But I have a special treat in store for Chick Lit + Wine fans: Meg is giving away a personalized, autographed copy to one lucky reader!

How to enter to win a copy of Meg’s new book!

Take a photo of yourself reading a chick lit book (with a glass of wine perhaps?) and either pin it on Pinterest, post it on Twitter or tag us on Facebook - either way mention @chicklitandwine in your post.

Not on social media? Don’t worry, you can still enter! Email your pic to syrah@chicklitandwine.com and we’ll post our favorites to the blog!

Deadline to enter is June 1st – spread the word!

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In honor of Mother’s Day I want to share the best of the best in mom-lit. Whether you’re a mother yourself, or are like me and love to get swept-up in the hilarious drama of toddlers, these books hit the spot. Plus I’m happy to announce that author Jen Coburn is giving away her hit “Tales from the Crib” for free on Amazon until Tuesday (click here).

Without further ado, I present a handful of my favorite mom-lit books from over the years. Click on any image to read our review — and find the best wine to toast your own mom this evening:

Alix, Stephanie, and Meg are three girls who stay beneath the radar at Hunter High. Outcasts among their peers, the unlikely trio bonds when Ambrosia – the gorgeous, quintessential cool girl (think Kelly Kapowski, but mysterious)  -  invites them all to join her group project about the Furies in Western Civilization. But Ambrosia has bigger plans for the three. Something more powerful than they could ever imagine.

Yes this book is based on mythology, but you don’t have to know the history to follow the plot. Yes it’s a high school drama, but the themes ring true as an adult. Yes it’s absolutely worth reading. Right now.

Jill Wolfson’s characters jump out of the page and burrow deep into your brain. Hours flew by as I obsessively turned the pages, fighting sleep to try to finish the book before bed.

Because this book is technically YA, I don’t feel comfortable pairing it with a wine (I trust you’re all 21+, but you might want to share this book with daughters and nieces – better to keep it safe). Instead, pair Furious with a glass of sparkling grapefruit juice (my favorite is Izze). Mirroring the girls’ transformation from rough outcasts to glittering Furies, the sparkling grapefruit juice hits your tongue with a sour punch that dissolves into sweet fruitiness. The fizzing bubbles reflect the bouncing ride the the trio makes from glamorous, to evil – and back again.

xx, Syrah

I have trouble describing One Day in a compelling way, despite having loved every page of my experience with the paperback. Sorry, David.

It’s episodic, taking place in just one day, every year, for two decades.

Its movie stars Anne Hathaway affecting an English accent that ranks at a Madonna on the authenticity scale.

The story’s conceit is unabashedly soulmate-centric.

Gimmicky. Grating. Again?

But no! You’ll love it by chapter three: never judge a book by its movie. And the soulmate biz is handled in a way so realistic and believable that it actually broke my unsentimental heart at times.

The obstacles littering our pair’s paths to one another aren’t rom-com foibles of the phone number got flushed down the toilet or oops someone’s entangled with a cartoonish monster. Nor are they epic divides of war or social oppression. Instead “Dex and Em, Em and Dex” — the endearing way they both internalize the fact that people close to them tend to view them — are pushed apart time and again by the seemingly benign debris of real life’s journeys. They were challenges I recognized as I read them, and so understood how complicated they can feel. Career, self-esteem and familial highs and lows are timed in ways that don’t nurture a romance, soulmates or not.

And as some negative reviews note, there’s plenty to build an argument for not. The two can be likable and infuriating, together and apart. A lot, I would counter, like you and me and every boyfriend between us.

Insightful, entertaining and seriously so, so funny, I would recommend this book to any girlfriend.

Ok, so I can think of one compelling sentence about the book. Now, go!

And pick up a bottle of Francis Ford Coppola Sofia Riesling on your way. It’s a Riesling (it’s a romance) so it’s going to be sweet, but it’s a standout among peers because of its relative dryness. The wine – like this book -  is surprising and satisfying, and you’ll be dying to share it.

xx,

Chardonnay

Without further ado, I present today’s special guest post by Sophie from Nicky Wells’ Rock Star Trilogy:

Hey, you! My name is Sophie, and I’m so excited you’re visiting me here today at Chick Lit and Wine. I’m the heroine (God, that sounds weird—I still blush when I say that) in the Rock Star Romance Trilogy by Nicky Wells. Nicky and I, we’re currently taking her second book, Sophie’s Run, on tour, and we’re taking you to all the places and sharing all the food that features in the books. My love of seafood is legendary ever since Sophie’s Turn hit the shelves…

“And for mains,” Dan announced, “Sophie will have the seafood platter.” He winked at me over his menu.

“I will?” I said, astonished.

“She will?” Jack and Mick asked at the same time, also astonished.

Dan hesitated for only a second. “Sure.

(Excerpt from Sophie’s Turn)

… See? I had so many people commenting on my seafood consumption in the first book that Nicky toned the seafood references down just a little in Sophie’s Run, the second book… lest people think I’m obsessed.

But of course, I do still eat a lot of seafood, especially when I’m with Dan. Ha! And one of my favorite dishes that I’m quite adept at knocking together at home is mussels. They’re quick, easy and totally one hundred per cent delicious. Trust me!

For Rocking Mussels in White Wine and Garlic Sauce you need:

About 2 kg of fresh mussels
1 garlic clove, crushed or chopped
2 small onions, chopped
a tablespoon of butter
herbs, for example parsley and thyme
a big glass of white wine
a glass of cream (double is excellent!)

And here’s what you do. It’s quick and foolproof -  it has to be, if even I can pull this off every time!

First of all, wash the mussels in cold, running water. Give them a good slosh about! Any open mussels that won’t close even when you squeeze them gently, be sure to throw them out quick!

If there are tough, sinewy looking things sticking out from the shells, be sure to pull those out and also make sure to knock off any barnacles with a knife, then rinse the mussels again. Nearly ready to cook now!

In a large pan (big enough for all your lovely mussels and still be only about half full), melt the butter and add the garlic, onion and some of the herbs. Add the mussels and wine, then cover and steam the mussels in the wine and their own juices for about four minutes. Remember to shake the pan occasionally.

When the mussels are open, remove the pan from the heat, add cream and chopped parsley, swirl around and serve! Best served with warm crusty bread (lots of it, to mop up the sauce) or ‘frites’ (aka French fries). Not forgetting a dry white wine ~ I’m sure Syrah will have a recommendation, but I like a chilled, crisp Pinot Grigio with my mussels.

Psssst! If all that washing and prepping sounds a bit scary, you can always get a vac-packed ready-prepared pouch of mussels from your supermarket. They come with the sauce, they taste just as good and simply require warming through in a big pan! (It’s not cheating… it’s being… practical!)

So, happy eating! I hope my post today inspired you to have a try at making your very own Rocking Mussels. And while you chomp away, spare a thought for me and… well, why not perhaps join me, Dan and the other men in my life? Sophie’s Turn and Sophie’s Run are both out – happy reading!

In honor of the new release, we’re reviewing another old favorite from Kinsella’s bookshelf: Twenties Girl.

With haute flapper dresses, waif-like arms and a high-energy Charleston, Sadie Lancaster hijacks Lara Lington’s life. In the middle of a funeral. In the middle of her funeral.

Lara Lington is either being haunted or going mad, but either way her spoiled great aunt is back from the dead and on a mission. And Lara is the only one who can help.

What may sound like a ridiculous ghost story is in fact another Sophie Kinsella classic that hits the perfect Chick Lit notes and sucks away your whole weekend in one addictive read.

Sadie refuses to cross to the other side until she gets her hands on a prized necklace. What seems at first to be a sparkly piece of over-loved costume jewelry turns out to be linked to one of the most important paintings in the world. A great aunt who lived to 105 years old pining after her first love discovers more about her life in the afterlife than she could have ever known on Earth.

Interweaving elements of the roaring 20s with Lara’s modern (and somewhat depressing) life, the unlikely pair takes London by storm. From Lara dating a man Sadie has a crush on with the ghost by her side dictating what to say, to uncovering a family scandal that literally rocks the nation.

The Times (UK) aptly said Twenties Girl is “best read with a cold glass of wine at sunset” – and I couldn’t agree more. Pair Twenties Girl with a chilled glass of Fetzer Shaly Loam Gewurztraminer. Just as Sadie dances into Lara’s life out of nowhere, this Gewurztraminer will invade your tongue with a slight fizz that puts a spring in your step. Sadie and Lara’s eventual inseparable friendship mirrors the perfect harmony of the sweet notes of apricot, peach, rose and honeysuckle that await in this California gavurtz.

Robyn is taking home Totlandia Book 1 and Book 2 – congratulations!

Come back tomorrow for our next review: Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella!

Cheers,

xx, Syrah

Brownie Points by Jennifer Coburn nibbles away at the heart of the matter, following the journey of a boy who just wants to belong.

Told from the vantage point of his mother, Lisa Taylor, readers are engulfed into the world of a transplanted family working to find their place in a new community. After Lisa’s husband lands a job as the first African American fire chief in an upscale, Stepford-wives style neighborhood, the whole family must learn to define themselves in their new home.

But none struggle to fit in as much as Logan, one half of smart, outgoing twins. As his sister  discovers herself and claims her space as a Black woman for the first time in her life, Logan attempts to find where he fits in among their new crew. Fighting loneliness by tagging along to his sister’s Girl Scouts meetings finds himself – and a door that swiftly closes in his face.

Following the dramatic battle between the neighborhood mothers all the way to a civil rights lawsuit that draws national attention is exhilarating. Readers find themselves cheering for something that seems so counter-intuitive: to let a boy join the Girl Scouts. What at first appears dissonant is quickly flipped to seem only natural.

This novel couldn’t have come at a better time. While Boy Scouts of America struggles to modernize its views on homosexuality, the heart of this story could easily be playing out in any community across the US.

The politics are thick and the stakes are high. Pair this politically charged novel with the equally strong McManis Family Petite Sirah. This rich, earthy red will ground you as you get lost in Logan’s battle – no matter which side you take.

In case you missed it, we’ve reviewed more of Coburn’s novels – they’re all equally amazing. When you’re done with Brownie Points check out Tales from the Crib and The Queen Gene!

xx, Syrah

I’m disappointed to say it doesn’t quite work out that way.

Mackenzie’s boyfriend, Dan, is the chef at a local restaurant and suggests she bring the dates there so he can keep an eye on her safety. It’s logical, and perhaps even a recipe for whimsical fodder, but proves ultimately disappointing.  She brings an endless string of dates with men who range from dismal to delusional, yet each date falls flat. The set-up is always the same: Mackenzie proclaims how glad she is that Dan is keeping an eye on her, she orders her usual dish, and the men display a quirk both she and her mother deem unacceptable. Lather, rinse, repeat.

As the storyline develops, it’s quickly clear that Dan isn’t Mackenzie’s perfect match either. It takes a painfully long time for Mackenzie to discover this for herself, always fast to forgive Dan for being an atrocious boyfriend.

In the end, her mother ends up hitting it off with the one character that seemed to be her obvious match from early in the novel. Kismetology had all the ingredients for an epic romantic adventure, but the elements didn’t come together.

Valentine’s Day is over, but that doesn’t mean love isn’t in the air. Skip Kismetology and take kismet into your own hands. Grab your perfect match and spend the evening pouring over your favorite dish at the local diner or with a bottle of Syrah by the fire.

Happy weekend,

xx, Syrah

PS – Did you know there’s still time to win a copy of Totlandia? Read our review here and enter to win on Twitter!

Win a copy of Totlandia 1 & 2! Keep reading to find out how.

Bettina has the clique under her thumb. Jade is the bad girl trying desperately to reinvent herself. Ally, Lorna and Jillian all have something to hide while putting their brightest, smiling face forward. The perfect storm of new faces, frenemies and mean girls are back, all grown up, and changing diapers.

“Totlandia,” by Josie Brown, is the chronicle of four women bonding in the most awkward of circumstances: fighting for a spot in the coveted The Pacific Heights Moms & Tots Club. Under the leadership of the controlling and demanding Bettina, the women are forced to compete and form friendships simultaneously. With a skeleton in every closet, it’s a constant battle to the top.

In case you missed it, we interviewed Josie last weekend about her inspiration for “Totlandia,” and whether or not the high-drama world that sucks the reader in is based on a real San Francisco group.

“Totlandia” is highly addictive. The fabulous cover is a head-turner, but the storyline itself is what keeps me flipping the pages long into the night. The unique story of each woman speaks to a little part inside all of us. And the high-stakes war of entry into this exclusive club reminds us that the competitive nature of high school cliques is never far behind.

I loved “Totlandia” and am already deep into the second in the series. Josie plans to release four episodes a year, following the moms (and one dad) through their journey as the kids grow up and the friendships shift.

With a whole series in store, I recommend pairing the novel with a wine you can pace yourself with. Jacuzzi Vineyard’s Sangiovese is vibrant, but surprisingly light on the palate. The peppery finish mirror’s Bettina’s biting leadership, while notes of mixed berries and cherries reflect the sweet  new friendships formed just beneath Bettina’s fiery rule.

Win Totlandia 1 & 2!

To enter to win, Tweet @chicklitandwine with one of the following topics:

(1) A hilarious mommy-group story
(2) Why you love author Josie Brown
(3) What wine you’d pair with Totlandia

We’ll post the winners here on Chick Lit & Wine – go to Twitter.com and enter now!

Cheers,

Syrah

**Winner receives an ebook copy of Totlandia I and Totlandia II