The Modern Gal's guide to chick-lit and beyond

Because making lists is my modus operandi and because my lovely modern gal friend Hélène du Blonde over at Project Stunway requested it as she needs something to fill her time on the Metro, I present to you The Modern Gal's Top 10 Chick-Lit Reads. Consider it a teaser to all my 2007 Top 10s to follow soon.

A caveat: I'm pulling from all the things I personally have read. There are some good ones out there that I haven't managed to hit, like say, The Devil Wears Prada. I know. Modern gal sin not to have read it. I own it. It's staring at me right now from my bookshelf. I will get to it soon, I promise.

1. Bitter is the New Black: Confessions of a Condescending, Egomaniacal, Self-Centered Smartass, Or, Why You Should Never Carry a Prada Bag to the Unemployment Office by Jen Lancaster. Ok, this is a memoir and a bit different than your typical chick-lit, but I'm telling you it's a must-read for any sassy gal. Jen is hilariously mean, but she struggles with issues we all know well: stupid people and overspending.
2. Just Friends by Robyn Sisman. This will tug at your nostalgic heartstring if you've ever fallen for a guy friend. Not that I know this from experience.
3. City Chic: An Urban Girl's Guide to Livin' Large on Less by Nina Willdorf. If you like lists, you'll love guides, and this one I think tops the chart for a modern gal. Fantastic tips like the necessesities you need in your cupbord and when's the best time to find the biggest discounts on particular items..
4. The Nanny Diaries by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus. Never saw the movie, but I hear the book is way better anyway
5. Real Simple magazine. I know it's not a book, but it is The Modern Gal's bible. And a very good option for the Metro.
6. Just as Long as We're Together by Judy Blume. Ok, ok, I know that's totally middle school fare, but I loved it then, and I still go back and read it on occasion now. And Judy Blume is the quintessential chick-lit author.
7. Mr. Maybe by Jane Green. This was my introduction to the chick-lit world. It's a bit more heavy on the sex side, if that's your thing. Jane's got quite a few other books out, though I've not ventured to any of them.
8. Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life by Amy Krouse Rosenthal. This is quasi-chick-lit, but it's so endearing. You'll find yourself saying outloud, "oh my gosh, I know exactly what she's talking about."
9. Bright Lights, Big Ass: A Self-Indulgent, Surly, Ex-Sorority Girl's Guide to Why it Often Sucks in the City, or Who Are These Idiots and Why Do They All Live Next Door to Me? by Jen Lancaster. Jen again with short stories for the big-city gals.
10. The Shopaholic Series by Sophie Kinsella. I read the first one and thought it was OK. The prose and conversations were a bit trite, but I'd take it to the beach or anywhere else where all you want is to be mindless for a few hours.

P.S. For a good way to keep track of the books you have read, check out Goodreads.com. You can also check out my Goodreads widget in the right column of this blog to see what I've been reading.