Fabulous Chick Lit

In the hopes to get more and more people active in this group again, I'm wondering what everyone categorizes as their favorite chick lit... say maybe you're Top 5? Top 10? Here's mine:

Bookends by Jane Green
The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger
The Pink Ghetto by Liz Ireland so lame, but I love it...
Because She Can by Bridie Clark
Little Earthquakes by Jennifer Weiner

I have a lot more on my TBR list, so I'm sure my favorites will change. Anyone else?

I suppose if I look at the books I wouldn't part with or really stand out in my memory from reading them then...

The Shopaholic series (although the last two were good but didn't have the sparkle of the first books)
Can you keep a secret? also by Sophie Kinsella.
Playing James by Sarah Mason
The Little Lady Agency by Hester Browne
Jemima J by Jane Green
Most stuff by Jill Mansell
The Trouble with Valentine's Day by Rachel Gibson
Bet Me by Jennifer Crusie
I'd agree with Little Earthquakes too, my favourite Jenn Weiner book!

I've just read The Undomestic Goddess by Sophie Kinsella. It's the first book of hers that I read, and I really enjoyed it. I'm going to hunt down the Shopaholic series now.

Hope you enjoy them all - I managed to discover them when the first 2 were out and the 3rd was about to be released, spent an entire sunny day in the garden reading them all. :o)

I've just read too that a movie is being made, alas not set in the UK, but hopefully better than PS I Love You ended up...

The Shopaholic series- sophie kinsella
A Compromising Position- carole matthews
Where Rainbows End - Cecelia Ahern
The Matchbreaker- chris manby
Amanda's Wedding- jenny colgan

Hi all! New here! :)

Good in Bed by Jennifer Weiner
In Her Shoes by Jennifer Weiner
Jemima J by Jane Green
Mr. Maybe by Jane Green
Bookends by Jane Green

gee -- I really need some help branching out! LOL

I think, I'm joining, too:)

And my top 5 chick lit books are:

Sammy's Hill by Kristin Gore
Confessions of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella
Can You Keep a Secret? by Sophie Kinsella
Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding
Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason by Helen Fielding

These are the "classics" of chick lit for me:)

Here are my top five:

Rachel's Holiday by Marian Keyes -- my favorite of my favorite chick lit author.

Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding -- "the" classic of the genre (of contemporary authors - Jane Austen was the original chick lit author)

Something Blue by Emily Giffin

Such a Girl by Karen Siplin -- loosely based on Mansfield Park, I found this book more fun than most.

The Big Love by Sarah Dunn -- this one has a little more substance than most.

I'm afraid I can't consider Jane Asten chick lit, for me chick lit is contemporary 'by definition'. I also wondered what chick lit actually is, and I'm not sure that the genre can be easily described (even if we don't mention its subgenres:).

I like the Wikipedia definition which says: "Chick lit features hip, stylish, career-driven female protagonists, usually in their twenties and thirties. The women featured in these novels may be obsessed with appearance or have a passion for shopping.

The setting is generally urban and the plot usually follows the characters' love lives and struggles for professional success (often in the publishing, advertising, public relations, or fashion industry). The style is usually of an airy, irreverent tone and includes frank sexual themes. It frequently makes use of current slang and cliches."

The basic ingredients in my opinion are a bit different though not at every point:

- some kind of humor, preferably self-irony (essential)
- single woman in her twenties or thirties
- profession/career has priority in her life or at least plays an important role
- she lives alone/with a flatmate in some city (never with the parents!)
- dating, looking for Mr Right and/or being nudged by family to find him, not having a steady boyfriend or dating with Mr Wrong and/or worrying about dying alone one day
- relationships (several friends who are preferably also single, colleagues, several men the heroine can or could flirt with, family, friends of the family, neighbours:)
- some obsession or hobby (designer clothes, books, movies, music, weight problems, pets, etc)
- intelligence and wit (for a good chick lit it's quite essential though these books must be easy to read at the same time)
- current slang and cliches, yes (a special treat for the language learner!:)

Of course, it's only my opinion.

I'm new! I love this group because I love all chick lit to no end and am SO PLEASED to see other people not ashamed of their love for this amazing genre.

Excellent chick lit to read:

ANYTHING by Marian Keyes. Her books are absolutely hilarious. My two favorites by her are:

Sushi for Beginners and The Other Side of the Story!