Below is a summation of the members' reactions to this work.
The Accidental Bestseller is a novel about four female writers—Kendall, Faye, Tanya, and Mallory—who have been friends in their professional lives for many years. Now Kendall finds she is being jettisoned by her publisher but still must give them one more manuscript per her contract. And, on top of that, she's being jettisoned by her husband. The story revolves around the lives of each of these women, their writing, and how they rally to help Kendall meet her deadline.
Almost all the members enjoyed the book. Several said it was hard to get into but became much more interesting as the story progressed. The discussion centered on a discussion of the book's genre of "Chick Lit," that genre's characteristics, and how the author used those characteristics to create a complex and memorable parody of that genre. Several members said they weren't aware of "Chick Lit" and had never really read books like that before. Others said they felt the most interesting part of the novel was learning how the publishing industry works. One member said the scene of Kendall hiding under her desk when a visitor came to the door was so funny she was hooked on the story from that point onward. The discussion definitely enhanced the members' understanding of Chick Lit and of this particular title.
