Simone and Her Books

Scarlet by Marissa Meyer

January 2, 2018
Wow. I sat down with this book over the past few days and I couldn’t put it down. Honestly, I would try and use the bathroom and hold it for an hour only succumbing to the excruciating pain of holding it for that long. I’m lucky it’s the beginning of the year and there wasn’t much going on because I think both Cinder and Scarlet has cemented my love for this series. I legit just went onto Amazon and used my Christmas money to buy the other books.

Here’s a little more about the book

Cinder, the cyborg mechanic, returns in the second thrilling installment of the bestselling Lunar Chronicles. She’s trying to break out of prison—even though if she succeeds, she’ll be the Commonwealth’s most wanted fugitive.

Halfway around the world, Scarlet Benoit’s grandmother is missing. When Scarlet encounters Wolf, a street fighter who may have information as to her grandmother’s whereabouts, she is loath to trust this stranger, but is inexplicably drawn to him, and he to her. As Scarlet and Wolf unravel one mystery, they encounter another when they meet Cinder. Now, all of them must stay one step ahead of the vicious Lunar Queen Levana, who will do anything for the handsome Prince Kai to become her husband, her king, her prisoner.

My thoughts

If you’re into books with a lot of adventure and action, then this is the book for you. While it does expand a little more on what will happen next in the Lunar Chronicles, I think this book just cements the predictions we all made at the end of Cinder. I won’t give those away, but let’s just say that the rumors were true.

I think the most significant part of this story is the wolves. I was impressed by how Marissa Meyer was able to take the wolves and Little Red Riding Hood and connect that back to the moon and Luna. It was a really interesting way of wrapping together two stories into one.

Similarly to Cinder, if you’re looking for the old fairy tale, you’re not going to find it. Yes it has the hooded girl and the grandmother and the wolf, but to say this is Little Red Riding Hood is an insult to both the authors. This is not that fairy tale and I’m so glad that it isn’t. It would make way more predictable.

What I loved the most about these stories (and hopefully in the other books in the series) is the strong female characters. They’re not damsels in distress and they’ve been touched by a lot of tragedy in their lives to waste away as some helpless person. They’re fighters and thinkers and stronger than their male counterparts. It makes you feel alive and wonder if you’re capable of that kind of strength.

The best part is that it’s not completely high fantasy. There’s a lot where you can relate to these characters and nothing feels forced or pushed on them by some hidden agenda with the author. They all have faults and they all have strengths and it makes the characters all feel real in this made-up world.

I think at this point in the series, I want to see what happens next. I couldn’t put this book down and I’m pretty certain I won’t be able to put down the rest. I feel like I’m right at the top of the hill and ready for my rollercoaster ride down to the end. I can’t wait to read the next books in the series!
- Paperback: 452 pages
- Publisher: SquareFish
- Rating: 5/5 stars
- Buy Scarlet on Amazon
Simone and Her Books is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. This in no way affects my opinion of the above book.
My 2017 Bookish Wrap Up

December 31, 2017
Wow, 2017 felt like a whirlwind. I hit a ton of different milestones, came to some interesting decisions, and will be starting my new year with a different career path. While the world was in shambles, 2017 treated me pretty well and I’m thankful to be starting off 2018 with some great plans.

It was a great year for books (well, every year is a great year for books) and I’m so excited to share with you what I’ve read, what I’ve learned, and a little on what I will be reading next year.

First, let’s get to the numbers.
- # of books I wanted to read: 25
- # of books read: 43
- # of books that were diverse reads: 18
My favorite books of the year

It was tough to dwindle this list down and I had a tough time to get it to these eleven. I restrained myself and thought about what really captivated me about them. Here’s my favorites:
- Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng
- Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan
- Stay With Me by Ayobami Adebayo
- A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle
- Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman
- Turtles All the Way Down by John Green
- Artistotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saez
- Beasts of Extraordinary Circumstance by Ruth Emmie Lang
- Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward
- Emma in the Night by Wendy Walker
- Warcross by Marie Lu
- Cinder by Marissa Meyer
Isn’t it kind of funny that by the end of the year, you remember most of the books you read during this half rather than the early half. I feel like the books I read in the early half of the year don’t really represent the repertoire of reading I picked up in the second half. I think I’m going to try and keep my reading pretty even across the months.

Some interesting insights

I read some really interesting books this year. Books I didn’t think I would read because it just wouldn’t be available to me in the methods that I chose. I also received so many books from various different publishing companies and I couldn’t be more grateful of that.

I think my favorite books will have to be the ones I ordered from Book of the Month Club. I don’t want to gush or advertise for them, but the judges have wonderful taste and I always found every book I read to be intriguing and interesting. I would strongly recommend especially if you’re a bestselling books reader. You’ll be the first to read the best sellers!

I realized that thrillers and mystery aren’t my favorite thing. I think I have a few that I will try and read but mostly because I heard good things. I don’t think I’m going to actively search for any more thrillers, but maybe horror will be in there? I don’t want to poop my pants while I read.

I also revived my love for Science Fiction and Fantasy novels, which also ties into my love of Young Adult novels. I’m so excited to continue reading more of these stories in the future.

My future plans

I’ve accumulated a fairly large pile of books. While my book buying ban will continue to go through 2018, I want to focus on reading what I already have. Being surrounded by books all the time is quite comforting, but sometimes it can be a real eyesore and a nuisance. I can’t justify buying any more books not only because I’m trying to save money, but because there’s already enough for me to read.

I also haven’t read ANY non-fiction. I love non-fiction every once in a while and I somehow just skipped over all of that this year. I do have some non-fiction in my TBR so I hope to read those and get some more stories that aren’t just based in the mind of the author. I think I already know where to start.

I’m also going to focus on reading more books written and about POC. While I did read 18 diverse reads this year, this was still less than half of my reading. I am pretty proud that the majority of my reads were from female authors, I still feel like there’s more diverse books to read and share with people. I especially want to read books by Middle Eastern/South Asian authors and characters. I also want to read way more Latinx and Hispanic authors and characters. I feel like both of these areas have been really neglected by me and other readers and they should also get some of the spotlight.

The final resolution (can we call these that?) is to really share more with you all. I’ve been pretty busy all this year with work and other obligations, but I want to double up my efforts with my blog and share a lot more with you all. You know where to find me on the social media universe, so I’ll be sharing on all those platforms.

Happy New Year, bookish peeps! I can definitely see 2018 as a big book year for all of us!
Bad Ass Book Babes: @nycbookgirl

December 27, 2017

Photos from Morgan’s Instagram page

Here’s another addition to the #BadAssBookBabes interview series! In this series, I sit down with different book bloggers and bookstagrammers who are just bad ass book readers. Some of them are fighting for a cause. Others are just trying to escape the dole drums of the world.

Recently, I emailed Morgan from @nycbookgirl and asked if she would like to be featured. Of course she agreed! It was so great to read her responses and get to know her a little bit more than on the internet. I hope you get a chance to know her too!

Introduce yourself and what’s you mission with your Instagram?

Hi! I’m Morgan, creator of the Instagram @nycbookgirl and blog www.nycbookgirl.com. I started this account as a way to commemorate two things I love: the books I’m reading and the city I’m living in. My blog posts are really a tribute to where I am in my life at that moment and how I saw the book as a result: part review, part journal entry. When I’m not reading, I work in the theater industry in NYC as the assistant to a Broadway producer.

What is your biggest inspiration to read?

I read because I love the chance to escape into another world. I read because it’s one of the greatest opportunities I get to learn: about other places, cultures, and people. Reading is a chance to experience something else, something other than your point of view.

What is your big motivation to start your bookstagram?

I actually didn’t really know anything about the bookstagram world until my dad sent me some photos from the wonderful @bookwormstatus, another NYC based bookstagrammer. After following her for a few months, I realized we were reading all of the same books and visiting all of the same places. We met up for coffee and Ashley asked me if I had ever considered blogging. I had kept a travel blog while studying abroad in college but hadn’t had any content since. Meeting Ashley got me thinking and a few days later, I had a handle and a concept and I just began! And I’m so happy I did.

Coffee or tea?

Coffee! I love a good mug of earl grey but I’m a total coffee addict!

What is the one thing you want to get out of reading?

I love reading because I love getting the chance to experience why someone else thinks the way they think and why they act the way they act. Reading is often times an exercise in empathy.

Was there any time where you couldn’t read?

I was an English and Theater double major in college so I read a lot (thousands and thousands of pages) over four years, but rarely had any time for reading for pleasure. There was always more that I could be reading for school, so I rarely was able to relax into anything that wasn’t assigned. When I graduated and started clueing into the dozens of new books released every Tuesday, I was overwhelmed! There’s so much I must have missed!

What would be the one piece of advice you’d give new bookstagrammers just starting out?

Connect with the people – send messages, watch stories, comment and reply. The people behind bookstagram are the best part of this community! And the more friends you make, the more you’ll enjoy it.

If you’d like to be featured in this series, use the hashtag #badassbookbabes for a chance to be considered! I’ll be keeping an eye out for you all 🙂
Happy Holidays from Simone and Her Books

December 25, 2017

Happy Holidays, everyone! I know today is Christmas and Hanukkah already happened, but it’s this general time of year that makes me so happy to be a human being. Christmastime always puts me in the giving spirit and it’s always around this time of year that I’m backing Kickstarters and buying toys for tots and most importantly giving books as gifts.

I wish everyone a wonderful and safe holiday and I’ll see you again in a few days when I post some bookish resolutions! Get ready, because it’s a three parter 😀

Happy Holidays from Simone and Her Books!
Rich People Problems by Kevin Kwan

December 22, 2017
I’ve read all the books in the CRAZY RICH ASIANS series not because I’m Asian and it’s a book about Asians. I honestly don’t relate to these people at all and that’s mostly because I don’t come from money. However, it’s like watching an episode of Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous where you get a glimpse into that world. Instead of using white people from America, Kevin Kwan decided to use one of the wealthiest countries in the world for his backdrop; Singapore.

Each book has been unique and having Rachel, the only character who wasn’t rich, was like having a guide while you popped into these lives. However, I was a little bit disappointed by RICH PEOPLE PROBLEMS. I’ll get to that in a minute.

First, here’s a little bit more about the book:

When Nicholas Young hears that his grandmother, Su Yi, is on her deathbed, he rushes to be by her bedside–but he’s not alone. It seems the entire Shang-Young clan has convened from all corners of the globe, ostensibly to care for their matriarch but truly to stake claim on the massive fortune that Su Yi controls.

With each family member secretly fantasizing about getting the keys to Tyersall Park–a trophy estate on 64 prime acres in the heart of Singapore–the place becomes a hotbed of intrigue and Nicholas finds himself blocked from entering the premises.

As relatives claw over heirlooms, Astrid Leong is at the center of her own storm, desperately in love with her old sweetheart Charlie Wu, but tormented by his ex-wife–a woman hell bent on destroying Astrid’s reputation and relationship. Meanwhile Kitty Pong, married to billionaire Jack Bing, finds a formidable opponent in his fashionista daughter, Colette.

RICH PEOPLE PROBLEMS was a tad disappointing for me. I honestly thought it was because the story about Rachel meeting Nick’s rich family for the first time wrapped up at the end of CHINA RICH GIRLFRIEND. However, this book started off strong with Su Yi getting sick. This is supposed to be the penultimate point in their lives; waiting for this super rich grandma to die. It seemed a little bit petty, but from the characters that we’ve already been introduced to, it made sense with their personalities.

What I found the most interesting was reading about Su Yi’s life. How she escaped to Thailand during Japanese occupation. How she saved ambassadors from other countries by keeping them at Tyersall Park. I felt like this book could have been a flashback between her younger years and the final moments she’s spending with her family.

Obviously Kevin Kwan’s writing was just as witty as it was in his last two books. I’m not a huge fan of footnotes, but he definitely got me into them. However, I felt this book was a little too long and a little too drawn out. I thought everything leading up to Su Yi’s death made sense, but for some reason the end took forever to get there.

It definitely felt like this book was wrapping up every loose end. Of course, the big plot point was figuring out who would be getting the house. It was the jewel of the family’s eye and everyone wanted a piece of it. Once they found out who got the house, then the story became a bit convoluted and long. Even in the book’s timeline, it took months to raise enough money and it took months to decide on which plan to go with. It was exhausting and if this was my grandma’s house, I would want to speed this up as quickly as I can. I think it only took a week for my family to take care of my grandfather’s stuff when he died. Then again, I’m not rich.

This is that constant thread that runs through the whole story and quite honestly, boring without Rachel as the foil. That’s right. I said it. Rich people are boring. Reading about them spending money and spending some more money and making rash decisions to spend money is not compelling writing. I think Kevin Kwan hit a sweet spot with Rachel and Nick. The young woman who comes from no money inundated with the super rich and how she tries to navigate through that. That’s compelling stuff! Reading about rich people getting richer or even getting a little poorer isn’t that entertaining.

I honestly wished that maybe one of those super rich folks would go bankrupt and learn how to live on a budget or try and get a real job. When I think of rich people problems, I think of them losing all that wealth. I guess that does happen in a way, but it doesn’t seem like a real struggle or conflict for anyone involved.

Also, there was a ton of sabotage. I don’t remember the last two novels being so wrought with sabotage, but people were backstabbing like it was going out of style. It was really frustrating to read someone as good as Astrid being smeared because she loved the wrong person. It was super frustrating to read Eddie’s attempts to thwart Nick out of Su Yi’s will. I understand that that kind of thing exists when it comes to money and getting money, but it seemed so petty and a little bit too dramatic.

Flaws aside, I did rate this book at three stars. It did wrap up the CRAZY RICH ASIANS stories with a cute little million dollar bow, but I feel like maybe Kevin Kwan was struggling a little bit with figuring that part out. It was fun while it lasted, but like money, it doesn’t last for long.
- Hardcover: 398 pages
- Publisher: Doubleday (May 23, 2017)
- Rating: 3/5 stars
- Buy Rich People Problems on Amazon
Simone and Her Books is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. This in no way affects my opinion of the above book.
Cinder by Marissa Meyer

December 20, 2017
I know I’m eons behind when it comes to reading this series, but I’ve been making a conscious effort to incorporate more books from my TBR into my regular reading. Hello, book buying ban. Goodbye, new reads that I’m slightly excited about but not enough to actually want to read and not hoard the book forever.

So I decided to read CINDER by Marissa Meyer because it’s been sitting in my TBR for years and I’ve heard so many good things. Don’t you hate it when you hear so many good things about a book that you haven’t read? Does it feel like you’re cheating yourself for not reading it when the hype with up?

Here’s some more about the book:

Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl.

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.

CINDER is the first book in the Lunar Chronicle series. Much like the other stories in this series, it’s loosely based on the story of Cinderella except in this story she’s part cyborg living in the futuristic Beijing as a mechanic. The story has all the trappings of the fairy tale; there’s the evil stepmother with her wicked stepdaughters. There’s the handsome prince that she stumbles across randomly. There’s even a fairy godmother, but she’s also an android and one of Cinder’s only best friends. However, that’s where the book stop resembling Cinderella.

It’s set in the future. There’s a wild plague killing thousands of people and the Moon (Luna) and the Earth do not get along.

I love a good story with a strong female lead who is more determined to save herself than wait around for the handsome prince. Cinder was definitely the girl that saves herself in the end. Being adopted by her stepmother who didn’t love her, she had to fend for herself. I think in the fairy tale, I found that to be off the mark. Why would someone who doesn’t have anyone who loves her so desperate to find love? You would think that she would grow a thick skin and learn to love herself.

That’s what CINDER delivers here. You’re reading about a girl who was abandoned by everyone that loved her and come to live with someone that couldn’t stand her. Instead of crying about it and desperate to fall in love and get away from those people, Cinder is often found looking for ways to escape. She’s fixing up an old car so that she can use it as a getaway car. She’s trying to make some money behind her stepmother’s back so she has some funds to take care of herself. This seems much more on par with a modern feminine story than the old fairy tale.

I will say that this story was a bit on the predictable side. I figured out early on in the book that Cinder was who she was and her function in the entire story. However, predictability never means that the story is going to suck. It just means that it’s not going to be shocking when you find out that twist.

Marissa Meyer did a great job incorporating the predictable parts right at the moments when you needed to hear it. At one point, I thought my predictions were wrong and then the next chapter revealed everything.

Predictability aside, I didn’t really find that many flaws in this book. I was upset when Cinder was upset. I was rooting for her when she was championing against her enemies. I was also squinting my eyes in hopes of seeing past Queen Levana’s glamour and seeing just how ugly she really is. All in all, a solid story that will definitely run for the next one in the series. I already have the second one in my shopping cart.
- Published 2012
- Published by Square Fish
- 400 pages
- Rating: 4/5 stars
- Purchase Cinder on Amazon
WARCROSS by Marie Lu

December 19, 2017
When there’s books like READY PLAYER ONE about to come out as a big blockbuster movie, I want to read more of that particular set of books. Stories about young people who fight for what they believe is right even if that means sacrificing everything. Good thing I stumbled across WARCROSS by Marie Lu.

Here’s some more about the book:

For the millions who log in every day, Warcross isn’t just a game—it’s a way of life. The obsession started ten years ago and its fan base now spans the globe, some eager to escape from reality and others hoping to make a profit. Struggling to make ends meet, teenage hacker Emika Chen works as a bounty hunter, tracking down players who bet on the game illegally. But the bounty hunting world is a competitive one, and survival has not been easy. Needing to make some quick cash, Emika takes a risk and hacks into the opening game of the international Warcross Championships—only to accidentally glitch herself into the action and become an overnight sensation.

Convinced she’s going to be arrested, Emika is shocked when instead she gets a call from the game’s creator, the elusive young billionaire Hideo Tanaka, with an irresistible offer. He needs a spy on the inside of this year’s tournament in order to uncover a security problem . . . and he wants Emika for the job. With no time to lose, Emika’s whisked off to Tokyo and thrust into a world of fame and fortune that she’s only dreamed of. But soon her investigation uncovers a sinister plot, with major consequences for the entire Warcross empire.

WARCROSS is definitely one of those girls kick ass kind of novels. I love a strong female character who sticks to her beliefs despite what other people (including the law) says. The story takes place in the near future where everyone is hooked up to this new game called Warcross. The game comes with a special set of glasses that immerses you not only into the game, but this virtual world where you can basically win points for breathing. It was definitely reminiscent of READY PLAYER ONE’s Oasis world where you can basically do the same thing.

I honestly think there’s a little bit for everyone. There’s science fiction, mystery, thriller. I think the big part is figuring out who is trying to sabotage the game and who is trying to hurt Hideo’s vision. There was lots of game play and strategic thinking on everyone’s character. Reading it from Emika’s point of view, it almost makes you feel like you’re playing the game.

The best part was that it wasn’t contrived. Emika needed time to think about her next step and it wasn’t easy for her to learn how to play Warcross properly. I love it when a character’s knowledge is based on real humans and how they would consider things. No one goes right into a battle knowing all the ins and outs unless they were cheating.

I also found the writing to be quite detailed and developed. Marie Lu didn’t leave any details out and I was able to imagine the mech battles during game play pretty easily. It’s tough for me to read battle scenes sometimes because I get all lost in who is doing what and to whom. However, it was super easy in Warcross and it definitely left me wanting to read more.

The twist on this book was definitely something I couldn’t stop thinking about. The argument made was kind of compelling and if you’re looking at the world from one perspective, you can see why someone would be so motivated to change it. However, there’s a lot of plays on morality here. What’s right and what’s wrong? What determines who you are and should that be controlled? While I wish I can give more of this away, I’m afraid that it’ll ruin the entire book.

The only things I considered issues were the romantic aspects and the technological aspects. For the romantic aspects, it was really unnecessary. I tried to think about this carefully after I finished and while there were romantic scenes between Emika and Hideo, I don’t think that it really contributed anything to the story. It was fun to see them connect in that way, but it felt a little gratuitous and unnecessary. I think it’s great that Emika finds Hideo as this huge role model and someone she looks up to, but falling in love with him kind of cheapens her strong female character.

For technology, I thought it was really awesome to read about these hi-tech glasses that allow you to comm with your friends and has augmented reality and you can play games with your real life. However, it irked me that after a game of Warcross Emika took out her phone and proceeded to call Hideo with it. You have all this technology with a device that allows you to read each other’s minds and then you have your dumb phone that you’re making calls with? It kind of doesn’t make sense in this world.

But these aren’t major flaws. These aren’t the make or break of a story, but little things that almost feel like me nitpicking a little. I really enjoyed this book and I can’t wait to read the next one in the series!
- Hardcover: 368 pages
- Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers (September 2017)
- Rating: 4/5 stars
- Buy WARCROSS on Amazon
Simone and Her Books is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. This in no way affects my opinion of the above book.
Instructions for a Secondhand Heart by Tamsyn Murray

December 18, 2017
I don’t know about you, but I need a break from the world. Sometimes the news or my life or even my reads get so heavy that I need to step away from everything and just enjoy myself. Self care is a real thing and something I try to always keep in mind. That’s why I chose to read this book. It felt like the right time for me to step away from all the heavier reads coming across my desk. I’m so glad that I did.

Here’s some more on the book:

Jonny knows better than anyone that life is full of cruel ironies. He’s spent every day in a hospital hooked up to machines to keep his heart ticking. Then when a donor match is found for Jonny’s heart, that turns out to be the cruelest irony of all. Because for Jonny’s life to finally start, someone else’s had to end.

That someone turns out to be Neve’s twin brother, Leo. When Leo was alive, all Neve wanted was for him (and all his glorious, overshadowing perfection) to leave. Now that Leo’s actually gone forever, Neve has no idea how to move forward. Then Jonny walks into her life looking for answers, her brother’s heart beating in his chest, and everything starts to change.

Together, Neve and Jonny will have to face the future, no matter how frightening it is, while also learning to heal their hearts, no matter how much it hurts.

As you may have guessed, this was definitely a sweet story. It’s filled with heartwarming love between two teenagers who are separated by one giant lie. And you may think that a book like this would just be a candy for my sweet tooth, it’s always good to step away from being serious and just relax.

I went into this thinking that it would be the story of a young person who was scorned in the past by someone and then fell in love again. However, I didn’t actually think the heart mentioned in the story’s title was a literal heart. When Jonny receives his brand new heart, you already know that it belonged to Neve’s twin brother, Leo, who had died in a weird accident on the beach. However, what you don’t know is the lives both Neve and Jonny lived before they met each other and after they met each other.

This story was definitely your typical outcasts falling in love with each other although the circumstances of how they meet are not your typical outcast story. Jonny basically stalks every victim that fit the profile of his new heart. All he knew was that it belonged to a 15-year-old boy and he died recently. Not a lot to go off of, but apparently enough for him to research online and possibly find some possible donors. I didn’t find this part of the story to be as strong. It felt like the search was a few short clicks and not a labored event for him. He didn’t visit any other possible families and he came out to this fundraiser Neve’s mother was running. It was too easy especially with the amount of info he was provided.

Tamsyn Murray is definitely a great writer too. She’s not the type of person to fuss over big words and the voices of both Neve and Jonny were pretty clear. The jury’s still out for me on whether I like books with interchanging POVs, but for Jonny and Neve it helped to move the story much faster.

I loved that the story also included some illustrations Jonny drew. He includes panels from superheroes he created. He outlines his favorite day. He even draws Neve and when Neve was seeing them for the first time, we were also seeing them for the first time. That was a nice little device to really draw the reader into the book.

When Neve and Jonny finally meet, Jonny does that one thing that happens in a story like this; he lies. He lies about his condition. He lies about how he knows Neve’s brother and he lies about being the heart recipient. Of course a story like this requires a big lie before the big reveal. It’s not the reason why you’re reading this story, but you end up waiting for it throughout the story. When does the truth come out? How will this affect their lives? Will their newfound friendship survive it?

I think the one big glaringly obvious issue with the story is the way they treated mental health, grief, and loss. For Neve, she handled it poorly. She didn’t go to her therapy sessions and she didn’t really cope with her brother’s death. However, she also hoarded pills and planned to kill herself because the lack of affection and attention she craved from her parents. This whole part of the novel is written in her point of view and no one takes the time to sit her down and speak directly about how she’s doing. She just struggles alone, which feels a little irresponsible of the author. And sadly, it all comes to a head at the end of the story.

For Jonny, I mean, I figured there would be much more talking to a counselor. He just received a new heart and things were just moving along like it didn’t matter. Wouldn’t there be an adjustment period? Shouldn’t he be talking to someone to process his emotions about receiving a heart? I just feel like these mentally exhausting moments from both of these characters were underdeveloped and the focus was more on the loving relationship building between them. It was nice, but I just wanted something a little bit deeper than this surface story. Perhaps I’m asking too much from a piece of candy.

I received this book from The Novl in exchange for an honest review. My opinions have not been influenced by the method I received this book and I was not paid to write this book review.
- Paperback: 320 pages
- Publisher: Poppy (December 5, 2017)
- Rating: 3/5 stars
- Buy Instructions for a Secondhand Heart on Amazon
Simone and Her Books is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. This in no way affects my opinion of the above book.
Taking a little break

December 9, 2017

Hi everyone!

I’ll be brief and I’m going to be honest with you. Lately, I haven’t felt like writing anything. I have felt a sickening pressure to write and it really just gives me the worst writer’s block.

It’s a pressure I put upon myself, but when you write nonstop and you also work a full time job there’s always a point where something gives.

And I don’t want to be the type of zombie person who works all the time and never has time for herself. You end up making sacrifices and for me, the first thing to go is my leisurely love of reading books.

I hate being this way. I hate being uninspired and stressed out and reading words, but not really absorbing them. This is why I’ve decided to take a two-week vacation from writing.

You’re seeing this on the cusp of week two, so I’ll be back soon. I just felt like I should say something to you all so you’re not worried I’ve disappeared for good. I’m sorry, I sometimes disappear like that.

In the meantime, I’m going to be writing offline (in my journal) and just enjoying reading. I’ll be back with some great reviews, definitely some more posts, and hopefully a plan for 2018. I want to be able to give you all some great reads as well as give myself some time to decompress.

It’s always good to take a vacation every once in a while. Your body needs to decompress otherwise you end up getting sick. I want to take the pressure of writing something to you off so I don’t end up writing something stupid. I mean, my last idea was writing a blog post about all the best snacks to eat while reading. Maybe that is something you’d want to read from me :).

I will be back in a week! I just want to take the time to read and enjoy the beautiful snow here in New Jersey before I look up from my computer and the winter has become spring.

I do hope you understand! I wouldn’t want to disappoint you, but I need to do this for myself. I’ll see you all soon!

Simone
November 2017 Wrap Up

December 1, 2017
November seemed to go quickly, but also jam packed with news, articles, and great reads. I had a blast this November and here are some of the highlights.

Thanksgiving at my in laws

I’ve never had Thanksgiving at anyone else’s house before. I’ve always had it with my family with the same meal and the same sides to be expected. The same guests too! But this year, I got to explore what other people observe for their Thanksgiving.

If you ask my friends, I always bring up how Thanksgiving is one of those meals that is the same for everyone but different as well. We all have the turkey and stuffing and mashed potatoes. Coming from an immigrant family, many of my Thanksgiving included things like kimchi and rice and even a little lasagna.

I have this great pic from a feast like this many years ago and there, right in the middle of the table, is a pan of lasagna. I’m not sure who brought the lasagna, but it really isn’t Thanksgiving without it on the table.

So this Thanksgiving, I was thankful to have a place to go and share a meal with my other family. The food was slightly different than what I would see, but there were some subtle differences. Like my family never watches football…ever. Also, we don’t have the adults fighting over the desserts. Most of the adults passed over dessert making room for a cup of hot tea.

It was fun to hear family stories and laugh with people who welcomed me into their home. I think it was the most American Thanksgiving I’ve ever seen!

Alright, enough chit chat, let’s hit the books.

Books I read
Links from the Internet

This is probably my favorite part about the entire post! I get to share the articles and essays I found this month and LOVED! Make sure to definitely check these out when you have a chance!

I found this really great article from 1995 about what Little Women was really about. I was doing some research on an article about women and literature and I was just enamored by this detailed article about Little Women. Definitely check it out!

My favorite thing this month was reading this article about Colin Kaepernick and how GQ found him his own team while he still is banned from playing in the NFL. It must be really difficult to follow your dreams only to be thrown out from your dreams because of what you believe in. How do you manage to do both? Are they mutually exclusive? I don’t know, but this article was great to read!

This is a reminder for myself that I need to pick up I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika Sanchez because this interview really blew it up for me!

I feel like I should mention this, but I’m super sad that The Mindy Project is done. However, I found this wonderful article about how great the show was and how it really appreciated the romantic comedy genre.

Continuing my work to become a better writer, I found this wonderful essay in NY Review of Books about writing memoirs especially after a family member has died.

I’m such a nerd because Mara Wilson aka Matilda wrote this article for Elle magazine about young female actresses and how they’re sexualized at way too young an age. It also dives into Millie Bobbi Brown and the controversy she didn’t mean to cause, but did because she’s 13 and yeah, that makes sense (eye roll).

I couldn’t be more happy for my friend, Maggie, @mugandnook for opening up and sharing her personal story about being a human with a disability. Thank you so much for sharing, Maggie!

I am so happy that people are seeing Lena Dunham for what she truly is and writers like Zizi Clemmons are taking a stand against her backhanded, racist comments. Take a look at the official statement in this article.

I love me some great essays lately and this one from TheMillions.com talks about how we shouldn’t forget that a walk in the woods in a book shouldn’t replace a real walk in the woods. This was a pretty interesting read!

I love Sophie from Main St. and Maple and how candid she is about her struggles to find work in a very male-dominated career. Good luck! I know that something will find its way to you and don’t give up! Come out to the coasts where women are totally wanted to help break down those barriers!

This was one literary piece from Electric Lit about how women turn themselves into trees when approached by unwanted desire. It’s moving and poetic and makes you want to tear the years of bark growing over you.

That’s it! Thanks for reading my blubber about the Internet. Honestly, I love sharing these articles with you!

Until next time!