Because women read books differently than guys do... Every woman knows ... books are more than a way to kill time on the bus — they're therapy that fits in our bag. Whether we're wallowing in a sullen perennial adolescence or our biological clock is ringing and we can't find the snooze button, books are the dog-eared friends that help us deal with our baggage as we navigate life's journey. Now Bibliotherapy prescribes the best of classic and contemporary Chick Lit that women turn to again and again — for inspiration ( A Tree Grows in Brooklyn ) ... for escape ( Ladder of Years ) ... for revenge against the patriarchy ( Our Blood ) ... and for bonding with our girlfriends ( Waiting to Exhale ). Upper-thigh spread sparking a midlife crisis? Read A Lady's Life in the Rocky Mountains and remember that it's not over until the fat lady yodels. Did your pot of gold turn out to be fourteen-karat tin? Open your eyes with Awakening to the Sacred and learn to savor your rainbow. Wondering what all the fuss is about? Climb into bed with Lady Chatterley's Lover and explore your pleasure potential. With provocative points to ponder as you read ("What is the metaphorical significance of a codpiece?"), fun quotes, and a list of books that must not be read but, in Dorothy Parker's words, "thrown with great force," Bibliotherapy ensures you'll always find the right literary prescription — no matter what phase of life you're teetering on the brink of! Plus: Doomed but Inspired Heroes ... Books to Read When You're Sick of Your Career and Are Seriously Considering Taking Up Alpaca Ranching in Peru ... Bad Girls We'd Like to Have Over for Girls' Night ... Books That Are the Equivalent of Citronella for Men ... and much more! Also by Nancy Peske and Beverly West: The Girl's Guide to Movies for Every Mood Available from Dell Because women read books differently than guys do... Every woman knows ... books are more than a way to kill time on the bus -- they're therapy that fits in our bag. Whether we're wallowing in a sullen perennial adolescence or our biological clock is ringing and we can't find the snooze button, books are the dog-eared friends that help us deal with our baggage as we navigate life's journey. Now Bibliotherapy prescribes the best of classic and contemporary Chick Lit that women turn to again and again -- for inspiration (A Tree Grows in Brooklyn) ... for escape (Ladder of Years) ... for revenge against the patriarchy (Our Blood) ... and for bonding with our girlfriends (Waiting to Exhale). Upper-thigh spread sparking a midlife crisis? Read A Lady's Life in the Rocky Mountains and remember that it's not over until the fat lady yodels. Did your pot of gold turn out to be fourteen-karat tin? Open your eyes with Awakening to the Sacred and learn to savor your rainbow. Wondering what all the fuss is about? Climb into bed with Lady Chatterley's Lover and explore your pleasure potential. With provocative points to ponder as you read ("What is the metaphorical significance of a codpiece?"), fun quotes, and a list of books that must not be read but, in Dorothy Parker's words, "thrown with great force," Bibliotherapy ensures you'll always find the right literary prescription -- no matter what phase of life you're teetering on the brink of! Plus: Doomed but Inspired Heroes ... Books to Read When You're Sick of Your Career and Are Seriously Considering Taking Up Alpaca Ranching in Peru ... Bad Girls We'd Like to Have Over for Girls' Night ... Books That Are the Equivalent ofCitronella for Men ... and much more! Also by Nancy Peske and Beverly West The Girl's Guide to Movies for Every Mood Available from Dell Beverly West and Nancy Peske are best friends, identical cousins, and the coauthors of Meditations for Men Who Do Next to Nothing (And Would Like to Do Even Less) ; How to Satisfy a Woman Every Time on Five Dollars a Day ; Frankly Scarlett, I Do Give a Damn! Classic Romances Retold ; and Cinematherapy: The Girl's Guide to Movies for Every Mood . They live in New York City. Chapter 1 When You're Ready to Embrace Your Inner Bitch: Bad Girl Books There's a reason good girls finish last. Because a lot of times, doing what we think we're supposed to do means throwing the race. Good girls are so busy paying the bills, getting dinner on the table, and maintaining the image of the archetypal mother, symbolizing unconditional love, selfless patience, and the compelling need for a refillable prescription for anti-anxiety medication, that they never even make it to the starting gate. With a job description like that, it gets pretty hard to imagine a walk around the block, let alone a race to the summit of our highest personal peak. But what if we good girls started to give them all a taste of their own medicine? What if we found the courage to misbehave? What if we slipped into a pair of scuffed stilettos and stretch capris two sizes too small and, just for once, got really out of line