Monday, November 22, 2010

Book Review: Shopaholic series - Sophie Kinsella

The Shopaholic series has 5 books in the following order:
* Confessions of a Shopaholic
* Shopaholic Takes Manhattan
* Shopaholic Ties the Knot
* Shopaholic and Sister
* Shopaholic and Baby

Rebecca Bloomwood is a finance journalist and a compulsive shopper. Just a small 'SALE' sign sets her off. Despite having a load of debts she cannot stop herself from buying stuff. What starts as innocent browsing ends in buying things she doesn't even need. The whole series is about how expensive her shopping trips turn out and how she manages to get her life back on hold. The other important characters are her best friend Suze and the love of her life Luke Brandon.

Sophie Kinsella's famous series has also been made into a movie. But the movie combines books 1 n 2 and Luke Brandon's character sketch is tweaked to make him the ideal boyfriend. But the book presents a realistic view of relationships in the corporate world while retaining the humor element. Becky's friend Suze, who is with her through thick and thin, is the ideal Soul Sistah. As usual, the author excels in conveying a girl's feelings and at times you almost feel like going on a shopping spree yourself! A highly-recommended chick lit coz after all

The quickest way to know a woman is to go shopping with her.
-- Marcelene Cox

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Small dreams!

A list of some of the things I would love to do in my life. I am confused about whether I should keep the ones I have done in bold or the ones I haven't. I think I'll keep the ones I haven't done in bold so that they are in my face when I look at this list! :D

  1. Learn a form of dance may be Salsa
  2. Open a library
  3. Visit the Taj Mahal ( I know despite being an Indian I haven't seen it yet but I plan to)
  4. Watch a match in a stadium
  5. Attend a concert
  6. Lose 5 kgs
  7. Get my hair coloured
  8. Have a holiday abroad
  9. Learn to speak a foreign language preferably french
  10. Fall in love
  11. Bake a delicious cake
  12. Have a night out with friends
  13. Have a penpal
  14. Own a house and decorate it the way I want
  15. Participate in a Satsang and sing bhajans with complete devotion
  16. Make a scrapbook, like the ones they show in movies/TV
  17. Learn to drive
  18. Dance the whole night on New year
  19. Sleep under the stars
  20. Call up a friend randomly
  21. Learn to waltz properly
  22. Sponsor a child's education
  23. Write a blog
  24. Watch the sunrise
  25. Sing for someone
  26. Have a best friend (apart from my sister)
  27. Buy a best seller
  28. Watch a movie - first day, first show
  29. Be a part of the theatre - as an actor or work backstage
  30. Have a pet again
  31. Attend a reunion
  32. Dance at a friend's wedding ( a baraat would be nice)
  33. Play with snow
  34. Get a small, cute tattoo
  35. See the seven wonders of the medieval world - The Statue of Liberty in USA, The Taj Mahal in India, The Great Wall of China, The Pyramids of Egypt, The Hanging Gardens of Babylon, The Leaning Tower of Pisa and The Eiffel Tower in Paris
  36. Donate blood
  37. Learn how to use chopsticks
  38. Learn to moonwalk
  39. Visit 10 countries - USA, Germany, Thailand, Singapore, South Africa, Austria, Slovakia, Croatia, Malaysia
  40. Visit 5 states of the USA - California (San Jose, San Francisco), North Carolina (Raleigh), New York (Manhattan), New Jersey (Princeton), Massachusetts (Boston), Michigan (Northville)
  41. Own Tiffany's jewellery
  42. Go on a cruise
  43. Ride first class
  44. Eat at a five-star restaurant
  45. Get a rainbow rose
  46. Attach a love lock to a bridge
  47. Plant a tree
  48. Watch a drive-in movie
  49. Solve a Rubik's cube
  50. Change someone's life
  51. Visit all 7 continents - Asia, Europe, North America, Africa, South America, Australia, Antarctica
  52. Get an article published
  53. Donate my hair to charity
  54. Eat at a Michelin-starred restaurant
  55. Visit 5 UNESCO world heritage sites - Western Ghats (Karnataka), St. Michael's Church (Germany), Toy train (Ooty), Table Mountain (Cape Town, SA), Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (Mumbai) 
  56. Learn and contribute towards enriching Karnataka's heritage
  57. Recreate a recipe from Masterchef
  58. Go on a Hot Air Balloon Ride
  59. Stay in a house over or facing the water
  60. Spend a Night in a Tree House
  61. Run a marathon
  62. Go on an African Safari
  63. Visit Disney World
  64. Watch a Broadway show