copies. I can’t promise a glowing review, only an honest one based on how I liked it. Just reply to this message and I’ll email you my info. (If the cost of shipping to France puts you off, I have an address in the US you can use, but it will take a month for the book to get to me.)

Chick Literate Heart Awards

lklawless — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 08:00:35 +0000

You’ve probably noticed by now that I have my own rating system for the chick lit I read and review: the Chick Literate Heart Awards. I rate books with 0 to 5 hearts, and there’s a graphic to go with each one. You can click on the graphic to see a list of all the books with the same ranking, and I have an article about my system here: Chick Literate Heart Awards.

Unbelievable characters

lklawless — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 08:19:51 +0000

Zany, mean, and stupid characters can be really funny, but it’s easy to go over the top and make them impossible, and once that happens I don’t enjoy the book as much. The strange thing is that oftentimes these kinds of people actually exist – they really are that stupid. I’ve known a few, but if I shared some of their words and deeds with you, you’d never believe me. You’d spend the whole book rolling your eyes and saying “come on!” So I can never write about them, because it just wouldn’t be believable, and therefore it wouldn’t be funny. I admire writers who are able to capture zaniness and stupidity without going over the top – it can’t be easy.

(Of course, in some genres, it’s ok. In science fiction, for example, characters can be as insane as you want – you don’t need to worry about suspension of disbelief. But in chick lit, when readers usually want to relate to the book, you have to be more careful.)

Free books, almost

lklawless — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 06:00:33 +0000

I read a lot. A lot. And I reread a lot, so I like to own books rather than borrowing them from the library. But after many years of cleaning out every bookstore I could find, and a few more placing enormous orders at Amazon, I stumbled across PaperBackSwap, which is pretty much the best thing that ever happened to my reading life (other than learning how to read).

What you do is list all the books you don’t want any more in the system, and when another member wants one you send it to them (you pay the postage), which earns you one credit. You can use that credit to order any book (there are well over 2 million currently listed) from another member (who pays the postage), and so on. So while the books aren’t free, they’re the next best thing – they’re a one-for-one swap. So far I’ve sent and received about 75 books, and couldn’t be happier. If a book you want isn’t available, you can put it on your Wish List so that you are automatically notified when it is listed. (I’ve received over a dozen books from my Wish List, including a couple that I couldn’t find anywhere else for less than $30!) So if you’re too broke to buy books, check out PaperBackSwap and get some for (almost) free!