After bashing out two successful chick lit novels, India Knight managed to pursuade someone to let her write a book about shopping. 'The Shops: How, why and where to shop' is an unashamedly self-indulgent gem filled with tales of the author's shopping excursions and littered with product recommendations, shopping favourites and gift ideas. If you love shopping, you'll love this...
Though essentially a non-fiction shopping guide, the narrative thread running through 'The Shops' makes it as easy to devour as any good girly novel. How much you get out of it depends on how much you agree with Knight's shopping habits, but regardless of that, her tales of early shopping trips (throwing up after drinking Dr Pepper, a secret passion for cheap chocolate, finding the 'Pants of Steel') are described in such a laugh-out-loud, relatable fashion that you feel like you're reading an email from a good friend, choc full of secret shopping tips 'just for you'.
Where India Knight succeeds in constructing a good shopping guide is that she doesn't just relay the same information as every magazine in the country. There are a lot of online finds, which is great considering most of Britain is still scared to shop online and needs some serious education. Even a seasoned shopper will find herself discovering new secrets when reading this book. Knight obviously loves being pampered and enjoys life's little luxuries, and spends pages discussing the perfect way to shape an eyebrow, how to lose pounds without going on a diet (it's those Pants of Steel again) and why kareoke is so brilliant. The product and gift recommendations, though generally expensive, are great. This was one of the first places I read abou Liz Earle's unfaultable cleanse and polish hot cloth cleanser, and I love the idea of buying a live butterfly or bug farm (from insectlore.co.uk) for a child!
Whether you're a seasoned shopper or the kind of person who dreads a trip to Oxford Street, this book is a mine of information and a great read to dip in and out of. It covers everything from maternity clothing to organic food, and is full of top tips, personal recommendations and silly stories. Invest in it now and halve your christmas shopping time!
