During my five years of university, I had to do a lot of reading for my classes, especially since I was studying English literature. After a while, it got tiring and sometimes, I really didn't want to read anything that required a lot of thought and analysis. I found the chick lit genre to be fairly straightforward with hilarious story lines and plots I didn't have to think too hard about. I'd read a couple of Sophie Kinsella's other books and I wasn't a huge fan of her characters, but I quite enjoyed Confessions of a Shopaholic.
The main character, Becky Bloomwood, is a stylish trendsetter, but also a shopaholic whose spending habits catch up with her. I really enjoyed Becky's growth. At first, she seems to have her head in the clouds and is a bit oblivious, but as the story continues, she shows that she cares about the people around her and she uses her talent as a writer to help them. There is obviously a romantic interest in the story as well, and he takes the form of the handsome Luke Brandon, but what I really love is that even though Becky has some awkward moments, she stands up to him and refuses to let anyone stop her when there are more important things at stake. This is a fun book with its moments of female empowerment. However, I recommend stopping after the first one and not continuing the series because it feels like Becky hit the reset button and doesn't learn her lesson as the series continues.
There is also a film version with Isla Fisher and Hugh Dancy that's set in New York rather than London. There are quite a few changes to the film version that doesn't stay true to the book version, but it's still a fun movie.
Runners-Up:
The main character, Becky Bloomwood, is a stylish trendsetter, but also a shopaholic whose spending habits catch up with her. I really enjoyed Becky's growth. At first, she seems to have her head in the clouds and is a bit oblivious, but as the story continues, she shows that she cares about the people around her and she uses her talent as a writer to help them. There is obviously a romantic interest in the story as well, and he takes the form of the handsome Luke Brandon, but what I really love is that even though Becky has some awkward moments, she stands up to him and refuses to let anyone stop her when there are more important things at stake. This is a fun book with its moments of female empowerment. However, I recommend stopping after the first one and not continuing the series because it feels like Becky hit the reset button and doesn't learn her lesson as the series continues.
There is also a film version with Isla Fisher and Hugh Dancy that's set in New York rather than London. There are quite a few changes to the film version that doesn't stay true to the book version, but it's still a fun movie.
Runners-Up:
Boy Meets Girl by Meg Cabbot This is another one of those chick lit books, but the whole story is told through email exchanges, letter passing during meetings, and inter-office memos. It's a lot of fun as Kate Mackenzie goes about proving that she was wrongfully terminated from her job along with her friends and a handsome lawyer. There's another book called The Boy Next Door which is written in a similar format, but features different characters (that make a cameo in this one). | Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson This is an old favourite from my childhood and I would have chosen this one for that category, but I guess it's more of a comic. There's something magical about having a stuffed tiger be your best friend. Calvin and Hobbes comics are funny, insightful, and surprisingly philosophical, at times. I am quite saddened that Watterson has stopped writing them, but I always find myself coming back to these comics when I need a break from being an adult. Recently, someone drew a fanart homage featuring Calvin's daughter and her continuing adventures with Hobbes. *sniff" Someone pass the tissues. |