The guys in my house are watching the game, so a great time for me to blog...

I have actually read a lot of chick-lit, these last seven years of at-home, motherhood. Before returning to school, I was part of a book club in a MOMS group and we read much of this. Frankly, I found the reading enjoyable, funny, and quite relevant to everyday life. This doesn't mean that I still don't enjoy reading award winners and classical literature. But, I think chick-lit is good, it serves its purpose of providing entertainment to 20 and 3o somethings. I don't think it's harmful in any way. They don't depict women as depressed, abused or in a misogynistic view; they just show the "real" lives of everyday women. Maybe this if it be, post-feminism, is the direction of movement for feminism after achieving liberation? Among the chick-lit I have read: my favorite "I Don't Know How She Does it All, The Life of Kate Reddy Working Mother," by Allison Pearson, "Where the Heart Is," Oprah Book Club, about a teen mother giving birth in Walmart, the famous "Bridget Jones' Diary," and I think a sequel to this ?, "Divine Secrets of the Ya Ya Sisterhood," and it's prequel "Ya Ya's in Bloom," "The Secret Life of Bees," (these are a few of what I can remember.)

On the topic of what may seem like chick-lit for young adult girls, The Gossip Girl and A List books; I think they are harmful because they are marketed to young girls, who are very vulnerable to the topics discussed. As one of the girls in the article comments, younger girls are not ready to deal with the topics of sex and drugs (most handled very casually.) I believe young adults have a harder time distinguishing between this fiction and reality; and even if able to they are more likely to be influenced by a book (than an older teen or adult.)

I found myself saying "Yes, Yes," while reading "Defining the Feminist Children's Novel," when the author stated "My definition of feminism relies on belief in the worth of all individuals. I define feminism as the premise that all people should be treated equally regardless of gender, race, or religion." I have defined myself as a feminist since college and on these terms; not on the man-hating terms we discussed last week (which most young girls today vision when they hear feminist.) However, I disagree with the author when she states that literary antecedents in such novels as "Little Women" and "Anne of Green Gables," show women how young girls though desiring to be independant must squelch their individuality in order to fit into society. While this might happen in these historical books, I think they are still great books for young women because they show the obstacles that fore-sisters faced. I found that the girl character in my book for this week Billie Joe "Out of the Dust," achieved the transcendence talked about in the article. It was historical fiction, 1934. I will discuss the book more in a separate post.

Hidden Aggression in Girls: I could also relate to what the girls from middle school were saying about the secretive, manipulative, meanness of young girls. My family moved to Lafayette, when I was in the middle of my 8th grade year. While I fit in fairly well, I remember that terrible feeling of being alone (and wanting to be accepted.) This seems to be a true fear for girls.

Would love to hear more from the other females in reponse to these articles, sorry guys!

Staci