Is 'mummy lit' done now? Or are there still good ones out there?

I loved it too, TheBogQueen :)

Another vote for Her, Harriet Lane. Not exactly a bundle of laughs but she describes motherhood so well, all the small details were so accurate.

Actually, How To Be Womanby Caitlin Moran is a good chuckle.

Love, love Anne Enright, she is a fabulous writer, I envy her talent.

I must be the only person on mumsnet who really enjoyed 'ALife's Work' by Rachel Cusk

Just thought of another one - Go to sleep by Helen Walsh is great. More a story of a woman with pnd but I found it totally gripping .

Some great suggestions, will look some of these up.

I started the latest Bridget Jones, but didn't get on with it at all and only read the first chapter. I loved the first one though, so may give it another try sometime soon.

I love Susan Hill.

Also recommend Harriet Lane, Her.

duchess - I know what you mean about seeing how Bridget turned out, but I found that aspect a bit depressing!! But yes, let's hope she ends it there.

Well in that case the only two I know that fit that bill are 'the rise and fall of a yummy mummy' and 'surviving planet baby' which I mentioned. I'm about to start a new one about babies but I don't want to erg commend until I know if it's good. The two I've suggested are both strongly about being mums. The first one is about an identity struggle and set in London surrounded by other hipper mums; the second is about coming to terms with the new life you get with a baby and how hard it is. I agree that Mumslit should be focused on actual children - otherwise the term is just offensive!!!! Mums read lots of other stuff! I know I do.

Agree AE definitely not mummy lit but nor is Sarah Moss. Adore both of them. AE's short stories do feature a lot of mothers wrangling pregnancies/young children, though, and are so rich and funny to read. There is one called 'Caravan' about a family holiday to France - I have never read anything so spot-on (to my experience anyway).

I asked for similar type fiction recommendations on this board before - I think somebody suggested Helen Simpson? Or a different Helen perhaps?

It was interesting to follow through Bridget's story, but I wouldn't want to read about her in old age. Hope that concludes her story.

Anne Enright's definitely not mummy lit, was a wild card throwing in a family saga . I did enjoy it, in spite of its rather harrowing storyline.

Can't think of anything else really that fits the bill for quality literature with child rearing as a theme. If I can come up with anything else will make a note of it here.

I found Bridget Jones really hard to identify with - her style of parenthood as nothing like mine!! I guess it sold and is still selling because of the original two. I found The Gathering a bit hard-going emotionally though beautifully written. I wouldn't class that as Mumslit?? It's more family saga? I agree - it's hard to tell what's going to be good. I tend to go by friends' suggestions. Have you written other stuff?

Talking of Anne Enright, how about her novel The Gathering? Talk about dysfunctional families.

Anne Enright's short stories.

Come to that, I had DS2 at 45, so yes, not that unbelievable. :)

Oh and re Bridget's age - IIRC Helen Fielding had her children around that age too, so possibly writing from experience. And I had DS at 44 (wasn't planned ).

I know Tortoise . It was a MN Bookclub read and so I took a chance on it, as it was free. Although she does "moan" about her children I thought the writing elevated it beyond the normal moany stuff, making it both intelligent and readable. What I dislike is trashy writing, but I do appreciate quality writing, and clever humour and was prepared to make an exception here.

I did quite like the Bridget Jones - Mad about the Boy also. It didn't take itself seriously and appealed to my sense of humour.

But my absolute favourite genre is crime. I'm working my way through Susan Hill's Simon Serrailler books atm. They have a lot of family talk. Simon's GP sister features a lot, and she has three children, struggles to cope with childcare (new baby in book 2) and being a doctor.

Just marking my place for new books to read! I don't have any recommendations though, sorry.

There's some lovely mums lit! Some better than others. I really hated the latest Bridget Jones - don't know why I bought it really as the reviews were poor. I really liked Surviving Planet Baby (very funny) on Kindle and also Never Google Heartbreak (light-hearted romance). I read Love Virtually last year which was entirely written in emails, but very clever (sold really well across Europe I think in different languages, but I was bored of it during the sequel) . I would recommend any of those.

Wounding by Heidi James. More than a faint line of fury there and not what I would call mummy lit but definitely fits your description of mother struggling with young kids beyond the superficial dross about leaky breast pads etc. Really thought provoking.

Well, putting aside the mummy lit tag, try Night Waking by Sarah Moss. Definitely not chick lit, but deals honestly with the difficulties of child rearing whilst living on a remote Scottish island. I liked it. It's bleak at times but there's some humour too.

It's funny how only women's fiction needs shorthand which alludes to our sex though. What fiction aimed at men can you think of which has a similarly pathetic nickname?