10 Chick Lit Novels To Read During Summer

Summer vacations are starting and we all need a break! Since reading is such an intrinsic part of my life I wanted to share some novels I completely love. I'm a hard core romantic and love stories inspire me. I hope you make your own list by the end of summer and share it here. Happy Reading!

 

1.    Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert – This novel will change a woman’s life. She will start getting a new perspective to what she wants and who she is. I loved reading it the first time and do so often when I need some encouragement. A story of a woman who leaves her husband to find her way through Eating in Italy, Praying in India and finding Love in Bali will make you laugh, cry and understand life better.

2.    40 Rules of Love by Elif Shafaq – The story of Rumi and Shams, the love that no one understands and relationships that stay strong through centuries is one that has stayed with me, long after I turned the last page. Not a typical chick lit but a book for the intelligent woman.

3.    The Twentieth Wife by Indu Sunderasan – Passion, adventure, history, and the inner world of the Mughal emperors and their love lives makes the book a great chick lit. Actually several men have loved it too because of the intrigue of the Mughal court and the history behind the love affairs.

4.    Bridget Jones Diary by Helen Fielding – A woman who tries desperately to lose weight, find love and makes a fool of herself wherever she goes is so identifiable! The fact that she writes a diary about it relates it to my life entirely. Bridget Jones is the quintessential modern day woman struggling like everyone else to become thin, find love and achieve some recognition.

 

5.    The Hindi Bindi Club by Monica Pradhan – A book on family, food, relationships, men, marriage and mothers. A lovely tale of how women bond over the simplest of things and always need each other.

6.    Unaccustomed Earth – Jhumpa Lahiri - The title refers to the first story in this collection of stories and a motif that dominates throughout. The book is about a world unaccustomed to the constant changes of life, traumas from natural disasters and conflicts in relationships because of this. Beautiful heart wrenching stories. I also loved The Lowland. Amazing tale of a family torn apart because of one man's ideology and another man's sense of morality. Must read!  

7.    Sister of My Heart and The Vine of Desire by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni – A love triangle between two cousins and a husband. Complete potboiler that makes you look at your own life and the judgments you pronounce every day.

8.    The Good Daughter by Jasmin Darznik – An autobiographical tale of a daughter who discovers her mother’s past life through tapes and realizes the sacrifices she has made for her family. Sweeping, poignant and enchanting story.

 

9.    Leela: A Patchwork Life – Leela Naidu with Jerry Pinto – An autobiography told in memories Leela remembers. An extraordinary life lived in the times of great change in Indian history. Evocative and unforgettable.

10. Losing My Virginity And Other Dumb Ideas by Madhuri Banerjee – It was my debut novel and will remain my favourite chick lit. Not because I’m being a narcissist but because it is identifiable, true and extremely tender. About a girl trying to find love and gives up her virginity to a married man, only to get her heart broken. A story of self-respect, finding love and believing in one self. A story of every woman, wherever she lives in this world.

Order books online and save yourself a trip in the heat to a bookstore! Start here: http://goo.gl/gFCvMQ