Once upon a time I filmed Book Nook videos where I would talk about recent books I had read, but I got out of the habit a couple of years ago. I thought it might be fun to bring my Book Nooks back in blog form. In these book reviews, I’ll share my personal opinions about the books I read. Please keep in mind that not everyone enjoys the same literature and we may not agree. I’ll also do my best not to give away any major spoilers, although I will discuss the basic plot and certain character traits. We’ll see how it goes!
Please be advised that some of the links provided are affiliate links and I do receive a small commission if you make a purchase using those links. I very much appreciate your support of this blog in doing so!
I finished up the fourth installment of George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice & Fire series, A Feast For Crows, about a week ago and was in the mood for something on the lighter side. I’ve had Confessions of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella on my “to read” bookshelf for quite some time, as you can probably tell by the “Soon to be a Major Motion Picture!” badge. The movie apparently came out in 2009. So, yeah, it’s been on my shelf awhile. I remember buying it on a whim since I’d heard so many people saying good things about her series. The reason it sat and sat on my bookshelf is that I’m not hugely into majorly fluffy chick lit like this. That’s not to say that I don’t enjoy chick lit, because I absolutely do, but this kind of read is pretty much all fluff and I’m only in the mood for that every so often.
The book is a super fast read, which would make it a great beach/pool/vacation option or something to take to a pedicure appointment. It only took me a couple of hours cover to cover. In all honesty, I really didn’t like this book all that much and the only reason I finished it is because a) I cannot seem to start a book and not finish it, no matter how much I dislike it, and b) it was so short I knew it would be over soon. That’s not the best endorsement, I know, but I want to give my honest opinion with my book nooks, as with all of my content. Please remember that this is my personal opinion and I’m in no way meaning to make a statement on other people who might very well really like this book.
The story is set in London from September 1999 to April 2000 and follows a young financial journalist named Rebecca Bloomwood as she navigates the slippery slope of major personal debt coupled with a pretty drastic shopping addiction. I love to shop, too, don’t get me wrong, but I’ve never bought things that were not comfortably and realistically within my means. It was hard for me to relate to the main character because of this. Rebecca takes shopping to a whole new level. The fact that she is so majorly in debt is highlighted throughout the book by letters from banks and credit card companies attempting to get payment from her. I cringed every time she convinced herself she just had to have another ridiculously expensive thing she couldn’t afford. I think Kinsella wants the reader to have that sort of visceral reaction, but also really like Rebecca at the same time and feel conflicted about it. I did not, however, find myself smitten with Ms. Bloomwood’s character. It wasn’t like she was a bad person, but her compulsive lying and inability to take care of herself combined with her rather flippant attitude towards both really bothered me.
As with most chick lit I’ve read, there was a romantic interest, but in this case it really only blossomed into focus at the very end of the book. This was the only part of the book I liked at all, because it showed more emotion and depth in Rebecca, which I felt the story lacked up until this point. The entire storyline reminded me of Bridget Jones’s Diary by Helen Fielding (which I think is much better written) as it revolves around a young British woman floundering in her career and love life and then finally finding her way as well as landing a gorgeous man through a series of both unfortunate and laughable events. Confessions had its funny moments, too, but my distaste for the protagonist made it hard for me to really enjoy them. I don’t think I’ll be reading any more of the books in this series.
I’ve never written (or filmed) such a negative book review before, but to be fair I haven’t read something I disliked quite as much as this in a long time. I never saw the movie and after watching target=”_blank”>the preview on YouTube I think I might actually enjoy it more than the book. Have any of you seen it? I usually like movies with Isla Fisher.
Just finished: Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty
Next on my list: Inferno by Dan Brown
I’d love to know what you thought if you’ve read this book. Please don’t feel discouraged to share your opinion if you really liked it just because I wasn’t a fan. As I mentioned, we all have different tastes when it comes to…well, anything, really. The fun part is being able to share our individual points of view and in doing so, learn more about ourselves and each other. So, let’s share! I’d also love to know what you’re reading now and any book recommendations you have.
Happy Reading!
* This is not a sponsored post. All opinions are genuinely my own. *
