Chick Lit help!

With the explosion of Chick Lit these last few years, I have to admit that I'm a little overwhelmed when confronted with what's good and what's plain crap out there.  So far, I've only meandered into the genre with two books, one I hated and one wasn't too bad.  I absolutely loathed The Nanny Diaries, for a bunch of reasons I won't bore you with.  The other was the first Bridget Jones.

I'm not a literary snob by any means, but I tend to find myself annoyed when characters... female characters... blithely let other people walk all over them.  And I fear that is the underlying theme in this genre.

I'm really trying to find some new authors to read as I seem to be quickly catching up with all my current favorites, and I thought this might be a fun direction to try.

Any suggestions?  Please??

Are you just looking for recent female authors in the "chick lit" genre?

I have a feeling that you'd really like Jennifer Weiner. She wrote In Her Shoes, which was good and Good In Bed, very funny. I just finished another one of hers called Little Earthquakes. Slightly intelligent Chick Lit, but not really about the "beautiful people."

I second Good In Bed, good book and funny

June

Are you just looking for recent female authors in the "chick lit" genre?

I don't really know what I'm looking for, which is the problem.  I guess my only criteria is that it isn't too deep or depressing - I need to take a break from that stuff for a while (my brain hurts!).

Hell... I want fluff.  But entertaining and mildly intelligent fluff.

I'll also say Jennifer Weiner, I just finished her latest, Goodnight Nobody which was also good.  I also like Jane Green, her first (I think) book Jemima J was cute.

I agree with you on the Nanny Diaries, I hated it.

Not a big chick lit fan myself but India Knight is very funny. 

Jane Green and Jennifer Weiner are good.

I read the Nanny Diaries... those two authors just finished another book!

Thanks everyone.  This is exactly what I needed - a good jumping off point.  Now, hopefully, I'll enjoy reading it!

Marian Keyes is excellent!  Last Chance Saloon, Lucy Sullivan is Getting Married, and Rachel's Holiday are my faves.  Anna Maxted is also good but not as goos as Keyes.

And I liked Jemima J too. (Jane Green).

I didn't hate Nanny Diaries as much as I didn't like The Devil Wears Prada.  I kind of thought Nanny Diaries was cute...

What about Sophie Kinsella?

Marian Keyes is excellent!  Last Chance Saloon, Lucy Sullivan is Getting Married, and Rachel's Holiday are my faves.  Anna Maxted is also good but not as goos as Keyes.

And I liked Jemima J too. (Jane Green).

Forgot about her, I love her stuff as well!

I didn't hate Nanny Diaries as much as I didn't like The Devil Wears Prada.  I kind of thought Nanny Diaries was cute...

What about Sophie Kinsella?

Oh yeah, I hated DWP just as much.  Ooh, and Sophis Kinsella is great too!

Marian Keyes is excellent! 

Yes, she is!! I like her writing and I don't even usually like chick-lit (unless you count Jane Austen  ).

Alice Hoffman.  Great writing, good stories and interesting characters.  Not typical plot lines for "chick lit" but good reads, none-the-less!

Oh, OK, I thought of another chick-lit writer I like. Katie Fforde. It's total escapism, they're all predictable, and there's nothing realistic about it, but I just love the English country-ish settings of her books, as well as the subjects (country inns, prize-winning gardens, etc.). It's the life I wish I had!