XoXo, BOOK WORM_98: 'This book will make you laugh, drink up the cuteness, feel the anxiety that Audrey feels, and then make you let it all go, and change as Audrey changes'

Much discussion on stateside book blogs this week about an anonymous article by "a former women's books editor" that appeared in Boston's Weekly Dig. "You know chick-lit novels," the nameless author begins, "those pastel bonbons that have turned your local Barnes & Noble into a gingerbread house of crap writing. Maybe you've even bought a book or two, anything from Candace Bushnell's 4 Blondes to one of Sophie Kinsella's innumerable Shopaholic titles. A little harmless beach reading, you thought at the time. Doesn't hurt anybody. Well, I know chick lit. I used to read, edit and publish it, and I'm here to tell you: Chick lit does hurt people. Chick lit hurts America."

Fans of the girls' gadget site ShinyShiny will know what to expect from Trashionista, Shiny Media's blog about beach reads and bestsellers: it's slick, it's fun and it's extremely pink. The Shiny take on chick lit consists of a refreshingly honest review every few days of page-turners by the likes of Marian Keyes, Sophie Kinsella, Janet Evanovich and Jane Green. Books are given a rating of between one and five out of five and placed in categories such as "bonkbusters", "Irish authors", "debut novels" and - really - "rubbish books". Yes, for despite the fluffiness of much of the subject matter, the trashionista reviewers don't keep their claws in when they come across a real stinker (the latest Jane Green is derided because "the plot is as predictable as it is thin ... avoid"). The "liked this? You might like..." suggestion at the end of each review is a nice touch but that's about it for bells and whistles: this blog is simply a straightforward idea well-executed and a great resource for chick lit fans wanting a candid take on the genre.

Plus: Sophie Kinsella sells rights to Universal, Nicoletta Braschi receives Italian Order of Merit and Jon Heder signs up for Benchwarmers