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Chick Lit That Features Heroines, Not High Heels

"Three Books ..." is a series in which we invite writers to recommend three great reads on a single theme.

A few years ago, I got myself in a bit of hot water because I wrote a book review in which I implied not only that the book in question was not good because it was chick lit, but also that no chick lit was ever good.

What I subsequently learned — besides that writing reviews is a professional minefield — is that there's no consensus on what chick lit even is. Is chick lit any book by or about a young woman? Any book by or about any woman? Any book with a high-heeled shoe on its cover?

These days, I no longer claim to know what chick lit is or isn't, but I do know that when I read a great, smart book about a young woman making her way in the world, it's a reason to rejoice.

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Curtis Sittenfeld