*Disclaimer: Before you read further, please note that there are books out there filed under “chick lit” which are atrociously bad and not worth reading. When I discover these books, I stop reading and return them to the library. These are not the books I intend to discuss below. Okay, proceed:

I alluded a few days ago to different types of snobs. At the top of my S$%# list list was literature snobs. What makes them drive me crazy? Well, for starters, I don’t believe that  there is only one purpose for reading. Beyond the mind elevating “literature” that is considered acceptable for said snobs to read, I find the following categories of reading to be pleasurable and time worthy:

Travel books, cookbooks, cultural observations (a la Freakonomics or Nickel and Dimed), Photography/ art books, craft how-tos, biographies, “fine literature,” poetry, comic books/ graphic novels, children’s books, and more.

I read to learn and understand new things. And sometimes I read for enjoyment. There are other categories out there for “pure enjoyment,” such as mystery, romance, sci-fi, and crime novels. Are readers of these fluffy genres debased for their mere gender? Not generally, in my opinion. They generally are relegated to their own niche. But heaven forbid a book be written for women to enjoy. No, these books clearly are worthless. They are even WRITTEN by women! Bah.

I counter that these books have just as much merit as any other for-enjoyment genre. I love to read them just as much as I enjoy reading a psychology textbook, Spanish literature, Shakespeare, or Hemingway.

Some of the most popular chick-lit categories are: Historical Fiction (The Girl with the Pearl Earring, Birth of Venus, Memoirs of a Geisha, The Other Boleyn Girl), Working Girl Struggles (Nanny Diaries, The Devil Wears Prada, Julia and Julia), Travel/ Self Discovery (Eat Pray Love, Under the Tuscan Sun), Humor/ self deprecating (Bridget Jones’ Diary), Shoes/Clothes (Shopaholic series), Family (The Glass Castle, Divine Secrets of the Yaya Sisterhood), and more. Clearly, the genre is expansive and covers a wide variety of interests.

Some of my favorite “chick lit” authors:

Helen Fielding: An obvious favorite. Bridget Jones’ Diary, Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason, Olivia Joules and the Overactive Imagination, Cause Celeb. All of these are laugh out loud funny, even after multiple reads.

Kristin Harmel: file under “until my next vacation” reads. I’ve read Italian for Beginners and The Art of French Kissing.

Jenny Colgan: Nearly as funny as Helen Fielding, and similar characters at times. Amanda’s Wedding, Talking to Addison.

Madeleine Wickham/ Sophie Kinsella: Despite my utter confusion as to why she publishes under two names…I’ve read a considerable amount of her work and it is stuff you plow right through, with very well written characters I have to insist! Shopaholic series, Twenties Girl, The Tennis Party, The Gatecrasher, Undomestic Goddess, A Desirable Residence.

Julia Alvarez: How the Garcia Girls Lost their Accents

I’ve read more than this, and way more books than names I remember. I wish I could go back in my library account online to look up all of the books I’ve ever checked out- I’d have some great recommendations!

Do you see the value in “chick lit”? Does it madden you that its expected that something written by women for women does not have merit? Do you think its just crap? Any recommendations to add to my list?

Meri