My not so perfect life : a novel

Format:

Book

Title:

My not so perfect life : a novel

Author:

Kinsella, Sophie author

ISBN:

9780812998269

9781410497734

9780399568329

9780812987713

Edition:

First edition.

Publication:

New York : Dial Press, [2017]

Physical Description:

438 pages ; 22 cm

Summary:

Part love story, part workplace drama, this sharply observed novel is a witty critique of the false judgments we make in a social-media-obsessed world. New York Times bestselling author Sophie Kinsella has written her most timely novel yet. Everywhere Katie Brenner looks, someone else is living the life she longs for, particularly her boss, Demeter Farlowe. Demeter is brilliant and creative, lives with her perfect family in a posh townhouse, and wears the coolest clothes. Katie's life, meanwhile, is a daily struggle - from her dismal rental to her oddball flatmates to the tense office politics she's trying to negotiate. No wonder Katie takes refuge in not-quite-true Instagram posts, espeically as she's desperate to make her dad proud. Then, just as she's finding her feet - not to mention a possible new romance - the worse happens. Demeter fires Katie. Shattered but determined to stay positive, Katie retreats to her family's farm in Somerset to help them set up a vacation business. London has never seemed so far away - until Demeter unexpectedly turns up as a guest. Secrets are spilled and relationships rejiggered, and as the stakes for Katie's future get higher, she must question her own assumptions about what makes for a truly meaningul life. Sophie Kinsella is celebrated for her vibrant, relatable characters and her great storytelling gifts. Now she returns with all of the wit, warmth, and wisdom that are the hallmarks of her bestsellers to spin this fresh, modern story about presenting the perfect life even when it's far from reality. -- From dust jacket.

Subject(s):

Man-woman relationships -- Fiction.

Genre:

Holds:

Available:*

Library	Call Number	Status
Searching... Salem Main Library	Kinsella, S.	Searching... Unknown
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Searching... Dayton Public Library	KINSELLA	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Independence Public Library	FICTION - KINSELLA	Searching... Unknown
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Searching... Monmouth Public Library	Fic Kinsella, S. 2017	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Newberg Public Library	FICTION KINSELLA	Searching... Unknown
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Searching... Stayton Public Library	KINSELLA Sophie	Searching... Unknown
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Summary

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * Part love story, part workplace drama, this sharply observed novel is a witty critique of the false judgments we make in a social-media-obsessed world. New York Times bestselling author Sophie Kinsella has written her most timely novel yet.

Everywhere Katie Brenner looks, someone else is living the life she longs for, particularly her boss, Demeter Farlowe. Demeter is brilliant and creative, lives with her perfect family in a posh townhouse, and wears the coolest clothes. Katie's life, meanwhile, is a daily struggle--from her dismal rental to her oddball flatmates to the tense office politics she's trying to negotiate. No wonder Katie takes refuge in not-quite-true Instagram posts, especially as she's desperate to make her dad proud.

Then, just as she's finding her feet--not to mention a possible new romance--the worst happens. Demeter fires Katie. Shattered but determined to stay positive, Katie retreats to her family's farm in Somerset to help them set up a vacation business. London has never seemed so far away--until Demeter unexpectedly turns up as a guest. Secrets are spilled and relationships rejiggered, and as the stakes for Katie's future get higher, she must question her own assumptions about what makes for a truly meaningful life.

Sophie Kinsella is celebrated for her vibrant, relatable characters and her great storytelling gifts. Now she returns with all of the wit, warmth, and wisdom that are the hallmarks of her bestsellers to spin this fresh, modern story about presenting the perfect life when the reality is far from the truth.

Praise for My Not So Perfect Life

"A sparkling, witty novel about social media and the stories we tell ourselves." -- People (Book of the Week)

"The soul of this book concerns female friendship. . . . What ensues has a touch of real wisdom [and] will satisfy Kinsella diehards as well as new readers." --The Washington Post

"You'll relate hard and root harder for Londoner Katie, whose quarterlife crisis feels even worse thanks to the Insta-perfect people all around her." -- Cosmopolitan

"A joy to read . . . Themes of friendship, love and living your true life rise to the top." --USA Today

"[There are ] many laugh-out-loud hilarious moments in this feel-good novel about social media and personal branding, and the hectic realities behind our perfect online lives." -- Bustle

"Pure escapist fun." -- PopSugar

"Sophie Kinsella keeps her finger on the cultural pulse, while leaving me giddy with laughter. I loved it." --Jojo Moyes

"Katie is a winning heroine. . . . Kinsella creates characters that are well-rounded, quirky, and a complete joy to read." -- Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"Driven by Katie's witty observations and numerous missteps as she attempts to reconcile various aspects of her identity, this novel is smartly satirical and entertaining." -- Publishers Weekly

"Another outstanding novel . . . a perfect combination of fun, laughable moments rounded out with some deep-seated family and relationship issues." -- Booklist

Author Notes

Sophie Kinsella is a writer and former financial journalist. She is very, very careful with her money and only occasionally finds herself queueing for a sale. Her relationship with her bank manager is excellent.

(Publisher Provided)

Reviews (4)

Publisher's Weekly Review

With her signature humor, bestselling author Kinsella (Shopaholic to the Stars) explores the frequent disconnect between perception and reality in modern life. Katie Brenner, a 26-year-old research associate at a branding agency in London, left her father's farm in Somerset with the intention of living her dream life in the city. But with her tight budget, peculiar roommates, long commute, and tedious work assignments, reality falls short of her expectations. She becomes isolated and often feels like she's playing a role. Still, she's intent on projecting an image of perfection, both to her family and her Instagram followers. Meanwhile, her controlling boss, Demeter, appears to be living the perfect life that Katie covets. Then, just as Katie begins to feel like her dreams are within reach, with renewed confidence at work, possible new friends, and a potential love interest, she gets fired. She moves back home to Somerset to help her father start a glamping business, only to have her two worlds collide in unexpected ways. Driven by Katie's witty observations and numerous missteps as she attempts to reconcile various aspects of her identity, this novel is smartly satirical and entertaining. Agent: Kim Witherspoon, Inkwell Management. (Feb.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Kirkus Review

A young woman learns that a "perfect" life isn't always what it seems as she attempts to move on from a dramatic firing by working at her family's farm.Country girl Katie Brenner is living the life she's always dreamed of in London. She's reinvented herself as Cat, works at a hip branding agency, and left behind her not-so-posh accent. But behind her perfectly curated Instagram account, life isn't actually as great as she'd like it to be. She's barely making it financially, living with terrible roommates, and trying desperately to impress her boss, Demeter. When Katie develops a flirtationor maybe morewith her cute co-worker, she thinks things may be looking up. But when Demeter fires Katie, she's forced to move back home to live with her father and stepmother in Somerset. She spends her days helping them run an upscale glamorous camping, or glamping, business and applying for every marketing job she can find. Her time in London seems like another lifeuntil Demeter shows up, family in tow, to spend a relaxing holiday in a yurt. Katie is determined to exact her revenge on Demeter, but in the process she learns that Demeter's life isn't what she always assumed, either. Katie is a winning heroine with a point of view even more likable than that of Kinsella's Becky Bloomwood (Shopaholic to the Rescue, 2015, etc.). It's easy to root for Katie as she deals with problems that are relatable (being fired, dealing with roommates) and less-than-relatable (running a glamping business). The romance is charming, but the main strength of the story is Katie and Demeter's evolving relationship. Kinsella creates characters that are well-rounded, quirky, and a complete joy to read. A delightful and charming story that will appeal to Shopaholic fans. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Booklist Review

Katie Brenner is living the life most girls her age dream of she has a flat in London (oddball flatmates), a great (hellish) commute, the perfect job at a branding agency (junior associate, doing data entry), and an amazing boss (quite the opposite). It's no wonder Katie loves going on Instagram to get a peek into the perfect lives of others, while creating the illusion of her own. After getting fired and bombing a potential romance, Katie goes home to her family's farm. Her father, an entrepreneur whose ideas never take off, decides to use his land to start a glamping business. Knowing a lot about branding and business, Katie takes the reins in the start-up. Everything is going great, until her ex-boss shows up. Kinsella delivers yet another outstanding novel full of the wit and charm that her fans expect and adore. Katie's shenanigans, from a misunderstanding about a vibrator to being mistaken for a homeless person, will keep readers laughing out loud. A perfect combination of fun, laughable moments rounded out with some deep-seated family and relationship issues.--Holt, Erin Copyright 2016 Booklist

Library Journal Review

Twentysomething farm girl Katie Brenner leaves Somerset (and her widower dad) to realize her dream of living and working in London. However, despite what she shares on Instagram, her dream also includes pinching pennies and making exhausting daily commutes from her roommate-laden apartment to her branding agency job, where she doesn't actually get to do branding (except for secretly rebranding herself as Cat). New friends and a potential romance give Cat hope, but then Demeter, her creative but maddening boss with a perfect life, lets her go. Devastated yet determined to find a new job in London, Katie heads home temporarily and misleads her family about her job situation while helping the farm become a unique vacation destination. Always among the first to try new things, Demeter and her family arrive at the farm for a holiday, throwing Katie/Cat into a righteous panic. Drama and shenanigans ensue as the women learn just how much appearances can be deceiving. -VERDICT Chick lit fans, rejoice! This latest stand-alone from best-selling author Kinsella ("Shopaholic" series) is top-notch, thanks to a lovable, slightly flawed leading lady, many true-life situations, and loads of giggle-inducing humor. As Bridget Jones would say, "Well done!" [See Prepub Alert, 8/22/16.]--Samantha Gust, Niagara Univ. Lib., NY © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.