Do you consider the book to be Chick Lit?

Use this forum to discuss the February 2018 Book of the Month, "The Reel Sisters" by Michelle Cummings.
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Re: Do you consider the book to be Chick Lit?

Post by bookowlie »

Kieran_Obrien wrote: โ†‘26 Feb 2018, 16:27 "Women's contemporary fiction" kinda just sounds like a more fancy way of saying chick lit to me ๐Ÿ˜… but how we call things changes our perspective on it, and I prefer the term to chick lit!
You're right! It's a less belittling, but the new label contains the same concept - separating women's fiction from the fiction genre. I notice there isn't a separate category for fiction with male main characters. Somehow women's fiction has the connotation of something less serious, in the same way that chick lit is.
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Post by Samy Lax »

Interesting thought. It might have a majority of female characters. But beyond that, I didn't get a feel of chick-lit from it.
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Post by lauren1 »

The Reel Sisters is a book for women. It deals with five leading ladies and their life's issues. They vent to one another and get on with life whereas, typically if a woman vents to a man, he want to "fix it" for her. In order for this book to not be "chick lit", it would have to involve men with solutions to their problems. (All my opinion.)
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Post by bookowlie »

lauren1 wrote: โ†‘27 Feb 2018, 09:36 The Reel Sisters is a book for women. It deals with five leading ladies and their life's issues. They vent to one another and get on with life whereas, typically if a woman vents to a man, he want to "fix it" for her. In order for this book to not be "chick lit", it would have to involve men with solutions to their problems. (All my opinion.)
It's true that men like to fix things. Women will offer advice, but sometimes know that the person just want someone to listen and offer support.
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Post by Emmanae »

Katherine Smith wrote: โ†‘23 Feb 2018, 16:01 I don't think that the book is a chick lit because if the main characters were all guys there would not be an issue. I like that the book is delving into the lives of four young women. I agree that the book does hit many of those themes, but every book deals with some aspects of relationships.
I agree with this so much. Thank you! I don't think it's chick lit, but I also wouldn't classify Little Women as chick lit and probably many would. It just sounds so negative. xD
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Post by Melchi Asuma »

I do not. As a matter of fact, I think that they book was not even chick lit on the surface. It just wasn't. As such, it should appeal to makes and females alike. Thats what I thought anyway.
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Post by innah96 »

Kieran_Obrien wrote: โ†‘26 Feb 2018, 13:07
innah96 wrote: โ†‘26 Feb 2018, 09:58
Kieran_Obrien wrote: โ†‘22 Feb 2018, 09:23 Perhaps the term is a bit offensive, but do you consider the Reel Sisters to be Chick Lit?

I think there's maybe a bit more going on in the narrative that opens up it's genre slightly, but it does hit all the chick lit tropes!

I'm a guy and I found it reasonably enjoyable anyway!

I haven't read the book, but I wanted to point out that for me, Chick Lit doesn't associate me on anything offensive. I wonder why you would think it might be offensive for some people?
Just curious :)
When I began the thread I didn't know too much about Chick Lit so I just wanted to be careful; someone might take issue with the term itself (women = chicks has always sounded funny to me) or perhaps the term was outdated in a world where feminism is on the rise!

After reading the thread though it seems to me that chick lit is just as much a marketing style as much as it is a genre.
Ah, I see. I personally wouldn't take offence - doubt it that anyone will - but it is a nice way of seeing that point as well.. :)
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Post by uyky »

Emma13 wrote: โ†‘24 Feb 2018, 10:33 It is an interesting question. Just because the main characters in a book are male, we don't assume that only men will read it, so why do we make the opposite assumption with books about women? I guess we still have this idea that the default character is a male (probably white and straight, too).
That is exactly what I was thinking. And also, is it insinuating that man can't read books with mostly women protagonists? I don't think that is the case. Mostly chick lit are books with a lot of romance, and even that shouldn't be the case.
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Post by britt13 »

I had never even heard this term before. I guess it makes sense because I have heard of chick flicks. Personally, I feel that people are so diverse in their likes and dislikes that to label anything into a box of one gender is doing a disservice to the item. I think we have become a society obsessed with labeling thing into such small subcategories and it isn't helpful. Does this book have feminine qualities, yes obviously, but that does not mean only a woman would enjoy it. I am glad you brought this topic up!
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Post by k2rugman »

I wasn't sure about this book because I'm not a real fan of chick lit and it seemed like that's what it is, but it sounds like it could be a good book regardless! I'll have to give it a try!
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Post by Manali_DC »

Is this book chic lit? Well- only as far as that the main characters are all female! Its mostly a wonderful story about friendship and bonding in the very unusual backdrop of fly fishing and the outdoors. Categorizing it as chic-lit might put off a lot of readers who might have otherwise really enjoyed the story!
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Post by Whitney Marchelle »

I would say that women would respond more to this than men.. so that would mean it's a chick flick.
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Post by mamalui »

Yes and no because I think that anyone male or female can actually enjoy this book.
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Post by Kingsway »

In this book there are male as well as female character, conforming to the thought that it is chick lit therefore depends on what the reader thought about the book or how the reader understood the book. I am neutral when it comes to this.
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Post by Joy2thenations »

I wouldnโ€™t think of this as โ€œchick litโ€ (which in my mind is more along the lines of steamy romance books). I would say this book may be more favored by women than men, but certainly does not mean a man would not enjoy the read.
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