Blogcritics Category: Books: chick lit

Book Review: Left Bank by Kate Muir

Jill Hart — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 00:34:18 EDT

This book is quite different than most chick lit, primarily because it begins with a mystery.
Madison and Olivier Malin are the "it" couple in France's famous Left Bank neighborhood. Madison is an actress - not on the A-list, but good enough to get work. She's an American (a Texan no less) who moved to France and is working hard to reinvent herself as a French goddess.Olivier, a philosopher, is the pride of the city. He has fans everywhere...

Graphic Novel Review: Diary of a Teenage Girl by Phoebe Gloeckner

Jonathan Scanlan — Mon, 19 May 2008 12:44:30 EDT

A bittersweet tome about coming of age in 1970s San Francisco.
Phoebe Gloeckner's Diary of a Teenage Girl begins with a note of caution. "This book," it reads, "contains private information...if you do read on, don't you dare ever let me know that you did or I swear to God I will kill myself or run away or do any number of self-destructive things. I beg of you, for my sake and yours, do not do not do not." And...

Book Review: Sammy's House by Kristin Gore

Jill Hart — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 18:50:47 EDT

Sammy is a realistic, capable heroine whose insecurities make her all the more lovable.
I adored Sammy in Sammy's Hill, so I was thrilled to get the chance to read Gore's latest novel, Sammy's House. She didn't disappoint. I read the book almost in one sitting -- Sammy reminds me so much of myself that I had to find out if things turned out OK. Just like me, she's constantly stumbling, bumbling and putting her foot...

Book Review: Swapping Lives by Jane Green

Jill Hart — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 20:52:07 EST

Can one person really step into another�s life?
I was introduced to Jane Green’s novels through one of her newest books, Second Chance. I’m not sure how I hadn’t come across her writing before, but once I’d read Second Chance and had the chance to interview Green, I knew I wanted to read her other novels. When I came across Swapping Lives, I jumped at the chance to read...

Book Review: Sushi For One? by Camy Tang

Jill Hart — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 18:50:18 EST

I knew this was going to be a great book when the crazy grandmother showed up in chapter one.
I knew this was going to be a great book when the crazy grandmother showed up in chapter one. Camy Tang’s first book, Sushi For One?, is a great start to a budding career. We don’t see a whole lot of Asian chick-lit, so this book, while maintaining what we love about chick-lit, gives a taste of something new and different. The main...

Announcement: Short-content feeds

Phillip Winn — Sun, 26 Aug 2007 12:00:00 EDT

Sunday, August 26, 2007, marks the switch of all Blogcritics.org article feeds from full-content to short-content. This is the result of several converging factors, and is unfortunately a permanent decision (as permanent as any decision can be on the web, that is). We are aware of all of the reasons that this is a Bad Idea, and we are aware that some of you will be quite upset about having to click on something to read the free content, and we're sorry. Unfortunately, despite great effort, full-content feeds are not currently economically viable. Two other factors are involved: full-content feeds have resulted in an unprecedented level of content theft, with BC content appearing on many websites, usually spam sites, without attribution or permission. This duplicate content causes a cascading set of problems, not the least of which is that search engines generally aren't favorable to duplicate content, and don't always guess correctly. Finally, our RSS advertising partner is strongly in favor of short-content feeds. We hope that you'll continue to subscribe to BC via RSS, and when an article grabs your eye, it's only a click away, still free on the BC website. Thank you for your understanding.

Book Review: Slacker Girl by Alexandra Koslow

Jill Hart — Tue, 14 Aug 2007 17:56:14 EDT

Jane Cooper is an expert...in leisure. She has successfully avoided a corporate job since graduating from college and has mastered the art of passing time in her favorite coffee shop. When she has a wake-up call and decides she's tired of being broke, the universe seems to hand her a job as a "relationship manager " at an investment firm. Jane begins to plan out how she can appear to be working or lunching with clients while instead spending her time ant her beloved coffee shop. After all, they wouldn't want to aggravate her OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) by taking up all of her embroidery time, now, would they?When Jane's best friend, Rebekah, invites her on an all expense paid vacation, Jane can't bear to turn her down. The problem? It may cost her job and the friendly relationship she's built with her boss, Ray.This book was hysterically funny. I prefer books without so much coarse language, but overlooking this, I thoroughly enjoyed the novel. It did take me a couple of chapters to really get "in" to the book because at first I found Jane's attitude a bit, well...lazy. And yet as I grew to understand her, I realized that she knows she's being lazy, she just isn't sure why she should be anything else. I grew to love Jane and cheer for her as she learns life's lessons. Alexandra Koslow's novel is a splendid, laugh-out-loud funny coming of age tale. This book is perfect for all of us who consider themselves past - or present - slackers.

Jill Hart is an avid reader and reviewer. Her reviews can be found on RadiantLit, The Suspense Zone and Trashionista.com. Her newest addition is a blog on PreciousMoms.com entitled Radiant Readers. Jill also runs a network of sites for Christian Work at Home Moms including CWAHM.com, CWAHD.com and CWAHMnetwork.com.

Book Review: Lulu Meets God and Doubts Him by Danielle Ganek

Katie McNeill — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 08:44:04 EDT

Lulu Meets God and Doubts Him is the story of a painting and the people who come into contact with it -- the gallery receptionist Mia, the owner of the gallery Simon, the crazy artist Dane, the muse Lulu, the dead artist Finelli, the art specialist Zach, and the myriad of collectors. From the first glimpse of the masterpiece to the auction where it sells for millions, the story is captivating. Mia is working as a receptionist in a second-rate gallery while nurturing the desire to be a painter. But what she thought would be an ‘in’ to the art world turns into five years of never admitting her artistic desire to anyone. That is when the painting shows up to change everything. As each character comes into contact with the painting and Mia, her life changes. After the violent death of Finelli, the artist, the price skyrockets on the painting. In step several characters appear, claiming that they had a hold on it or that it was a gift to them. With the collectors after it and Lulu the muse in the picture, the tension builds as they all try to outsmart each other. Mia and Lulu become friends. We watch their friendship grow out of a painting and a violent death and it makes complete sense. Mia also forms an attachment to Zach, the super hunky art specialist, but he might not be as free as he seems. A big part of what drives the book forward are the wonderful characters. Obviously Danielle Ganek knows who she is writing about; these characters are practically jumping off the page. Not only does she know her subject, but she can also reach in and pull the laughter from it. Humor as well as heartache fill the pages of this wonderful first novel. Like a painting, Lulu Meets God and Doubts Him will speak to some part of you. The desire to be something more, to realize your dream -- those are things that each of us can relate to. This might not be classic literature but it is a really good time.

Ms. McNeill works for a non-profit agency where she is thankful for any internet time she can squeeze into her day. In her free time she reads one of the thousands of books stacked in her tiny apartment.

An Interview with Jane Green, Author of Second Chance

Jill Hart — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 03:30:46 EDT

I’ve read many of Jane Green’s novels and for the most part they are funny, light-hearted looks at life through the eyes of women. Green -- who has written eight other novels -- takes a more serious turn with in her newest novel, Second Chance. I was a little anxious about it, but I need not have worried. It’s deep, thought-provoking and the best Jane Green novel yet.I spoke with Jane Green recently about her experiences with loss and second chances, and how events in her own life inspired her most recent book.Ms. Green, would you share with us what happened in your life that motivated you to write Second Chance? Green: I lost a friend in the tsunami and it affected me deeply. My grief was much deeper than I felt I really had a right to be. After all, this wasn’t family, but a friend. And yet, my grief was profound. Working through my own sense of loss inspired the story that became Second Chance.There is a stereotype about chick-lit that causes people to think of it as somewhat “light and fluffy” fiction. You certainly break the stereotype in Second Chance. Green: Yes, there is certainly a misconception about chick-lit. It’s so much more than humor. It’s about real life, real emotions. It’s about the plight of women everywhere.I agree. I hesitated before reading my first chick-lit title, but now I’m hooked. Second Chance is one of the best books I’ve read. You take on some major topics – loss, divorce, infertility, alcoholism. Were you nervous about tackling such deep themes?Green: I’ve always written using exaggerations of my own experiences. Not that I have experienced all of these topics, but I do draw from my own life and emotions. For example, Holly, the character in Second Chance who struggles with her marriage, is based on my processing of my own recent divorce. Her experience isn’t the same as mine, but the feelings carry over. I believe the writing process can be therapeutic in processing my own emotions through my characters.Do you feel “second chances” should always be offered in relationships, be it friendship or romantic?Green: Yes, I believe many times we are quick to judge others. We need to keep in mind that life is short. We are not guaranteed tomorrow and we need to make every effort to live in peace.That is such a powerful thought. What other things would you like your readers to take away from this novel?Green: I’d like this book to help readers understand that we choose our friends and we must choose wisely who we allow into our lives. Our friends’ opinions affect us and we need to choose friends that are positive and build us up. We also need to accept life on our own terms. Look at your part in unhappy relationships and make efforts to change your role in them. We only have power over ourselves, we cannot change others. I like to say, “The key to happiness is not getting what you want, but wanting what you get.” Our attitude is the most important aspect of living a happy life.What is the next project that readers can be looking forward to?Green: Well, in my next novel I’m returning to a Connecticut setting, which is exciting as Connecticut is also where I live. The book will be a mystery about a group of women and things will not be as they seem. I’m really excited about the project.It sounds fantastic. I can’t wait to read it. Thank you so much for your time.Green: Thank you, Jill.

Book Review: Switchcraft by Mary Castillo

Jill Hart — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 20:54:41 EDT

Mary Castillo, a hot new Latina novelist, shakes things up with her newest title, Switchcraft. Castillo gives chick-lit a twist as her heroines, Nely and Aggie, end up in each other’s bodies. Nely and Aggie have been friends for years, but have grown apart since the birth of Nely’s baby. In an effort to reclaim their friendship, and also in hopes of speaking to her dead mother, Aggie signs them up for a weekend getaway at Guru Sauro’s New Age Spa.Once they arrive at the spa, things go a little haywire. During their session with the guru, they end up “switched.” They confront the guru, who says he can’t switch them back until the next new moon, 28 days later.There is nothing they can do but try to muddle through living each other’s lives. Aggie (in Nely’s body) must care for 18-month-old Audrey, avoid the advances of Nely’s husband, and fend off her control-freak mother-in-law. Can she manage it without wrecking Nely’s marriage?Nely (in Aggie’s body) heads to Aggie’s boutique. What she finds is a lack of customers and a store going down the tube. Can she come up with a plan to save Aggie’s business? And how will she handle Kevin, a man she despises, but who Aggie considers a good friend? Can she successfully avoid him without costing Aggie her friendship?Switchcraft has a unique plot – a little bit Freaky Friday, but way more fun. The only thing I didn’t like about the book was the overuse of curse words. Not my taste, and it broke my concentration when reading. Overall, I loved the plot and the twists in the storyline. A great book for chick-lit fans.Release date: Oct 1, 2007

Book Review: Miss Invisible by Laura Jensen Walker

Jill Hart — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 17:43:19 EDT

In her newest novel Laura Jensen Walker tackles issues such as self-esteem and plus-size status. Walker is the author of four other novels, including Reconstructing Natalie, Women of Faith’s Novel of the Year for 2006.Here meet Freddie Heinz: professional baker, wedding cake decorator, overweight and completely invisible. At work she is bullied by her boss. At church, her “crush” can’t seem to remember her name. And her personal life is non-existent. However, when Freddie makes a new friend, Deborah, her life begins to change. Freddie is inspired by this larger-than-life woman who makes big look beautiful. Deborah encourages Freddie to love herself just as she is. As Freddie begins to build confidence, a certain veterinarian begins to take notice. Then she meets a cute guy during their singles group. Freddie goes from Miss Invisible to a blossoming flower – and she loves her new life. As she gains confidence, you just never know what might happen.This book was an inspiration to me. As do most women, I struggle with self-esteem at times and I loved that Freddie learned to love herself just as she is. She didn’t lose 60 pounds and become a supermodel. She didn’t have an Extreme Makeover, at least not on the outside. And yet, at the end of the book you can tell what a different person, a better person, she has become.