Get a colonoscopy.

Listen to Miley Cyrus and Britney Spears discuss world politics.

Be a contestant on Survivor.

*rings buzzer* What are “Things Liz would rather do than study?”

DING DING DING DING DING!  YOU ARE CORRECT!

I’ve never been the “studious” type.  In fact, and I’ve never really been a “details” type of girl and well, quite frankly, cramming really cramps my style.

So you may find it funny that I pursued a career in an industry where constant learning in essential and testing your knowledge is a common occurence.  But somehow, I always found a way to make it work…Until I had kids.

I had always thought it was a myth that you can’t remember shit after having children. Um, yeah. I couldn’t have been more wrong.  Since giving birth to mine, I can barely remember where my keys are each day, let alone memorize the statistical analysis of seven clinical trials.  In fact, I spent twenty minutes frantically searching for my bluetooth last week, only to find it…on my ear. And the only thing I seem to be able to remember these day is who won last week’s elimination challenge on Top Chef and the plotline for Grey’s Anatomy.

Not to mention the fact that all this haphazard studying makes me feel like I’ve boarded a time machine and traveled to…1994. Like I’m pulling an all-nighter in the Cal Poly library so I can flirt with that cute boy from Communication 101 (Because really, is there any other reason to pull an all-nighter?) and attempting in vain to figure out how the f*ck to work the Lexis Nexis. Yeah, you heard me right, Lexis Nexis.  I’ve just officially  admitted that I attended college before internet was available.  Back then, we were so looking forward to seeing what that “Information Superhighway” was all about.  And the only way to research a paper was to actually open a book. *insert dinosaur jokes here*

Back then, my biggest worry was what I would wear to that night’s sorority mixer or what drink wouldn’t make me throw up on the way home in Marty Mazda .  So, because  I just can’t  get Whatta Man by Salt N Pepa out of my head, I’ve decided to take a break from memorizing P values and take a leisurely stroll down memory lane…Care to join me?

Lisa & Liz, early 90s fashion victim edition

LIZ’S MUST LIST…FROM 1994

1. Brown-braided belt with polo shirt with penny loafers

Why Lisa and I felt the need to deny any and all sex appeal in order to channel our inner-male with this ensemble will always baffle me.  And I think we actually put a penny in our loafers.  Gag!  To this day, I still can’t shake my aversion for collared shirts.  NEVUH AGAIN, I SAY!

2. The soundtrack to The Bodyguard

I don’t want to call anyone out(Lisa) but someone(Lisa) REALLY liked this soundtrack.  And that someone would sing it very loudly, as if they were channeling Whitney Houston herself.  ALOT.  Okay, okay, maybe I sang with her.  Sometimes.

3.  Gas for $1.09 and homes for $119,000

Do you think they’ll let me fill up my time machine before I head home?  Or just stay and make an offer on that place I’ve had my eye on?  Because I’d be willing to tolerate scrunchies and the rise of the Spice Girls again if it meant I could have affordable housing!

4. Bobby McGee’s

If you needed to find me on any given Thursday, Friday or Saturday, I’d be here in my shortest skort doing the poor-man’s electric slide or shaking my ass to the Macarena.  And I used to wonder why I was single?

5.  The “Rachel” haircut

Oh, how I wanted this haircut.  In fact, “The Rachel” is the whole reason I got off my ass and learned how to straighten my hair.  Because although the 80′s were kind to those of us who were follically challenged, the nineties had no such patience. Unfortunately, I never did quite perfect my “Rachel”, prompting others to refer to it as the “Rochelle”, her slightly frizzy second cousin.

What was your Must List in the nineties?

xoxo, Liz

©2010 Chick Lit Is Not Dead. All Rights Reserved.

As writers, we do a lot of reading! (And we’re not just talking about Us Weekly!)  We’ve devoured everything from Patricia Cornwell to Candy Spelling.  From memoirs to mysteries…bestsellers to bombs.  And our favorite thing to do after reading the words, The End, is to dish about it with each other. It’s our book club for two (*cue sappy music*) where we discuss how a book made us feel.  Did we discard it after the third chapter or savor it like a delicious meal?

And was it so yummy that we might have even developed a little crush on its author too?…

For us, when we read something we REALLY LOVE, we don’t just fall in love with the book, we fall a little bit in love with the person who wrote it. We can start crushin’ pretty hard on that author who put fingers to keyboard, who created the plot and the characters and then mixed it all together to make a story that each time we read it, just keeps getting better…

And that’s exactly what happened when Lisa discovered Laura Dave.

It was love at first read when she found LONDON IS THE BEST CITY IN AMERICA on a New Fiction table at Barnes & Noble a few years back. She inhaled three chapters while sitting in the bookstore and finished it just a few hours later. And after Liz borrowed and read it, it’s not surprising that she fell for her too. (BTW–Lisa never told Liz, but she knew there would be a girl fight before she’d ever really share Laura Dave with her!)

So fast forward to this past May when Lisa was again back in Barnes & Noble. But this time, she wasn’t just shopping for books.

She sat there. Palms sweaty, heart racing, cheeks flushed.

She was about to meet someone she was really crushing on. No, it wasn’t a first date with a man or a chance encounter with Justin Timberlake. It was even better!

She was about to come face to face with her #1 writer crush! She was at signing for Laura Dave’s second and equally amazing book, THE DIVORCE PARTY.

But as she sat front and center (literally), 45 minutes early, she began to see the scene as Laura might. Lisa knew she must look like a crazy person as she white-knuckled her tattered copy of the DIVORCE PARTY for dear life, a perma-grin plastered across her face and sweat rings forming under her arm pits. Suddenly, she feared Laura might think she was some kind of book stalker and have security escort her out and promptly unfriend her on Facebook.  She began to beat herself up for not taking a seat in the back and playing a little hard to get.

After the reading (fell in love a little more) and the Q & A (too nervous to ask a question–but had so many!), Lisa waited in line trying to come up with the perfect words that would sound breezy and non stalker-like when she finally got the opportunity to have Laura sign her book.

But the magical words never came to her. And even though Lisa was a hot mess when she reached the front of the line, Laura was absolutely lovely. (No doubt, she’s seen it all!) And she even humored her and accepted a copy of Lisa and Liz’s book, I’LL HAVE WHO SHE’S HAVING!  But the icing on the cake was when she gave Lisa a giant hug and thanked her for giving her the copy of her book. Who does that? It was then that Lisa knew there would never be another author who could win her heart the way Laura Dave had.

So you can imagine our excitement to have Laura at our LA book signing as our special guest!

So come down and join us on this Saturday the 25th at Metropolis Books in downtown LA from 4-8pm. Bring your favorite bottle of wine to share with your girlfriends in the comfy sitting area!

In addition, the fabulous folks over at DXG USA have loaded each of our beach bag giveaways with the MOST fashionable and trendy high definition video camcorder you have ever seen. DXG’s new Luxe Collection (retail value $149.99) merges fashion (Chick Lit fans love fashion!) with technology. Designed with patterns and bling, and with matching cases, they look and feel like your favorite fashion accessory.  And each bag is filled with books from your favorite chick lit authors!  A big thank you to eBags for donating the SUPER CUTE bags by Saltbox and Make Love Not Trash!

Each person who has their book signed will be entered in a drawing to win these awesome bags! The drawing will take place at 6pm, and you must be present to win! Good luck!

So grab your girlfriends (blondes, brunettes, and cougars!) — and boyfriends (we love men who dig Chick Lit!) — and head over to Metropolis Books in downtown L.A. (440 S. Main St. L.A. 90013) for a fun night out. And join us for drinks after to continue the Chick Lit Fan Night Out. Details at the event.

See you there!

Xoxo,

Liz & Lisa

©2010 Chick Lit Is Not Dead. All Rights Reserved.

She’s already answered our 25 questions, but…

Have you ever wondered what inspired Jennifer Weiner to write GOOD IN BED?

Want to know what her favorite color is or who she’s rooting for on Big Brother?

Well, here’s your chance!

Starting Monday July 20th, the faboosh Jennifer Weiner will be available all week to answer your hard-hitting questions at Barnes & Noble’s online book club, CenterStage. Each week on CenterStage they feature one bestselling author with a new release — but the conversation will include all of that author’s books, not just the new one. It’s a great opportunity for you to ask your favorite authors any question, but it’s even more perfect if you have a “big picture” question about how they write, what ties their books together, who inspires them, and much, much more. 

Click here to check it out and register!

And Lisa and Liz will be there too, bantering with our girl Jen and asking all the questions that we were too scared to ask the first time! Hmm…do you think she will tell us who her favorite cougar bait is?  Or what she would like to do to people who pronounce her last name as “Weener”?

So join us July 20-24th at B&N’s CenterStage to chat up the fabulous Jennifer Weiner.  Be there or be square!

xoxo

Liz & Lisa

©2010 Chick Lit Is Not Dead. All Rights Reserved.

My name is Lisa Steinke and I’m a swinger. A “book” swinger, that is…

I’m ready to face the cold, hard reality that I no longer believe in book monogamy.

I just can’t seem to commit to just one novel anymore. I can no longer live in denial as the Jenga-like stack of reads on my nightstand stares me down each night…Each book calling out to me that it should be the one I choose.

I’ve got saucy books– Lisa, pick me I have really.. big… WORDS.

Needy books–Lisaaaaa, you haven’t held me since last Tuesday….!!!

Arrogant books–Lisa, I’m on the New York Times Best Seller List– as if this is really a hard decision for you.

But the book I’m going to crawl into bed with is completely dependent upon what kind of mood I’m in. I might need a little romance one night. But the next, I might need a hardback…if you know what I’m sayin’ *wink* *wink*

So, that’s why I’m currently reading several, er, ten different books.

Yup, I’m seeing ten books at the same time.

But it wasn’t always this bad…Really, it wasn’t.

In the beginning, it was two, maybe three tops. But before I knew it, I was in double digits…

And now I’m a full-blown book whore.

I read around. I do. I can’t help it. I want to be with them all… I’ll be in bed with one but I’ll be distracted, thinking about the other. It’s not that I don’t LOVE book “X”, it’s just that book “Y” is new, exciting, different…

And my whoreyness has never been more evident than while I’ve been trying to pack for my trip to Maui this week. I haven’t been facing the usual packing dilemmas like how many pairs of espadrilles to bring, how many sundresses are absolutely critical or if I really do need aviators and Jacki O’s. My true struggle has been deciding which lucky books get to travel with me to a romantic and relaxing vacation in Aloha land.

My instinct is to grab four or five so I can have options, but realistically, I’ll probably only read two or three because I plan to be doing *cough* other things with my very human lover.

And although this space issue is a problem a Kindle could easily solve, I just don’t think I could whore out with Kindle the way I do with my books. Call me old school, but I’m a gal who needs a little foreplay…who loves to hold and caress her book, to bury her nose deep within its pages and inhale that glorious new book smell. I just don’t think I could go all gadgety even if it came down to not having the room for another pair of wedges or needing to forgo that lime green Banana Republic sun hat, even if it was an impulse buy…

So you’d think that knowing I have this problem… Knowing that I’m already juggling ten different stories from ten different books (just keeping all the names straight is a full-time job), that I’d stop adding to my fictional and nonfictional harem. If only it were that simple. If only I had the will power to avoid that place called Barnes & Noble.

I imagine asking a book whore to stay away from Barnes & Noble is like trying to convince an alcoholic to stay away from the bar. Aint .gonna. happen.

So, I pull into the parking lot and tell myself that I am allowed to go inside but I’m not allowed to buy anything. Not even a bookmark. I’ll just see what new books are out. No harm in that, right? Just because I’m on a diet doesn’t mean I can’t look at the menu…

But once I’m inside and all the books are surrounding me– New fiction, Best Sellers, Recommended Reading, Bargain Bin (actually, I never stop there–even I have limits…)– I can’t help myself.

And before I know it, I’m picking up a book and reading the back cover. Then, the first page.

That’s not cheating, right? Books A, B, C, D and E will never have to know. But then…

I. want. it.

I. must. have. it.

I. am. going. to. buy. it.

And as I walk out of the store with my green, plastic bag (I know, I know… I need to go canvas) I vow that I will NOT read the new guy. I’ll take him home, put him on my shelf and only after I finish the other books will I even dare crack him open.

But that’s never what happens.

I get home and somehow he ends up on my nightstand, staring at me. Begging me to open him. Taunting me with his promises of new and different protagonists and exciting plot twists.

Until finally, I cave.

And that’s exactly what happened after my most recent “browsing” excursion to B&N. Even though I obviously had plenty of books to take with me to Kaanapali, I couldn’t resist the urge to see what else was out there.

And as I exited with Laura Dave’s, London is the Best City in America (hey, I didn’t have it in paperback & after devouring The Divorce Party, I decided I have a total writer crush on her!), Cathy Yardley’s, Turning Japanese (it sounds so fun!), Alison Pace’s, City Dog (one of the narrators of the book is the dog– how clever is that?!) and *throat clear* Candy Spelling’s, Candyland (c’mon, who isn’t curious about that mansion?), I tried not to feel guilty for being unfaithful to the books faithfully waiting for me at home.

So which books made it into my brand spankin’ new Tory Burch beach bag?

A true book whore never reads and tells…

Although please let me know if you come across any books that could help with my disorder. Anything along the lines of…

Book Whores Are People Too!

Don’t Turn That Page! An Addicts Guide To Faithfully Reading

or

Confessions of a Book Swinger: How One Just Wasn’t Enough…

xoxo, Lisa

©2010 Chick Lit Is Not Dead. All Rights Reserved.

Our first book signing tour was this past weekend in the Midwest. First, we’d like to give a big thank you to all of the WONDERFUL ladies who hosted us. Laurie and  Jacki; Kristin and the women of Serendipity; And Jamie and Cathy. And we’d also like to give a shout out to all of the AWESOME Chick Lit loving women we met–and instantly friended–on our mobile Facebooks. (Hey, we’re whores, we don’t waste any time!)

Well now that we’re home, we decided that after you embark on a journey that mixes poorly caffeinated airport travel, the uncanny ability to sit next to multiple non-hint taking Chatty Cathys in every terminal, drunken public speaking and the inability to remember the name of a person who has your own name, that we should establish some rules of the road for next time.

NEVER, EVER, EVER UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER OF A VENTI AMERICANO

There are certain times you should probably never talk to me.

Before coffee. Before coffee. And, um, Before coffee.

This is one of the many “lovely” things Liz and I have in common. So you’d think that knowing this…that understanding if ONE of us can be a bee-yotch face before Starbucks that the TWO of us together could, well, be f***ing bee-yotch faces…that we’d NEVER, EVER, under any circumstances skip our Venti Americanos….especially before a four-hour flight.

Not so much last week.

The morning of our trip to Chicago, Liz was frantically trying to get everyone what they needed before she left for the weekend (A husband, two kids, two dogs and some prima donna guinea pigs!). And I was at Ride-Aid buying her every shape and size of the 3-ounce size travel containers and a box of the FAA approved quart-sized Ziplocs for her moose, perfume, shampoo, conditioner, hairspray, toothpaste, two moisturizers and four different lip glosses. (I had to bribe her to carry-on because there was no way in HELL I was stepping foot in that O’Hare baggage claim! ) So I didn’t see her desperate Facebook message on my wall.

Rough morning! Please stop at Starbucks and tell me I look like I’ve lost weight the minute you see me.   Thank you!

Because the thing is, if you properly caffeinate us, we can handle anything… A ridonckulously long security line, a pervy TSA agent with a foot fetish and even a loud talking Boston accented seat-mate with body odor.

IF you properly caffeinate us.

So there we were at the Long Beach airport that we usually heart so much because it’s so small that they board the passengers old-school by leading them out to the tarmac and rolling out a makeshift staircase. Usually so easy. But it’s amazing how an airport experience can change when you realize your only option to turn your day around is a pot of coffee that was probably brewed eight hours earlier by a woman in a hair net. Let’s just say even after I dumped six bags of sugar in mine and Liz filled hers to the rim with cream, it still tasted like ass in a cup.

DON’T BE A FLAT STANLEY
You know how celebrities talk about their “good side” and their “bad side” when they pose for photo shoots? Well, I always thought that was a complete load of bulls**t. I mean, how different could someone really look if they faced the camera from the left v. the right?

Turns out, pretty damn different.

My photographic light bulb moment happened before our first book signing while Liz and I were posing for pictures. We were ready to roll, wearing our sassy dresses and Liz sporting her curly hair. I stood on the left and Liz on the right. Behind the camera, Matt was snapping away with a concerned expression as he checked the LED screen after each shot.

WTF? I asked.  Then I grabbed the camera and gasped.

“OMG. I’m a f***ing Flat Stanley!”

Liz and Matt pulled the camera away from me and evaluated the pictures. And through maniacal laughter, they agreed. “You look like you, but one off. You are a cardboard cut out of yourself!”

So, after much practice, we discovered that my left side is really pretty damn bad. If I angle it toward the camera, I look like a Flat Stanley. And if I open my eyes a little too wide, I look like Flat Stanley, The Runaway Bride. Apparently if I want any chance at a good photo, I have to be on the right side, tilt my head to the left and my chin downward. And then, as if that’s not enough, I still have to angle the right side of my face toward the camera. (WTF?)

The anti-Stanley solution seemed simple—I’d just switch sides with Liz.

Not so fast, she said.

Because just like our major in college, our choice of sorority and even our affinity for Midwestern men, we also have the same f***ing good side!

And so began what we like to call The Fight for the Right! Stay tuned for more pictures to see who won…

KNOW YOUR LIQUID COURAGE COCKTAIL OF CHOICE
I was pretty nervous about talking in front of the groups at our book signings. To put it mildly, my past public speaking attempts had been disastrous-all involving a red face, huge sweat rings and the inability to form a sentence. I was pretty sure if I attempted to utter a word about our book, It would go something like this:

Buy our book. It’s real good. Thanks for coming. Bye!

When I confessed my fears to Liz, she gave me her crooked smile. “You don’t think we’re going to do this sober, do you?”

“Er, I’m on the wagon, remember?” (A story I’ll save for another post–but I had been alcohol free for 29 days.)

She knowingly pointed her finger at me. “Blondie, I’m going to let you in on my secret recipe for public speaking success. Cocktails plus no food equals great entertainment!”

I was off the wagon faster than you can say dirty martini.

And let’s just say that after two, er, three and a half of them, I was very comfortable in front of a group. Maybe even a little too comfortable…Turns out, as a buzzed public speaker, I’ll tell you which characters in our book are incredibly thinly veiled and how much of the book is autobiographical!

Liz’s secret recipe also had another side effect…You run the risk of being unable to remember a name–even if it’s the same as your own. So Liz and I would like to take this opportunity to give an extra special shout out to the other LIZ…whose name our own Liz could not remember…

Even after talking to her for twenty minutes.

But at least when Liz puts her foot in her mouth, she’s wearing a really sassy shoe!

PRACTICE HIDING YOUR WTF FACE

We’ve been friends for so long that we pretty much have the same brain and we think a lot of the same thoughts. We actually have mental telepathy…and it really comes in handy in social situations. Like when you can’t exactly say what’s on your mind because you might, well, offend-EVERYONE.

We can talk serious shit with a simple eyebrow raise, the ever so slight narrowing of an eye or a partial smirk. So, as I’m sure you can imagine, this superpower can be incredibly helpful when we want to scream to each other that the chatty Carl sitting next to us in the terminal is a DOUCHE BAG who needs to shut the f**k up! Or when we want to scream that the guy in the skinny jeans with a male version of a camel toe SUCKS for blocking the aisle as he tries to stuff his over-sized suitcase in the overhead bin.  And when you meet two stuffy women at one of your book signings.

Usually when people ask us what  I’ll Have Who She’s Having is about and we tell them it’s the story of two sisters who fall for the same man—and one of those sisters just happens to be married, the response is usually along the lines of  That sounds juicy! or What a fun read!  Or if it’s not their cup o’ tea (which we totally understand!) they politely move on from our table.

Well here’s how it went down when two ladies (let’s call them “Mrs. Stick Up My Ass” and “Mrs. Even Bigger Stick Up My Ass”) approached us at one of the signings.

Mrs. Stick up my ass: “What’s your book about?”

Liz: “It’s about two sisters who fall for the same man. And one of those sisters is married!”

*cue crickets*

Mrs. Even Bigger Stick up my ass with scowled expression finally speaks: “Married. Really. Hmm.”

Liz: “Yes, but she just had her first baby and she’s lost and she doesn’t feel connected to her husband…”

Mrs. Stick up my ass: “Hmm…”

Lisa: “We also have a blog. Why don’t you take one of our cards and you can read more about us and our book…”

Mrs. Even bigger Stick up my ass picks up the card and holds it between her pointer finger and thumb as if it’s covered in swine flu germs.

*cue more crickets*

Liz and I look at each other and smile our, we’ll definitely blog about this smile.

*cue mental telepathy moment*

Liz: WTF?

Lisa: They both need to get f***ing laid by Tim Fortune.

xoxo, Liz & Lisa

©2010 Chick Lit Is Not Dead. All Rights Reserved.

Liz doing her best impression of a distinguished alumni author.

Who says you can’t go back?

Lisa and I were honored to be recognized last week by our Alma Mater, Cal Poly Pomona as part of the Golden Leaves library program. We were proud to be included with many other distinguished alumni authors!

We were told to prepare a little something to say, but with Lisa was out of town,   my limited public speaking skills and I were left to fend for ourselves. So I put on my naughty librarian suit and dragged my husband along to take pictures.  And as we walked through the newly remodeled Library, I tried in vain to remember spending time in there as a coed.  But besides recalling one all-night study session with someone I was crushing on and an odd Lexis-Nexis flashback , I couldn’t even remember checking out a book!  My husband was very perplexed by this.  How did I graduate?  And I told him that I did what I always do.

I winged it!

That’s right, people.  I don’t like to over-prepare.  Outline, schmoutline!  Test?  Let’s skim the material and see what sticks.  Giving a speech at the library for published alumni authors?  Just get up there and see what comes to mind!

And so that’s what I did.  I told myself not to be intimidated that I’ll Have Who She’s Having was sitting on a table next to In Sputnick’s Shadow: The President’s Science Advisory Committee and Cold War America.   Or that the lady before me was reading about Chaucer.  Or the fact that the Dean of the Library kept talking about pedagogy and I had no idea what that was.

When my name was called, I took a deep breath and made sure I had appropriate cleavage showing. Don’t judge, I was just playing to my strengths.  And what I may be lacking in vocabulary, I make up for in boobs!

Then I sauntered up to the podium and told them about our journey to publication.  How every agent out there, said, Like this manuscript a lot but sorry, Chick lit is dead, maybe take out some pop culture references and call it Women’s fiction?...That Lisa and I looked around at all our educated women friends that were DYING for a good book with a happy ending and said SCREW THAT!  CHICK LIT IS ALIVE AND WELL!  That’s right, I told them.  Get ready people, because women want to read GOOD books about other women.  And we want movies made from these books!  And no, we won’t call it Women’s fiction so you can feel better about reading it!  IT’S CHICK LIT, DAMNIT!

Okay, so maybe I didn’t say it quite like that.  But I did say screw.  And crap.  But not f*ck. I didn’t think it would be cool to drop an F bomb when the President of the University was sitting five feet in front of me.

And then, because I hadn’t really um, *cough*, prepared, I just starting saying stuff.  I  told them that sometimes my brain likes to go on vacation. And when my brain packs up and heads out on vacation, it doesn’t want to read about someone’s kid dying or molecular biology. My brain wants to have a margarita, a happy ending and some chips with guacamole.  In that order.

And after that, I proudly held up I’ll Have Who She’s Having and said they should pick up a copy if their brain wants a vacation too!

blah, blah, blah, Chick lit rules, blah, blah

And while I’m sure that some in that room just dismissed me as a dumb blonde with a fluffy book, there were others who came up to me after and told me they agreed.  And in that moment, I knew that I made the right choice to take a stand for Chick lit. To show them who I really am…

A thirty-something girl with too much shit going on that sometimes just wants a good book and a glass of wine.  Oh, and liposuction.  But that can wait.  For now I’ll take the wine and book.

xoxo

©2010 Chick Lit Is Not Dead. All Rights Reserved.

As some of you may have heard, my oldest brother was in a terrible car accident late Thursday night.  So this blog is coming to you live from the Twin Cities hospital ICU. The good news is that things seem to be looking up and I am very thankful for all your kind thoughts and prayers.

Now before you start thinking it’s in bad taste to be blogging and Facebooking while my brother is fighting for this life, this is just how I deal.  I come from a long line of emotionally unavailable women(aka living robots) that use humor inappropriately in time of crisis.  And quite frankly, the doctor just wrote us all some Xany and I need to get this blog written before it kicks in!  Even a robot like me could use a little prescription help to get through this.

When the frantic call from my mom came in early Friday morning, I rushed to get ready for the four-hour drive to the Central Coast.  After throwing some mismatched clothes in my overnight bag, (You should see the outfit I’m wearing! horrible! Lucky for me the people in Paso Robles think a fanny pack is fashion forward.)I immediately went to my bookshelf. 

Knowing I would be spending the next several days at his bedside, I was very thoughtful in my book selections.  Not just for myself, but for my family too.  When you go into these situations, you really want to bring something to the table, to feel like you are helping in any small way.  And even if I can’t be emotionally sensitive, at least I can provide proper reading material! 

LIZ’S TRAUMA DRAMA BOOK LIST

For my sister-in-law:

1. My Horizontal Life by Chelsea Handler

Obviously, my first thought was comfort for my brother’s wife.  What does one read to be distracted from the fact that your husband has a thousand tubes coming out of him? I decided Chelsea’s graphic book about her vagina adventures while in her twenties was just the ticket. Also, each chapter stands alone as a short story, making it easy for my sister-in-law to feel like she was accomplishing something each time she finished one.  And I like to think that this small milestone will make her Type A overacheiving-self feel a little bit of control in a situation she has no control over.

For my Mom

2.  One Fifth Avenue by Candace Bushnell

My mom’s book choice was bit tougher.  This woman never sits down and spends so much time on her cell phone that I’m surprised it hasn’t melded to her ear.  So finding a book that will hold her attention is quite the challenge. I thought this story about the tenants in an upscale building in New York City might just be able to do it. And if she ever gets off the phone I’m going to ask her to take a look at it. 

For the BFF

3. I’ll Have Who Have She’s Having by Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke

Of course I brought this too!  What better way to force people to read your book than when they are trapped in a barren ICU waiting room for days at a time?  The funniest part of this is that the BFF is a 50 something guy who picked up our book in desperation last night.  The even funnier part is that he couldn’t put it down and keeps peppering me with questions about Kate and Kelly!  But, hey, a fan is a fan.  I’m not picky!

For the beautiful sister(um, that’s me, in case you were wondering):

4.  Eclipse by Stephanie Meyer

Although I’m not afraid to admit that Bella and Edward bug the shit out of me sometimes, their werewolf versus vampire teenage angst can really take your mind off what’s really going on!  For me, I like my crisis fiction to be as far away from my real life as possible.  Cuz that’s how I roll! 

And anything is better than the copy of Arthritis Today on the table that keeps calling my name!

©2010 Chick Lit Is Not Dead. All Rights Reserved.

I’m a girl who doesn’t have a favorite anything. I’m the kind of person who loves Italian food but can also get down with some orange chicken and an egg roll. I’ve watched The Holiday as much as the Die Hard series. I don’t have a favorite color, but I lean toward blue and green (if you don’t count black and gray). I love Manhattan (New York) as much as Laguna Beach (the city not the television show). So when you ask me for my top ten favorite books, my mind starts spinning. Do I categorize them? Should I make one list that’s comprised of my favorite chick lit, another for memoirs, another for biographies and so on? Do I start with the books I read when I was a little girl because then I’d have to include Judy Blume’s, Are you There God, It’s me Margaret and Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing that I still firmly believe are better than many books written today.

In the end, I decided to close my eyes and go with my gut. I went to my bookshelf and nightstand and grabbed the ones that made me happy during a time in my life when I needed them. At the end of the day, that’s the function of a book as far as I’m concerned.

Somehow, I ended up with 12 (in no particular order) plus one special mention. I doubt my descriptions will do these books justice so I can only hope that you are inspired to read them or to read them again. Sometimes the second time around is even better!

1. Straight Up and Dirty by Stephanie Klein
I didn’t hear about Straight Up and Dirty from Liz or one of my girlfriends that I often swap books with. Turns out, it was Matt (my “manfriend”), who said the colorful cover caught his eye and after reading the back, thought it sounded like me. (I’m sure it was probably the title more than the cover but anywhoo…) He was right- Straight Up and Dirty and I were/are/always will be a perfect fit. I’ve read it twice and given it as a gift more times than I can count. Stephanie Klein’s writing is the perfect combination of witty, smart, self-deprecating and honest in this memoir about her life with the wrong guy and her journey to finding the right one.

2. The Big Love by Sarah Dunn
Time Magazine called The Big Love “Unapologetic Chick Lit” and I couldn’t agree more. Sarah Dunn’s first novel grabs you from page one when Alison’s boyfriend steps out for mustard and never returns.  It’s a beach read that also makes you think. Is there a better combination?

3. Something Borrowed & Something Blue by Emily Giffin
Emily Giffin is inspirational because her debut novel Something Borrowed hit the NY Times best seller list and when you read it, it’s obvious why it did. She has incredible talent because she writes about a girl who sleeps with her best friend’s fiancé but still has the ability to make you feel for and even like her. Her follow up novel, Something Blue is the same story but told from the perspective of the friend who was cheated on in Something Borrowed. The one you thought was a shallow, heartless be-yotch but now you suddenly root for and understand.  That, my friends, is talent.

4. Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri
This is my intellectual book. Not that the others aren’t well written with big words. But this has that little sticker on the front that says “Winner of the Pulitzer Prize.” If you haven’t heard of this author or book, you’ve probably heard of the movie the Namesake. It was adapted from her novel of the same name (the movie did NOT do the book justice, but do they ever?). Interpreter of Maladies is a series of short stories and Jhumpa’s debut novel. The way she writes about people “seeking love beyond the barriers of nations and generations” as described on the back of her book, makes you feel like you’re right there in the room with her characters, smelling the food they’re cooking, feeling the emotions they’re feeling and hoping, as much as they are, that it will all work out.

5. Time of My Life by Allison Winn Scotch
I just read this book and fell in love. It’s all about those two little words so many of us ask ourselves, “What if?” If you’ve ever questioned your life, wondered what would’ve happened if you’d married your college sweetheart or if you hadn’t, this book will make you look at and appreciate your life for what it really is.

6. Conversations with the Fat Girl by Liza Palmer
Just a few exciting things about this book… It was Liza’s debut novel and the first novel for the publisher 5 Spot; it went on to be an international best seller and has been optioned to HBO for a series! Her writing is hilarious, (and so is she–Liz and I saw her speak along with Megan Crane whose book Frenemies is sitting on my nightstand calling out to me) and she’s truly the master of snappy dialogue. Her story really hits home for anyone who’s ever felt like they could not catch a break and who’s ever been insecure or questioned his or her entire life. Face it girls and boys, that’s all of us. And if it’s not, you suck or you’re lying!

7. Sammy’s Hill & Sammy’s House by Kristin Gore
Kristin Gore, you may or may not know, is Al Gore’s daughter who established herself as a writer on SNL. Her main character in both books, Sammy, is flawed and quirky (my favorite combo) and even has a pet gold fish (hate them, but gave it a pass because it’s funny) and I love her!  Both books are so much fun!

8. Prep by Curtis Sittenfeld
I love the way Curtis Sittenfeld writes. She paints you an incredibly detailed picture of what her main characters are seeing and feeling. I love this story about a 14 year old girl who feels completely out of place in her prep school. She never fits in over the four years she attends. We all have our junior high and high school traumatic experiences that have followed us through life. I know I empathized with this awkward adolescent (In fact, is there any other kind?). You should’ve seen me! I had glasses, braces and a perm that I poured a bottle of Infusium on every day. My hair was actually hard to the touch (I’ll find & post a picture for you).

9.  The Wonder Spot by Melissa Bank
I also loved The Girls’ Guide to Hunting and Fishing but The Wonder Spot is lesser known and reminds me a lot of Prep in the way it’s written. Like Prep, it’s about a girl who feels like she doesn’t fit in- anywhere. Through a series of missteps, she searches for the life she wants to have. It’s a wise and funny book– fow show.

10. The Guy Not Taken by Jennifer Weiner
It goes without saying that Good in Bed and In Her Shoes are fantastic. There’s just something about the short story that I love and maybe that’s why it’s this book by Jennifer Weiner that I’m choosing to highlight. It just can’t be easy to tell a compelling and interesting story in only a few pages. I like being left wanting more and personally feel that she could’ve developed several of these stories into novels!  You should do it, Jennifer!

11. The Bachelorette Party by Karen McCullah Lutz
First…a bit of interesting trivia about this author. She wrote the screenplay for 10 Things I Hate About You and Legally Blonde. This is another debut novel that centers around one night. A night we’ve all experienced… whether we’ve been the fool in the veil running around Vegas or one of the fools with a plastic penis around her neck chasing after the fool in the veil. This is a fun page turner that I read might be turned into a movie. From chick lit to chick flick!

12. Beginner’s Greek by James Collins
I loved this book because it was different than anything I’d read in a long time. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that it was written by a man about a man who still believes in romance and fate.  It’s a story about a man who craves a happy ending and (SPOILER ALERT) he gets it too!

Honorable Mention: See Jane Write, A Girl’s Guide to Writing Chick LIt by Sarah Mlynowski & Farrin Jacobs

Liz and I will be the first to tell you that we had no idea what we were doing when we wrote our book. Only after we finished I’ll Have Who She’s Having, did we start reading books on how to write books. We definitely went about it backwards but that’s just who we are. We didn’t follow a lot of the rules like outlining (shh!!). And we didn’t even know our ending until close to the ending.

See Jane Write, A Girl’s Guide to Writing Chick Lit was a little treasure that we discovered on the shelf at Barnes & Noble and devoured while standing in the store.  In true Liz/Lisa fashion, we used it as a guide to see if the novel we’d already written had even a chance of making it.  See Jane Write, A Girl’s Guide to Writing Chick Lit is very straightforward and funny. It also meant a lot to us because it was written by Sarah Mlynowski (who we love) and Farrin Jacobs (a former chick lit editor who became a writer who we also now love). They obviously believe in the chick lit genre.  They make no apologies for chick lit– in fact they champion it. It’s a great book that includes great tips from authors like Emily Giffin, Meg Cabot and Sophia Kinsella.

Be sure to tell us about your faves!

©2010 Chick Lit Is Not Dead. All Rights Reserved.

Discussing all the reasons why I love chick lit has made me nostalgic for my favorite books.  So I’ve decided to list my top ten all-time favorites and would love to hear what is at the top of your reading list.

Twilight disclaimer: Okay so it won’t be on my top ten but I did like it!  It is beautifully written and engaging, but I wanted to highlight books that I’ve gone back and read two and three times just so I could visit the characters again. So don’t tag me as a Twilight hater, I’m not. But I’m not gonna lie, Bella’s damsel in distress act starting getting on my nerves in New Moon.

Liz’s Top Ten All-Time Faves

1. Summer Sisters by Judy Blume

I’ll admit that the only reason I had picked up this book was because of  my childhood loyalty to classics like Are You There God?  It’s Me Margaret (They talked about her period! gasp!) and forbidden fare like Forever (oh, admit it, you know you all had a copy of it hidden under your bed in the 80′s!)

However, Summer Sisters turned out to be a wonderful novel about the complex, lifelong friendship of two girls.  I have read it over ten times and still have my dog-eared copy on the bookshelf.  This is a must-read!

2. Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood and Little Altars Everywhere by Rebecca Wells

I love these two books and think that you should read Ya-Ya first and then Little Altars Everywhere second even though they were written in the opposite order. This is also a story about life-long friends set in the South.  I was so bummed when the movie came out, I thought it didn’t do the book justice at all!

3. Something Borrowed and Something Blue by Emily Giffin

Lisa and I have talked about writing a book together for fifteen years, but it wasn’t until we read these two books that we felt inspired to start.  What I love best about these books is that Something Borrowed is told in the voice of Rachel and then the story picks up again in something Blue in the voice of Darcy, Rachel’s best friend.  Emily Giffin does a awesome job of making these women likeable even though they make bad decisions.

4. Good in Bed by Jennifer Weiner

From page one, I was in love.  I know that In Her Shoes gets a lot more attention because of the movie, but I believe this story about Cannie’s journey to self-discovery is her finest.

5. Jemina J by Jane Green

Love, love, love this story about a women who sends a man a fake picture and then has to reinvent herself into the fictional person she’s created when he wants to meet her.

6. Seeing Me Naked by Liza Palmer

I love Liza’s ability to write sophisticated characters that we can all still relate to.  A great read for anyone that feels they are always trying to live up to other’s expectations.

7. Me Vs. Me by Sarah Mlynowski

I adore this book about a women who can’t decide which path to choose so she starts to live them both after her wish on a falling star comes true.  I have such a soft spot for novels that have a little magic going on!

8. A Most Uncommon Degree of Popularity by Kathleen Gilles Seidel

I just read this book for the first time a few weeks ago and LOVED it.  Once I started it, I literally didn’t put it down until I finished.  A story about trading in your corporate life for the mommy track and the competitive insanity that can come along with it.

9. Straight up and Dirty: A Memoir by Stephanie Klein

Lisa loves memoirs and turned me on to this hilarious story about a woman’s journey to find herself again after divorce.  Stephanie’s brutal honesty about life is refreshing and makes this a must-read.

10.  Names My Sisters Call Me by Megan Crane

I love Megan’s witty humor and complicated characters that are filled with depth and emotion!  Smart and Sassy chick lit.

So there you have it!  What are your favorites?  I need some suggestions on what to read next!

©2010 Chick Lit Is Not Dead. All Rights Reserved.