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Review: Mini Shopaholic, by Sophie Kinsella


Pages: 414

Original date of publication: 2010

My edition: 2010 (Dial)

Why I decided to read: Heard about it through Amazon.com

How I acquired my copy: Amazon Vine, September 2010

I’ve read all of Sophie Kinsella’s books to date, and I’ve enjoyed nearly all of them. Her novels are quirky and fun and funny, and they always provide their reader with a bit of brain candy. Mini-Shopaholic is the sixth Shopaholic book featuring the adventures of Becky Brandon (nee Bloomwood). You’d think that after six books in this series, the series would have jumped the shark, so to speak, but still Sophie Kinsella manages to find fresh material for our heroine.

Mini Shopaholic takes place two and a half years after the last Shopaholic book, Shopaholic and Baby, leaves off. Becky’s daughter Minnie is essentially going through the Terrible Twos, and everyone else (including Luke) think Becky spoils her. Added on top of that is the fact that, apparently, Minnie is becoming a mini-shopaholic herself (Minnie/mini, get it?). Becky’s got herself a handful as she tries to juggle a demanding toddler, plus try to plan a surprise birthday party for Luke.

Whenever I read afresh one of the Shopaholic books, I always find myself going “uh, oh, what’s Becky getting into now?” She’s always getting herself into difficulties, especially with Luke (watch as she tells Luke she’s going to get a boob job, when really she’s meeting with his assistant bonnie to discuss details of the party). Sometimes the lies she tells are really out there, so much so that I wonder that anyone actually believes them. Plus, the whole lying thing surely can’t be good for Becky’s relationship with Luke. But the reason why I like this series so much is that it’s very funny. I don’t know how Sophie Kinsella has managed to do it, but she has managed to keep up Becky’s character through six books of the series, and she’s still interesting and fun. I was a little disappointed in the fact that most of the plot revolved around Luke’s party, and not so much on Minnie and Becky’s parenting. Still, this didn’t totally detract from my enjoyment of the book. There also promises to be more books in this series in the future…

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Serena said…
I borrowed a copy of this one from Diary of an Eccentric, who really enjoyed it as well.
October 25, 2010 at 10:44 AM
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