American Girls About Town

by Jennifer Weiner, Lauren Weisberger, Adriana Trigiani

A follow-up to Irish Girls About Town and Scottish Girls About Town journeys acrss the Atlantic to present a collection of sixteen tales from some of America's most popular women authors, including Adriana Trigiani, Jennifer Weiner, Quinn Dalton, Judi Hendricks, Lauren Henderson, Lauren Weisberger, Nancy Sparling, and others. Reprint.

Genres: Chick Lit, Short Stories, Fiction, Anthologies, Romance, Novels, Womens Fiction

400 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published July 26, 2004

About the author

Jennifer Weiner is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of eighteen books, including Good in Bed, In Her Shoes, and, most recently, That Summer. A graduate of Princeton University, she lives with her family in Philadelphia. Visit her online at JenniferWeiner.com.

Reviews

[Juliana · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you liked this book, you'll enjoy the Irish girls about town better! Far more witty than the American version.

[Antof9 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well, I read this on two different airplanes. I left it in my carry-on from the last trip, and then I read it when I came back to NYC for this week.

This book is not very exciting. First, I realized I really don't like "anthologies". That's not exactly what this is, but it is a bunch of short stories. Each chapter is a new story by a new author, and each is only about 5-8 pages long. Might be a great book for a doctor's office waiting room, but not my cup of tea at all.

Sadly, the first story in the book is the best one, which makes you think they're going to be fabulous. And they quickly deteriorate from there. Many of them are just ho-hum, and some of them are downright bad. Tonight I read one about a woman whose husband had an affair and also someone in their office was a stripper that I never did fully figure out. I couldn't help but wonder if a lot of these are rough ideas for a full-blown novel, and the author just submitted their skeleton outlines for this book?

Oh, and what it is it about chick lit and girls named Becky?!

[Jenn · Rating 5 out of 5]

https://jenninsf.wordpress.com/2008/1...

[Cathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some stories were better than others. Although this book was chock full of American chick lit authors, I'm not so sure I"d classify this collection of short stories as "chick lit" in general. While some of the stories mirrored their authors' published chick lit novels, many more of the short stories would better be described as general fiction or even just women's ficition. A lot of the stories surprised me in that they were dark or sarcastic in nature and others were just plain "unique". My favorite stories were the ones you'd qualify as part of the chick lit genre, such as Jill Smoliniski's Forty Days. Overall, it was an enjoyable read, and a great way to get a feel for a variety of authors. On the other hand, I'm not soo sure that some of the stories reflected a lot of the authors more famous works. I'd say, read this one for yourself to decide what you think.

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

For those with low attention spans, this is the book for you. Which is so me lately. American chicklit authors wrote some short stories for this anthology which proceeds of the sales (got it for free, whoops!) goes to some charity. Apparently there are Irish and UK versions of this book too, which I wouldn't mind picking up if I ever see it anywhere. Anyway, for those with no attention span, this is a good book for you. Except when like a story is good and you wish it went on longer! Those I love. There was one about a couple who like role play and pick each other up in a bar, which of course, I totally called and loved it, mainly because I love that kind of situation in both books, tv and movies (and real life! hehe). I don't
remember any of the other stories, but I read the book in a day because it was both good and I was in Akaroa in NZ and I had nothing else to do.

Grade: C

[Megan BG · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed some of the stories. Some of them I didn't understand and they may have been better if they were full length novels.

And America isn't just LA and New York. Most of the stories took place in one of these cities. There were 2 or 3 abroad and maybe 3 that were elsewhere in the US.

[Dani Peeler · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the individual stories in this book - some more than others, but just not a huge fan of the layout. Some of the short stories left me wanting to read more and others I was okay with moving on!

[Tricia · Rating 3 out of 5]

A series of short stories by female American Authors.

Some were good, others not as good.

[Sarah Sammis · Rating 4 out of 5]

As this is the last story in the book, I'll close with my thoughts on the experience. These fourteen short storties are written by authors I've not read before as I'm not much of a reader of either "women's fiction" or "chick lit." There are some stories I enjoyed enough to want to read more by some of the authors. My favorite stories were by Claire LaZebnik, Adriana Trgiana, Judi Hendricks, Sarah Mlynowski and Jill Smolinski. I'm glad I took the time to read through the stories and the book has for the most part left a positive impression on me.

The stories in the book are: (Click on a title to read previous reviews).

"A Day in the Life of My Great Brit Book Tour" by Adriana Trigiani.
"Five" by Julianna Baggott
"Leaving a Light On" by Claire LaZebnik
"Moving Day" Cindy Chupack
"Yoga Babe" Lauren Henderson
"The Truth About Nigel" by Jennifer Weiner
"Voodoo Dolls, C-Cups and Eminem" by Melissa Senate
"The Bamboo Confessions" by Lauren Weisberger

"Amore" by Laura Wolf
"Andromeda on the Street of Ducklings" by Judi Hendricks
"Bad Manners" by Chris Manby
"The Two-Month Itch" by Sarah Mlynowski
"I Know a Woman" by Quinn Dalton
"Just Visiting" by Nancy Sparling
"Forty Days" by Jill Smolinski
"The Uncertainty Principle" by Lynda Curnyn
"Small Worlds" by Gretchen Laskas

[Lory · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great chick lit overview. I read it because it contained stories by several authors I liked, and wanted to see if it would lead me to others. I'm pretty picky about my chick lit- I like a breezy read, but I just can't relate to some vapid idiot that thinks a $400 pair of shoes is more important than paying rent. Not that I'm trashing Sophie Kinsella, because honestly, I've loved almost all of her non-Shopaholic books. On the other hand, I love almost everything Lauren Weisberger has written, because they are usually about a relatively normal girl who gets swept up into a crazy jacked-up-priorities world, loses everything and realizes her old life was much better (notable exception- Chasing Harry Winston, which was by far my least favorite of her books).

American Girls did just what I was hoping it would- some of the stories I loved, some of them I absolutely despised, and I have some ideas about new authors I'd like to check out. If you're looking to expand your chick-lit horizons, definitely pick up this book.

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

For those with low attention spans, this is the book for you. Which is so me lately. American chicklit authors wrote some short stories for this anthology which proceeds of the sales (got it for free, whoops!) goes to some charity. Apparently there are Irish and UK versions of this book too, which I wouldn't mind picking up if I ever see it anywhere. Anyway, for those with no attention span, this is a good book for you. Except when like a story is good and you wish it went on longer! Those I love. There was one about a couple who like role play and pick each other up in a bar, which of course, I totally called and loved it, mainly because I love that kind of situation in both books, tv and movies (and real life! hehe). I don't remember any of the other stories.

[Ellen · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was fun to pick up a book of short stories – something I had not done in years, if not since assigned to do so in high school. (I think that it’s a genre that’s harder to find, and I’m often too lazy to move beyond the best-seller tables in the front of the bookstore.) I found this collection a mixed bag of both engaging and/or funny, and boring chick-lit. There was a month where the book lay untouched on my nightstand because I was stuck in a particularly long-winded story that, despite being “short” seemed to never end. The standout, must-read story is “Leaving a Light On” by Claire LeZebnick. Proceeds from the book’s sales go to the Make-A-Wish-Foundation.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a collection of short stories, and while some were just okay, there were a few that I wished were longer than a short story. Since I'm somewhat new to reading the chick-lit genre, it was good for me to get a sample of other writers I'd never heard of. I've already read Lauren Weisberger and Jennifer Weiner. But I found that I also really liked reading Cindy Chupack, Laura Wolf, Judi Hendricks (her story "Andromeda on the Street of Ducklings" was one of my favories in this collection), and Nancy Sparling.

[Carolyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's been a while since I read a book of short stories. I saw one of my favorite authors contributed (Jennifer Weiner) to this one so I thought I would check it out. Fun stories, all about the trials of being an American girl.

Weiner, oddly enough, wrote a short story about a girl from England though. Hmmm ...

As with a collection of short stories, each one can be hit or miss. My favorite was by Nancy Sparling. Anyone ever read something else by her? Reminds me a lot of the Shopaholic series.

There are also books of short stories from Irish and Scottish authors.

[Arra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Since it was a compilation of short stories from different authors, I felt that I have read a lot of books in one sitting. I love the fact that I get to explore different situations, different worlds and meet different characters. I somehow felt empowered when I read about the various types of women in each story. Though I think I was not satisfied or I didn't really get the point of some stories, you'll still get to pick a personal favorite and I really love "Andromeda on the Street of Ducklings" by Judi Hendricks.I think it is the best among all the other stories.

[Candice · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another collection of short stories published to raise money for children's non-profit agencies. Chick lit, which I enjoy some of but frankly haven't read much of. Problem with this collection is that most of the tone and voices were pretty interchangeable, with the exception of a few, which I may pursue when I'm in the mood for this type of writing - breezy and humorous. I'm a woman, I like women writing about women's lives, so I don't know if I'm disappointed in "chick lit" or if it was just this particular sampling.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

A pleasant collection of stories by contemporary chick lit authors. I enjoyed quite a few of the stories by authors I haven't read before and plan to look for their novels at the library. My favorite story was "Forty Days" by Jill Smolinski. The narrator, a single mother on the verge of turning forty, decides to spend the forty days before her birthday spicing up her life by doing something she'd never done before, something she'd been afraid to do and something just for herself.

[Bagwags · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book, although I did skip one or two stories. Some stories didn't catch my attention and some I missed because I lost my place in the book. Majority of the stories were very relatable and very interesting (cheating scenario, husband coming out of the closet, keeping the fire alive in a marriage, etc.). Really liked it and the short story format - probably should have used a book mark though!

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

These are a group of short stories by some of our favorite "chick lit" authors. What I like about them is that most either end with enlightenment, happiness, or both. They are sort of a feel good read. My favorites are about a bank worker who falls for a new employee only to find out he is famous, and also one about a woman who is turning 40 and thinks of 40 things she has always wanted to do but been afraid to.

[Elisa Waingort · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. The short stories are all spectacular. They contain fully developed female characters that could be anyone in a woman's life, including herself, especially herself. The fact that these are short stories allowed me to pause after reading each one and savour the feeling that each story evokes. You almost have to do this with each story to fully appreciate the effect it has on the reader. I highly recommend this book to all my female friends on Goodreads.

[Carrie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Overall, I was very disappointed with this book. The stories seemed trite and very similar from one to the next. It was a struggle to motivate myself to finish reading it. Normally, I love short stories but I was disappointed with these- with the exception of about 4 or 5 of them. Although the book contained stories from some of my favorite authors, I think I will stick to their novels in the future.

[Meredith · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you love chick lit and want to get a taste of different authors then this is for you. Most of the stories were really good and the bad ones you got through quickly anyways. It really helped give me a better sense of which authors I would like to read more of their books. Also if you are a Jennifer Weiner fan she's got a great story in here as well.

[Saima · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was really fun to read and actually a really quick read. The book is composed of 17 different stories by 17 famous writers....one of which is Lauren Weisberger who wrote " The Devil Wears Prada". Some of the stories were hilarious while some of them were really weird. Overall it was nice to notice the different writing styles of the various authors.

[Sheela · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a cute, fun read. Some of the stories were really great; others fell flat and felt formulaic. I was looking forward to Lauren Weisberger's short story because I enjoy her books, but the story was so generic and predictable. I particularly liked Laura Wolf's "Amore," which I thought was ironic and funny.

[dearlittledeer · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unfortunately, my copy of this book was missing one story and repeated two and a half others instead. Based on what I was able to read, I'd give it two and a half stars. The stories are a real mix of silly chick lit and more serious and poetic stuff. Good for reading one story a night at bedtime. My only problem was that one of the stories is about a British woman. I don't get that.

[Stacey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yes, another compilation, this one to benefit Make-a-Wish. Also a book I took a chance on, though, it was more of a 70/30 sort of thing. Loved Adriana Trigiani, Claire LaZebnik, Lauren Weisberger, Jill Smolinski, & Chris Manby. Hated Julianna Baggott, Lauren Henderson, & Laura Wolf. If you enjoy any of these authors, pick the book up cheap or rent it from your library.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Several authors I have read and liked had stories in this book, along with some new authors. I really enjoyed the stories from the authors I know (Jennifer Weiner, Lauren Weisberger, Claire LaZebnik, Melissa Senate). The other stories were just okay. I might read a few of the other authors' work, but it wasn't anything amazing.

[Margaret]

A chick lit anthology of short stories - I definitely liked some better than others. I thought Leaving a Light On was rather clever and The Two Month Itch and Forty Days were amusing. I also liked The Bamboo Confessions and Andromeda on the Street of Ducklings. Fast reading - nothing was too serious or required much thought (sometimes you just need fluff).

[Tisha · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoy a short story book by many authors since it give me a chance to decide if I want to read anything else by that particular author. The only thing with this, there were some stories that I wanted to go on. Its was disappointing to discover the story has ended and I have to make my own conclusions.

[B. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some stories are a hit, some are a miss, but all are infinitely relatable. An alternate title for this book could be: Things you do in your thirties...or at least seriously consider doing. Nice to have written validation that some of my crazy thoughts aren't as crazy as I thought...or at least that they are more common than I expected. It was a fun read.