"An unexpected vacation" was published in 1998 and is about 27-year-old Rachel struggling with drug addiction.

In the sequel, "An Unexpected Choice", readers get to see the beloved character again, but now Marian Keyes instead wanted to write about aging and how life doesn't turn out as planned.

- The thing about aging is that no one ever thinks it will happen to them.

I don't mind getting older, but it can hit me how fast it has gone.

Rachel is in a similar situation.

We learn that at a certain age everything in our lives has to be perfect.

Rachel has now realized that no one ever gets there, says Marian Keyes.

Don't like the chick lit stamp

Marian Keyes is known for her ability to mix seriousness with humor and her books have sold over 35 million copies.

She is often considered one of the founders of the chick lit genre, but it is not a label she likes.

At the same time, it should be mentioned that many people today see the term as outdated or interpret it in positive terms.

- There are many chick lit authors who like the label, and that's perfectly fine, but to me it feels like it creates a ghetto.

It becomes as if in a ditch are what we call books, respectable and good books written by men, which are only called literature.

And over there in a sneaky, horrible little corner is what we call "chick lit", "girl stuff".

Why can't we just say novels?, she asks herself.

Non-serious reception in the 90s

"An unexpected holiday" received no serious criticism when it came out in the 90s, says the author.

- Back then, everything written by young women for young women was dismissed as rubbish.

That's how patriarchy works, everything done by women is attributed a lesser value, she says.

The book, on the other hand, has lived on and sold a lot of copies over the years.

- Over the years, so many people, thousands, have reached out and said that the book either helped them get sober themselves or made them understand their mothers' alcoholism.

It makes me so happy, says the author.