Sunday, May 13, 2012

CHICK LIT AUTHOR BLOG HOP 2012!

Hi everyone! Welcome to my part of the Chick Lit Author Blog Hop! For those of you who don't know much about it, there are 34 authors who are making this a week of chick lit! Simply hop around to the various blogs, leave a comment with your email to be entered to win a free ebook, take note of the italicised words, and enjoy yourself! At the end of the week, if you email all 34 italicised words to CLABlogHop@aol.com, you will be entered to win a $150 Sephora gift card. This contest is only open to people living in the United States, though, so sorry to my Canadian amigos.

Anyway, enough of the rules, let's get started! I am typing this with a squirmy 10 week old baby in my lap, who just puked on my arm a few moments ago. I will attempt to be witty. If I am not, you can blame it on the drool now finding it's way into my keyboard, right between the space bar and the alt button... and that's disgusting. Happy Mother's Day to me.

Alright, back on topic. Have you ever heard people say that chick lit is flat, or bland, or predictable? Or maybe that the heroines in the books are like a Barbie doll... tall, beautiful and completely dependent on their Ken doll, which, in all honesty, sets the women's rights movement back about fifty years? I've been told that. And it kind of annoys me. Feminism happened. Women are equals with men. And truly great chick lit doesn't dimish any of that.

Let me introduce (or reintroduce) you to the greatest chick lit heroines as found in my fav books!

Becky Bloomwood
We meet Becky in the world of the Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella.  She is plucky, funny, and clever, despite having a small problem. I love chocolate. She loves shopping. I can totally relate to her. The greatest thing about Becky? Her unwavering loyalty. Once you are her friend, she will do anything for you. This is a great quality. Becky is not a lip-biting, timid, spineless woman. She is vibrant. She is tough. She will fight for her causes.


Lexi Smart
Another Kinsella heroine, this time found in Remember Me?, is Lexi Smart. She is not tall, or overly beautiful. She has teeth that stick out a little bit, works hard but never gets the bonuses she deserves, and worst of all, finds out that her boyfriend is cheating on her at her dad's funeral. Basically, it's a crappy life. Probably even crappier that my own when it is 3 in the morning and my baby is poking me in the eye, wanting to play. Anyhoo... Lexi is a very sympathetic character. Then, in a twist of fate, she gets in a car crash, wakes up in the hospital and realizes that her life is completely different. Her teeth are perfect, her body is toned, she has a fab job with a gorgeous husband. But in her mind, she is still the insecure person we met in the beginning. I love Lexi. Women aren't always the fully confident people that gloss the covers of Hollywood magazines. Sometimes we feel inferior. And flawed. But Lexi shows us that no matter who we are, we can love ourselves.


Scarlett O'Hara
It's probably debateable if Gone With The Wind is a chick lit book or not. But seriously, how many men have read it? Exactly. And Scarlett may be one of my favourite anti-heroines of all time. She is so darn unlikeable! And yet you can't help but root for her. From spoiled rich girl to a tough woman who shoots a Yankee soldier, wears clothing made of drapery, and eventually runs her own business, while going through three husbands, Scarlett is not someone to overlook. Scarlett is the secret woman inside of each of us, the one who says what she wants d gets away with it. However, Melanie Wilkes may be even stronger than Scarlett, and shows elegance, grace and a very noble presence even under pressure. Between the two of them, I think we find alot of the most admirable qualities in the world.


Mikayla Rivers
I would be remiss if I didn't introduce you to Mikayla. She's a cute Canadian college girl turned world famous, super sexy popstar practically overnight. And still figuring out if she belongs in this celebrity wonderland. She has moments of self doubt, other moments of growth and clarity, and is simply trying to figure out who she is. Isn't that something that every woman (or person) has tried at some point or another? Who am I and how do I fit into this life? She's trying to get over a dirty, rotten ex-boyfriend and at the same time, navigate a new relationship with someone who would not be overly happy to find out she's a celebrity. Mikayla lives in Tanned, Toned and Totally Faking It, and I love her because she is alot like me. It's easy to relate to her.

Well, these are my best girlfriends! Have you met them all yet? If not, I'd encourage you to check them out! You'll love them as much as I do! Leave your thoughts below on your fav chicklit heroines, your thoughts on the ones I've mentioned, or even the qualities you find most important for women today.

Cheers!

PS - Below are the links to the other 34 blogs on this chicklit author tour. Enjoy them!

26 comments:

  1. Bridget Jones!!!!! Oh and gotta love Becky! <3

    Tobi
    tobihelton at gmail dot com

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  2. Mikayla seems like the perfect chick lit heroine a girl needs! I agree about the genre and feminism. Male and female equality all the way; but chick lit shouldn't get the flack for being anti-feminist or 'backwards-thinking.' You've done a great job here, Whitney, in showcasing a few ladies who show just how fab and 'now' chick lit can be!

    -Savannah Page
    info[at]savannahpage[.]com

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  3. I agree with Savannah although I loved Shopaholic. I cried! Thanks for participating in the hop!
    Rhonda D
    slinkydennis@yahoo.com

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  4. Thanks for the contest.

    brn2shop9
    brn2shop9 at gmail dot com

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  5. The title of your book alone makes me want to read it. Thanks for participating!

    abcdsherman at gmail dot com

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  6. WONDERFUL giveaway!! :)

    bethanyscruggs[at]gmail[dot]com

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  7. You were definitely witty and kept me giggling. Great post! :)

    Thanks for participating in the awesome giveway!

    Lisa @ Lost in Literature
    llongi717 (at) yahoo (dot) com

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  8. I'm not sure if Nora Roberts counts as chick lit, but the bride quartet inspired me to start my small business. The series is one of my absolute favorites.

    Caribellacreations at gmail dot com

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  9. I <3 Becky Bloomwood too!!! I love the title of your book! Thanks for the blog hop...great post!
    Theresa Crowell
    theresacrowell(at)msn(dot)com

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  10. Becky Bloomwood is by far my fave
    Pinksapphire118 at gmail .com

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  11. I wouldn't call Gone With the Wind chicklit, but since I love it, any excuse to read it will do.

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  12. I like the girl next door with brains heroine. They really make a book for me!

    sionedkla@gmail.com

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  13. Great list! Becky Bloomwood is at my top, too!

    kly(dot)327(at)gmail.com

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  14. My favorite chic lit girl is actually a group of girls. They would be Liz, Sara, Lauren, Usnavys, Becca and Amber from Alicia Valdez-Rodriguiz's Dirty Girls Social Club. Love these girls!

    mimirose41209 at hotmail dot com

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  15. I really like the list, Becky Bloomwood was one of my favorites. I thought your post was excellent, especially with a new baby;) Enjoy my baby is almost 3!Thanks for being a part of the hop. I love finding new authors!
    allysonbrann06 at yahoo dot com

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  16. I'm going to have to check out your Chick lit friends.
    sidne@ rdg.rendevous@gmail.com

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  17. Love your post! Ah, Scarlet one of my favorites.

    Mary Jean
    bpinkmj@gmail.com

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  18. Fun post and I love each of those characters.
    Thanks for participating!

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  19. looking forward to winning a FREE Chick Lit e-book! i have seem to become a book whore lately!

    gina herberg
    maxpinet@aol.com

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  20. Thanks for doing the hop.

    gatormaryd(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  21. My favorite(s) would probably be th 3 girls from Three Girls and a Baby by Rachel Schurig. They're just so relatable (sp?) and perfectly imperfect :)

    Thanks so much for doing thr blog hop!

    ocbride (at) gmail (dot) com

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  22. Thanks for introducing us to your BFFs!

    Erica Kincannon
    EricaLKincannon@gmail.com

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  23. I like Taylor from Mrs. Perfect. I admire the way she gets her life together.

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  24. Thanks for introducing me to a couple of new heroines.
    Lmackesy @ gmail.com

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  25. Thanks! I love Kinsella and I'm sure I'll love your book too! xo

    Deb
    deborrah.olson@gmail.com

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  26. I love Scarlett O'Hara. Thanks for introducing me to a new heroine and for the giveaway.

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