Finding Audrey by Sophie Kinsella

Finding Audrey by Sophie Kinsella

This is first YA from Sophie Kinsella and it was pretty wonderful. I always have faith in a SK novel to deliver quality writing and characters, and that's what she's done. Finding Audrey was hilarious, hysterical, relatable and real. 

The story is about a girl who's been through an ordeal at school, something intense and bad and inexplicable. It's literally never explained what exactly happened. But it's left Audrey with a pretty awful case of anxiety, so much so that she needs therapy and wears sunglasses 24/7, in order to avoid eye contact with people, even her immediate family. Audrey never leaves the house and spends her days in a dark den with black-out curtains drawn.

It was so easy slipping into Audrey's shoes. Her story is incredibly relatable to me and as I read the book I felt almost UNeasy because I was empathising with Audrey so much. One of the things I loved most about this book is the family dynamic. Audrey has such an awesome family, and her mum provides a lot of the hysteria. Frank, Audrey's big brother, was hilarious and Felix, her baby bro, was so so sooo cute. I love them all so much but not just because of who they are (or how well their characters were written) but because of how they loved each other. 

There's a cute romance that sparks between Audrey and Lionel (Frank's friend). Lionel helps draw Audrey out of her dark place and back into the world. There were so many sweet moments between them, like the note-writing with Felix as their messenger, or when Lionel knew Audrey couldn't manage eye contact so he'd challenge her with things like shoe contact or thumb contact or knee contact. :) 

I'd rec Finding Audrey for anyone who likes Sophie Kinsella, teen reads and laughing, 

Rating: 4 stars

New on my bookshelf [insta-edition]

Hi! Welcome to the Instagram edition of what's "new on my bookshelf"! 

I only started using Instagram this year, so I'm pretty late on the bandwagon. You can follow me if you like, @arielle.yeap 

Saw @xtinemay's booktalk for this and had to get it. #newonmybookshelf #chimneysandmagic #betweenthelines

Between the Lines by Jodi Picoult & Samantha Van Leer: I'm currently reading this one, and I only really got it because I heard Christine talking about it and the premise sounded really cool, and then I saw it in Big W and thought may as well just pick this up now. It's about Delilah, an unpopular girl in high school who is kinda obsessed with the prince in this fairy tale book from her school library. So much so, she keeps loaning the book out and constantly rereads it. Then one day, she notices some small changes in the book, and the prince starts talking to her! He wants her to get him OUT. He's stuck in the book, stuck on the pages and worst of all, stuck in a life he constantly has to relive. So far, I'm liking this - it's a pretty light read. The foreword at the beginning, written by Jodi Picoult, is sweet. 

new #YA from one of my fave authors @sophiekinsellawriter #chimneysandmagic #newonmybookshelf 😍📖😍

Finding Audrey by Sophie Kinsella: When I first heard Sophie Kinsella (one of my all time favourite authors) was releasing a YA, I was overjoyed. Then I forgot about it, and suddenly, it was well into 2015 and Finding Audrey was out! I got it, took a piccy of it, and now it's pretty much on the very top of my TBR. I really can't wait to read this. I don't even know what it's about and I don't need to because it's Sophie Kinsella and she never disappoints.

2013 End of Year Survey

My End of Year Book Survey 

I haven't done one of these before, but it looks like fun, so here we go!

This is hosted by Jamie over at her blog, so click here to get more info, link your own post, etc!

My survey will be a tad different; I'll just pick out a few questions from the many original questions to answer. 

1) The best book I read in 2013?

I have to pick two! I'm sorry!

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman. 

Books don't just win Newbery Medals for no reason! Here's a full post on what I thought about this book.

It was beautiful. Charming. Funny. Magical.

Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella.

Probably one of my favourite Sophie Kinsella novels, if not my very tippy top favourite. 

Hilarious fun with deliciously exciting characters, flapper dresses and Charleston dancing.

Can You Keep A Secret? by Sophie Kinsella

Can You Keep A Secret? by Sophie Kinsella

Click here to read my Goodreads review.

A few weeks ago I had a new bookshelf added into my bedroom and as I re-organised books onto my new shelf (I was categorising all my chick lit novels together), I looked at Can you keep a Secret? by Sophie Kinsella and suddenly it dawned on me, the book was stiff - the spine wasn't bent at all, it still looked brand new and I said, "Have I not read this? I thought I'd read every single Sophie Kinsella book there is!" (not verbatim) But I hadn't. Somehow this little purple book flew under my radar (I must have had this book in my possession for a few years now) and I remedied the situation STAT.

Wedding Night by Sophie Kinsella

Wedding Night by Sophie Kinsella

(My star rating: 4 stars)
read the synopsis here

Well, despite the 'low' ratings I saw for Wedding Night on Goodreads - I was once again thrown into the wonderful world of Sophie Kinsella.

The magic and beauty of literature is that it allows your spirit to be dynamically shifted by merely looking at the words on a page.

In every Sophie Kinsella book I have read - my mood is lifted, I end up crying, and there is always, always a happy ending. For Wedding Night however, it wasn't a happy ending. It was a BEST ending. Literally, the outcome could not have possibly turned out better for the characters.

You may be wondering why I only gave it a four star rating instead of the usual 4.5 or 5 I normally award S.K. books, so I'm going to tell you why.

The characters were lovely; I did like them a lot, and it was really cool (and necessary) to switch between the narrators Lottie and Fliss, but the hero/s and heroine/s didn't exactly have the (for lack of a better term) epic-ness that past S.K. characters had. A reason why I may have felt this is that the characters in Wedding Night are a fair bit older... Lottie is 33 years old and Fliss is 38. Lottie is all about settling down and Fliss has a 7 year old son and is getting through her divorce. Of course we still get packs and packs of crazy behaviour from the protagonists and lucky for us there are two of them. Double trouble!

The plot didn't have as many layers as I was expecting/hoping for... normally with S.K. you get a huge scandal simmering away underneath the upper layers of plottiness and relationshippy romance stuff. Wedding Night didn't really have that, although that doesn't mean there weren't any heart-wrenching, sob-inducing moments, coz there were a few of those. For example when Fliss has her breakdown in the hotel and Lorcan ushers her into the steamroom to cry it out, or when Richard goes to Arthur to find out about the fire that happened fifteen years ago all to soothe away Lottie's fears, or when he walks up to Lottie on the beachside on Ikinos island and tells Lottie he loves her even though all the hotel guests are watching and her husband is standing right there.

Wedding Night was a funny, light and easy read that still brought out of the all the emotions. So for that I give it full props! Sophie Kinsella still remains one of my favourite authors and I would still recommend this book even though it is not the best S.K. novel out there.

Bonus feature!
Watch me fail at talking about this book!

new on my bookshelf : wedding night

 I was in Big W today and found this lovely new novel by Miss Kinsella - who, as you should well know by now, is one of my favourite authors of all time. 

I will probably start reading Wedding Night TONIGHT. 

Here is the Goodreads page for the book in case you need a lil bit more info/love Sophie Kinsella and didn't realise she had a new book out. 

OMG I just hopped onto Wedding Night's Goodreads page... I can't believe the ratings are so low! 

I really hope I enjoy this one as much as ALL her others (because I have literally read all of her other books and none disappointed me in the slightest).

Alrighty so that is what's new on my bookshelf - you might be seeing a review soon ;) but 'til then 

PEACE OUT, SAAAAAAN!

(PVP Dope Fresh Nation reference)

my thoughts on: mini shopaholic by sophie kinsella

Mini Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella

published 2010, read synopsis.

It's a wonderful feeling, reading a book for the first time, reading the last page of a story and finishing it for the first time. Nothing compares. 

That is why I'm sitting on my bed at 2am, wide awake and scribbling in a notebook, trying to somehow articulate all of what I'm feeling right now. 

For the most part, Mini Shopaholic was not like Sophie Kinsella's other novels, or even like the other Shopaholic books either. Sophie Kinsella fooled me for the first two thirds of the book - she made me think Mini Shopaholic would be a big disappointment (and in a tiny way it was a bit of a disappointment). Becky was up to her usual antics - deceiving everyone, keeping secrets, telling fibs left, right and center and satiating her hunger to shop. I was halfway through the book and felt disappointed that her character was still the same as ever, disappointed that Becky hadn't grown or matured since the first book. She had though, it was just difficult for me to see that at first. 

the tippy top of my reading pile/TBR list

This is just a quick little update-y type of post telling you the books that are at the very top of my to-be-read pile that I want/need to read (or finish reading) ASAP! 

There really should be more on here such as The Perks of Being a Wallflower and The Fault in Our Stars, but anyway, here is the list (for now):

(pretty much in order of urgency)

Rhubarb by Craig Silvey

Mini Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella

The Maze Runner by James Dashner

Cassandra by Kerry Greenwood

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

Trying War by S.D. Gentill

Pan's Whisper by Sue Lawson

The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

my thoughts on: I've Got Your Number by Sophie Kinsella

I've Got Your Number by Sophie Kinsella

Bantam Press, 2012

click here to read the synopsis

I've literally just finished reading this book a few minutes ago and all I have to say about it right now is: 

WHY can't my life be a Sophie Kinsella novel!??? 

Just, why not??

And from looking on Goodreads I just realised this is the first SK novel I have read since last year! Why has it taken me this long? I have a small pile of SK novels on my bookshelves sitting there unread. 

Oh my gosh. I just loved this story SO SO MUCH. (the extra intensifier is warranted, I swear!)

new on my bookshelf

Guess where I ended up on Thursday evening? 

BIG W. 

Again. lol. My sister needed to get some makeup so we decided to go to big dub. Obviously I had to check out the book section again and managed to pick up the brand spanking new Sophie Kinsella stand alone, and yet another popular penguin. 

Then on friday, I came back from work and as I went to check the letterbox I found two brown boxes at the front door! One of them held... T H E  F A U L T  I N  O U R  S T A R S by John Green! I literally gasped and squealed. Multiple times.

The other huge box was from urban outfitters but that's not bookish news so I might blog about it on pen & pepper dreams.

I've Got Your Number by Sophie Kinsella

I'm incredibly glad I found this, because I actually forgot that SK had just released her new stand alone novel. I recently read an awesome review of it written by Molli at once upon a prologue which got me really excited about it. Sophie Kinsella protagonists are literally the best kind. 

The Fault in our Stars by John Green

I ordered this in October last year, I think. So... that was like almost HALF a year ago. Amazon just took hella long to deliver it to me. But they did estimate that I'd get it on the 16th, and I got it on the 10th, so that's something I guess. 

I actually don't know what the book's about, but I think I like it that way. I just know that it will be amazing, because John Green is amazing, and he signed 100 000 copies (or was it 150 000?) of the first printing, and my copy is signed in a blue sharpie. (but it's not hanklerfished like I hoped and dreamed it would be)

when i look at this i slightly feel like i'm walking on air. :)

Picnic at Hanging Rock by Joan Lindsay

This is an Aussie mystery about some girls from a private school who go on an excursion to Hanging Rock, deep in the bush. Three girls and a teacher vanish mysteriously after climbing the rock, but one girl returns. However, she has no memory of what became of the others. The blurb alone sends shivers down my back! I only bought this because I wanted another popular penguin book, and Big W didn't have a very diverse range in stock. I heard this one is good though. :)

new on my bookshelf

Big W is my hero. 

Currently they've got 35% OFF adult fiction in store, so these penguin books were less than $6.50 each! I thought that was a pretty darn good deal. Mini Shopaholic was about 13 bucks, which is still really good imo. Anyway, now that I think about it, I feel like I should have gotten way more books than just these three. Big Dub is AWESOME. I walked outta there feeling really great, headache gone, and a smile on my face. But I'm so glad I didn't get more, because I am kinda broke. (eeep :/)

 The popular penguin book covers have really started to grow on me!! 

I didn't care for them at the beginning, but now that it's more of a brand of its own (and with all the different merchandise), those orange-coloured books seem a lot more easy on the eyes. :)

So here are the 3 I bought, face-on, in all their glory: 

 Mini Shopaholic 

The most recent instalment of Sophie Kinsella's shopaholic series, which is one of my favourite book series' in the whole wide world. So funny, so British, and a guaranteed great read. 

In Cold Blood

I need this for my uni-work, and I didn't realise until I was inspecting the book before bedtime that this is non-fiction! Truman Capote was a journalist for the New Yorker, and after reading a 300-word article, he went on a full-blown investigation about the murder of this family. Which is this book. 

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

I recall one of my favourite childhood memories was reading this book about this really smart kid who solved mysteries. He was like a super clever boy-detective, and the stories about his life and detective work were so enthralling, I'm pretty sure I read the book a zillion times. I'm expecting this to be a bit like that... fingers crossed it is!

Review: The Undomestic Goddess

Title: The Undomestic Goddess
Author: Sophie Kinsella
CLICK HERE FOR SYNOPSIS
Genre: Chick Lit
First published: July 19, 2005
Format: Paperback, 416 pages
Source: Bought (Borders, AUS)
Other Details: featured in The Time Will Come meme. Click here for that post. 
My Rating: 4.5 stars


The story is about Samantha, a 29 year old lawyer in London, whose life solely revolves around her career. She's on the verge of scoring a partnership with the top law firm in the country, but a little bump in the road sends her life soaring out of control. Suddenly Samantha finds herself outside a huge house somewhere in the countryside - tired, drunk, jobless and with a massive headache. The next day she wakes up realising she's taken a job as a house-cleaner. With no domestic experience whatsoever, Samantha has to figure out how to bluff her way through the cooking, the cleaning, the ironing and all the other household chores she needs to complete on a daily basis. 


Do not be fooled by the storyline you expect - there is almost always something deeper going on beneath the surface narrative of a Sophie Kinsella novel. I was pleasantly surprised by the sheer genius that goes into each of her stories, especially this one. I was laughing and crying, jumping up and down in my chair with bright eyes and a goofy grin on my face while reading The Undomestic Goddess. 

New on my Bookshelf *Sophie Kinsella style*

Can you keep a Secret? and 
Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella!!!! 


So chuffed about finding these books on sale in Big Dub today. I was silently hoping to find Mini Shopaholic there but that'll have to wait for another time, I suppose. 
Sophie Kinsella standalone novels are almost just as good as the Shopaholic series. 


The book I just finished was also by her - if you follow me on twitter you'd have seen me rave on and on about The Undomestic Goddess. 
Review for that one will be up hopefully tomorrow! 

Day 17: *FAVOURITE QUOTE*

Day 01 – The best book you read last year
Day 02 – A book that you’ve read more than 3 times
Day 03 – Your favourite series
Day 04 – Favourite book of your favourite series
Day 05 – A book that makes you happy
Day 06 – A book that makes you sad
Day 07 – Most underrated book An unexpected good read
Day 08 – Most overrated book
Day 09 – A book you thought you wouldn’t like but ended up loving
Day 10 – Favourite classic book
Day 11 – A book you hated
Day 12 – A book you used to love but don’t anymore
Day 13 – Your favourite writer
Day 14 – Favourite book of your favourite writer
Day 15 – Favourite male character
Day 16 – Favourite female character

*Day 17 – Favourite quote(s) from your favourite book(s)*

I've been putting this one off for quite some time, thinking that I'll have to somehow get out all my favourite books and compile all my favourite quotes. I just realised that that isn't possible! It would take about 12479587376 years for me to do that. So why even bother trying? Instead I'm going to just show you a few of my favourite quotes - ones that stopped me in my tracks and had me writing them down. Or ones that just made me laugh hysterically.
Seeing as you know my favourite writers and my favourite books it won't be hard to guess that my other favourite quotes stem from those.

What's HOT on my *Wishlist*! [ top 7 ]

I finished my last exam a couple of hours ago... YAY! 
No more stress for me! Apart from the stress I'll get from my mum nagging me about getting a job. 


I thought it apt timing to show you the books I'm craving for this Christmas - these are the Top 7 (I tried making it a Top 5 but failed) books I should have read already but somehow still haven't! 
These seven books soar high above my wishlist in terms of the crave scale.


Ready?
HERE WE GO! 

The Time Will Come #8: *The Undomestic Goddess*

'The Time Will Come' is a Thursday book meme which began at Books for Company, where we pick a book we've been meaning to read but haven't got around to yet, one that's been sitting on 

our shelf gathering dust for a while...

Day 5 of the 30 Day Book Meme: A BOOK THAT MAKES ME HAPPY

I decided to participate in this feature because I'm a new born book blogger and this'll hopefully help you get to know more about me and what books I like! 

Day 01 – The best book you read last year

Day 02 – A book that you’ve read more than 3 times

Day 03 – Your favourite series

Day 04 – Favourite book of your favourite series 

Day 05 – A book that makes you happy 

Any novel that makes me laugh out loud constantly is a book that makes me happy.

I'm a strong believer that laughter is the best medicine, so books from any of these writers: Jaclyn Moriarty, Sophie Kinsella, Louise Rennison- fall under today's theme. 

Review: Shopaholic & Baby

Title: Shopaholic & Baby
Author: Sophie Kinsella
Genre: Chick Lit
Rating: 5 stars
Format: Paperback, 436 pages
Release Date: February 27, 2007
Publisher: Dell
ISBN: 987-0-440-24239-0
Source: Bought (from The Book Depository)




Description:

Becky's life is blooming! She's working at London's newest fashion store The Look, house-hunting with husband Luke (her secret wish is a Shoe Room)... and she's 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?

My Thoughts...

I am never giving away, swapping or selling my Shopaholic books! Ever!
The life of Rebecca Brandon (nee Bloomwood) is one to behold!
I haven't picked up a Sophia Kinsella novel in a while now and it was SO GOOD to get back into Becky's world.
The Shopaholic series just cheers me up, so no matter what I'm feeling I can't help but smile and laugh.