Book Club: I've Got Your Number

I feel like I never really have time to read anymore. And by I never really have time I actually mean I never make time. I have plenty of chances to fit in a few chapters here and there, but yesterday was the first day in years that I actually sat down with the intention of thoroughly enjoying a book. My stepdad and Mike were busy putting up a fence in our backyard, and my mom was having a time playing with Toby and watching Power Rangers, so I nestled up on the bench in our backyard and cracked open I've Got Your Number by Sophie Kinsella.


Sophie Kinsella is one of my favorite authors (number two, actually). She's famous for the Shopaholic series... you know, the one that was hacked to death and made into that terrible Isla Fisher movie? Yeah, that one. Don't let that movie ruin the series, or any of her other novels, for you. They're full of British humor, wit, dynamic characters and chances are you'll probably cry at some point, too. Sophie also writes under the pen-name Madeline Wickham and she's got a slew of books out for the picking! I've ready every single Sophie Kinsella book (I think! Less Twenties Girl which is sitting on my bookshelf), and now I think I might venture into the M. Wickham section, too. 

Anyway, that's not the point. The point is that yesterday I made the conscious decision to forgo anything else I had to do, and to just relax. I've really benefitted from not doing any design work on the weekends. It's nice to just enjoy a little bit of down time, even if it is interrupted by bartending. I'm slowly working out of my workaholic ways. Now more about this book...

I picked it up the day after it hit the shelves in February, and I'm really bummed it took me this long to read it. It was so good! I read the entire 434 page novel yesterday in one go. I simply couldn't put it down. I'm such a sucker for British chick-flick type books. If they were made into (not crappy) movies, I'd watch them all. (Confession: As much as I hate the changes, exclusions and the all around not-true-to-book Shopaholic movie, I've seen it several times)

UK/Australian cover vs. US/Canadian

Here's the synopsis for I've Got Your Number...
Poppy Wyatt has never felt luckier. She is about to marry her ideal man, Magnus Tavish, but in one afternoon her “happily ever after” begins to fall apart. Not only has she lost her engagement ring in a hotel fire drill but in the panic that follows, her phone is stolen. As she paces shakily around the lobby, she spots an abandoned phone in a trash can. Finders keepers! Now she can leave a number for the hotel to contact her when they find her ring. Perfect!


Well, perfect except that the phone’s owner, businessman Sam Roxton, doesn’t agree. He wants his phone back and doesn’t appreciate Poppy reading his messages and wading into his personal life.

What ensues is a hilarious and unpredictable turn of events as Poppy and Sam increasingly upend each other’s lives through emails and text messages. As Poppy juggles wedding preparations, mysterious phone calls, and hiding her left hand from Magnus and his parents . . . she soon realizes that she is in for the biggest surprise of her life.
The last 6 pages just had me in tears. There's just something so undeniably relatable to all of Kinsella's characters. They're sweet and genuine, but flawed like the rest of us. Every book I read I feel like I'm hearing the story from a girlfriend, or even experiencing it myself. In my opinion, if a book makes you laugh and cry all in one go, it's a winner!

Yesterday was much needed. A brief 400 page escape from whatever was going on in the world. I'm not sure how often I'll be breezing through books but hopefully I can share more of my favorites and let you know as I go through them. I've never been a huge reader, but when I find something I really connect with, I simply can't stop.

What are some of your favorite reads?

31 comments:

  1. Oh I love Sophie Kinsella! If you like her I'd definitely recommend Marian Keyes, and one of my personal favourites, Belinda Jones (it helps that she posts photos of the inspiration for each book on her website, they're great if you like good british chick lit but in a slightly more exotic setting!)

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  2. I feel your pain about lack of reading time, but I have made it a goal to read more & thankfully I have been able to squeeze in 6 or 7 books so far this year (mainly because I know I will be starting up classes again in August). I have never read any of Sophie Kinsella's books (the movie turned me off) but I will def. give it a try. I use to do audiobooks in my car and Celia Rivenbark is amazing! She is a southern gal full of humor. Right now I am into dystopian books like Hunger Games and Divergent Series.

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  3. Your confession that you've still seen the Shopaholic movie several times just made my day! I'm glad I'm not the only one that bemoans awful movie adaptations but still can't seem to get enough of them!!!

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  4. If you like British Chick Lit I'm sure you've heard of Jane Green, but if you haven't, go read her books! My favorites are "Mr. Maybe" and "Jemima J". Right now I'm reading "The Happiness Project" by Gretchen Rubin and it's so amazing. Seriously changing my outlook on life.

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  5. I just tweeted a major thanks for this article! You are good at highlighting the creative importance of work/life balance :) I am in love with the Sookie Stackhouse novels by Charlaine Harris - being a women's studies graduate I felt a whole lot of pressure to read "appropriate" books which ended up exhausting me and keeping me from reading but once I read "Twilight" :) I realized that I love reading and as campy and lite as it is it is still enjoyable and great for my brain - so the Sookie novels were devoured! Another great author who does amazing female characters is Kelley Armstrong... a Canadian and my fav!

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  6. I am on a wait list for this book at the library! I am glad you gave it such a great review :)
    If you love her you should check out Marian Keyes( I have read and loved every single one of her books)and Meg Cabot's Queen of Babble series is quite good also.

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  7. I like this post, 'couse Sophie Kinsella is my favourite author with Jaqueline Wilson. I love english authors.
    British covers of this saga are so cute, US covers... no -.-'

    This is the italian cover, and i like it

    http://www.lalibreriaimmaginaria.it/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Ho-il-tuo-numero-Sophie-Kinsella.jpg

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  8. I love Sophie Kinsella! Her books are so easy to devour and she is genuinely funny- she captures British everyday life and humour very well. Such a shame the movie sapped away the Britishness that made the books so good (still a good film though, but would have been better as a British one). I second another commenters reccommendation of Marian Keyes, she is fab. I can't wait to read this book!

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  9. I haven't read any of her books but I'll totally add it to my list! One of my faves lately is Divergent (and Insurgent which just came out)...they are kinda hunger gamesy but different enough to be equally fascinating! Xo Lori

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  10. I read the first shopaholic book and loved it. I would also recommend Caprice Crane books because she has a wicked sense of humor.
    Glad that you were able to enjoy a moment to read :)

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  11. I read the first shopaholic book and loved it. I would also recommend reading Caprice Crane. She has a wicked sense of humor.

    Glad that you got to find a moment to read and relax :)

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  12. hey....
    sorry if there are 3 comments from me. I think my internet is being a little weird. Glad that you got a moment to read :) You should read any of Caprice Crane's books, I think you would like her.

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  13. hey...
    Glad that you got a moment to read and relax for a bit. :) I recommend Caprice Crane because she has a wicked sense of humor.

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  14. I have about a thousand favourite reads, but right now I'm revisiting Harry Potter. Reading Harry Potter is like visiting an old friend, it's a comfy kind of love. I know I'm not explaining it very well...

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  15. I did the same thing yesterday! I spent a couple hours reading The Penderwicks at Point Mouette by Jeanne Birdsall. It's part of a fabulous children's series that's absolutely perfect for summer.

    If you're into contemporary romance chick lit type books, I highly recommend Stephanie Perkins!

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  16. Right now I'm reading "Signs of Life" by Natalie Taylor. A true story about a woman who lost her husband when she was 4 months pregnant with their son. It is so, so good. She is actually quite funny and brutally honest. I'm so glad I purchased it!

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  17. Love this author and have been wanting to read this one!

    You MUST check out Megan Crane. I've read two of her books, but Names My Sisters Call Me is an all-time favorite. Oh, and Caprice Crane, Janet Evanovich, Jane Green, and Emily Giffin are all really good authors too :)

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  18. I'll have to add this to my to-reads list, my MASSIVE to-reads list mind you. ;)

    Popular titles I've loved have been
    -Shatter Me* by Tahereh Mafi
    -Under the Never Sky* by Veronica Rossi
    -The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight
    by Jennifer E. Smith
    -The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

    *dystopian YA

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  19. Reading is so, so amazing. I'm really excited to get into George R. R. Martin's series'. :D

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  20. this is a must read!! i love Sophie Kinsella's works=)

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  21. Cecelia Ahern - can't lose. She has a few books out (and is the author of P.S. I Love You - quite a bit different to the movie) and If You Could See Me Now is one of my all time favourite stories!

    All of her books have a small element of magic to them but don't let that put you off. It only makes the story richer rather than childish.

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  22. You've totally sold me on these books, I'm always looking for more good reads. For enjoyable escapism, I love Meg Cabot books and for something more intense, We Need to Talk About Kevin is amazing, and anything by Neil Gaiman is awesome if you're into fantasy.

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  23. Oh man I love the Shopaholic series (not sure if I should admit that as an English student but I don't care!) It's a shame that when they make British books into movies they always make everything American, another film adaptation where that really bugged me was P.S. I Love You - the book was so much better!
    Faye x

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  24. Sophia Kinsella is one of favorite guilty pleasures!! Her books are hilarious! I'm looking forward into checking out some of your readers recommendations from the comments :)

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  25. For me, the longer daylight hours magically create more reading time. I love Sophie Kinsella's Shopaholic series! She's my bright, summer author. Definitely checking out I've Got Your Number! :)

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  26. If you like UK wit, you should try Marian Keyes' books. She is a fantastically funny Irish "chick=Lit" writer. Her books are clever and intelligent and falling-down funny. :-)

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  27. LOVE Sophie Kinsella! Othe favorite authors: J Maarten Troost (HILARIOUS), David Sedaris, and ofcourse, The Perks of Being a Wallflower. oh, and Dan Brown tends to be really captivating as well. God, I love reading!


    XO Sahra
    EffortlessCool

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  28. I'm like you where I haven't had time (or made time) to read. Before it was that I didn't like reading mainly because of my astigmatism but now I have reading glasses. So I am def looking for something to read. I love reading good books, with emotions. :) I def want to pick up this book.

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  29. Meg Cabot's Queen of Babble books are fantastic and sound really similar to this author!

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  30. I loved this book! And Twenties Girl was great as well!

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  31. Reading is so great, but very often so difficult to start doing. When I start I end up reading for hours, but very often I just look at the book and go "nah, I'll do it some other time." Bad choice.

    I don't like Sophie Kinsella though, I read the first shopaholic novel and began the second (my mother reads them so we have all) and just, no. Not for me.

    I am currently reading "The Virgin Suicides" and loving that! Difficult to turn of the light and sleep when I'm supposed to..

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HEY! Thanks for dropping by. xo KB