Funny, light "chick lit" books ... any recommendations?

[WastedYouth]

I read "His Other Lover" a few months ago and really enjoyed it. I'm now reading another book by the same author (Getting rid of Matthew) and am already hooked ... not even finished the first chapter yet! (just not had time).

Can anyone recommend any similar books? I'm looking for light romance/deceit/revenge books with a touch of comedy ... ?

Oh this thread basically has the answers to the thread I just started. Oops.

So can I recommend Muriel Zagha - very witty, and also romantic. I think she's only written one thing though.

Anything by Sophie Kinsella and Jane Green.

Alison Pearson-I dont know how she does it. Any Elizabeth Noble. A Vintage Affair-Isabelle Wolff (I think). Some Jane Green ones are good.

Mavis Cheek is brilliant. Not frothy or mind numbing like other chick lit (I wanted to chew off my own arm halfway through one of Wendy Holden's novels), but easy to read and very funny.

Other Jane Fallon books: "Got you back" and her newest "Foursome" though I personally haven't read the second one.

Another good revenge book is "The Feng Shui Junkie". Not a lot of romance in it though.

I second "The Secret Life of the Slummy Mummy" by Fiona Neill. Her newest book "Friends, Lovers and other indiscretions".

An overlooked one is:

Love: A User's Guide by Clare Naylor. She has since gone on to write romcoms in Hollywood. It's most enjoyable.

Lisa Jewell, Marian Keyes and Isobel Wolf.

Also, little-known in the Uk but Australian writer Liane Moriarty. She writes like Jill Mansell, but is definitely quirkier and less formulaic. (no offence to JM, have read all of her books over the years!)

Marian Keyes style has really changed her style over the years. Which is understandable. I think she was about 27 or 28 when she wrote Lucy Sullivan, and now she is 45 ish. I didn't like This Charming Man as the subject matter was too close to the bone for me. In fact, I think she handled an abusive relationship much better in Last Chance Saloon. If anybody has a friend who is going out with a WANKER who puts them down all the time and is a bit controlling, and you can't persuade the friend that they deserve better, then then give them a copy of Last Chance Saloon. Bit of a tangent there!

I recently read one called 'Saving Grace' by Ciara Geraghty, which was funny and had an appealing heroine. The central characters were recently bereaved, so not that light in content I suppose.

I enjoyed it though, and I get bored by quite a lot of chick lit.

I have just finished "Saving Grace" and really enjoyed it.

Ciara Geraghty is billed on the cover as being the new Marian Keyes.

I must look out for Saving Grace. It sounds like one of the better ones.

MmmeLindt, I am totally in love with and can recite entire passages of both the Concannon sisters and Quinn brothers sagas from Nora Roberts- I love 'em!

I really, really enjoy Jennifer Weiner too. It's chick lit, but quite good IMO. I especially love Little Earthquakes.

Elizabeth Noble and Milly Johnson (loved the Yorkshire Pudding Club when I was pregnant!)

Anything by Christina Jones is good reading as is the early stuff by Louise Bagshaw. Katie Flynn is pretty good as well

Is the Saving Grace book the same as the film?

Marian Keyes
Katie Fforde

I've really enjoyed anything by Adriana Trigiani. Not typical chick lit (as in the style of Marian Keyes et al) but just lovely, heartwarming stories. I'd recommend the 'Big Stone Gap' series.

Judy Astley
Katie Fforde
Erica James
Jill Mansell
Sinead Moriarty

Just enjoyed Recipe for scandal by Debbie Holt. Similar in style to Erica James.

Yes, Raphaella Barker - isn't she 'Hen's Dancing' and what's the other one about the same family?

I also recommend Adriana Trigiani for something light but a bit different - American author, most stuff set thirties, forties, fifties.

Also agree with Marian Keyes!

The Other Family by Joanna Trollope was ok.

I like Mike Gayle, for chicklit through a man's eyes...

Also, Josie Lloyd/Emlyn Rees, and Chris Manby.

My bookcases are full of the above, in chronological order, or course.

Cecelia Ahern is good

Katie FForde is excellent. I have read all of her books!! Cathy Kelly, Jill Mansell.

Lisa Jewell
Jane Green (The Beach House)(Second chance , i thats what it's called

Marian Keyes, just finished 'This Charming Man' it was very good, slightly upsetting in parts.
Loads of others. I look at the book reveiws in Heat mag and rip out the ones I fancy. I put them on the fridge and ask for them for birthday and christmas.

I find all the modern ones slightly set my teeth on edge with their 'archetypal modern gal' schtick.

The ones I like are the Catherine Cooksons et al. Y'know, plucky girl from a poor family overcomes all the odds, and the attentions of the caddish son of the squire to truimph as the head of her own business empire kind of sagas. I think saga is the word. Books about families rather than one tiresome self-absorbed heroine.

Another one here for Mavis Cheek - great stuff. Also love Veronica Henry, particularly the Honeycote series - a bit like Jilly Cooper, very endearing characters, and great page-turning plots.

Oh, and if you like Jackie Collins, check out Katie Agnew's Wives v. Girlfriends. It's a brilliant romp with great WAGs and gangsters. Not classic chick lit, but really good beach-type reading.