Christine Murray: Why I Read Chick Lit
Well, I'm probably still eating and drinking right about now, so I give you . . . a guest post by Christine Murray!
Over to Christine, on why she reads chick lit ('coz she's a smart lady, is my guess).
Thanksso much to the fabulous Talli for letting me hog her blog for a day!
I'vealways been a book worm. My parents would rather read a book than do just aboutanything else, and unless I wanted to stare at the wall or talk to imaginaryfriends (and I had several, by the way) I had to get into books.
I read voraciously. I can't go anywhere withouta book in my bag, and I get edgy if I don't have at least five more books linedup for after I finish my current one. I would rather read about a party thanactually go to one. You know that famous quote by Lily Bollinger 'I drinkchampagne when I'm happy and when I'm sad'? Substitute drink champagne for readbooks and you've got me. My husband has been making some comments lately aboutthe size of my book collection, and suggesting that I get rid of some. As ofyet he hasn't given me an 'it's me or the books' ultimatum, but if it came toit I can't guarantee that books wouldn't win out.
Reading is such a large part of my life, thatwhen I stopped reading completely in summer 2009 it should have set off alarmbells. If it did I didn't notice it. My energy levels were at an all time low,and after a lot of worry and a battery of tests I was eventually diagnosed withfibromyalgia, a sister illness of chronic fatigue syndrome. I read a widevariety of genres before I got sick, but when I was getting back into readingafter diagnosis I found that chick-lit was the perfect style of book to cheerme up.
I think what I really love about chick-lit isthat it doesn't take itself too seriously. And that, in my humble opinion, ishow I think women deal with problems. No matter how bad the situation, we tendto pick the most ludicrous part of it and use it for comedic effect when wetell friends about it. It's how we cope. That sense of irreverence and humouris what I think makes the genre so popular. Whenever anything really awfulhappens to me, I always feel better when I reach the point where I can laughabout it with friends. Chick-lit offers us a portable instantly accessible wayto distraction and a giggle. Plus, no matter how knotty the problem, howeverludicrous the situation, we know that our heroine will have if not a happy everafter, than at least a satisfactory ending it.
And writing it is almost more fun than readingit!
About Storms in Teacups
ALEX is a journalist who has alwaysdreamed of working for a glossy women's magazine. Instead, she finds herselfworking for Dublin's most notorious tabloid newspaper, rewriting press releasesand covering for her colleague Jodie, a well-connected neurotic who stillhasn't figured out how to use an apostrophe.ROSE thinks that she has life sorted. She lovesher job as a teacher in a disadvantaged school, and has just moved in with hergorgeous actor boyfriend, Daniel. The only clouds on her horizon are aheadmaster with a passion for new-age team-building and a stack of envelopesthat she refuses to open but can't quite bring herself to throw out.
SHANNON feels like she's stagnating. When she graduatedat the top of her class from drama college everyone thought it would be just amatter of time until she got her big break. Instead, she pays the bills withparts in small plays and some low rent television shows. Now she's in herthirties, is it time she gives up on her dreams and get a proper job?
When a scandal shakes up the lives of all three women, will they manageto stay true to their dreams? Or will the betrayal of one man change theirplans for good?
Christine Murray is a journalist and writer fromDublin, Ireland. She has a passion for both coffee and cocktails and thinks theespresso martini might be the most underrated invention of all time. She liveswith her husband and chocolate Labrador in semi-organised chaos.
Thank you, Christine![image error]
Over to Christine, on why she reads chick lit ('coz she's a smart lady, is my guess).
Thanksso much to the fabulous Talli for letting me hog her blog for a day!
I'vealways been a book worm. My parents would rather read a book than do just aboutanything else, and unless I wanted to stare at the wall or talk to imaginaryfriends (and I had several, by the way) I had to get into books.
I read voraciously. I can't go anywhere withouta book in my bag, and I get edgy if I don't have at least five more books linedup for after I finish my current one. I would rather read about a party thanactually go to one. You know that famous quote by Lily Bollinger 'I drinkchampagne when I'm happy and when I'm sad'? Substitute drink champagne for readbooks and you've got me. My husband has been making some comments lately aboutthe size of my book collection, and suggesting that I get rid of some. As ofyet he hasn't given me an 'it's me or the books' ultimatum, but if it came toit I can't guarantee that books wouldn't win out.
Reading is such a large part of my life, thatwhen I stopped reading completely in summer 2009 it should have set off alarmbells. If it did I didn't notice it. My energy levels were at an all time low,and after a lot of worry and a battery of tests I was eventually diagnosed withfibromyalgia, a sister illness of chronic fatigue syndrome. I read a widevariety of genres before I got sick, but when I was getting back into readingafter diagnosis I found that chick-lit was the perfect style of book to cheerme up.
I think what I really love about chick-lit isthat it doesn't take itself too seriously. And that, in my humble opinion, ishow I think women deal with problems. No matter how bad the situation, we tendto pick the most ludicrous part of it and use it for comedic effect when wetell friends about it. It's how we cope. That sense of irreverence and humouris what I think makes the genre so popular. Whenever anything really awfulhappens to me, I always feel better when I reach the point where I can laughabout it with friends. Chick-lit offers us a portable instantly accessible wayto distraction and a giggle. Plus, no matter how knotty the problem, howeverludicrous the situation, we know that our heroine will have if not a happy everafter, than at least a satisfactory ending it.
And writing it is almost more fun than readingit!
About Storms in Teacups
ALEX is a journalist who has alwaysdreamed of working for a glossy women's magazine. Instead, she finds herselfworking for Dublin's most notorious tabloid newspaper, rewriting press releasesand covering for her colleague Jodie, a well-connected neurotic who stillhasn't figured out how to use an apostrophe.ROSE thinks that she has life sorted. She lovesher job as a teacher in a disadvantaged school, and has just moved in with hergorgeous actor boyfriend, Daniel. The only clouds on her horizon are aheadmaster with a passion for new-age team-building and a stack of envelopesthat she refuses to open but can't quite bring herself to throw out.SHANNON feels like she's stagnating. When she graduatedat the top of her class from drama college everyone thought it would be just amatter of time until she got her big break. Instead, she pays the bills withparts in small plays and some low rent television shows. Now she's in herthirties, is it time she gives up on her dreams and get a proper job?
When a scandal shakes up the lives of all three women, will they manageto stay true to their dreams? Or will the betrayal of one man change theirplans for good?
Christine Murray is a journalist and writer fromDublin, Ireland. She has a passion for both coffee and cocktails and thinks theespresso martini might be the most underrated invention of all time. She liveswith her husband and chocolate Labrador in semi-organised chaos.
Thank you, Christine![image error]
No comments have been added yet.
