Giving these books to the girlfriends in your group is like giving yourself a present, too. Just tell them to pass it down when they’re done.
For the clever mischief maker:
Kept: A Comedy of Sex and Manners
In this impressively deft debut novel about a Korean-American aristocrat who flirts with the courtesan trade to pay off credit card debt, the writing is immaculate: the story’s evolution nearly effortless, it has depth without being heavily messaged, light amusement without becoming fluffy and is a compelling multi-layered story without being plot-focused. And it’s difficult not to be charmed by a woman who looks up in the dictionary the words the boy she likes used to describe her, “pondering all [their] possible nuances.”
For the city girl:
The Emperor’s Children
By Claire Messud
Give the pleasure of reading this artful story, which on the surface is about the intersecting lives of three friends just beginning their thirties and living in New York City, composed of brilliantly plaited points of view and populated with dynamic, closely observed, complex characters, subtle plots lines rendered with perfect diction and immaculate writing that is heartfelt and intellectually engaging.
For the old-fashioned romantic:
The Blood of Flowers
By Anita Amirrezvani
Everything about Iran-born, former Northern California dance critic Amirrezvani’s debut novel is meticulously designed, down to its unnamed narrator, who elicits compassion and learns from her mistakes, but doesn’t fail to make new ones. It’s an entrancing tale of a quest for independence and self-reliance, and the discovery of one’s own worth.
For the young at heart:
Rosie Little’s Cautionary Tales for Girls
By Danielle Wood
These linked stories promise to reinvent the fairytale, originally meant to caution young girls against “bad” behavior. Marked in the table of contents not only by their titles but also categories, such as Virginity, Truth, Commitment, and Art, they are surprising reminders that we control the endings of our own stories.
For the life of the party:
Party Hawaii: A Guide to Entertaining in the Islands
By Kaui Philpotts, Photos Kaz Tanabe
This how-to book explores how we entertain in Hawai`i today, but also introduce you to new themes, decorations, recipes, locations and settings, and ways to shop like the locals do to prepare food whether for a potluck, baby lu`au, or stylish dinner party for your “closest” friends.
Literary Lotus 
Hi Brenda, thanks for the comment! I know Melissa, too, actually, and wish her the best with her book!
hi Christine!this is a great list of books–none of which i have read but will certainly now pick up. a Punahou classmate of mine, Melissa Gibson, just recently came out with a great book for girls called “The Little Black Apron,” which might be worth a read… there’s a book party in downtown later this month that you might also like to attend…thanks for visiting my blog and reading up on my recent travels! wishing you a great holiday season.aloha,Brenda
Thanks for your comment, and the update for your link. I too need to find a way to have multiple pages and make this page less cluttered.I must admit, though, that I haven’t been reading much lately. 😦
I envy you your reading time!! I suspect the blog is only a small reflection of all the reading and writing you do. Which means you must be prodigious.Just thought I should also let you know that the Pickled Eel blog has moved from a blogspot to its own home… http://pickledeel.comIt accommodates the more eclectic range of writing to which I put my pen and is designed to nicely adumbrate everything across one page (he says, trying to include of those words from the list in September. Spifflicate will have to wait (for a poem by the sound of that).Cheers. And thanks for the link too – I never take those for granted.
I thought Kept was fantastic! I reviewed it last year for the Chicago Tribune.
Looks great! I’ve read the second one. The first looks great, too!