Chick Lit

[CJ]

Hi all,

I was browsing through a DVD store last night and I came upon a boxed set called "The Ultimate Chick Flick Collection." It contained a half-dozen so-so romantic comedies and light dramas (The Banger sisters, Moulin Rouge, Ever After, Someone Like You, Say Anything, Where The Heart Is). I got to thinking, "Is this really what film studio marketers think women want to watch?" And this led me to another thought; namely, what do publishing house marketers think would make a good "Chick Lit" boxed set of books?

I'll be honest here, aside from Drew Barrymore's Cinderella in Ever After, none of the films mentioned above really did anything for me. I found them to be emotional pablum, at best. But books! Now, books are a different story. I've read (and thouroughly enjoyed) quite a few books that some would consider "chick lit" (I hate the expression, but it's there--what can I say?). So here's my suggestion for a well-balanced boxed set I'd call "The Ultimate Chick Lit Collection."

I'd be curious to hear what your suggestions would be, and why (six titles maximum, please).

Love,
CJ

The Ultimate Chick Lit Collection

Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë, for the sheer romance and madness of it.
The Handmaid's Tale, by Margaret Atwood, for its stark depiction of patriarchy run amok.
I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings, by Maya Angelou, for its beauty and its sadness.
The Color Purple, by Alice Walker, for reminding us that growing up female is often a painful thing in a man's world.
The Golden Notebook, by Doris Lessing, for its interweaving of social vision and psychological finesse.
Orlando, by Virginia Woolf, for reminding us that women, too, long to be free of the yoke of gender.

And, nope, nary a Silhouette or Harlequin dime book in sight. Call me patrician.

[Virginia]

These may be a bit deep;
The Scarlet Letter
The World According to Garp
and a couple of those you already mentioned.
As a brief aside, several years ago, some major coorporation started and ad campaign. It's slogan" "Send me a man who reads!"
A young lady co-opted it with: "Send me a man, who reads?" somewhat ingenious I thought!
Virginia