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| Cover of Twenties Girl: A Novel |
Twenties Girl: A Novel
by Sohie Kinsellaaudio book
Published July 2009 by Books on Tape
ISBN 9781415962978
Listened May 2011
Ok. I decided to give audio books another go. By listening to books, I can get more in during the week (because I can listen to it while at work). This book came up on a suggested read based on something else I read and also happened to be available at the digital download library. I have never read her Shopaholic
series, nor saw the movie.I liked this book from the start. I could so relate to Lara as she came to terms with her break up with Josh and trying to make her career a go. The jury is still out on whether I liked Sadie or not. When her character was introduced I was reminded of the paranormal romance I gave a try a month or so ago - Spirit Intervention
. However, the things that irked me with that story were no where to be found in Twenties Girl. I always knew we were in England, had a clear background story on Lara, and I couldn't necessarily guess what would happen next.If you read my post of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
, you might remember that I said I had trouble paying attention. I had that problem again with this book. BUT this time it was work that I found myself distracted FROM as my attention was fully focused on the story. It had moments that were funny, times that were frustrating (Sadie acting like a petulant 5 year old grated on my nerves), occasions I could totally relate to ("There was the real Josh and then there was the Josh in my head"), and there was happy endings.The scenes with Ed were almost always good for a chuckle. The whole "you didn't want to be my girlfriend, did you?" interactions between them had me rolling my eyes at times, because you just wanted to shout "WAKE UP". But at the same time, it was sweet and totally realistic as both had unresolved issues with past relationships. I was cheering for Lara when she finally grew a backbone and stood up for herself (or maybe she just grew up and the maturity lent itself to her new self-confidence). I love the 1920s era and often wished that I could have experienced it, particularly the clothing. So it was an added bonus for me that Sadie kept demanding Lara relive the era with her. Speaking of Sadie, I am not sure what I think about her. At times, she truly acted like a toddler (throwing a tantrum because Lara kissed Ed because Sadie wanted Ed to be her's - HELLOOOO! Sadie, you're dead) and at other times her acts brought around positive changes for Lara. You also feel a bit sad for Sadie (and like Lara, forgiving her childish outbursts). I don't know anyone that has lived to be 105, but Sadie probably is an accurate portrayal of those who have long outlived their heyday and are all but forgotten by family.
This was a light and fun listen, bit like Jennifer Crusie's Anyone but You
. However, there is no described sex, though there is reference to Lara and Ed getting to know each other in the bedroom (that is almost word for word how Lara explained it). So I'm happy to find a light and fluffy author that doesn't see the need to include sex. I will definitely be adding Sophie Kinsella to my list of authors to turn to when my other reading has become to heavy.
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I agree, it's always great to have a few light reads on hand when your other reading gets to be too intense! I read the Shopaholic books a few years ago and they were a little over the top for me, but they were definitely fun. I will have to give this one a try!
ReplyDeleteBonnie - I mentioned to my librarian last night about listening to this book. She said that she thought the Shopaholic books were over the top, too, but really like Twenties Girl. She also recommended Domestic Goddess.
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