Rebecca Bloomwood just hit rock bottom. But she's never looked better....Becky Bloomwood has a fabulous flat in London's trendiest neighborhood, a troupe of glamorous socialite friends, and a closet brimming with the season's must-haves. The only trouble is that she can't actually afford it — not any of it. Her job writing at Successful Savings not only bores her to tears, it doesn't pay much at all. And lately Becky's been chased by dismal letters from Visa and the Endwich Bank — letters with large red sums she can't bear to read — and they're getting ever harder to ignore. She tries cutting back; she even tries making more money. But none of her efforts succeeds. Becky's only consolation is to buy herself something ... just a little something....Finally a story arises that Becky actually cares about, and her front-page article catalyzes a chain of events that will transform her life — and the lives of those around her — forever. Sophie Kinsella has brilliantly tapped into our collective consumer conscience to deliver a novel of our times — and a heroine who grows stronger every time she weakens. Becky Bloomwood's hilarious schemes to pay back her debts are as endearing as they are desperate. Her "confessions" are the perfect pick-me-up when life is hanging in the (bank) balance.<b><u>Cara’s Candid Thoughts:</b></u>
I love it!
I heard of this book years ago, but I was never that curious enough to read it, until now. I always wondered how the author would narrate a story that has all the qualities I like in a ‘chic lit’ – witty, humorous, and very modern, and yet it will try to distinguish itself from the successful writing of another English author of the Bridget Jones’ Diary series. Well, Sophie Kinsella delivered all that in a very funny narration of Becky Bloomwood’s (aka Ms. Shopaholic) life as an un-interested financial journalist who takes the ‘art of shopping’ to a whole new and dangerous level!
Truth be told, I’m also a shopaholic (but not to the full extent of Becky’s problem), and I can relate to to Becky not being able to resist the temptations of sales and to succumb with absolutely ridiculous reasons, such as “Buying more stuff equals Credit Card Points equals Free Gift!, make sense, right?” I must have shared the same Buying Conscience as Ms. Bloomwood, but thankfully, I haven’t gone too far as to get into such a huge debt! So you see, there is a valuable lesson to be learned from this story!
What I also enjoyed from the book, and that I find quite original, are the letters from the bank appearing in front of every other chapter. It’s a creative way of keeping the reader in the ‘know’ on the severity of Becky’s financial standing with her creditors. Becky’s response to this ‘harrassment’, or, to use her own words, ‘stalking’ of her creditors balloons to more trouble and more hilarious antics! But as the story progresses, we share in the triumph of Becky finding her strength and facing her problem with not only a dream job, but the dream guy! Lovely! Lovely! Lovely! I am now a fan of Ms. Kinsdale’s writing. I guarantee to continue reading the Shopaholic series as I find Becky Bloomwood’s character absolutely entertaining!
Favorite book phrase: "I think they should list shopping as a cardiovascular activity. My heart never beats as fast as it does when I see a 'reduced by 50%' sign."
Shopaholic Series Author: Sophie Kinsella
Title: Confessions of a Shopaholic
Synposis: Rebecca Bloomwood just hit rock bottom. But she's never looked better....Becky Bloomwood has a fabulous flat in London's trendiest neighborhood, a troupe of glamorous socialite friends, and a closet brimming with the season's must-haves. The only trouble is that she can't actually afford it — not any of it. Her job writing at Successful Savings not only bores her to tears, it doesn't pay much at all. And lately Becky's been chased by dismal letters from Visa and the Endwich Bank — letters with large red sums she can't bear to read — and they're getting ever harder to ignore. She tries cutting back; she even tries making more money. But none of her efforts succeeds. Becky's only consolation is to buy herself something ... just a little something....Finally a story arises that Becky actually cares about, and her front-page article catalyzes a chain of events that will transform her life — and the lives of those around her — forever. Sophie Kinsella has brilliantly tapped into our collective consumer conscience to deliver a novel of our times — and a heroine who grows stronger every time she weakens. Becky Bloomwood's hilarious schemes to pay back her debts are as endearing as they are desperate. Her "confessions" are the perfect pick-me-up when life is hanging in the (bank) balance.
Review:
I love it!
I heard of this book years ago, but I was never that curious enough to read it, until now. I always wondered how the author would narrate a story that has all the qualities I like in a ‘chic lit’ – witty, humorous, and very modern, and yet it will try to distinguish itself from the successful writing of another English author of the Bridget Jones’ Diary series. Well, Sophie Kinsella delivered all that in a very funny narration of Becky Bloomwood’s (aka Ms. Shopaholic) life as an un-interested financial journalist who takes the ‘art of shopping’ to a whole new and dangerous level!
Truth be told, I’m also a shopaholic (but not to the full extent of Becky’s problem), and I can relate to to Becky not being able to resist the temptations of sales and to succumb with absolutely ridiculous reasons, such as “Buying more stuff equals Credit Card Points equals Free Gift!, make sense, right?” I must have shared the same Buying Conscience as Ms. Bloomwood, but thankfully, I haven’t gone too far as to get into such a huge debt! So you see, there is a valuable lesson to be learned from this story!
What I also enjoyed from the book, and that I find quite original, are the letters from the bank appearing in front of every other chapter. It’s a creative way of keeping the reader in the ‘know’ on the severity of Becky’s financial standing with her creditors. Becky’s response to this ‘harrassment’, or, to use her own words, ‘stalking’ of her creditors balloons to more trouble and more hilarious antics! But as the story progresses, we share in the triumph of Becky finding her strength and facing her problem with not only a dream job, but the dream guy! Lovely! Lovely! Lovely! I am now a fan of Ms. Kinsdale’s writing. I guarantee to continue reading the Shopaholic series as I find Becky Bloomwood’s character absolutely entertaining!
Favorite book phrase: "I think they should list shopping as a cardiovascular activity. My heart never beats as fast as it does when I see a 'reduced by 50%' sign."
Title: Shopaholic Takes Manhattan
Synposis: Universally beloved by readers, Sophie Kinsella's national bestseller, CONFESSIONS OF A SHOPAHOLIC, introduced the irrepressible one-woman shopping phenomenon, Becky Bloomwood. Now, in this hilarious follow-up, Becky and her credit cards are headed across the Atlantic....
With her shopping excesses (somewhat) in check and her career as a TV financial guru thriving, Becky's biggest problem seems to be tearing her entrepreneur boyfriend, Luke, away from work for a romantic country weekend. And worse, figuring out how to "pack light." But packing takes on a whole new meaning when Luke announces he's moving to New York for business–and he asks Becky to go with him!
Before you can say "Prada sample sale," Becky has landed in the Big Apple, home of Park Avenue penthouses and luxury department stores.
Surely it's only a matter of time until she becomes an American TV celebrity, and she and Luke are the toast of Gotham society. Nothing can stand in their way, especially with Becky's bills miles away in London.
But then an unexpected disaster threatens her career prospects, her relationship with Luke, and her available credit line!
Review:
Just when I thought I would be disappointed in a sequel, Ms. Kinsella proves me wrong! This Shopaholic book is a fantastic read, and amazingly it’s even better than the first!!!
The first book introduced us, with vivacious clarity, to the funny and quite endearing protagonist Becky Bloomwood. But in this second novel, although the reader will receive more exposure to her hilarious shopping exploits, the author has narrated a completely different perspective by placing Becky in the fashion capital of the world, New York City! And in this location, Becky receives a positive ‘culture shock’ due to new concepts of shopping she has never experienced or seen before – SAMPLE SALES, HUGE DEPARTMENT STORES, AND AN ENTIRE STORE DEVOTED ONLY TO MAKE-UP! Becky expresses this clearly when she says, “This expensive, glossy world is where I've been headed all along. Limos and flowers; waxed eyebrows and designer clothes from Barneys. These are my people; this is where I'm meant to be."
How Becky’s world comes crashing down after everything going so well with love, life, and shopping sprees was worst than the first novel. How could she possibly make things right? The author gives a surprising and quite clever twist in the end, where we will find Becky coming out stronger, humbled, and more mature. I had a very satisfied smile as I read the last paragraph of the book, and I’m sure anyone who reads this will feel the same way.
Title: Shopaholic Ties the Knot
Synposis: There’s never been a better excuse to buy a new dress...or two.
The irresistible heroine of Confessions of a Shopaholic and Shopaholic Takes Manhattan is back!--in a hilarious tale of mothers and daughters, mothers and sons, and one blushing bride who just can’t say no to saying “I do.”
Life has been good for Becky Bloomwood: She’s become the best personal shopper at Barneys, she and her successful entrepreneurial boyfriend, Luke, are living happily in Manhattan’s West Village, and her new next door neighbor is a fashion designer! But with her best friend, Suze, engaged, how can Becky fail to notice that her own ring finger is bare? Not that she’s been thinking of marriage (or diamonds) or anything...
Then Luke proposes! Bridal registries dance in Becky’s head. Problem is, two other people are planning her wedding: Becky’s overjoyed mother has been waiting forever to host a backyard wedding, with the bride resplendent in Mum’s frilly old gown. While Luke’s high-society mother is insisting on a glamorous, all-expenses-paid affair at the Plaza. Both weddings for the same day. And Becky can’t seem to turn down either one. Can everyone’s favorite shopaholic tie the knot before everything unravels?
Review:
Oh no! Oh no! What happened to Sophie Kinsella when she wrote this book??!!!
Needless to say I wasn’t really pleased with the third novel. The problem book series have, especially when the first two novels were really good, is that the reader is hungry for more good story telling. But unfortunately, with Shopaholic Ties the Knot, it seems like the author has lost her fire….OH NO!!!
Okay, what didn’t I like about it? Well, for starters, the plot seems really ridiculous. Becky Bloomwood’s character builds a certain level of expectation particularly readers she was introduced to in two prior novels. She is a Shopaholic, right? Then why would she allow two other people to plan her wedding? I mean, if she loves to shop, then what better way to start the story with Becky not being able to resist the huge million-dollar industry of Weddings? There are tons of irresistibly spending sprees she could have done and could have used the excuse, ‘Hey, I only get married once!’ to explain her splurges. But instead Ms. Kinsella takes the reader to a bizarre scenario where two weddings are being planning for Becky to occur on the same day. How weird is that! I know this is fiction, but at the very least try to think of the readers and how they would relate to the main character! I just got married very recently and I was hoping for the book to indulge me with wedding (mis)adventures so that I can relate, laugh, and recollect about my own wedding planning (not that I splurged…well, maybe a little…)!
The new characters Ms. Kinsella introduced are annoying and incomprehensible. First there is Becky’s NYC bestfriend, Danny. He is supposed to be an up and coming designer. Hmmm, really now…then why does he leech off his older brother (who pays the rent) and lies about having his clothes being sold in Barney’s? And when he does design Becky’s outfits, the clothes come apart!!!?? Becky wears one of his ‘T-shirt Gowns’ (what the heck is that???!!!) when she walked down as Suze’s maid-of-honor, but the pieces of the outfit were coming off!!! Isn’t the criteria of a good fashion designer not just in the creativity of the work but the WORKMANSHIP and innovation of the sewing! Danny also creates Becky’s wedding gown by making ‘denim’ ruffles? WHAT?????!!!! What bride in her right mind would wear such a thing in a supposedly posh wedding at the New York Plaza, where Hollywood Stars get married? The theme of the wedding is Sleeping Beauty, but Becky has DENIM material on her gown? I am completely appalled at the ridiculousness of all this! Ms. Kinsella should have done some research in dress-making…OR should have not created the Danny character and stuck it out with Suze, whom I always found to be super cool!
The character of Luke’s Mom, Elinor, is incomprehensible. Did Ms. Kinsella do this on purpose? Are we really not suppose to understand her? She is rich, snobbish, and very narcistic (she has ‘secret’ surgeries in Switzerland), who apparently does not really care for Luke and is in fact using him for his time to build up her charity work. However, if she really doesn’t care much for him and is using him for money, then why would she pay six figures to throw them a wedding? Why not be consistent and have him pay for the wedding? The falling out Luke eventually had with Elinor causes him to break down, which Becky calls ‘mid-life crisis’. I find this part of the story very unconvincing. In the end, Luke and Elinor made-up in such a casual way that I end up shaking my head and asking the question, “Why go through the trouble of putting a crisis in the story when it is clearly half-baked crisis?”
The part I like the best was whenever Becky would find ways to ‘cover’ her expenses on the bank statement. One of the arguments she and Luke had was “Is a Miu-Miu skirt a house hold expense?” I found that quite funny, but everything else in the story, I shrugged in disappointment.
Title: Shopaholic and Sister
Synopsis: Sophie Kinsella has conquered the hearts of millions with her New York Times bestselling Shopaholic novels, which feature the irresistible one-woman shopping phenomenon Becky Bloomwood. Now Becky's back in a hilarious, heartwarming tale of married life, best friends, and long-lost sisters (and the perils of simply having to own an Angel handbag!).
What's a round-the-world honeymoon if you can't buy the odd souvenir to ship back home? Like the Chinese urns and twenty silk dressing gowns Becky found in Hong Kong...the five kilim rugs from Turkey...the splendid hand-carved dining table (and ten chairs) from Sri Lanka...the, um, huge wooden giraffes from Malawi (that her husband Luke expressly forbade her to buy)...
Only now Becky and Luke have returned home to London and Luke is furious. Two truckloads of those souvenirs have cluttered up their usually immaculate loft, and the bills for them are outrageous. Becky's even maxed out on her second secret credit card, and she doesn't have a new job yet!
Luke insists she go on a budget. And worse: her beloved best friend Suze has found a new best friend while Becky was away. Becky's feeling rather blue--when her parents deliver some incredible news. She has a long-lost sister! Becky is thrilled! She's convinced her sister will be a true soulmate. They'll go shopping together, drink cappuccinos together, have manicures together, and watch their favorite videos together.
Until she meets Jessica for the first time and gets the shock of her life. Surely Becky Bloomwood's sister can't...hate shopping?
Review:
After the ‘not so good’ review I gave Shopaholic ties the Knot, I was rather hesitant to read the next Shopaholic book, which is Shopaholic and Sister. By the third book, all readers following these series know that Becky Bloomwood is an only child, so the title of the fourth book does stir up some curiosity.
Well, to sum up my reaction to this book…..I must declare that KINSELLA IS BACK! The author is just as witty and humorous as the first two Shopaholic novels, and I truly enjoyed reading her fourth book!
One of my favorite scenes is reading Becky’s obsession with acquiring the limited edition ‘Angel Bag’. Becky compares the rarity of the Angel Bag to the Bengal Tigers, wherein she describes the former as being even more extinct! So true! I have had many experiences like this in my when I justify my shopping splurges with ‘I have to have this no matter what!’ or ‘this is a collector’s item!’ These are what I call the ‘FF’ moments…aka Fashion Fanaticism!
I also enjoyed the introduction of Jessica, who is Becky’s long lost sister. She is also a fascinating character, and it is really nice to see how different she is from Becky, which often results into petty arguments between the two! Note that Ms. Kinsella barely made mention of Danny, who is Becky’s NYC best friend. Thank goodness! He was absolutely annoying in the previous Shopaholic book that I truly wished he would not appear in the future novels. Perhaps Ms. Kinsella received a lot of negative feedback on him. There is also more of Suze in this book, who is Becky’s longtime best friend. I like her, and she is definitely more endearing in this novel.
Title: Shopholic and Baby
Synopsis: Becky Brandon (née Bloomwood) is pregnant! She couldn’t be more overjoyed–especially since discovering that shopping cures morning sickness. Everything has got to be perfect for her baby: from the designer nursery . . . to the latest, coolest pram . . . to the celebrity, must-have obstetrician.
But when the celebrity obstetrician turns out to be her husband Luke’s glamorous, intellectual ex-girlfriend, Becky's perfect world starts to crumble. She’s shopping for two . . . but are there three in her marriage?
Review:
It's okay.....maybe.
Yes, there is a sense of hesitation. After reading all of the Shopaholic books, this latest installment of the series is definitely the most 'dramatic'. I even wonder if Ms. Kinsella wrote this when she was with child because the book is oozing with hormones, so to speak. Therefore, I cannot fully commit to saying that I like it because the book failed to bring me the same old Becky Bloomwood-Brandon antics and humor. For example, I could not find a single witty Shopaholic statement that I would normally find in Kinsella's novels. Becky's shopping 'mis'adventures have lessened and her enthusiasm for shopping for baby stuff seems pretty 'normal' for a pregnant person, whereas I was looking for something over the top! Granted there was a whole chapter on Prams' shopping (or strollers as we call them here in the U.S.), and Becky ends up buying three, but the chapter, although it was a manifestation that Becky hasn't lost her Shopaholic touch, was really not that interesting.
However, even though the book lacked the same dose of Becky Bloomwood funny and witty mishaps, the difference in the flavor compared to the the other Shopaholic novels isn't all that bad. There were a dramatic plots, LOTS of it in fact....such as 'Is Luke and Venetia having an affair?', 'What is the secret that is going on in Brandon Communications?', 'Will they lose the house?', 'Is Jess going to Peru, if she does, what happens to Tom?'. The page-turner is definitely the supposed 'affair' of Venetia and Luke, and I must confess that during this portion of the book I was actually quite moved just imagining how painful it must be to be in such a delicate state and finding out your husband is committing adultery. I am sure every reader is at the edge of their seats too wondering if tragedy is how Ms. Shopaholic's story is going to end. The culmination is pretty good. Ms. Kinsella proves once again that Becky and Luke's love is stronger than ever. However it is not a perfect ending. As Ms. Kinsella resolves each one conflict, the ending result is somewhat turning out to be like a Rocky Balboa movie. Brandon Communications is severly hemorrhaging money and thus the Brandons lose the opportunity to buy their dream home and end up living momentarily with Becky's parents by the time the baby was born.
If Kinsella decided to end the Shopaholic series with this book then that would be fine. There really isn't much more to develop in Becky's story. Ms. Kinsella has reinforced her 'shopaholic' nature time and again with every place she has visited or every new experience she encounters. Her romance with Luke has been tested and it was proven to be quite solid. And all the other characters in the story, like Becky's parents, Suze, Jess (who is moving for a short time to Chile with Tom), and even Danny (who I still do not like and can never comprehend how he became a famous and most sought after fashion designer when he specializes in 't-shirts'!) have all been fairly developed. The series should end with this book.
It was quite perplexing to find a surge of visits to my blog when I checked out my site's analytics. It turns out the recent release of the move, "Something Borrowed" spawned an interest in the topic, which I have a book review on. It had an amazing 1,723 page views just on the entry alone! I have not had a chance to see the movie, but if it is anything like the first book, then I will try to catch it, heck I'll even get the blu-ray! 
Review:
Titl
