Life is full of scars and scar tissue. The only kicked is unlike most physical injuries emotional scar tissue can't really be seen by the human eye. So what do we do about emotional baggage? About those scars that no one can see, but what make us who we are today?
I will openly admit to having quite a bit of emotional scar tissue. It's hard for someone to not have it. It's even harder for people to open up and admit why they have that emotional scar tissue.
One thing that I love about Liza Palmer's books is that her heroines are flawed. They each have some major emotional scar tissue each for her own reasons and it's that scar tissue that makes them more human. How many books can a person read about a woman who is thin with perfect hair and a fun job, but with not enough money to buy designer shoes and no one on the boyfriend front?
That's why I'm a fan of smart chick lit, but not a fan of the term chick lit. It's sort of like the term romance. You say something is a romance and instantly people think it's bodice ripping trash, but it's not. I've read some romance novels where no sex took place. And I must admit that reading historical romance really makes your vocabulary grow. Don't believe me? Try it and you'll be running to your dictionary to look up words. I remember once trying to explain to my boss, an older man near retirement age who worked at an academic library, what chick lit actually was. I said that it was a genre of books that were for women about women dealing with women's issues. His response was "Oh, so soft core porn."
No, it's way more than that although sometimes I guess that could be true.
But I like my heroines to be a little damaged like I'm a little damaged. I like to see a little emotional scar tissue because it's real and want it or not we all have it. So Liza Palmer is one of my favorite authors because of that. Monica McInerney does a really good job of damaged heroines as well.
Who are some of your favorite damaged heroines? Favorite authors who write smart chick lit?
Showing posts with label Liza Palmer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Liza Palmer. Show all posts
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Who Ruined Your Life?
There's a book out called "Jane Austen Ruined My Life" now I haven't read this entire book, but I know there's a sequel called "Mr Darcy Broke My Heart." And although my heart was not broken by Mr. Darcy, I most definitely have had my heart broken by a fictional man because we all know the best men exist in literary fiction.
This character is none other than Daniel Sullivan from Liza Palmer's "Seeing Me Naked". Now do I want Daniel to have a happy ending? The answer is of course! He's a great guy, but I just wish he could find that happy ending with me instead of Elisabeth Page. Just to let Daniel know some of my good qualities: I am now a steadfast Jayhawks fan for no other reason than he fictionally played on their team. I watch UCLA games because fictionally he is an assistant coach. I'm learning to debone a chicken because he seems to find that an attractive trait to in a woman. I read a lot and my family while crazy is not nearly as crazy as Elisabeth's. On the other side I do have a really crappy ex-boyfriend who is practically a Will (that W-I-L-L for those of you who can't spell) and he's probably damaged me as much as Will (W-I-L-L) damaged Elisabeth. So perhaps I'm not all that great of a catch.
But I will openly admit that from now on when I date I am definitely doing a Daniel litmus test and a Will litmus test. If you pass the Daniel test I'll probably try a few more dates and see where it leads. If you pass the Will litmus test then good-bye and please don't let the door hit you on your way out or mind me running as fast as I can from you while screaming "Stay away! He's a Will! I repeat He's a Will!" Maybe I should start a Facebook page and post pictures of Wills so women will be forewarned.
To sum it up Liza Palmer ruined my life because she wrote an amazing male character that I have lost my heart to.
So which literary character broke your heart because he ended up with the heroine instead of with you? Or what traits do you look for in a man that you've read about in literary fiction? Do you have your own form of the Daniel/Will litmus test?
This character is none other than Daniel Sullivan from Liza Palmer's "Seeing Me Naked". Now do I want Daniel to have a happy ending? The answer is of course! He's a great guy, but I just wish he could find that happy ending with me instead of Elisabeth Page. Just to let Daniel know some of my good qualities: I am now a steadfast Jayhawks fan for no other reason than he fictionally played on their team. I watch UCLA games because fictionally he is an assistant coach. I'm learning to debone a chicken because he seems to find that an attractive trait to in a woman. I read a lot and my family while crazy is not nearly as crazy as Elisabeth's. On the other side I do have a really crappy ex-boyfriend who is practically a Will (that W-I-L-L for those of you who can't spell) and he's probably damaged me as much as Will (W-I-L-L) damaged Elisabeth. So perhaps I'm not all that great of a catch.
But I will openly admit that from now on when I date I am definitely doing a Daniel litmus test and a Will litmus test. If you pass the Daniel test I'll probably try a few more dates and see where it leads. If you pass the Will litmus test then good-bye and please don't let the door hit you on your way out or mind me running as fast as I can from you while screaming "Stay away! He's a Will! I repeat He's a Will!" Maybe I should start a Facebook page and post pictures of Wills so women will be forewarned.
To sum it up Liza Palmer ruined my life because she wrote an amazing male character that I have lost my heart to.
So which literary character broke your heart because he ended up with the heroine instead of with you? Or what traits do you look for in a man that you've read about in literary fiction? Do you have your own form of the Daniel/Will litmus test?
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