Sisters in Women's Fiction

When I do workshops on women's fiction, I always discuss the kinds of books that make up the genre, and different trends. Something we see a LOT of in WF is books featuring sisters, so for a recent "Core Collection" feature in the March 1, 2016 issue of Booklist, I shared some great reading suggestions from authors such as Angela Benson, Jennifer Weiner, Kristin Hannah, Jen Lancaster, and more!

What are some of your favorite WF books featuring sisters?

Core Collection: Sisters in Women’s Fiction.

Humorist Linda Sunshine is quoted as saying, “If you don’t understand how a woman could both love her sister dearly and want to wring her neck at the same time, then you were probably an only child.” What is it about the relationship between sisters that makes such rich fodder for women’s fiction? After all, a reader doesn’t have to have a sister in order to relate.

One of the main things that draw readers to women’s fiction is a sense of recognition or the ability to relate to the characters. It’s pleasurable and comforting to escape into a story that you connect with on a certain level. So perhaps the popularity of fiction featuring sisters has something to do with readers being able to see themselves in one sister or another. Below is a list of must-have women’s-fiction titles featuring sisters, perfect for just about any women’s-fiction fan...

To read more and get the annotated list, head to the feature, "Core Collection: Sisters in Women's Fiction" on Booklist Online!

Booklist's Top 10 Women's Fiction: 2016

It's time for Booklist's annual Women's Fiction Spotlight!

Once again, I've contributed lists to the March 1 issue of Booklist, honoring women's fiction. Don't forget to check out the companion article, "Core Collection: Sisters in Women's Fiction," for some of my favorite titles from this very popular subset of women's fiction.

Booklist's Top 10 Women's Fiction: 2016

The top 10 women’s fiction from the last 12 months (reviewed in Booklist between March 1, 2015, and February 15, 2016) cover the spectrum, from romantic chick lit to more than one literary title. These novels deliver something for just about every women’s-fiction fan.

The titles are listed below; for the complete annotations, head to the feature on Booklist Online!

The Best of Enemies. By Jen Lancaster. 2015. NAL, $25.95 (9780451471093)
The Brontë Plot. By Katherine Reay. 2015. Thomas Nelson, $15.99 (9781401689759)
How to Start a Fire. By Lisa Lutz. 2015. Houghton, $25 (9780544411630)
I Take You. By Eliza Kennedy. 2015. Crown, $24 (9780553417821)
My Name Is Lucy Barton. By Elizabeth Strout. 2016. Random, $26 (9781400067695)
The Story of the Lost Child. By Elena Ferrante. Tr. by Ann Goldstein. 2015. Europa, $18 (9781609452865)
Walking on Trampolines. By Frances Whiting. 2015. Gallery, $16 (9781476780016)
Who Do You Love. By Jennifer Weiner. 2015. Atria, $27 (9781451617818)
A Window Opens. By Elisabeth Egan. 2015. Simon & Schuster, $26 (9781501105432)
The Marriage Pact. By M. J. Pullen. 2015. St. Martin’s/Thomas Dunne, $24.99 (9781250070937)

BOL Review: Opportunity Knocks by Alison Sweeney

Television actress Sweeney (Days of Our Lives) offers an insider’s perspective in this chick-lit offering. Alex is a green 25-year-old makeup artist in L.A., willing to take on any job she can in order to gain experience and build her base. She lucks out one day when she just happens to be hanging around the set of a daytime talk show at the very moment the guest star’s usual makeup artist is rushed to the ER with appendicitis. It’s no ordinary guest—it’s Hillary, of Everyday Life with Hillary P. (think Martha Stewart, but bitchier)...Read the full review on Booklist Online!

BOL Review: Meternity by Meghann Foye

Singleton Liz, an editor at a parenting magazine, is getting tired of taking on all the extra work from the moms in the office. She’s particularly annoyed that the editor who got the promotion Liz was in line for is constantly leaving work early so she can deal with her family life. When the boss thinks that Liz is pregnant—he sees her using a pregnancy-countdown app that she’s downloaded for an article—Liz decides this might be the way to an easier workload and perhaps even some maternity leave, a “meternity.” The plan involves a series of fake baby bumps, which Liz just barely gets away with...Read the full review on Booklist Online!

BOL Review: The Year We Turned Forty by Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke

If you were offered the chance to go back in time 10 years and relive a year, would you? On the eve of their joint fiftieth-birthday party in Vegas, three friends meet a magician and get the chance to go back to the year they turned 40. Jessie wants to keep the fact that she had an affair secret from her then-husband; Gabriela wants to go back and save her failed marriage by trying to have a child; Claire wants to bond with her mother before it’s too late. Their new choices don’t always work out the way they expect... Read the full review on Booklist Online!

BOL Review: Regrets Only by M. J. Pullen

Pullen’s debut, The Marriage Pact (2015), followed a group of Atlanta friends as they navigated their way through the dating world, led by main character Marci. This follow-up centers on Marci’s best friend, Suzanne, who seems to be in her glimmering prime. She has a great job as an event planner and she’s loving life as a serial dater. Who wants to be tied down when you can be tied up? When a seemingly random accident at a high-profile event sends her career and reputation down the tubes, she finds herself accepting a gig as wedding planner for the sister of a famous country singer—and winds up falling for him. But they are as different as a country boy and a city girl could be...Read the full review on Booklist Online!

BOL Review: The Marriage Pact by M. J. Pullen

In this charming cross between romance and chick lit, Marci Thompson is unhappy with the fact that, with her thirtieth birthday approaching, she is single, living in a studio apartment, and working a temp job. Oh, and having an affair with her married boss. When her boss reveals he can’t leave his wife because she’s pregnant, Marci heads back home to Atlanta, where her old group of friends, including the handsome Jake, is waiting for her. Jake is ready to pick up where they left off—he still has the signed bar-napkin agreement that declares Marci will marry him if they are still single when they hit the big 3-0. But Marci’s been stung too many times... Read the full review on Booklist Online!

BOL Review: Who Do You Love by Jennifer Weiner

**Starred Review**
Rachel and Andy meet when they are children and reconnect as teenagers, falling into a pattern of finding and losing one another again as adults. Rachel, who was born with a heart defect, is recuperating in the hospital yet again when she comes across Andy, who is there with a broken arm. They couldn’t be more different—Rachel is spoiled by her wealthy, over-protective parents, while Andy and his single mom live in near poverty—but they have an instant connection. When they meet again by chance on a high-school volunteer trip, they fall madly in love the way that only teenagers can. In college, Rachel ends up a sorority girl, while Andy relentlessly trains to make the Olympic track team, and even though the two have different life goals, they are drawn to each other again and again. But can they overcome their differences? ... Read the full review on Booklist Online!

BOL Review: The Summer Cottage by By Susan Kietzman

When their ailing mother summons them for one last vacation season at the family’s beach house, four grown siblings must come to terms with the past. The youngest, Helen, is steady and reliable, and cantankerous matriarch Claire threatens to leave the house to her if the other siblings do not comply with the invitation to visit. Middle sister Pammy arrives first, despite knowing that it means she will bear the brunt of Claire’s criticism the longest. Older sister Charlotte shows up with her much younger boyfriend in tow, and eldest child Thomas finally arrives on the last possible day. Each sibling has a personal tale to tell...Read the full review on Booklist Online!

Review: Happiness for Beginners by Katherine Center

I promise I'll get back to posting more reviews here, but I've had a tough time getting out of my reading rut. Yes, STILL. Sigh.

However, I just finished Katherine Center's newest and loved it, so I wanted to share.

In Happiness For Beginners, Helen is on unsteady footing after her divorce, so she decides to shake up her life and take a wilderness survival course, even though she's not the least bit outdoorsy. From the Booklist review:

The camaraderie of the shared experience and the difficult physical and mental challenges of back-country hiking bring Helen new wisdom. The quiet allows Helen to reach deep inside herself, to face difficult questions and answer them truthfully. Center has written a wonderful story, a fast-paced read with sharp, perfectly written dialogue. Her newest does exactly what we want a good novel to do, introduce us to characters who engage us and take us on a journey. 

I have to admit, I was unsure about this one, because if you had a list of all the things I'd be interested in doing...hiking and/or taking a wilderness survival course would be near the very bottom of that list. So I was afraid that I might not be able to get into the book. Well. Knowing how much I've enjoyed Center's sense of humor and realistic characters in her other novels, I should have realized that it wouldn't matter. Center writes in a way that lets you really connect with the characters and feel like you're right there in the story. As I always say, the main reason I love WF is because I like to read about familiar people and situations. And Center captures real life so well, I have to wonder if she really just takes things that have actually happened to her. (Example: when Helen's high school ex-boyfriend exclaims, upon seeing her again 15 years later, "You got better looking!" and then repeats it a few minutes later...I swear I could picture that actually happening.) And the scene where Helen "teaches" Jake to kiss is, frankly, marvelous.

Heck, I laughed, I cried, etc. Good stuff.

Ensemble Women's Fiction

When I do workshops on women's fiction, I always discuss the kinds of books that make up the genre. One of the most popular is "Ensemble Fiction." I recently wrote about it in the March 15, 2015 issue of Booklist, take a look to learn more and to get some GREAT reading suggestions.

Core Collection: Ensemble Women’s Fiction.
By Rebecca Vnuk.

First published March 15, 2015 (Booklist).

When it comes to women’s fiction, one of the tricky things about offering read-alikes is that because it’s such a broad reading interest, the appeal of one title might not translate to another title. It can be helpful to break down different types of women’s fiction into subcategories. The top three that always come to my mind are ensemble fiction (featuring groups of women), chick lit (the younger crowd), and issue-driven novels (think any Oprah Book Club title).

The category with the widest appeal is ensemble fiction. These stories feature a cast of characters—there may or may not be one main character—all sharing starring roles. Readers enjoy these ensemble stories because they can easily find a character within the group that they identify with, or they can see their friends in one character or another. As a devoted reader of the genre, I can attest that when I read women’s fiction, I want to see myself or the people I know on the pages of these books—and if not that, then a character leading the life I’d like to have!

In the past 10 years or so, there has been a huge influx of women’s fiction books with large casts of characters—books about sisters, books about college friends, books about reading groups, books about coworkers (I’m waiting patiently for the book about librarians . . .).

To read more, and get the annotated list, head to the feature, "Core Collection: Ensemble Women's Fiction" on Booklist Online!

Booklist's Top Ten Women's Fiction

Once again, I've contributed lists to the March 15 issue of Booklist, honoring women's fiction. Don't forget to check out the companion article, "Core Collection: Ensemble Women's Fiction," for some of my favorite titles from this very popular subset of women's fiction.

The top 10 women’s fiction from the last 12 months (reviewed in Booklist between March 15, 2014, and March 1, 2015) cover the spectrum, from lighthearted chick lit to heavy issues and even a few with a touch of magic. One of the main appeal factors of this category is that sense of recognition the target audience—yes, women—gets from identifying with the heroines, and these novels deliver something for just about anyone.

The titles are listed below; for the complete annotations, head to the feature on Booklist Online!

All Fall Down. By Jennifer Weiner. 2014. Atria, $26.99 (9781451617788).

Big Little Lies. By Liane Moriarty. 2014. Putnam/Amy Einhorn, $26.95 (9780399167065).

First Frost. By Sarah Addison Allen. 2015. St. Martin’s, $25.99 (9781250019837).

The Geometry of Love. By Jessica Levine. 2014. She Writes, paper, $16.95 (9781938314629).

Housewitch. By Katie Schickel. 2015. Forge, $24.99 (9780765377302).

Landline. By Rainbow Rowell. 2014. St. Martin’s, $24.99 (9781250049377).

One Plus One. By Jojo Moyes. 2014. Viking/Pamela Dorman, $27.95 (9780525426585).

The Precious One. By Marisa de los Santos. Mar. 2015. Morrow, $25.99 (9780061670893).

Skinny Bitch Gets Hitched. By Kim Barnouin. 2014. Gallery, $23.99 (9781476708881).

The Story Hour. By Thrity Umrigar. 2014. Harper, $25.99 (9780062259301).

BOL Review: How to Start a Fire by Lisa Lutz

Telling the story of three women and their two-decade friendship, Lutz ventures away from her snarky Spellman Files series and ends up firmly in women’s-fiction territory. Outrageous Anna, contemplative Kate, and sporty Georgina (George) meet cute in college when roommates Anna and Kate come upon a very drunk George passed out on a frat-house lawn. The dissimilar women quickly become friends, and the book unfolds as a series of flashbacks from 1993 to 2014. Anna, once a doctor, ends up as a secretary after her substance-abuse problems cause her to lose her medical license. Kate becomes a drifter, unable to shake the fact that she killed a man (who was attacking George); and George moves from husband to husband, each time morphing into someone else’s vision of a perfect wife and mother. The characters are marvelous...Read the full review at Booklist Online!

BOL Review: All Fall Down by Jennifer Weiner

Allison Weiss is having trouble keeping it all together. Her husband, Dave, resents that she makes more money as a lead writer on a “mommy blog” than he does as a newspaper reporter. They live in a house they can’t afford, with Dave sleeping in the guest bedroom more and more often. Between juggling writing assignments with the antics of their highly sensitive five-year-old, Ellie, Allison also tries to help her mother manage the fact that her father is falling further into dementia. So how does a stressed-out mom catch a break? Pills. Lots and lots of lovely little pain-killing pills. When she runs out of legitimate prescriptions, Allison turns to buying them illegally online, spending thousands of dollars a month on her growing addiction. Things look great on the outside... Read the full review at Booklist Online!

Booklist Magazine's Top 10 Women’s Fiction: 2014.

The top 10 women’s fiction from the last 12 months (reviewed in Booklist between March 15, 2013, and March 1, 2014) cover the spectrum: chick lit to tearjerkers, heavy issues to lighthearted comedy. One of the main appeal factors of this category is that sense of recognition the target audience—yes, women—gets from identifying with the heroines, and these novels deliver something for just about anyone.

To read the full article and annotations, see http://www.booklistonline.com/Top-10-Women-s-Fiction-2014-Rebecca-Vnuk/pid=6670138.

The Apple Orchard, by Susan Wiggs. 

The Bookstore, by Deborah Meyler. 

A Fall of Marigolds, by Susan Meissner

Golden State, by Michelle Richmond.

Ladies’ Night, by Mary Kay Andrews.

Meet Me at the Cupcake Cafe, by Jenny Colgan. 

Sweet Salt Air, by Barbara Delinsky. 

Time Flies, by Claire Cook.

Who Asked You?by Terry McMillan. 

The Whole Golden World, by Kristina Riggle.

BOL Review: The Whole Golden World by Kristina Riggle

Dinah’s world is about to fall apart—her independent coffee shop is failing, and her nemesis wants to buy it out from under her; her overly coddled twin sons are having a hard time adjusting to a new school; and, worst of all, her 17-year-old daughter, Morgan, has just been caught half-undressed in her math teacher’s car. Rain, the teacher’s wife, is watching her life go down the tubes as well—after years of struggling, she is finally pregnant, but, instead of being overjoyed, she’s trying to hide her delicate condition from the scornful public as she accompanies her husband to criminal court. To make matters worse for both families, Morgan is convinced he’s not just using her for sex, that this is true love... Read the rest of the review at Booklist Online!

Mandatory Release by Jess Riley

As you probably know, I'm a big champion of Jess Riley. I love books where I can relate to the characters and the story, and this woman knows how to write 'em that way.

Her latest novel, Mandatory Release is available now in paperback and Kindle (etc.).  From the Booklist review:

Drew is nursing a broken heart (the reasons why are left tantalizingly undisclosed until the end) and isn’t particularly thrilled with her life circumstances. She’s moved back home to not only live with her parents but also start a new job as a special education teacher in the same facility in which her mother works, the local prison. Graham, a social worker at the prison, had a big crush on Drew in high school but never acted on it. When Drew returns to their hometown, he finds himself drawn to her once more, but something is holding him back—the fact that he’s in a wheelchair, having been permanently injured in a car accident. They rekindle their friendship while navigating their own messy dating lives (Drew’s attracted to a guard who is ten years her junior; Graham doesn’t tell his blind dates he’s in a wheelchair until they meet in person), against the fascinating backdrop of a medium-security prison (Riley taught in a prison herself.) This funny, realistic look at modern love is perfect for women’s fiction fans.

BOL Review: Market Street by Anita Hughes

Cassie Blake is the heiress to San Francisco’s most elite department store, Fenton’s. But instead of flaunting her family’s success, she prefers the simplicity of her life volunteering, and showing off her green thumb, at a local community garden, and taking care of her handsome professor husband, Aidan. But in just a blink of an eye, everything changes and the simple life she cherished is coming apart at the seams. After learning about her husband’s affair with one of the students in his ethics class, she moves out and stays in her rich best friend’s mansion, where she needs to decide...Read the rest of the review at Booklist Online.

All the Lonely People by Jess Riley

I've been a huge fan of Jess Riley since her first novel, Driving Sideways made me laugh out loud. Come on, what Wisconsin girl wouldn't love a book where one of the characters sings the Menards jingle?!?! She does it again in All the Lonely People by referencing the Hamm's beer commercials.  (I also really, really dig her politics. I'm fairly certain if we ever met, we'd be besties in no time.)

As an "expert" on women's fiction, one of the things I talk about in my books and in the programs I present to librarians is the fact that the major appeal factor in women's fiction is a sense of recognition. When a reader picks up a women’s fiction novel, she is looking for a sense of recognition - feeling as though they are that character, they know that character, or they understand just what that character is going through. From moments of sorrow to joyful celebrations to “thank goodness that never happened to me” – it’s pleasurable and comforting to escape into a story that you can connect with. 

Riley accomplishes this in spades. Her characters are realistic, the way they talk and the things they talk about are true to life, and the situations they find themselves in could happen to just about anyone.  For me personally, I loved this story because it was hard for me to believe that Riley hasn't met one of my brothers and based the character Clint on him. I also just about died when Jaime turns to her husband (after he supports her on a crazy decision) and says "You're a good man, Charlie Brown".  I say that on a regular basis to my husband and I wouldn't have guessed that anyone else would make that inside joke. If she happens to have characters in her next book flap their hands to "shoo the children"  when "Fly Like an Eagle" by the Steve Miller Band comes on the car radio, then I'll know for sure she is somehow stalking my every move for writing fodder.

I started following Riley's blog after discovering Driving Sideways, and was dismayed when she announced a few years ago that her second novel wasn't optioned by her publisher. She was undeterred though, and eventually decided to publish it as an e-book (as well as print on demand) via CreateSpace on Amazon. (Go! Get it now! You won't be sorry!)

Here's the "official" review I wrote for work.  I'm glad I have this outlet to gush more informally.

When her mother dies of cancer, Jaime tries to keep her family intact. Trouble is, they sure put the funk in dysfunctional—her brother is a self-centered blowhard; her sister is an ice queen who has distanced herself emotionally and physically; and they haven’t seen their father since he left the family when they were just kids. Jaime’s husband, Erik, doesn’t have it much better; his father is sitting in a nursing home and doesn’t know who Erik is. After a disastrous Thanksgiving dinner, Jaime decides to advertise on Craigslist for a new family for the holidays. She gets... (read the rest of the review for free at Booklist Online)

The Next Best Thing by Jennifer Weiner

Visibly scarred from a childhood car accident that killed her parents, smart and solitary Ruth has decided that she can’t depend on anyone but herself and her young-at-heart grandmother, Rae. After a potential workplace romance goes sour, Ruth, an L.A. screenwriter, leaves her television gig and freelances for a while, helping teens write college-entrance essays and ghostwriting online dating profiles. When her pitch for a sitcom gets picked up, she ventures back to the world of television only to find that her vision—a comedy featuring a quirky Everygal and her sassy grandma—gets derailed at every turn, from bad casting to bawdy rewrites. Weiner herself has... For the full review, see Booklist Online.