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I'm going to be 30. Soon. And though I never thought it would come to this, I am now
sitting here beside myself, staring down the barrel of the gun that is age 30. Doing so, I
find some familiar faces holding that gun. Not my mother, nor my friends, but rather the
stars of "Sex and the City" and various "Chick-Lit" authors --- the
latter being that fine form of fiction that has become more and more prevalent, thanks or
no thanks, to Helen Fielding and Bridget Jones.
While it would be easy to go off on the "Sex and the City" girls --- I know of
no other women in their 30s (or even nearing them for that matter) who sleep around that
much or have a wardrobe that nice, and let's not even start comparing the salary base in
New York to their apartments --- I will instead turn my eyes upon my other executioner:
Those authors. Damn them for reading my diary and then printing it. Curse them for telling
the world my most private thoughts and fears...but love love love them for making sense of
all of the drivel that has recently entered my pretty little head.
When one begins a piece such as this, there is an obvious starting point. The
quintessential Chick book: Food-obsessed, Man-Obsessed, Obsession-Obsessed BRIDGET JONES'S DIARY by Helen Fielding.
Perhaps less obvious are the next two books I will mention. The first is a look at who you
once were and, in effect, where you came from. The second is a look at where you are, how
you got there, and how you fit in. One is sweet and sentimental, the other is filled with
drama --- those of us nearing 30 are both, I think. SISTER
CRAZY by Emma Richler and HIGH MAINTENANCE
by Jennifer Belle are two chick books not to be missed.
I will be the first to admit that I have my wedding planned out from start to finish,
should I be so lucky as to have one. I also know that it will not go a thing like I see it
in my head. How do I know this you ask? Well, because nothing ever works out as I plan it.
That, and I recently read AMANDA'S
WEDDING by Jenny Colgan and RUNNING
IN HEELS by Anna Maxted. The first is about a group of plucky young Brits who attempt
to sabotage the wedding of a good friend, for many valid reasons. The second is about a
bunch of plucky young Brits whose friendships are almost sabotaged by the wedding of one
of them. Both have a great group of supporting characters, but AMANDA'S WEDDING rings a
bit more true. And if you have any food issues, the heroine of RUNNING IN HEELS developing
anorexia is something to avoid.
I remember my mother at 30. Competent, wise, and above all, she seemed too young to be
*gasp* 30. I am beginning to come to terms with the fact that we all become our mothers,
and as I consider this monumental age, I hope to be so lucky. A book that I love for the
simple fact that it reminds us of this "becoming our mothers" thing without
preaching is GIRL TALK by Julianna Baggott. May
I enter 30 with the same amount of trauma, good humor, and grace as her heroine did.
So, I will continue to embrace 30 in my own small ways --- using Locker 30 at the gym,
counting 30 sheep in a row to fall asleep, whatever --- with the knowledge that it can be
done, it can be fun, and there are some books out there to make sense of it all. When I
think about it, I know that I read books that encouraged me to embrace my teen years and
to embrace my 20s and be thankful that the teen years were behind me. Authors like Judy
Blume and Beverly Cleary were the mainstays of my younger self's bookshelf. Today, writers
like Sharon Creech, Francesca Lia Block, and an ever growing legion of fantastic YA
novelists are doing the same for young girls. I suppose as I welcome 30 with open arms, I
will dust off the books I hold fast to today, so that they can be passed down, and look
toward the future: How bad can 31 really be?
(c)
Copyright 2001, Bookreporter.com. All rights reserved.
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