Reading something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue
Posts tagged chick lit
Queen of Babble Gets Hitched
Aug 7th
I’ve been following Meg Cabot’s Queen of Babble series for some years now, but was only recently able to get ahold of the third book, Queen of Babble Gets Hitched via some very kind moochers on BookMooch.
Lizzie Nichols has always been a charming protagonist, and I’ve enjoyed reading the first two books in the series — Queen of Babble, and Queen of Babble in the Big City. Lizzie is a a twenty-something with old-fashioned sensibilities, and a talent for restoring vintage dresses. The series follows her life (and lovelife) as she ventures out of her hometown and away from her family to make it on her own.
Summer Reading
Jun 7th
I haven’t read any local chick lit in years now, so when Summit Books offered some review copies of their latest releases, I quickly jumped on the chance.
I’m no stranger to Summit Books; I’ve read them since they first came out when I was back in college, although I haven’t been able to keep track of the later releases. They’re quick, well-written reads, with contemporary characters in realistic situations. My favorites include Drama Queen by Abi Aquino (the first one I ever read!) and Have Baby, Will Date by Andrea Pasion.
I got a whole new bunch sent to me by Ro Manalo of Summit Books (thanks!), and they provided much relief in this stressful summer filled with work-related travel: My Imaginary Ex by Mina V. Esguerra; 12 Steps to Quitting AJ by Faye Ilogon; and the two later installments of Vince’s Life by Vince O. Teves: Getting Over Andrea and The Wedding.
Twenties Girl
Mar 1st
After reading a ghastly (really!) ghost story last year, I was a bit wary of reading another book with a female relative making a ghostly apparition, but my love for Sophie Kinsella won me over.
Sophie Kinsella is one of my favorite chick lit authors, and she always hits the spot whenever I need a chick lit fix. I enjoyed Sophie Kinsella’s The Undomestic Goddess and Can You Keep a Secret?; and I liked the Shopaholic series as well (ahhh, Luke Brandon…). Remember Me? was a bit more serious than any of her other books, but I enjoyed it as well. A few weeks back, I was in dire need of a pick-me-up so I decided to finally read Sophie Kinsella’s latest book, Twenties Girl.
Chicklit Capers
Nov 26th
I discovered Lauren Willig while browsing through a bargain bin and unearthing a hardcover copy of The Masque of the Black Tulip. The story summary appealed to me, so I bought it and looked it up online, only to find that it was the sequel to The Secret History of the Pink Carnation, which meant compulsive old me could not get started with Black Tulip, as I wanted to read Pink Carnation first.
After months of unsuccessful mooching, I found a trade paperback copy of Pink Carnation in another bargain bin and thus moved both books up the TBR pile (#172-173 for 2009).
These two novels by Lauren Willig make up an interesting set of genre-bending books, combining chick lit, historical mystery, and adventure. The Pink Carnation series runs on two storylines, one featuring present-day London, where Harvard grad student Eloise Kelly is doing research on English spies in the Napoleonic wars. This leads her to uncover the second storyline in each novel: tales revolving around these swashbuckling heroes.
A Hopeless Romantic
Sep 10th
I haven’t read a nice chick lit novel in a while, and I missed just kicking back and curling up with a light, fluffy read so I decided to be a little adventurous a couple weeks ago and grabbed this fairly thick book off my TBR.
I’d never heard of the title or author before, but I got Harriet Evans’ A Hopeless Romantic (book #138 for 2009) on BookMooch because I had to mooch an additional book to help defray shipping costs. I picked this book because it was rated high on Amazon and the cover art caught my eye.
It’s funny, because when I started reading this book, and it came at a time when one of the active threads in my book club (Flips Flipping Pages) was an ongoing discussion on when to stop reading when a book doesn’t catch your attention.
Some people give it a hundred pages; some people chuck a book when they don’t like it, and some, like me, finish a book when they’ve started it, whether they like the book or not. Call me compulsive, or masochistic even, but if I deign to start a book I have to finish it. Maybe put it away for a while if it really doesn’t catch my interest, but I feel like it’s disrespectful to give up on a book, especially if I’m going to pass judgment on it.
With this book, I plod through the first one hundred pages, and surprisingly (even I didn’t think it was possible), the author was able to turn the story around, and I ended up loving the book.
Time for some chick lit
Jun 17th
I’ve been stressed out for some weeks now, and was in desperate need of a fluffy pick-me-up this weekend, so I bumped up Meg Cabot’s Princess On the Brink (Princess Diaries 
from my TBR heap (book #97 for 2009) — more than two years after I read the 7th book.
The Princess Diaries is Meg Cabot’s bestselling chick lit series about HRH Amelia Mignonette Grimaldi Thermopolis Renaldo (a.k.a Mia Thermopolis), Princess of Genovia (fondly referred to by her best friend Lilly Moscovitz as POG). As the series title implies, the books read like journal entries chronicling the ups and downs of the life of a teenage girl who also happens to be a princess.
I actually saw the Disney film adaptation years before I read any of the books, and I actually started with Meg Cabot’s All American Girl before I read The Princess Diaries.
Pardon the estrogen.
Jan 21st
Book #11 for 2009: The Second Summer of the Sisterhood by Ann Brashares
I read the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants two years ago, just before the movie was shown, and I liked both. I lost my copy (someone borrowed it, I forgot who, and it never got returned… this is why I do not like lending my books!) and replaced it when I joined BookMooch, and I only recently got a copy of the 2nd book at the Scholastic warehouse sale, it was the pretty Australian edition for only P50!
I saw the 2nd movie with Myx (my best friend — hehe the movies are totally girl-bonding flicks!) and I loved the Santorini bits, and the hunky boys (male model in birthday suit and Brian – who would have thought the gamer dude had a bodacious bod underneath the ratty sweatshirt!) I finally got around to reading the book last night – it was a quick read and I enjoyed it.
What I love most about the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants is that it’s realistic – the characters are real girls in real-life situations and real problems. I also like that it’s not skanky – that’s where all the other YA series for girls seem to be going these days, and I really don’t like it.
Unlike the first book adaptation though, which was exactly like the book, the 2nd book is quite different from the movie, which was a blend of a bit of books 2 and 3 and a lot of book 4 from what I’ve read in the reviews.
It’s a light and charming read, and while I’m in no hurry, I’m definitely reading the next books in the series.
***
My copy: trade paperback (Australian), rummaged for P50 at the Scholastic warehouse
My rating: 4/5 stars
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