Chick Lit Recommendations?

MrsH1027

Hi y'all!  I just finished Jennifer Close's new book, The Smart One, and am looking for something simlar to start next.  Something light like a beach read?  Any suggestions!  I really enjoyed Jennifer Close's Girls in White Dresses and all of Emily Giffin's books, so I'm looking for something similar.

Savanna111911

I love Chick Lit.

I tend to like all of Sophie Kinsella's stuff. (I haven't read the shopaholic series aside from the first one. But I like Twenties Girl, I've Got Your Number, etc). Also Madeleine Wickham (this is Sophie Kinsella without the Pen Name).

I also like Jennifer Weiner. Some of my favorites of hers are Then Came You, In Her Shoes, Little Earthquakes.

I've read all of Lauren Weisberger and liked all of them. The Devil Wears Prada, Everyone Worth Knowing, Last Night at Chateau Marmont.

 

I also love the McMaster the Disaster series.

 

RhymeReason

Hester Browne's Little Lady Series is good, as are books by Sarah Addison Allen if you like a little "magic". I also like Sarah Pekkanen and Kristin Hannah

taylormillgirl

I don't know if this qualifies as ChickLit, but I can't say enough good things about Mindy Friddle's SECRET KEEPERS. A friend sent me an ARC years ago, otherwise I never would have picked it up because I hate gardening, which is a strong theme in the novel. Anyway, it's one of my all-time favorites. 

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5328013-secret-keepers

WillyH19

Beth Harbison's shoe addict books are fun, Shoe Addicts Anonymous and Secrets of a Shoe Addict. I also liked the Friday Night Knitting Club books by Kate Jacobs, I read those on our honeymoon.

packfan20

I've never read Jennifer Close but I enjoy Mary Kay Andrews.  Summer Rental was really enjoyable.

fabk

Have you read the fools gold series by susan mallery? I love this entire series!

GilliC

If you're interested in trying something with a bit of cultural flavor, two books I really enjoyed are Kitchen Chinese by Ann Mah about an ex-pat in Beijing, and Girls of Riyadh by Rajaa Alsanea about a group of single women in Saudi Arabia.

Another book I read recently that I liked a lot was Yesterday's News by Kajsa Ingemarsson.  It's still light, but I didn't find it as formulaic as a lot of chick-lit, and I was surprised that (aside from the very beginning) the main character actually makes fairly sensible decisions for a chick-lit heroine. 

Have you read any Marian Keyes?

MrsH1027

Thanks so much for all the suggestions everyone!  I can't wait to get home and download some of these to my Kindle!  Now if I just had more time to lounge around and read and less time working

cnthrdlywt2bwZ

NorthernLghts said:

Hester Browne's Little Lady Series is good, as are books by Sarah Addison Allen if you like a little "magic". I also like Sarah Pekkanen and Kristin Hannah

All of this. I also enjoyed a book by a British author Holly (something) called Holly's Inbox.
Girls of Riyadh was good too.

booknerd226

@fabk Someone has recommended that series to me before and I've been meaning to pick the first one up. Is it a series that has the same MCs each book or is it different characters each book? What do you like about them?

Adjudi-Kate

I second anything by Sophie Kinsella!  Stephanie Perkins is great, too.

 

MrsH1027

Savanna111911 said:

I love Chick Lit.

I tend to like all of Sophie Kinsella's stuff. (I haven't read the shopaholic series aside from the first one. But I like Twenties Girl, I've Got Your Number, etc). Also Madeleine Wickham (this is Sophie Kinsella without the Pen Name).

I also like Jennifer Weiner. Some of my favorites of hers are Then Came You, In Her Shoes, Little Earthquakes.

I've read all of Lauren Weisberger and liked all of them. The Devil Wears Prada, Everyone Worth Knowing, Last Night at Chateau Marmont.

 

I also love the McMaster the Disaster series.

 

I've had others recommend Jennifer Weiner as well.  Do you recommend reading her's in the order written or just pick one?  I tend to be quite OCD and always love it when the little things tie together with the characters.  Even if it's just a quick mention of a character from a previous book.  I know it usually doesn't affect the story in the least bit, but I guess it makes me feel like an insider.  "> LOL!

Thanks again y'all!  I'm definitely going to keep coming back to this post as I work my way through these suggestions!

jlq2005

Kristin Hannah's books are really good! I'd recommend starting with Firefly Lane, it's the one I started with that got me hooked. 

I also just read a book by Diane Chamberlain (The Midwife's Confession) which was really good, so you could check her out, too. 

Savanna111911

packfan20 said:

I've never read Jennifer Close but I enjoy Mary Kay Andrews.  Summer Rental was really enjoyable.

I don't know if you're an audiobook person but I always enjoy the Mary Kay Andrews books on Audio.  At least the ones I've listened to. I can't remember if she reads them or if its someone else but I think its the same person. And they are always laugh out loud funny.

Savanna111911

BKHasenbeck said:

Savanna111911 said:

I love Chick Lit.

I tend to like all of Sophie Kinsella's stuff. (I haven't read the shopaholic series aside from the first one. But I like Twenties Girl, I've Got Your Number, etc). Also Madeleine Wickham (this is Sophie Kinsella without the Pen Name).

I also like Jennifer Weiner. Some of my favorites of hers are Then Came You, In Her Shoes, Little Earthquakes.

I've read all of Lauren Weisberger and liked all of them. The Devil Wears Prada, Everyone Worth Knowing, Last Night at Chateau Marmont.

 

I also love the McMaster the Disaster series.

 

I've had others recommend Jennifer Weiner as well.  Do you recommend reading her's in the order written or just pick one?  I tend to be quite OCD and always love it when the little things tie together with the characters.  Even if it's just a quick mention of a character from a previous book.  I know it usually doesn't affect the story in the least bit, but I guess it makes me feel like an insider.  "> LOL!

Thanks again y'all!  I'm definitely going to keep coming back to this post as I work my way through these suggestions!

Certain Girls is a series. So make sure you read that one in order. But other than that I've really not gone in order. I've kind of just gone with which ones my library has at the time, preferably in audiobook form.

pinkybooklover09

BKHasenbeck said:

Savanna111911 said:

I love Chick Lit.

I tend to like all of Sophie Kinsella's stuff. (I haven't read the shopaholic series aside from the first one. But I like Twenties Girl, I've Got Your Number, etc). Also Madeleine Wickham (this is Sophie Kinsella without the Pen Name).

I also like Jennifer Weiner. Some of my favorites of hers are Then Came You, In Her Shoes, Little Earthquakes.

I've read all of Lauren Weisberger and liked all of them. The Devil Wears Prada, Everyone Worth Knowing, Last Night at Chateau Marmont.

 

I also love the McMaster the Disaster series.

 

I've had others recommend Jennifer Weiner as well.  Do you recommend reading her's in the order written or just pick one?  I tend to be quite OCD and always love it when the little things tie together with the characters.  Even if it's just a quick mention of a character from a previous book.  I know it usually doesn't affect the story in the least bit, but I guess it makes me feel like an insider.  "> LOL!

Thanks again y'all!  I'm definitely going to keep coming back to this post as I work my way through these suggestions!

Jennifer Weiner is probably my favorite writer of the genre. Her characters don't seem as...flighty as others in chick lit. I recommend In Her Shoes, Little Earthquakes, and Good in Bed. Certain Girls is a sequel to GiB, but I didn't love it so say read it if you're curious what happens to the characters but you could skip it and be perfectly content.

I also recommend Remember Me? by Sophie Kinsella. It's my favorite book written by her. 

sneetches

NorthernLghts said:

Hester Browne's Little Lady Series is good, as are books by Sarah Addison Allen if you like a little "magic". I also like Sarah Pekkanen and Kristin Hannah

I really enjoyed these.  Her other stuff is good as well.

fabk

booknerd226 said:

@fabk Someone has recommended that series to me before and I've been meaning to pick the first one up. Is it a series that has the same MCs each book or is it different characters each book? What do you like about them?

The books are all set in the same town but different MCs for each book. I like that you get to know the charactersvin other books and are fully invested in them prior to their own book. They also aren't really cookie cutter copies for each in the series. Each book has its own storyline but there is a larger town storyline as well. I didn't expect to like this series as much as I did.

RickandTricia

I really liked the Queen of Babble series by Meg Cabot. And Marian Keyes is great, too.

booknerd226

fabk said:

@fabk Someone has recommended that series to me before and I've been meaning to pick the first one up. Is it a series that has the same MCs each book or is it different characters each book? What do you like about them?

The books are all set in the same town but different MCs for each book. I like that you get to know the charactersvin other books and are fully invested in them prior to their own book. They also aren't really cookie cutter copies for each in the series. Each book has its own storyline but there is a larger town storyline as well. I didn't expect to like this series as much as I did.

Okay you've convinced me to try them lol. It sounds similar to the Sultry series, only more books (hint hint @Taylormillgirl)

pinkybooklover09

RickandTricia said:

I really liked the Queen of Babble series by Meg Cabot. And Marian Keyes is great, too.

Also second this! Meg Cabot is fab. 

packfan20

Savanna111911 said:

packfan20 said:

I've never read Jennifer Close but I enjoy Mary Kay Andrews.  Summer Rental was really enjoyable.

I don't know if you're an audiobook person but I always enjoy the Mary Kay Andrews books on Audio.  At least the ones I've listened to. I can't remember if she reads them or if its someone else but I think its the same person. And they are always laugh out loud funny.

I've listened to some of hers!  I'm listening to one right now, actually but the narrator is getting on my nerves!  It must be someone different than normal.

Pebble_Cafe

cnthrdlywt2bwZ said: Hester Browne's Little Lady Series is good, as are books by Sarah Addison Allen if you like a little "magic". I also like Sarah Pekkanen and Kristin Hannah All of this. I also enjoyed a book by a British author Holly (something) called Holly's Inbox. Girls of Riyadh was good too.                                                                                                                                Holly Denham. There's also 

Holly's inbox #2, Scandal in the City. 

Cecelia Ahern's P.S I love and Love, Rosie are two of my favorites and the Queen of Babble series is awesome too!

Pebble_Cafe

Oh and, Jill Mansell. Her new one A Walk in the Park was really good.

Savanna111911

Gosh how did I leave out Meg Cabot. I totally love her too.

I really do like chick lit.

SRodi811

I usually turn to Jane Green for chick lit.  She does have one called The Beach House.

pinkybooklover09

SRodi811 said:

I usually turn to Jane Green for chick lit.  She does have one called The Beach House.

Jane Green is one of my favorite chick lit authors too! 

Savanna111911

You know, I have a couple of Jane Green books that I picked up at Goodwill of all places a few months ago, but I haven't read them yet. I think they were Bookends, Straight Talking, and Mr. Maybe, if those sound right. (I don't have them right in front of me.

I've not actually read any Jane Green but the books were like 50 cent a piece so I figured it was worth it even if I hated them.

pinkybooklover09

Savanna111911 said:

You know, I have a couple of Jane Green books that I picked up at Goodwill of all places a few months ago, but I haven't read them yet. I think they were Bookends, Straight Talking, and Mr. Maybe, if those sound right. (I don't have them right in front of me.

I've not actually read any Jane Green but the books were like 50 cent a piece so I figured it was worth it even if I hated them.

I really liked Mr. Maybe. Straight Talking was just okay and Bookends was good. I also recommend The Beach House by her. I really enjoyed that one too!

PhoenixRising11

I absolutely LOVE Kristan Higgins and wait with bated breath for her new books to come out. She has swoon-worthy men, fun female main characters, and a dog in every book...so that's a win-win-win for me!