This is the Sophie Kinsella book which my mother first recommended to me. I have to admit, when she first mentioned the Shopaholic series, I thought "why would I be interested in a book of that title, since I'm the complete opposite of a shopaholic?" However, she did mention that in Shopaholic & Sister, the two sisters are not alike and to that aspect, I could certainly relate!
As I read this book (yes, it was the first in the series that I had to physically read since our library didn't have the audio version - oh how I missed hearing that British accent - so much so that I researched and discovered there is an audio version at my mother-in-law's library, so perhaps I will plan a visit and ask her to check it out), I had to wonder what it would be like to read this book first, instead of reading the series in order. It does stand alone, but I think there would be such a great benefit to already being completely familiar with Becky Bloomwood Brandon's character. One of Sophie Kinsella's greatest achievements is that this character is so well drawn that her readers feel that they know Becky. In fact, sometimes I have "Becky moments." These are moments when my brain goes off on a tangent of fancy which is highly unrealistic but very fun to indulge in for the moment.
This novel begins with a typical Becky moment. She and her newly-wed husband, Luke, are on their year-long honeymoon trip around the world. They are doing yoga and she is being instructed to clear her mind (ha - impossible). A wandering merchant ambles by selling jewelry. True to form, Becky haggles in her mind for a moment and then dashes off after him. In the process, she manages to run right over the hot coals in her bare feet. Everyone is impressed with her enlightened achievement. I loved it. I could just see it happening.
As she returns home from the honeymoon, and faces the music for all of the miscellaneous purchases she has made and shipped home, she discovers some disconcerting new developments. Her father has a long-lost daughter that he was not even aware of. Her best friend, Suze, is now a mother of three and has a new best-friend (one who can relate to her motherly trials). Luke has returned to his work-obsessed nature and is completely focused on a new account. Becky is determined to forge a relationship with her half-sister. Unfortunately, the two of them couldn't be more different.
This brought to mind my own relationship with a sister who is quite dissimilar. Although Dawn is not a shopaholic (she is a Salvation Army officer, so her salary really doesn't afford that as an option), she is the sister who is totally put together, trendy, and the one who, in thinking of others, will often fail to recognize any cost involved. For example, she sent a birthday present to my MS by next-day air so that it would be sure to arrive on his birthday! We weren't even expecting a present. A card would have sufficed and he really wouldn't have noticed if it arrived on the day or a week later.
By contrast, I am the typical skin-flint (if I drank coffee like Becky's sister, I would probably try to make two batches out of one serving of grounds). I get a tremendous charge out of finding clothing at thrift stores and garage sales. I keep receipts, like trophies, of my frugal accomplishments. And, it would be fair to say that relatives look forward to gifts from my sister far more than they look forward to gifts from me.
At first, Becky is totally baffled by her frugal, penny-pinching sister. Then, she is determined to create a bond despite their differences. Eventually, the differences begin to anger her. When she believes that Luke wishes she were more like her sister, Becky decides to change her ways, with the help of her sister. Only problem, her sister wants nothing to do with her.
Sophie Kinsella certainly knows how to build tension. She introduces little conflicts steadily until you are certain of impending doom. She also does a fine job of reeling the reader in for the next installment. I am looking forward to reading (or listening to) the next in the series, entitled Shopaholic and Baby. If you've never tried this series, and are up for a good laugh with an engaging and endearing character, then you must meet Becky Bloomwood Brandon (boy is she lucky she married a wealthy man).
As I read this book (yes, it was the first in the series that I had to physically read since our library didn't have the audio version - oh how I missed hearing that British accent - so much so that I researched and discovered there is an audio version at my mother-in-law's library, so perhaps I will plan a visit and ask her to check it out), I had to wonder what it would be like to read this book first, instead of reading the series in order. It does stand alone, but I think there would be such a great benefit to already being completely familiar with Becky Bloomwood Brandon's character. One of Sophie Kinsella's greatest achievements is that this character is so well drawn that her readers feel that they know Becky. In fact, sometimes I have "Becky moments." These are moments when my brain goes off on a tangent of fancy which is highly unrealistic but very fun to indulge in for the moment.
This novel begins with a typical Becky moment. She and her newly-wed husband, Luke, are on their year-long honeymoon trip around the world. They are doing yoga and she is being instructed to clear her mind (ha - impossible). A wandering merchant ambles by selling jewelry. True to form, Becky haggles in her mind for a moment and then dashes off after him. In the process, she manages to run right over the hot coals in her bare feet. Everyone is impressed with her enlightened achievement. I loved it. I could just see it happening.
As she returns home from the honeymoon, and faces the music for all of the miscellaneous purchases she has made and shipped home, she discovers some disconcerting new developments. Her father has a long-lost daughter that he was not even aware of. Her best friend, Suze, is now a mother of three and has a new best-friend (one who can relate to her motherly trials). Luke has returned to his work-obsessed nature and is completely focused on a new account. Becky is determined to forge a relationship with her half-sister. Unfortunately, the two of them couldn't be more different.
This brought to mind my own relationship with a sister who is quite dissimilar. Although Dawn is not a shopaholic (she is a Salvation Army officer, so her salary really doesn't afford that as an option), she is the sister who is totally put together, trendy, and the one who, in thinking of others, will often fail to recognize any cost involved. For example, she sent a birthday present to my MS by next-day air so that it would be sure to arrive on his birthday! We weren't even expecting a present. A card would have sufficed and he really wouldn't have noticed if it arrived on the day or a week later.
By contrast, I am the typical skin-flint (if I drank coffee like Becky's sister, I would probably try to make two batches out of one serving of grounds). I get a tremendous charge out of finding clothing at thrift stores and garage sales. I keep receipts, like trophies, of my frugal accomplishments. And, it would be fair to say that relatives look forward to gifts from my sister far more than they look forward to gifts from me.
At first, Becky is totally baffled by her frugal, penny-pinching sister. Then, she is determined to create a bond despite their differences. Eventually, the differences begin to anger her. When she believes that Luke wishes she were more like her sister, Becky decides to change her ways, with the help of her sister. Only problem, her sister wants nothing to do with her.
Sophie Kinsella certainly knows how to build tension. She introduces little conflicts steadily until you are certain of impending doom. She also does a fine job of reeling the reader in for the next installment. I am looking forward to reading (or listening to) the next in the series, entitled Shopaholic and Baby. If you've never tried this series, and are up for a good laugh with an engaging and endearing character, then you must meet Becky Bloomwood Brandon (boy is she lucky she married a wealthy man).
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