by GeniustoBurn

Created on: October 08, 2010   Last Updated: October 09, 2010

Who loves shopping? I do! I love this book too; It's a veritable treasure trove of information. If you need a guide on great places to buy organic food, gift ideas, or just the joy and frivolity of talking about clothes, this is a great read.

India's idea of cheap may be steadfastly middle class (there is no mention of poundland, for instance, but Waitrose and celebrity eyebrow waxers receive honourable mentions), but there are still some genuinely nifty shopping tips here. I have read this book a zillion times, and gleaned all the information that is actually going to be relevant and useful to me, but I still read it on a semi-regular basis, because it's FUN.

As well as being extremely informative, this book is hilarious. Shopping and the acquisition of goods can be an emotive experience! She dedicates a whole page to "The only chocolate that can make you sob with joy" and tells entertaining anecdotes about her own family and past. For some reason, I find these stories fascinating, although I have read books by other writers who have attempted the same thing and I think "Why are you telling me this?" Hell, this woman could make a grocery list entertaining.

There are chapters on food (with a plea to buy good quality, ethically produced meat less often, rather than cheap battery chicken nuggets every day), how to look better (with beauty tips you're unlikely to read in Cosmo), home, weddings, children, and presents. There are many shops and websites I had never heard of, but have since used. (Insect lore, for instance, has kits for children to breed their own butterflies. Definite brownie points if you buy this for your niece!) Somehow these categories can stretch to fit in tips on how to intimidate rude shop assistants, how NOT to apply makeup, and some fantastic idea on unusual but practical flooring. (Rubber, cork, etc.)

India Knight is a big fan of lounging around and there is a whole separate chapter on "nests" - the joys of a fluffy duvet, fleecy pyjamas, snuggly ugg boots. She briefly describes the books she most loves to read in bed on a rainy day. I wonder if she would be happy to know that her book is one of my very favourites, and it is often hauled out of the bookcase for a quick "comfort read" before bed. I hope so.

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