Reading & Writing Lounge

I’ve got a pile of books in my bedside basket. There’s heavy history, exciting travel, scrumptious food writing, chocolaty chick it. There’s also a book of literary essays, and another on animal life in an English countryside. A couple of travel magazines share space with some women’s glossies. Ah! What an interesting mix. I pick the book that suits the moment – if I’m bored, then its humorous prose to perk me up; if I’m feeling empty and devoid of my grey cells, then the volume on history helps me feel esoteric and intelligent. When I need something light and interesting, then I reach for the chick lit.

Good chick lit is like chocolate – delicious, creamy, chocolaty. And like a bar of good chocolate, a chick lit book gets over quickly, leaving behind a trail of creamy sweetness.

Chick lit simply means literature for and by chicks…err…I mean books mainly written by and for women. While reading up on what Chick lit means, I came across an interesting description in a website about chick lit – “The books range from having main characters in their early 20’s to their late 60’s. There is usually a personal, light, and humorous tone to the books. Sometimes they are written in first-person narrative; other time they are written from multiple viewpoints. The plots usually consist of women experiencing usual life issues, such as love, marriage, dating, relationships, friendships, roommates, corporate environments, weight issues, addiction, and much more.

So how does that differ from regular women’s fiction, you might be wondering? Well, it’s all in the tone. Chick lit is told in a more confiding, personal tone. It’s like having a best friend tell you about her life. Humor is a strong point in chick lit, too. Nearly every chick lit book I have read has had some type of humor in it. THAT is what really separates chick lit from regular women’s fiction.”

As you read on, the protagonist almost becomes like your friend – you get to know her warts and all. And many-a-times, you can find yourself empathizing with her too. She can be a few pounds overweight, maybe just like you. She might have a problem hitching the right guy – does that seem familiar? She might have a massive crush on the hunk next door – ah! Quite like you? She might also be independent, smart, sassy – well, that’s gotta be you.

Even the situations and scenarios might seem very familiar – a single woman in a city; a workaholic trapped in a boring job; a girl who shuns marriage…the list is endless. Fun-to-read and quick-to-complete, a pile of good chick lit is just what many of us need to race through a dull day or a languid weekend. And…I even like the way the books look, complete with their cute and funky book covers.

I just read Swati Kaushal’s ‘Piece of Cake’ and intend to lap up some of the books mentioned here: Chick Lit Books.

You might also like to hop over to: Candy Covered Books.