Sophie Kinsella, the best-selling author behind the “Shopaholic” book series, has revealed that she is receiving treatment for brain cancer.

“I’ve wanted for a long time to share with you a health update and I’ve been waiting for the strength to do so,” she wrote in an Instagram post on Wednesday.

“At the end of 2022 I was diagnosed with glioblastoma, a form of aggressive brain cancer. I did not share this before because I wanted to make sure that my children were able to hear and process the news in privacy and adapt to our ‘new normal,’” she continued.

Glioblastomas are a fast-growing type of brain tumor and the most common type of cancerous (malignant) brain tumor in adults, according to charity Cancer Research UK.

Kinsella, who lives in the United Kingdom with her husband and children, said she is under the care of an “excellent team” at a London hospital, and has had “successful surgery and subsequent radiotherapy and chemotherapy, which is still ongoing.”

“At the moment all is stable and I am feeling generally very well, though I get very tired and my memory is even worse than it was before,” she added.

The author, who also goes by the name Madeleine Wickham, has sold more than 45 million copies of her books, which have been translated into more than 40 languages, in more than 60 countries, according to her website.

Her “Shopaholic” protagonist, Becky Bloomwood, a shopping-loving financial journalist who is hopeless with money, made it to the big screen in a 2009 movie adaptation “Confessions of a Shopaholic.” She was portrayed by Australian actress Isla Fisher.

“Sending you so much love and healing energy,” Fisher commented under Kinsella’s Instagram post.

“I am so grateful to my family and close friends who have been an incredible support to me, and to the wonderful doctors and nurses who have treated me,” Kinsella added in her post.

“I am also so grateful to my readers for your constant support. The wonderful response to The Burnout has really buoyed me up, during a difficult time,” she continued.

Kinsella’s latest book, romantic comedy “The Burnout,” was released in October.

Molly Knight, a grade four student in Nova Scotia, noticed her school library did not have many books on female athletes, so she started her own book drive in hopes of changing that.

“I wanted to have more people see women doing sports, because people need women to play sports so they can motivate themselves and see other people play,” said Molly in an interview with CTV’s Mike Lamb. “So then they feel really excited to do something new.”

Molly said she is looking for books with lots of pictures.

“I would like some people to donate books that have lots of pictures of girls playing basketball because then other people will be like ‘wow that’s so cool, maybe I’ll be like them sometime.’”

Molly’s mother Lucy said she would like to see more books available for young readers that focus on women in sport.

“I think girls in sports is really gaining momentum, there’s been a lot of great attention lately with PWHL and the March Madness in the U.S. More girls are playing more sports I think than ever and that’s not really reflected yet in the books that are available for young readers,” she said.

“I think it would be great if we can have more available so that girls can see not just boys and men as people to inspire to be like in the sports world, and can start to see themselves on those pages as well,” she adds.

“The school librarian said she’s all in for it and she’s really excited,” said Molly.

“Were really proud of her, she very determined and she likes to speak up and speak out about things that she thinks are important and this is something she thought was important and she likes to get things done and make it happen. So she’s going for it and we totally support that,” said Lucy.

Donations have already started to come in for the book drive.

“We’ve had a few people reach out to us already that have books there ready for us to pick up or are planning to donate. So that’s great,” said Lucy.

Molly said she is grateful for everyone who donates.

“I feel pretty happy. I’m really graceful also for all the people who are chipping in and helping.”

Donations for Molly’s Book Drive can be made by contacting mollyvk32@gmail.com by April 30. 

Some people love to wash their car, and for others, it’s their most hated chore. It’s a necessity for car owners, so no matter where you fall on the love-hate spectrum, you want a car wash that’s going to give your car a deep clean that lasts. Automatic car washes are at almost any gas…

  When you take your car to the car wash, there are multiple add-ons available, and one common choice is spray-on wax. It may seem like it doesn’t make a difference, but there are some important benefits. And these benefits go beyond how shiny your will car looks. What Are the Benefits of Waxing Your…

Even when you are lucky enough to start with an empty room, it can be overwhelming to design an interior that you can enjoy for years to come. Following some basic interior design principles, you can transform your space into a relaxing room you will be comfortable and happy with. Decide what your focal point will be and build out from there.  For best results, keep proportion and scale in mind as you decorate as well as these tips!

 Deciding on Your Focal Point
Do you have a magnificent bay window with an incredible view?  Is there an ornate mantle that is the reason you fell in love with your home? Or is there something you absolutely MUST HAVE in the room? Situate your furniture around your chosen focal point to create balance and equilibrium. If your room does not already have an existing focal point, create one with oversized art or add an accent point like a free-standing fireplace, they come in a variety of sizes and styles. Symmetrically balance the room evenly so that both sides mirror one another.  This will help your chosen focal point stand out all the more! Use matching accent tables to flank your sofa or use different pieces of furniture to create a copacetic visual impact, like two similar armchairs to balance a sofa.
Repetition for Rhythm
Rhythm creates a flow and helps direct the eye to the differing visual elements in your room. Just as the notes of a favorite song repeat to create the rhythm, repetition in decor will create a rhythm throughout a home. Establish visual interests with a rhythm throughout your space by placing similar colours or patterns at intervals and repeat in artwork, cushions or area rugs.

Perfect Proportion and Suitable Scaling
Who doesn’t love a large, overstuffed chair? But if your room is on the smaller size it may look out of place and make your room seem even smaller than it is. Keep proportion in perspective. Proportion is the ratio between a piece of furniture and the size of a room. Scale is the size of a piece of furniture in relation to the other pieces of furniture in the room. A super large chair will overpower an apartment of loft size sofa or loveseat and create a sense of unbalance in the room.

Have your room humming harmoniously
Creating harmony will enhance how much you will continue to love your finished. Pull the room with a subdued colour palette for a pleasing, harmonious vibe.   together for a pleasing, harmonious look with a subdued color palette. You can also use a single colour for elements that vary in size and shape. Check out our blog on Doing White on White Right! for more tips!

What is the focal point in your room?  What is your best tip to find harmony and balance through your home?