Are you one of those people

[Gorgeousgirlie1]

That only loves romantic/chick lit?

I am, and I find it embarassing when talking about books etc with friends as they seem to look down on me and has always put me off joining a book club. I want to be up-lifted when I read and get lost in a happy world, not feel sad. Although I really wish I could enjoy a more varied style of books.

Does anyone know of/want to start a chick lit book club? :) x

I think people should read what they want to read. I read plenty of crap- just done the Hunger Games, for example. My brain is mush at the moment (pregnant, knackered, moving house this w/e) and cant face anything heavy.

However, I don't really see the point of a book club to discuss commercial fiction, be in chick lit, thriller, whodunnit, because there's not much to discuss, and most commercial authors would admit that.

juneybean - re "But reading ONLY chicklit isn't bad for her health (IMO!)"

Clearly, some of us are not used to reading allegories No worries, I will explain:

Just like you eat a varied diet to better nourish your body, you should read a variety of books to nourish and cultivate your mind. Just like a diet entirely composed of various types of candy with their empty calories will not be great for your body, reading only mindless chick-lit will not be great for your mind.

If nothing else, reading slightly less superficial books should get you to understand allegories better

"I just think reading seems to be a dying art and instead of criticising someone for what they read, we should celebrate that someone is STILL reading."

It is not a dying art among people I know, and I find this a shockingly defeatist attitude that we should rejoice that people are reading only fluffy romance/comedies.

This has nothing to do with "book snobbery" (i.e. "My books are better than your books") since what I am saying is to vary the types of books you read, rather than get bogged down to the most superficial genre of books marketed to adults.

Maybe not a dying art but perhaps a victim of our modern busy lives perhaps?

With two young children I have to make myself find the time to read. I love to read many different genres - some chick-lit which, I admit, I find often lacks depth. I read somewhere that reading chick-lit/romance novels inbetween more challenging books could be seen as a palate-cleanser :o. Maybe that denigrates the chick-lit genre, which I certainly don't mean to do.

I also enjoy classics and modern classics, non-fiction, crime novels etc etc.

As my mother, who was a librarian, used to say "all reading is good reading".
Enjoy what you enjoy :).

It's completely book snobbery as you've now assumed I only read chicklit because I didn't understand your "allegory".

Apologies, rather you think I only read superficial books :)

I feel a tad sorry for the op here who wrote a very sweet admission and asked for suggestions to ring the changes. I hope you find people who you can swap like minded suggestions with and see little wrong with your post or preferences! Plenty of space on MN for all likes.

If you fancy a change, you might enjoy maggie o Farrell. Me before you is also very enjoyable. Goodreads is a great place to start to find new things and groups and lists, it's fired me to read all sorts of things. Have you read the other Boleyn girl?

i have enjoyed quite a few chick-lit - in particular Polly Williams. i usually read a chick-lit easy read in between something different. i recently read 'Room', 'No Turning Back', the Host, and today finished 'Before i Go To Sleep'.

The Other Boleyn Girl is brilliant and one of my favourite books well worth a try.

Another i really enjoyed (and may be shot down here for suggesting it) was the Twilight books. I never thought i would like them but i absolutely loved them - mostly for the love story running through it but also because they are something different to the normal chick-lit. It was also an easy read so not too hard to get into although you have to go into it with an open mind!

well worth a try

CoteDAzur - As far as I am aware this thread is not in AIBU - perhaps instead of being slightly condescending and judgemental, you could consider recommending some books that the OP might enjoy?
I know people who, after leaving school, rarely pick up a book again. IMO that is the real shame, not people sticking to books with pink glossy covers which they know they'll enjoy....

You seem to think that contrarian views can only be voiced on AIBU threads. I assure you that is not the case. I answered a question. If you think my answer is wrong, argue against it. Or if you feel I am breaking MN rules, report it.

If you can't do any of the above, kindly keep your opinion on what I should and shouldn't say to yourself. Thank you

No, not really, just think that you rammed your point home repeatedly and that it added little to this particular discussion by the end. I'm sure that you're a very well read person, therefore you'd probably be well placed to recommend some good books that might wean people off their chick lit habit. I just think that you could have offered something more positive to the discussion rather than a sweeping dismissal. That's all.

GorgeousGirlie - I've just remembered a site called Literature map here - you type in the name of an author you enjoy, and it will give loads of suggestions of other authors you might like from popular to classic, and then you can click on any of the suggestions and get even more authors. It might give you some more ideas

Cotedazure I think you clearly illustrated the arrogant reader theory.
Up your own arse much?

BTW for your information my sister is a surgeon.
She spends so much time reading research/articles/test books that she wants to relax with chick-lit.
OP please believe most people on here aren't pompous, arrogant or patronising. Enjoy your chick-lit

Well said dainty. (whispers - I think CoteDAzure just wanted a bit of an argument, as they haven't come back with any book recommendations :o).

To reiterate - there's nothing wrong with liking chick-lit. I think the poor OP has been scared off by the way this thread turned. I hope she's still reading and knows that most of us on here enjoy wide and varied reading, including chick-lit and can come up with some good recommendations when asked to do so.

I do hope the OP comes back or at least joins us on the unofficial mumsnet goodreads group

Another way to read books out of your comfort zone, as I've found, is to sign up for the Mumsnet book club and if you're quick enough claim the free copies!

Nobody said "there's anything wrong with liking chick-lit". What has been said is that reading ONLY chick-lit is not a terribly good thing.

If you people disagree with this sentence, answer it with a reply that starts with "It is perfectly fine to read ONLY chick-lit because..." rather than call me names. All that has done is show that you can't debate without ad hominem.

Ilovedaintynuts - It's CoteDAzur not CoteDAzure, and there was no "arrogant reader theory" which you seem to think has been proven. I'd rather be arrogant than foul-mouthed, by the way. HTH

MizK - I wasn't intentionally repeating my point, but only explaining it for of us juneybean who didn't understand it.

I would be happy to suggest books to OP but I don't read chick-lit and books I like would be too far out of her comfort zone for now. However, once she is comfortable with at least popular fiction (those not aimed only at women like Memory Keeper's Daughter, 1000 Splendid Suns, etc) I'd be happy to help her further broaden her horizons.

CoteDAzur - you still haven't come up with some suitable book recommendations for the OP. Why don't you go away, make a list of suitable books, and then come back with that rather than more arguments. If you're not able to do that perhaps you should seek out a different thread on which to debate with people.

It is perfectly fine to read ONLY chick-lit because it's always a good idea to enjoy what you're reading.

:)

Reading fulfills a lot of my needs.

If I want to be amused and entertained I come on here. I read the chick mags in our office tearoom, gleefully too.
When I want to fuel my obsession, I read history.
When I want to be engaged and soothed to sleep, I listen to an audiobook.
When I want to find out about something, I research.

Whatever floats your boat OP, if you are enjoying the chick-lit, make no apologies for it. If something makes you happy, that's good, no?

My local library has a chicklit reading group. And of course there's still time to read The Black Moth, in time to join in the inaugural meeting of the Ultimate Mumsnet Georgette Heyer Reading Group (Monday 30th, Adult Fiction).

Nora - I "still haven't come up with suitable book recommendations", have I? Because I promised to?

Read my post that comes right before yours.

juney - re "It is perfectly fine to read ONLY chick-lit because it's always a good idea to enjoy what you're reading"

So it's perfectly fine to eat ONLY candy, sweets, and deserts because it's always a good idea to enjoy what you are eating? You and DH would really get along

I agree with that actually