Women's Fiction

2011-11-17T15:50:00.001-06:00

It's pretty embarassing that I haven't posted in months... so here's something for y'all.

Best Books 2011 - Women's Fiction

http://reviews.libraryjournal.com/2011/11/best-of/best-genre/best-books-2011-womens-fiction/

In my defense, I've been busy... I'm finishing up the Women's Fiction guide in the Genreflecting Advisory Series, and I've taken on an AWESOME new full time position at Booklist. Not sure yet what this means for the future of this blog, but we'll see. I may be too busy, or, I may decide to start blitzing out the posts once my new book is ready...stay tuned.

I'm still here...

2011-03-20T14:49:00.001-05:00

Really, truly I am. I've just been crazy busy, what with a new baby (well, he's not so new anymore, now, is he), more writing gigs (see my chapter in the upcoming edition of Genreflecting, I'm hard at work on the Women's Fiction entry into the Genreflecting Advisory Series, still blogging for ShelfRenewal...), and life in general. But I have lots of blog posts for this baby on my to-do list... I swear.

Bear with me!

My take on the Franzen Flap of 2010

2010-09-24T16:52:00.001-05:00

Forgive the lapse of posts recently, but I just had my second child and life's been, um, busy. Hardly enough time to read, let alone write! But I have been meaning for weeks now to weigh in on the fuss about Jonathan Franzen and his new book.

To recap, Jonathan Franzen published a new book this summer and landed not only 2 NYT book reviews but the cover of Time as well. Then Jennifer Weiner and Jodi Picoult got lots of press for protesting.

My take? I am firmly on their side. My reaction to seeing the cover, even before the #franzenfreude started, was "WTF, why does this dude get the cover of Time??".

I'm pretty tired of literary fiction by men getting all the attention. Case in point: nearly every book blog I read this summer gushed about One Day by David Nicholls. I got very tired of the pandering, and eventually angry, because I read it and HATED it. I thought the characters, particularly the male protagonist, were downright unlikeable. And other than a few comic scenes, the novel was dull, dull, dull - with a total cop-out of an ending. But everyone else was giving him the blog equivalent of a blow job.

Frankly, One Day is a pale imitation of a women's fiction novel, written by a man. It's a quasi-romance. It tries to get into the characters' heads. And in my opinion failed miserably. (I'll be honest - I'm not a big fan of Nick Hornby, either.)

And you know damn well that if One Day had been written by a woman... it would NEVER have gotten so much attention. I think that's what makes me the maddest.

More writing...

2010-09-15T16:56:00.001-05:00

Just signed the contract for my 3rd nonfiction book about Women's Fiction! Will be part of the Genreflecting Series. Due out Fall/Winter 2011. Also just submitted the Women's Lives and Relationships chapter to the forthcoming next edition of Genreflecting , and got my finished copy of Integrated Advisory Service: Breaking Through the Book Boundary to Better Serve Library Users ,where I contributed to the Women's Stories section.

Backseat Saints by Joshilyn Jackson

2010-07-14T09:18:00.001-05:00

Loved this book.
I'm a big fan of Joshilyn Jackson in general, after being wowed by her first novel, Gods in Alabama.

I've also blogged about her at Booklist.http://bookgroupbuzz.booklistonline.com/2010/06/16/authors-you-should-try-joshilyn-jackson/

Backseat Saints is the story of Ro, an abused wife who finally makes a break for it. What's really interesting is that the character that Jackson has created does not seem at all to be the type of woman who would put up with abuse. She's really headstrong, witty, and you get the feeling she could bust anyone's balls at a moment's notice (at least, before she got married, she was strong). She also happens to be in love with her hateful husband, despite the abuse. When a psychic tells her that she's going to die at his hand unless she kills him first, she finally lets the "old" Rose Mae out.

Funny, smart, and fast paced, I enjoyed this story for the characters as well as the tight plot.

Jennifer Weiner will be with us for a while!

2010-06-02T17:48:00.000-05:00

Yay, today Jennifer Weiner just signed a contract for 4 more books with her publisher, Atria Books.
She's one of my favorites, so I'm very happy about this news!

Courtesy of Galley Cat:
http://www.mediabistro.com/galleycat/deals/jennifer_weiner_inks_four_book_deal_163413.asp

A Vintage Affair by Isabel Wolff

2010-05-06T13:47:00.003-05:00

After reading a lot of CRAP women's novels in the last year or so, I was delighted to finally get some good stuff this year (be sure to see my posts about Katherine Center and Allison Winn Scotch for examples of the good stuff!)

As you know, I do a Summer Beach Reads Roundup for Library Journal. This year, there was a book that I enjoyed so much, I asked my editor to please let it run as a separate review instead of the shorter reviews that get into the article.

Isabel Wolff's A Vintage Affair has totally renewed my faith in women's fiction (British women's fic to be specific!) I've read several of her chick lit novels before, but they were from the early 2000s - to be honest I hadn't even realized she was still writing. Turns out, she just hasn't been published in the US for a while. Thanks, Bantam, for bringing her back to us!

Wolff, Isabel. A Vintage Affair. Bantam. Jul. 2010. c.257p. ISBN 978-0-553-80783-7.

Vintage clothing lover Phoebe opens her own resale boutique in London's Blackheath neighborhood, meeting much success. She's grateful for the hustle and bustle the shop provides, because it lets her forget her guilt over the death of her best childhood friend, not to mention that she just left her fiancé at the altar. When the elderly Mrs. Bell contracts with Phoebe to sell her entire wardrobe, Phoebe finds herself reeled in by the story of Mrs. Bell's childhood friend, thought lost in the horrors of the Holocaust. Additionally, our heroine's got not one but two new suitors keeping her on her toes. Sounds like a lot, but Wolff manages to keep every story line interesting and on track, including plenty of fashion talk. VERDICT: Fans of British chick lit, rejoice! (And readers who aren't already fans, prepare to become such.) With a wide cast of realistic, wonderfully drawn characters, a deft blending of the past with the present, and a seemingly effortless managing of several plots at once, this charming novel by the author of Behaving Badly and The Trials of Tiffany Trott deserves a place in all popular fiction collections.

Review from the May 1, 2010 issue of Library Journal. Copyright 2010 Library Journal/Rebecca Vnuk.

Katherine Center and Allison Winn Scotch

2010-04-27T08:45:00.004-05:00

Recently, I had the privilege of "meeting" 2 authors I really like, Allison Winn Scotch and Katherine Center, via Twitter of all things! Ah, the power of the internets. It all came about like this - I did a program at the PLA national conference this year, my portion was on Women's Fiction (surprise!). I mentioned Scotch and Center as 2 of my top picks for up-and-coming WF authors (although, now that they each have 3 books under their belts, they've arrived, really). Library Journal picked up the program to blog about, Center got notification of it via Google Alerts, tweeted the program, sent it to Scotch, and voila, the next thing I knew I'm following them, they're following me, and boom, internet friendship blossoms. : )

Anyway, over on the Booklist blog that I contribute to, I've started talking about good WF picks for book clubs, and, have featured both of these stellar authors. I was lucky enough to snag a review copy of Scotch's upcoming novel and got my hold in early at the library for Center's latest, so here are condensed blurbs about them. Head over to the Booklist postings about Scotch and Center to read more about them. Enjoy!

Katherine Center: Full post here. "Center’s newest, Get Lucky, was just published this month in trade paperback, so even though it’s new it won’t be a hassle to obtain for groups. Sarah, an ad exec, is fired from her job when she forwards an inappropriate email to her entire firm. She decides to leave the rat race of New York to stay with her sister in Houston for a while. Her sister, Mackie, has been trying unsuccessfully to have a baby. Sarah decides that what the heck, she’s not working anyway, she’ll be the surrogate! While of course, wackiness ensues… this is also a story with real heart and depth."

Allison Winn Scotch: Full post here.
"Her latest book, The One That I Want (due out in June 2010) has the same sense of whimsical fantasy - only this time instead of going back in time, we get to take a look forward. Tilly actually loves her seemingly perfect life, until she realizes it’s not so perfect after all. When her husband leaves her to follow his basketball-coaching bliss, Tilly stumbles through life until a psychic pal grants her the gift of clarity - the ability to flash forward into the future and see where life is going to take her. Again, Scotch handles a whimsical premise that could be downright silly in another writer’s hands and manages to make it sound perfectly reasonable and possible. Her down to earth characters and snappy sense of humor are a real treat, and readers will enjoy discussing Tilly’s fate."

Recent Salon article on women's fiction: Women's Fiction: All Misery and Martinis?

2010-04-21T16:25:00.000-05:00

http://www.salon.com/life/broadsheet/2010/03/19/womens_fiction

"As Rebecca Traister wrote in 2005, 'Beating on 'women's' fiction -- and dismissing certain literary trends as feminine rubbish -- has a history as long as the popular fiction itself.'"

The article also goes on to define a big issue with women's fiction, which is that it's a very vague definition, and no one seems to know who gets to decide (publishers? readers? authors?) what ends up tagged as WF or not.

Beach Reads... Summer will be here before you know it!

2010-04-18T21:29:00.004-05:00

The upcoming issue of Library Journal (May 1, 2010) has my latest Beach Reads roundup:
http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6726026.html

Would like to point out that I would also add to the list 2 more books I just finished (not in the article, but they were positively reviewed in LJ by others. I'll be posting my own reviews here this week sometime) -
Allison Winn Scotch's The One That I Want (due out in June); and Kathleen Center's Get Lucky (out now). I'm also really looking forward to Jennifer Weiner's Fly Away Home, which is due out in July, but from what I gather from following Weiner (OK, OK, stalking, LOL) on Facebook, she's in the final edit stages, so there isn't an ARC available yet... I'm hoping my editor at LJ gets her hands on it and sends it my way when it needs to be reviewed!

And I simply LOVED Isabel Wolff's A Vintage Affair (due out in June). It came to me as part of the article, but I liked it so much I asked LJ to run a separate, starred review of it so it wouldn't get lost in the roundup. Will post the review once it's published!

Well, hello there! And mind if I brag?

2010-03-27T21:22:00.002-05:00

Well! It’s been way too long since I’ve posted, but let me take a moment to tell you why! I recently published an article on Readers Advisory for Public Libraries magazine, titled "Jack of All Trades Reader's Advisory" for the Jan/Feb 2010 issue. When it’s available online, I’ll post the link here.

I also have this year's women's fiction "beach reads" roundup coming out soon for Library Journal... should be the May or June 1st issue, I think. Will certainly post the link when it's available. Here's the link for 2008's list (I didn't write this one, but it's still fab!), and the 2006 roundup.

I’ve done several presentations in the last month, Feel the Need to Weed for the Illinois State Library’s On the Front Lines conference, and Books: The Top 5 of the Top 5 for the national Public Library Association conference.

And, I’ve snagged 2 kudos this year. I am the 2010 recipient of PLA’s Allie Beth Martin Award, as well as named one of Library Journal’s 2010 Movers and Shakers.

So you can see, some of this has kept me from posting on this blog! I plan on being able to post at least weekly in the coming months – we'll see!

The Article that started it all...

2010-01-26T21:22:00.002-06:00

Here's a link to the chick lit article I wrote for Library Journal back in 2005, which was my entryway to becoming a library expert on women's fiction (editors at Libraries Unlimited had come across my article and that led them to asking me to write the 2 books for them!)

Hip Lit for Hip Chicks

Older titles, but still relevant info.

"Chick lit offers fun, entertaining reading—don't go looking for timeless prose, philosophical musings, or unpredictable plots here!—but that does not completely explain its allure. The genre's aim of eliciting a response of "I'm exactly like that" or "That just happened to me!" has really struck a chord with women in their twenties and thirties who want to be reassured that they are not alone in screwing up their lives—or that screwing up doesn't preclude a happy ending." Read More...

Women's Fiction: What's the appeal?

2009-12-15T21:02:00.001-06:00

Here's a link to a brief article I contributed to Libraries Unlimited's Reader's Advisor News online newsletter:

http://lu.com/ranews/sep2009/vnuk.cfm

"Women's Fiction is that catch-all term that covers fiction focused on the trials, tribulations, and triumphs of contemporary women. It's difficult to call it a genre, because the story can blend with so many other genres — there can be mystery or suspense elements, it can take place in a different era, it can be funny, or sad, or often both." Read more...

Miss Harper Can Do It by Jane Berentson

2009-11-05T15:36:00.001-06:00

Elementary school teacher Annie Harper's boyfriend David is deployed to Iraq in 2003, and she begins a journal for herself, envisioning a blockbuster memoir. Instead of a sappy romantic tell-all, however, she ends up using the journal to vent, fantasize, clear her head, and figure out what she wants from her relationship. She alternates between missing David deeply and being angry with him for leaving; she has plenty of arguments (on paper) with George W. Bush as well. Static-y phone calls and occasional emails aren’t enough to keep her satisfied.To quell her loneliness, she adopts a pet chicken and volunteers at a nursing home, becoming friends with a woman whose husband may have been a World War II hero.Meanwhile, her best friend Gus becomes more and more attractive, and Annie has to determine whether or not this is a symptom of missing David.

Berentson peppers her realistic tale with funny situations and dialogue. Although Annie is decidedly anti-war, readers of any political persuasion can sympathize with her complex emotions, and her story rings true.

Review: Mermaids in the Basement by Michael Lee West

2009-11-03T15:23:00.001-06:00

Mermaids in the Basement by Michael Lee West.

Screenwriter Renata comes from a true Southern family, complete with a formidable grand dame grandmother. When Renata’s actor boyfriend is written up in the tabloids for an alleged affair, she runs away to grandmother’s estate, Point Clear, in Alabama. Still mourning her mother’s untimely death, she is looking for solace and rest. Unfortunately, she finds life getting more dramatic as the days go on. At her father’s engagement party, his new fiancée is found unconscious in a pool and Renata is the prime suspect. She can’t seem to get in touch with her boyfriend to get the straight story from him. And she discovers that her parents led secret lives she was never privy to, until now. Grandmother Honora and pals have decided it’s time to let all of the skeletons out of the family closets.

West has a knack for realistic and engaging characters. This is a charming tale that will keep readers wanting to know more about the characters inhabiting Point Clear.

Is it weird to blog about an article you wrote for another blog?

2009-09-30T15:33:00.004-05:00

Probably, but I'm going to anyway.

Here is a brief article I wrote for The Readers Advisor, on the appeal of books to female vs male readers.

"So, if women will read just about anything, what's the special appeal of Women's Fiction?"

http://lu.com/ranews/sep2009/vnuk.cfm

Really, I would love to know what you think. Do women read anything? What (if anything) makes something "men's" fiction??

Interesting...

2009-09-10T20:21:00.002-05:00

So this journalist is going to do an experiment, where she writes an entire chick lit novel in "real time". Having read some chick lit that sure felt like it was written in a month, I'm pretty sure it can be done, if not very well. : )

Saving Face? Or Losing My Mind by Dahlia Lithwick
http://www.slate.com/id/2227430/pagenum/all/#p2

What I really liked about her explanation article is this paragraph:
"One of the things I want to probe in this month of writing is the question of why we see chick lit as an escape. What is it about women who are overscheduled, underappreciated, and who at some point become invariably compromised by an undergarment, that appeals to us?"

In the introductory material to my 2 books, I explain the appeal factors of Women's Fiction. In a nutshell, it's that women like to read these novels because we love that aha! moment - where you say, "I know that girl!", "I AM that woman", "That just happened to me", or, "Dang, I'm glad that DIDN'T happen to me!". We love to recognize friends on the page.

NYT Talks Chick Lit

2009-08-17T15:43:00.004-05:00

More Gumption, Less Gucci
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/13/fashion/13CHICK.html?pagewanted=1&ref=books

"And yet, even the most lurid accounts of conspicuous consumption have never been entirely escapist, said Mallory Young, the editor, with Suzanne Ferriss, of “Chick Lit: The New Woman’s Fiction” (Routledge, 2005). “Chick lit usually responds through comedy to real situations confronting real women,”Ms. Young maintains. Unlike romance novels, chick lit “recognizes and responds to the world outside,” she said. "

NPR talks Chick Lit

2009-08-14T11:46:00.004-05:00

Interesting piece on NPR about how the recession is affecting Chick Lit... or is it?

Is the Recession Hurting Women's Fiction? Or Just Hurting Shoe Fiction?
http://www.npr.org/blogs/monkeysee/2009/08/is_the_recession_hurting_women.html

"Because shoe fiction was never a reality-based genre, ever. EVER. If you were ever inclined to sit down and read Confessions Of A Shopaholic in the first place, you're not going to turn it down and choose Confessions Of A Costco Bulk Purchaser Of Cheerios instead."

I'm blushing!!! My 2nd review

2009-08-07T12:49:00.002-05:00

Full Disclosure: this WAS written by a libraryland friend of mine, but I think it counts as unsolicited...

Booklist: A New Reader's Resource: http://bookgroupbuzz.booklistonline.com/2009/08/01/a-new-readers-resource/

Readers' Advisory Goddess Kaite Mediatore Stover says:
"I’ve found a new tool to help me select books for my book groups and prepare in advance for the meetings....this book is a great help for book group facilitators. Rebecca’s book does what I want other books to do. Gathers popular authors who are current favorites with book club members, provides lists of works, some readalikes, and resources to hel0p boost the discussion."

Thanks Kaite!!

Review: Best Friends Forever by Jennifer Weiner

2009-07-20T10:58:00.004-05:00

Best Friends Forever by Jennifer Weiner

Addie has always been the good, quiet girl in comparison to her freewheeling friend Valerie. Everything changed in high school, when Valerie became one of the popular girls. When jock Dan Swansea sexually assaults Valerie, Addie comes to her rescue, only to be betrayed when Valerie denies everything, leaving Addie humiliated and outcast. Fifteen years later, on the night of their high school reunion, Valerie decides to try and make things right, only to end up turning their worlds upside down. In her revenge attempt on Dan, she runs him over with her car, leaving him for dead. Once again she turns to Addie for help, and the two set of on the run from the law. Local detective Jordan Novick has problems of his own, but is intrigued by a belt and a pool of blood found in a parking lot, and is shortly hot on the case.
Weiner’s latest showcases her talent for richly drawn, realistic characters. She deftly weaves in multiple backstories and subplots, punctuating her story with plenty of humor. Highly recommended for all fans of women’s fiction.

Wow, my first review!

2009-07-20T10:49:00.006-05:00

I am so pleased to report that Rick Roche, librarian at the Thomas Ford Memorial Library and author of Real Lives Revealed: A Guide to Reading Interests in Biography, has reviewed my book Read On ... Women's Fiction on his blog!!

http://ricklibrarian.blogspot.com/2009/06/read-on-womens-fiction-reading-lists.html

"Read On ... Women's Fiction is going to be handy to have around the library. Jamie and Annie may get some book list and display ideas from it. It will give me some titles to suggest to the next reader who has finished the Sophie Kinsella books. At Thomas Ford, we are going to circulate it and the other Read On Series guides to let readers discover more titles on their own."

Thanks Rick!!

Reviews of Rebecca's books

2009-07-01T13:43:00.000-05:00

Booklist on Read On... -http://www.booklistonline.com/default.aspx?page=show_product&pid=3644825

Booklist on Women's Fiction Authors - http://www.booklistonline.com/default.aspx?page=show_product&pid=3669810

Librarian Kaite Mediatore Stover on Women's Fiction Authors - http://bookgroupbuzz.booklistonline.com/2009/08/01/a-new-readers-resource/

Librarian Rick Roche on Read On... - http://ricklibrarian.blogspot.com/2009/06/read-on-womens-fiction-reading-lists.html

Author Research Series: Women's Fiction Authors

2009-06-16T10:15:00.003-05:00

Students, researchers, readers' advisors, and fiction fans will find a starting point for researching popular women's fiction authors and to find new ones with this practical guide. It includes entries for approximately 75 leading contemporary authors, listing print and online sources, as well as Web sites for obtaining authoritative information.

Women's Fiction Authors: A Research Guide (Author Research Series)

Read On: Women's Fiction

2009-06-16T10:03:00.000-05:00

Created to offer a different perspective on women's fiction and to reach a broad reading audience (including fans), Read On...Women's Fiction: Reading Lists for Every Taste offers new reading paths for women's fiction lovers. Rebecca Vnuk categorizes and lists hundreds of popular women's fiction titles, but her scope is more current and more selective than that found other guides, the tone is lighter and more informal, annotations are shorter and livelier. Most important, the organization and approach are based on various appeal factors of the genre, rather than on the formal genres and subgenres adhered to by other guides.
Use these lists to advise readers; to create thematic reading lists for library websites, flyers, and newsletters; and as checklists or reading plans for those who enjoy women's fiction.

Read On...Women's Fiction: Reading Lists for Every Taste (Read On Series)