For the final Top 10 of our Top 100 Extravaganza we had to be strict. We wanted to include our own all-time favourites and the books we think are the best chick lit books, but we thought the most influential and successful - the books that, for whatever reason, define the genre - should be included too. Following a flurry of emails (Diane: “We need a Weiner!”), we have our Top 10 Chick Lit Books of All Time. Let us know what you think.
10 Sex and the City by Candace Bushnell
I didn’t actually manage to finish Sex and the City the book, although of course I love the TV series. We’ve included the book because it’s been highly influential, although perhaps not in a good way. Many of the critics of chick lit who claim that it’s all about shoes, shopping, drinking and searching for a man are actually thinking of Sex and the City, the TV show, and not chick lit at all. Annoying, but what can you do?
Anyway, it gave us Carrie Bradshaw, so we have to love it, don’t we?
9 Thirtynothing by Lisa Jewell
Thirtynothing is probably my second favourite chick lit book of all time. Like all of Lisa Jewell’s books, the setting is perfect, the characters realistic and believable and it also has one of my favourite ever first chapters. Lisa Jewell is a glorious writer and Thirtynothing is a delightful book. If you haven’t read it, you really should.
8 The Nanny Diaries by Nicola Kraus and Emma McLaughlin
One of the most successful books in the Top 10, The Nanny Diaries was so popular its two authors scored an incredible $3 million advance for their second book, Citizen Girl, which they had to return when it turned out to be a stinker. Proof that it’s not that easy to write chick lit after all.
The film adaptation of The Nanny Diaries is due out in April in the US.
7 The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger
I haven’t actually read this one yet (I must, I know), but clearly it is the most successful chick lit book of the last few years. The title has become a household name, the book sold millions of copies in hardback, stayed on the New York Times Best Seller list for six months and has since been translated into 27 languages and the film’s been both a critical and commercial success. And they say chick lit’s dead. Sheesh.
6 High Fidelity by Nick Hornby
Ooh, a controversial one. Yes, I’m aware that Nick Hornby isn’t a woman and that High Fidelity isn’t chick lit, but it’s close enough and influential enough that it has to be here. Plus it’s the book that inspired Lisa Jewell (amongst others) to start writing and that’s good enough for me.
Fever Pitch is often credited as the book that created Lad Lit, but, as I’ve already mentioned, Fever Pitch is non-fiction. High Fidelity was Nick Hornby’s first novel and is the brilliantly written and hugely entertaining story of Rob Fleming’s relationship history. While it is a great book, Nick Hornby has gone on to be critically acclaimed and accepted as literary, unlike any chick lit author I can think of. Now that can just be because he’s a man ... can it?
Carry on over the cut for the Top 5.
5 Welcome to Temptation by Jennifer Crusie
Welcome to Temptation was Jennifer/Jenny Crusie’s third mass-market (i.e. not romance) novel, but it’s a favourite of anyone who reads Jennifer’s books. Actually, you don’t read Jennifer Crusie’s books, you devour them. Welcome to Temptation has all the essential Crusie ingredients: a feisty heroine, a sexy hero and an arguably even sexier anti-hero in Davy Dempsey. This was the book Diane insisted made it into the Top 10!
4 In Her Shoes by Jennifer Weiner
My favourite chick lit book of all time, In Her Shoes has got everything - the antagonistic sisterly relationship so popular in chick lit, a love story, personal growth, humour (of course), even an evil stepmother. Plus Jennifer Weiner is the woman most likely to emulate Nick Hornby and be accepted by the literary establishment. But don't hold your breath.
3 The Secret Dreamworld of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella
This, the first book in the enormously popular series, is yet another example of how much skill is involved in writing an apparently simple book. Kinsella came up with the perfect chick lit conceit: if chick lit is all about shopping, then what about a character who is, quite literally, all about shopping? And it worked. Becky Bloomwood is a charming and hilarious heroine, just on the right side of irritating.
(Look out for the latest Shopaholic book, Shopaholic and Baby, due out in February 2007.)
2 Rachel’s Holiday by Marian Keyes
The Marian Keyes connoisseur’s favourite Marian Keyes book and the chick lit connoisseur’s favourite chick lit book*, Rachel’s Holiday is the story of Rachel Walsh - one of the Walsh sisters who also appear in Watermelon, Angels and Anybody Out There? For anyone who thinks chick lit is lightweight, meaningless and obsessed with shoes and shopping, here’s a book about drug addiction, alcoholism and anorexia (although it was still described as “fluffy” by one of the broadsheets!).
* Both Megan Crane and Hester Browne chose it as their favourite in our author interview.
1 Bridget Jones’s Diary by Helen Fielding
Bridget Jones’s Diary may not have been the first chick lit book, but it’s certainly the most famous. Spawning a sequel, two films and introducing “singletons” and “smug marrieds” into the vernacular (not to mention increasing sales of big knickers), Bridget remains the “face” of chick lit. It is also v. v. funny.
Bridget is also the most commonly referenced book and heroine in our weekly author interviews, cited by Laura Zigman, Janet Evanovich, Kelly McClymer, Rebecca Agiewich, Sara Gruen and Deanna Carlyle!
So what do you think? Have we got it right or are we completely wrong? Is your favourite missing or a hated book included? Let us know!