| Summary: | The present paper discusses sociocultural characteristics of reader approaches towards reading ‘chick lit’ by drawing on empirical evidence from a case study. Applying qualitative analysis of fine structures and themes, this paper analyses the experiences of the genres self-proclaimed target audience with two corresponding novels, Beth O’Leary’s The Flatshare and Josie Silver’s One Day in December.The results confirm that chick lit is not only read for the entertaining effect often explicitly attributed to the titles. Instead, readers also find close resemblances between their living circumstances, the plot lines depicted and the respective heroines. Identifying their reading as approaching social artefacts, they see opportunities to individually reflect their perceptions of social norms and values as aspects of their personal world view. In conclusion, the study indicates chick lit’s significance as a social phenomenon and adds to our understanding of the genre’s vast popularity.
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