Though I can’t stand the saccharine sweet chick-lit tales, often comes a book that is more-than-what-meets-the-eye.
They are chick-lit with brawn( & genuine fun).
As James Joyce said : “Life is too short to read a bad book”, here’s my list of 5 “quality” chick-lit novels:
Book: North and South
Author: Elizabeth Gaskell
Publication date: 1855
image credit: Goodreads
The term chick-lit is coined in 1995. “North and South” belong to an era 145 years older than that.
Yet, if I use it broadly (story of a young woman and her romantic pursuit, targeted at women audience), then “North and South” clicks.
Set in Victorian England, it describes the clash between two ideologies- socialism vs capitalism.
A self-righteous-yet-adorable heroine, a rags-to-riches hero, their own set of prejudices- all fixed at the end.
For lack of better words, I can say this is more-cerebral-and-bit-slower –and-underrated version of “Pride And Prejudice”.
BBC had a fantastic miniseries based on this book, too.
Beware:
Richard Armitage plays Mr. Thornton out there. He’s gonna raise the bar of your love life.
It’d be very difficult to settle-for-anything-less-than-this after that.
Book: Confessions of a shopaholic
Author: Sophie Kinsella
Publication date: 2001
image credit: Goodreads
This is the first chick lit book I’ve ever read and it still holds a dear place in my not-so-mushy-anymore heart.
The reason being: I could identify with the protagonist Becky Bloomwood.
Like her, shopping used to give me something-to-cheer for amidst life’s various disappointments.
The book also deals with Impostor Syndrome (I guess back then, nobody threw this term left, right and center).
Becky works as a personal finance journalist in a financial magazine and she doesn’t know what she is doing (both literally and figuratively).
And the way her character develops both in personal and professional ethics – is very charming.
Those were the days (I reckon) where ladies of chick-lit factory maintained a standard and not used to bed anyone having two legs and a schlong (I might be sounding like your grandmother).
Book: Those Pricey Thakur Girls
Author: Anuja Chauhan
Publication date: 2013
image credit: Goodreads
Dear readers, if you want to read Indian chic-lit, look no further than Anuja Chauhan. She gets it right most of the time. “Those Pricey Thakur Girls” is part of her glorious chick-lit canon.
Set in 80s Delhi, the backdrop describes an India going through watershed moments- the assassination of a Prime Minister, the following religious persecution, the advent of broadcast media.
And feisty women taking charges.
This is a feel-good read that would traverse you back into a simpler era when- love was not ‘that’ difficult.
Book: Big Little Lies
Author: Liane Moriarty
Publication date: 2014
image credit: Goodreads
Everybody loved the TV show based on this chick lit thriller.
I’m in the minority who enjoyed the book way more than the show.
Here, the women are capable and brave (or become one during the process. Like: Celeste) and manipulating and jealous.
The men are either douche-bags or ‘placid’ sweethearts.
Spinning around a murder taken place during a School Trivia night, this book reminds me why I don’t like-
- Living in suburbia ( the poking-nose-in-others’-business seems universal), or
- Parents babbling about parent-teacher meetings.
And, Why I like when
- The author balances out a dark subject like DV with equal measure of wit in a book.
Book: Battle For Bittora
Author: Anuja Chauhan
Publication date: 2014
This one is my least favorite on the list.
Still, the world-building of Anuja Chauhan makes it 100 times better than the travesties these days.
A love story revolving around the Lok sabha ( the lower house of India’s bicameral legislature) election, it tells the tale of a childhood love story gone sweet-to-sour – against the murky labyrinth of Indian politics and communal intricacy.
If a romance having leads around the age 25-26 can be called New Adult romance, then give this book a shot.
Do you like the chick-lit genre? Which ones are your favorite in this genre? Spill out.
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Nice collection. Just bookmarked your post and shared it with her, just in case it helps her choose the next book to read. These are all available online right? Like the Kindle edition?
Glad you liked the list. I checked out and it’s showing all of them are available on Kindle. I got them from a local book rental portal though.
I have not read any of these, but I mostly read non-fiction so that’s probably why.
That’s so cool to hear. I mostly falter while reading non-fiction books.
I don’t typically read chick lit, but I did like The Husband’s Secret. Maybe I should try reading Big Little Lies, I didn’t see the show. Those Pricey Thakur Girls sounds pretty interesting too.
Both the books you mentioned are really top-notch. Read them when you get time.
Ahh I loved confessions of a shopaholic! I’ve been wanting to read Big Little Lies! I feel like my too read list is so long lol
Mine too. 😛 The TBR list is ever-expanding.
I loved Big Little Lies (still slowly making my way through the TV show, but I sped through the book!) and Confessions of a Shopaholic. I haven’t read North & South yet, but a friend raves about it, so I should check it out.
Your friend is right. You should totally check it out. 🙂
I really want to read Confessions of a Shopaholic. I loved the movie, and I’m sure the book is even better. Your description of North and South really makes me want to read it too!
“North and South” is totally amazing. Do check out the BBC series, if you like romantic period dramas.
I’ve only read Battle of Bittora out of all n i loved it absolutely now i’ll devulge into these books too. Thanks for sharing
Yeah Anuja Chauhan is way ahead of the curve when it comes to Indian chick-lit. Glad you liked the list. 🙂
Such a useful list. i’m going to trying to catch hold of these novels. Thanks for sharing!
Hope you do so. Thank you for reading the post. 🙂
A nice list of books. I love these girly, chick lit books. I’ve not read a couple from this list and I’m excited about them now.
Hope you’d read some of them. They are really close to my heart. 🙂
That’s a cool list – I love chick-lits so will get my hands on this list!
Hope you like the books. 🙂
I have not read any of the books you mentioned… Maybe I haven’t touched any chick-lit in a decade! Should I stop reading chick-lits now that I am a Mom and at the wrong side of the 30s? What do you think?
I’m on the wrong side of the 30 myself, not a mom and would read comics till I kick the bucket at 60. 😀 So yeah, you should definitely read chick-lits (and steampunk too).
Thanks for giving the confidence😀 I’ll start with the books you have listed in your post 😊
Loved it!! I have read The Zoya Factor by Anuja Chauhan and I was in splits while reading it. Some great reccos. #myfriendalexa #surreads #blogchatter
Hey, thanks for your lovely comment. Haven’t read “Zoya Factor” (on my TBR list for ages) but given Anuja Chauhan’s literary skill, no doubt it would be a great book as well.
Confessions of a Shopaholic is a definite yes, even though I did not enjoy it much! If I were to recommend to you, I would ask you to read author Sarah Dessen for sure, and PS I love you and Me before you – Heartbreaking but so beautifully written!
Hey, thanks for the recommendations. Watched the movie “PS I Love You”. Hope the book will be better than that. And I liked JoJo Moyes’s “One Plus One”, so would definitely check out “Me Before You”.
Oh I am not so much a fan of Chick lit anymore and YA fiction is more my cup of tea. I read Anuja Chauhan’s one book about the cricket love and hated it!! I believe its being turned into a movie or something.
I watched Big Little Lies on TV an dhave loved it- not caught the book yet though have read 1-2 of L moriarty’s books – not very keen to pursue more.
Your post is pretty well written; concise analysis and is a great read for anyone into Chick lit Jheelam.
Thank you so much for the nice words. 🙂 I used to love chic-lit during my college days, then hated it for a long period of time and now again feeling I can do with some quality chic lit books.
The Anuja Chauhan book you’re referring to is “The Zoya Factor”. Haven’t read this one, but it haven’t morphed into a screen-adaptation yet, I think.
Oh yes thats the one- I read it some 10 years back….