I'm Doing Chick Lit Plus' Reading Challenge

One of the blogs I follow, Chick Lit Plus (http://ow.ly/3nWGf ), is sponsoring a reading challenge for 2011.  It is a simple challenge, twelve chick lit books throughout the year, two of which must be by a debut author.  So why this challenge?

The label "chick lit" alone is enough to turn off some people, and I understand that argument. You don't see much "men's fiction" but let's be honest.  Some fiction appeals more to certain groups than others. I, for example, don't often choose to read about hunting and fishing- they simply aren't interests of mine. That being said, some people use the term "chick lit" to be summarily dismissive of a work simply because it is written by, or geared towards, women.  And while some books I've read certainly fit the "chick lit" stereotype, others do not.  And if they do, so what? People read for a myriad of reasons. If someone gets some enjoyment reading the Shopaholic series, even if it isn't your cup of tea, why do you care? 

So part of the reason I'm doing this challenge is to, hopefully, broaden people's understanding of what "chick lit" is and show where it, like any other entertaining piece of fiction, has merit.  Secondly, although I read a fair amount of non-fiction to learn, sometimes I like to read to escape from the day to day chaos in my own life.  This challenge will remind me to slow down, at least once a month, and read.  There are so many talented, smart writers out there, writing about things that matter to me or that I can relate to. Still, I sometimes forget to take time to enjoy them.

So, I hope you'll join me on this journey, participating yourself or following the challenge related posts.   And as always, suggestions are welcome!