There's No Place Like Here

I just finished reading a classic, great chic-lit. It's written by Cecilia Ahern, the author of P.S. I Love You. She's also the Irish Prime Minister's daughter. (I've always thought that was cool tidbit of her biography.)

There's No Place Like Here is classic chicklit because it's written in the first person by a female protagonist. The narrator is discovering something about herself in the book, and a background (yet important) plot element is the acknowledging of the main character's true love. It's about a thirty-something woman, Sandy Shortt, whose job it is to find missing people until she herself goes missing. What I like best about Cecilia Ahern's books is that most of them include an element of Irish folklore/magic. I know that sounds strange for chicklit, but it's what makes Ahern's books different and special.

Five stars for this novel, Ahern's latest, which was published in 2009.

More Brilliance by Stephanie Meyer

Shannon, you are, of course, next up for a book recommendation. How could I not give a book recommendation to the girl who chose the title for my novel, Girl: Classified? Does everyone know that? Yes, Shannon, my lovely coworker, came up with that nuanced title that references the fact that my novel's main character sells furniture through the classifieds and also worked in a spy/classified environment.

For you, Shannon, I recommend The Host by Stephanie Meyer. I know you love the Twilight series, so you might have already read Stephanie's next book. It's a brilliant story, and I love how Stephanie (look how I write like I know her personally) says that any story should contain the element of love to be great. So this is a sci-fi book, but it's totally chicklit because of its heavy devotion to the theme of love.

Have you already read it? Has anyone else read this one? Do you think it's better or worse than the Twilight books?