Sophie Kinsella quotes:

Like most of us, I'm used to juggling about 52 roles in life. Wife. Mother. Sister. Friend. Author. Sometimes I feel a bit 'multiple-personality'.

Shopping with friends is a great way of still enjoying the thrill of the chase without having to make a purchase. It can also be a real bonding opportunity. Helping your friend find something nice is just as rewarding as helping yourself.

If my writing comes to a halt, I head to the shops: I find them very inspirational. And if I get into real trouble with my plot, I go out for a pizza with my husband.

I had a craving for pineapple and a pink cardigan" - Becky Bloomwood Shopaholic and Baby

Philosophy wasn't about facts, it was about ideas. My first essay title was something like: 'How can you know what other people are thinking?' I thought, 'Wow, what an amazing thing.' I really thought deeply for the first time.

When I shop, the world gets better, and the world is better, but then it's not, and I need to do it again.(Confessions of a Shopaholic-the movie)

I'm allergic to family occasions. Sometimes I think we'd do better as dandelion seeds-no family, no history, just floating off into the world, each on our own piece of fluff.

I'll show Luke I can fit into the city. I'll show him I can be a true New Yorker. I'll go the gym, and then I'll eat a bagel, and I'll ... shoot someone, maybe? Or maybe just the gym will be enough.

People used to ask me for advice, and I'd say, 'Please, don't ask me!' Yes, I did economics at Oxford, but that's not the same as having a broad knowledge of personal finance.

My own life has been doubly disconnected, as I've written books under two different names. As an author, your name almost becomes a brand; readers know what to expect.

It wasn't until after college that I started writing. I had just applied randomly for jobs in the media and got one on a magazine called 'Pensions World.' So I was writing for a living there and that's when I started my first book.

There is something exciting about saving up for a special treat. Bring back the piggy bank!

I never did any training in journalism or in finance, so I really was in the deep end. I got very good at going to press conferences and nodding. I'd figure it out when I got back to the office. Charts and numbers. I've never been great with facts, ever, my whole life. For a journalist, that's not a very good trait.

I think a lot of people still fantasise about that first love and what might happen if they rekindled the relationship.

I'd probably still be a financial journalist now if it weren't for writing novels. Mmm. Fun! I'm much happier writing novels!

Becky! Love!" Mum has pushed her way through her dancing guests to reach me. "What's wrong? Has labor started?" Honestly. My family has no idea about contemporary urban street dance trends.

If I've learned one lesson from all that's happened to me, it's that there is no such thing as the biggest mistake of your existence. There's no such thing as ruining your life. Life's a pretty resilient thing, it turns out.

I always thought 'chick lit' meant third-person contemporary funny novels, dealing with issues of the day. I mean, it's not the ideal term; when I'm asked to describe what I do, I say I write romantic comedies, cause that's what I feel they are. But I'm quite pragmatic.

To have someone who never makes a mistake, never finds her personal life in disarray, never worries about work-life balance? I think that would be unreal. What I'm writing is real.

My earliest, most impactful encounter with a book was when I was seven and awoke early on Christmas morning to find Roald Dahl's 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory' in my stocking. I had never been so excited by the sight of a book - and have possibly never been since!

To some extent, all authors are a little schizophrenic. We lead most of our lives in solitary confinement, living and breathing the books that we're writing.

I love all my characters. I love their weaknesses and flaws. I feel like they're all my best friends and I adore being with them.

I need good coffee!" I say in horror. "It's my only luxury!" I can't live with my parents and drink bad coffee. It's not humanly possible. Becky talking about cutting back with her parents.

I don't think anyone sits down and thinks, 'I know, I'll be a chick-lit writer.' You write the book that you want to write and then other people say, 'Oh, that's chick-lit.' You say, 'Okay.' But it's not like you look around and go to a careers fair and there will be someone at the chick-lit author stand.

Other people's eyes are limitless and that's what scares me.

Some of us have hearts, you know. Some of us don't give up on true love.

I need good coffee!" I say in horror"It's my only luxury!"I can't live with my parents and drink bad coffee. It's not humanly possible.Becky talking about cutting back with her parents.

The way I write is totally instinctive. I just write what I feel or what I find funny - and hope everyone else agrees.

Look into your heart- and go after what you really want.

I am not a label snob and have learned that the thrill of shopping can be just as great, if not more so, when you find a bargain.

sometimes you don't need a goal in life, you don't need to know the big picture. you just need to know what you're going to do next!

Christmas shopping! I can do all my Christmas shopping here! I know March is a bit early, but why not be organized? And then when Christmas arrives I won't have to go near the horrible Christmas crowds.

Oh, please. If she's going to use Mr. Darcy to prop up her arguments, I give up.

To have someone who never makes a mistake, never finds her personal life in disarray, never worries about work-life balance? I think that would be unreal. What Im writing is real.

If you can't be honest with your friends and colleagues and loved ones, then what is life all about?

I don't speak Japanese, I don't know anything about Japanese business or Japanese culture. Apart from sushi. But I can't exactly go up to him and say "Sushi!" out of the blue. It would be like going up to a top American businessman and saying, "T-bone steak!

Life takes us on different paths... It's not up to us to evaluate or judge them, merely respect and embrace them. (Lara Lington - to Sadie Lancaster)

When I was your age, if a boy behaved badly, one simply scored his name out from one's dance card. (Sadie Lancaster - to Lara Lington)

My life has changed, and I'm changing with it.

My real name is Madeleine Wickham, under which I write dramas with an edge of humour. As Sophie Kinsella its fast, all-out comedies, such as the Shopaholic series.

It's just the way things are. And you can't dwell on what might have been. You have to look at what is.

Never give up on something you really want. However impossible things seem, there's always a way.

The trouble with giving yourself a pep talk is, that deep down you know it's all bullshit.

Hi." "Hi." I shrug, as though to say "Whatever." In my peripheral vision I can see Magnus exhale. He looks a teeny bit nervous. "So." "So." I can play this game too. "Poppy." "Poppy. I mean, Magnus." I scowl. He caught me out.

People used to ask me for advice, and I'd say, 'Please, don't ask me!' Yes, I did economics at Oxford, but that's not the same as having a broad knowledge of personal finance

I chose to publish the first 'Shopaholic' book under a pseudonym because I wanted it to be judged on its own merits.

A real relationship is two-way.

I once tried to give him a friendly little "drugs chat". He politely corrected me on every single fact, then said he'd noticed I drank above the recommended guidelines of Red Bull and did I think I might have an addiction? That was the last time I tried to act like the older sister.

This is me, remember?" retorts Suze. "I know what you're like! You used to throw all your bank statements into the trash and hope a complete stranger would pay off your bills!" This is what happens. You tell your friends your most personal secrets, and they use them against you.

Magnus, I say more gentlyListen. There's no point doing this. Don't marry me just to prove you're not a quitter. Because you will quit, sooner or later. Whatever your intentions are. It'll happen.Rubbish, he says fiercely.You will. You don't love me enough for the long haul.

So, says Jack at at last...you broke up with Connor.Wow. So we're straight to the pointSo, I reply defiantlyYou decided to stay.Yes, well..., I thought I might take a closer look at some of the European subsidiaries. He looks upHow about you?Same reason. I nodEuropean subsidiaries.

I stare at him in indignation. This changes what? I was his guardian angel till three minutes ago. You can't just switch guardian angels because you feel like it.

It'll be George Michael all over again, Dad mutters darkly to Mum, and I give a sharp intake of breath. That is AGAINST our family code. No one was supposed to mention George Michael ever again. We even turn off Carless Whisper whenever it comes on.

she is the only woman I've ever known who could make a man call.Ever

To be honest, going out with Ed after Josh is like moving on to Duchy Originals super-tasty seeded loaf after plastic white bread. (I don't mean to be rude about Josh. And I didn't realize it at the time. But it is. He is. Plastic white bread.)

When the dog bites, when the bee stings... I simply remember I have a boyfriend and suddenly things don't seem quite so completely shit.

You can want and want and want, but if he doesn't want you back ... you might as well wish the sky were red.

The thing with giving up is you never know. You never know whether you could have done the job. And I'm sick of not knowing about my life.

No wife wants to hear that her husband is less than perfect.

How are you going to forget him if you keep talking about him? Darling, when things go wrong in life, this is what you do. You lift your chin, put on a ravishing smile, mix yourself a little cocktail... and out you go.

Family's the most important thing.

I'm very lucky. I have a really supportive husband in Henry, and there's my mum, too. I couldn't have a career and manage the kids' routines and household thing single-handedly. I'd just go crazy.

A relationship is a game of chess.

That's the trouble with having the whole world love you. One day, you wake up and it's flirting with your best friend instead. And you don't know what to do. You're thrown.

People who want to make a million borrow a million first

Love is all that counts in this crazy, mixed-up world...

There's nothing like your mother's sympathetic voice to make you want to burst into tears.

Never tell a man all about yourself, it's bound to lead to trouble.

They were even talking about buying a bodyguard, can you believe it? I mean, what on earth would I look like, turning up with a bodyguard? Actually, I'd look pretty cool and mysterious, wouldn't I? That might have been quite a good idea.

Visiting any shop for the first time is exciting. There's always that buzz as you push open the door; that hope; that belief - that this is going to be the shop of all shops, which will bring you everything you ever wanted, at magically low prices.

It's not enough to believe! Don't you see that, you stupid girl? You could spend your whole life hoping and believing! If a love affair is one-sided, then it's only ever a question, never an answer. You can't live your life waiting for an answer.

In business, if you want to make money, you have to spend money. If you want to have a result, you have to make an investment.

Life would be a lot easier if conversations were rewindable and erasable, like videos.

Still, that's the point of love; you love someone despite their flaws.

If you look good, you feel good

It's like I'm thirteen again and he's my crush. All I'm aware of in this entire roomful of people is him. Where he is, what he's doing, who he's talking to.

Lover? I don't know. I don't know if she loves me. I don't know if I love her. All I can say is, she's the one I think about. All the time. She's the voice I want to hear. She's the face I hope to see.

This is what happens. You tell your friends your most personal secrets, and they use them against you.

There's no luck in business. There's only drive, determination, and more drive.

Is you look good, you feel good!

Everyone's moving on without me, into a world I don't understand.

It's a GIRL.It's a little girl, with scrunched-up petal lips and a tuft of dark hair and hands in tiny fits, up by her ears. All that time, that's who was in there. And it's weird, but the minute I saw her I just thought: IT'S YOU. Of course it is.

She's been used to hiding her feelings for so long, no wonder her manner can be a little awkward.

Relationships are all about trust and equality. If one person shares, then the other person should share, too.

Some things are best left a blur. Births and Visa Bills.

In the end, you have to choose whether or not to trust someone.

Life is like an escalator. You see, it carries you on regardless. And you might as well enjoy the view and seize every opportunity while you're passing. Otherwise, it'll be too late.

We're all confused, Samantha. We all need more time to think. That's life. Get over it.

We're playing Scrabble. It's a nightmare." "Scrabble?" He sounds surprised. "Scrabble's great." "Not when you're playing with a family of geniuses, it's not. They all put words like 'iridiums'. And I put 'pig'.

I did a lot of shopping for her in Tokyo because the colors here are very conservative. A shopaholic would have a coat in every color and lots of accessories

I'm lying. I don't just need someone like you. I need you.

I hurl the glass teapot to the ground. we both stare at it, stunned. "it was supposed to break," I explain after a pause, " and that was going to signify that yes, I would throw something away . If I knew it wasn't right for me.

Our eyes met in the math class. How were we to know that trigonometry would lead to matrimony?

My voice is clotted with unshed tears.

Wow. I've never been a VIP before. I've never even been a IP.

There are some things I don't understand about Jess and never will. No wedding dress. No flowers. No photo album. No champagne. The only thing she got out of her wedding was a husband. (I mean, obviously the husband is the main point when you get married. Absolutely. That goes without saying. But still, not even a new pair of shoes?)

When I wrote my first book, 'The Tennis Party', my overriding concern was that I didn't write the autobiographical first novel. I was so, so determined not to write about a 24-year-old journalist. It was going to have male characters, and middle-aged people, so I could say, 'Look, I'm not just writing about my life, I'm a real author.'

My real name is Madeleine Wickham, under which I write dramas with an edge of humour. As Sophie Kinsella it's fast, all-out comedies, such as the 'Shopaholic' series.

I'm an impulse buyer. I don't really go out with a list.

When I had the idea for 'Shopaholic', it was as though a light switched on. I realised I actually wanted to write comedy. No apologies, no trying to be serious, just full-on entertainment. The minute I went with that and threw myself into it, it felt just like writing my first book again - it was really liberating.

If you want something you can't afford, think what else that money could buy: a week's groceries, a month's rent, or a weekend away. That will put things into perspective.

I can't cook. I don't have the right brain for it, somehow. I can't walk into a room and tidy it up. I get distracted. I pick up one thing and I start looking at it. And my cooking is truly heinous.

... what would Poirot do? Poirot wouldn't flap around in a panic. He'd stay calm and use his little grey cells and recall some tiny, vital detail which would be the clue to everything.

...you may be able to sway people's heads. But you can't sway their hearts.

A divorce is like a controlled explosion. Everyone on the outside is OK.

A man will never love you or treat you as well as a store. If a man doesn't fit, you can't exchange him seven days later for a gorgeous cashmere sweater. And a store always smells good. A store can awaken a lust for things you never even knew you needed. And when your fingers first grasp those shiny, new bags"

A mistake isn't a mistake unless it can't be put right.

A party like this isn't about the surprise factor. It's about someone going to so much trouble that it just... overwhelms you.

All this time, I wasn't hungry for success, I was hungry.

And maybe now you'll start treating everybody with respect. Not just the people you think are important.

And we spend the rest of the evening getting very pissed and eating ice cream, as we always do when something good or bad happens to either one of us.

Being a journalist is good if you want to write books: it teaches you to get beyond the blank screen. My books have been described as froth, but there's scope to be witty and ironic about everything in life.

Books are educational; so you can buy as many as you want." Sophie Kinsella, shopping at the Limelight Marketplace

But sometimes you have to be brave. Sometimes you have to show people what's important in life.

But you can't stay with people because of guilt. Or because they can drive a speedboat.

Ciao," I say casually, and flick my hair back. "Si. Ciao." I could so be Italian. Except I might have to learn a few more words.

Darling, when things go wrong in life, you lift your chin, put on a ravishing smile, mix yourself a little cocktail...

Don't beat yourself up for not knowing the answers. You don't always have to know who you are. You don't have to have the big picture, or know where you're heading. Sometimes, it's enough just to know what you're going to do next.

Don't think about it. Don't think about what could have been. It's too unbearable.

Emma, I'm sorry, I can't help you. This is a disaster. You're completely vulnerable. It's like going into battle in a nightie.