The Book Chat: Chick Lit

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My first thought when I saw this week's Book Chat topic was, "But I don't really read chick lit." As usual, Jessica read my mind and wrote this in her newsletter: "You've probably read more than you think." She also included a link to this Goodreads list, which got me thinking about all the chick lit I've read. I was a little surprised to find titles like The Time Traveler's Wife and The Help on the list, as well as some Nicholas Sparks titles, so I did some research on "chick lit." Wikipedia says:

Chick lit is genre fiction which addresses issues of modern womanhood, often humorously and lightheartedly.... Although it sometimes includes romantic elements, chick lit is generally not considered a direct subcategory of the romance novel genre, because the heroine's relationship with her family or friends is often just as important as her romantic relationships.

Makes sense! The first two books I mentioned above are not what I would call lighthearted, which is probably why that threw me off. And Nicholas Sparks is definitely all about the romantic relationships; there aren't enough friends and family relationships in his books for me to call them "chick lit." After this meticulous research on the definition of the genre, I'm reading to give you my list. :)

The Princess Diaries: Although I love Anne Hathaway and did enjoy the movie, the books are so much funnier because they don't have to conform to Disney's G-rating standards.

P.S. - I Love You: Yet another example of how books are almost always better than the movie versions (even with a hunk like Gerard Butler gracing the screen).

Someone Like You: I read both this book and That Summer after watching How to Deal, the Mandy Moore movie based on a combination of the two books, but I enjoyed Someone Like You so much better. The ending still really sticks out at me; I loved it.

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Also, I've hinted at a "special project" I've been working on once or twice on the blog, and it's finally time to share! In honor of Banned Books Week next month, I'm hosting a #bookphotoaday challenge on Instagram!

The rules are simple: Each day, if you wish to participate, take a picture of the given category and use the hashtag #bookphotoaday. I'll also pick my favorite submissions from each day and share them on my Instagram and/or on my blog! This is the first time I've done anything like this, but you all know how much I love the #fmsphotoaday challenges, and I thought Banned Books Week would be the perfect time to attempt a literary photo challenge. Do you think you'll participate?

P.S. — Just for giggles, I wanted to let you know I had planned on calling this #bbwphotoaday. Luckily, I was telling my fiance about the idea and he informed me #bbw is already a hashtag on Instagram, and maybe not one I want associated with my book challenge. He was right ... whoops! (I'll let you look it up yourself if you're curious haha.)