Can You Keep a Secret? - Sophie Kinsella

Can You Keep a Secret? by Sophie Kinsella 
Published on March 23, 2004 by Dell 

Emma is like every girl in the world. She has a few little secrets.

Secrets from her mother:
1. I lost my virginity in the spare bedroom to Danny Nussbaum while Mum and Dad were downstairs watching Ben Hur.

...From her boyfriend:
2. I'm a size twelve. Not a size eight, like Connor thinks.
3. I've always thought Connor looks a bit like Ken. As in Barbie and Ken.

...From her colleagues:
4. When Artemis really annoys me, I feed her plant orange juice. (Which is pretty much every day)
5. It was me who jammed the copier that time. In fact, all the times.

...Secrets she wouldn't share with anyone in the world:
6. My G string is hurting me.
7. I faked my Maths GCSE grade on my CV.
8. I have no idea what NATO stands for. Or even what it is...

...until she spills them all to a stranger on a plane. At least, she thought he was a stranger...

 So I guess I've been in a re-reading mood late since this one is my third re-read of the month, unfortunately this one wasn't all the good I thought it would be. I remembered reading this book on the beach at 2013, it was cold and raining so I devoured it on one night, in my mind I still had this idea of this being my favorite Sophie Kinsella and one of my favorite chick-lits overall but this re-read kind of dismissive my love for it.

There isn't anything wrong with it really, it was still a funny read and a quickly one but a lot of little things kept me annoying during the read. Like Emma for example, she has a problem with lying but I never really understood why she lied most of the time, 100% of the times she would create this super dramatic situation on her head when in reality really wasn't even close and everything could get resolved so much easily if she just said the truth, so this resulted in a lot of frustration from my part and I would just want to scream and shake her.

Other thing that didn't lived up to my memory was the romance, I remembered it being super sweet and cute and oh my god, I love Jack! But this time around everything seemed really... Rushed, kind of. It wasn't instalove exactly but they do have this "connection" since their first meet because of Emma blabbing all her secrets and this made them already like instafriends and them something more, it wasn't bad just not really swoon worthy. Also, that *thing* that happens on the final half.

Some other things annoyed me, like Jemima's character was such a lifeless character, her one goal on life is to get a rich husband and this is brought up on the story every time she is on the scene, it was funny at first but it got annoying really fast since it was her sole purpose on the story. Actually most, if not all, of the secondary characters have this defining quality to them that is basically they only trait.

Overall this was a regular Kinsella read, it was funny and cute enough but never really got more than that. I would recommend it to lovers of her other books that have yet to read this, but wouldn't really recommend to new chick-lit readers.

Top Ten Books On My Fall TBR

TTT is a weekly feature hosted at The Broke and the Bookish

This is such an easy topic, I definitely could do more than only 10 books I mean look at all the new shiny releases! I want them all! I focused only on new releases on this list because considering books already published together would just make things impossible. 

A New Hope: The Princess, The Scoundrel, and the Farm boy by Alexandra Bracken (author), Iain Mccaig (illustrator)

Release: September 22, 2015

I have yet to watch all of the star wars movies (so far I only watched the episode I and IV) but I'm totally in for new sci-fi books and it's YA! And it's illustrated! And it sounds so cool. I can't wait.

Never Never  by Brianna R. Shrum

Release: September 22, 2015

I only heard about this book like last month, but since them I've been so excited. Peter Pan is one of my favorites fairy tales from when I was a kid and I definitely want to read about it on YA. 

Menagerie by Rachel Vincent

Release: September 29, 2015 

I never read anything by this author but I heard amazing things about her other works so now seems a fit time to try her out. I absolutely loved the cover, so simplistic and gorgeous! I already read the prologue of this one and it sounds really mysterious and kinda of creepy. Also I think this isn't YA since is being published by Harlequin MIRA, but idk. 

Spinning Starlight by R.C. Lewis 

Release: October 6, 2015

I loved Stitching Snow when I read it last year so it's fair to say that this is a highly anticipated release. I really want to read more sci-fi on my regular basis and the first book of Lewis did such a good job of being a sci-fi fun read. 

Future Perfect by Jen Larsen

Release: October 6, 2015

I already read other book about body image, Dumplin', this year and it was awesome so I'm ready for more body positive messages on contemporary books! Let's diversify our heroines bodies too. 

Black Widow: Forever Red by Margaret Stohl 

Release: October 13, 2015 

BLACK WIDOW BOOK BLACK WIDOW BOOK BLACK WIDOW BOOK. That is basically all that matters about this one, like seriously. I didn't heard great things about the early reviews BUT still BLACK WIDOW BOOK!!!! 

Newt's Emerald by Garth Nix

Release: October 13, 2015

Everyone that likes fantasy recommends Garth Nix for me but I have yet to read one of his books, this one seems like a fine start. I already read the first chapter and it stars right into the plot so I think I'll enjoy it. Also there is gender-bending. 

Black Wolves by Kate Elliott 

Release: November 3, 2015

I've been wanting to lose my fear of big books and also read more fantasy this year, so this book is just a perfect fit for both of these things since is a monster of about 800 pages and it's epic fantasy. I have an arc for this one so I plan on starting it soon and take my time with it without the pressure of the release date.

The Vanishing Throne by Elizabeth May

Release: November 19, 2015

I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS ONE IS FINALLY COMING OUT. Okay, it's the UK release but that's why I love Book Depository ya'know. I should probably re-read The Falconer before reading this one for maximum fangirl feels and refresh my memory. 

The Trouble With Destiny by Lauren Morrill

Release: December 8, 2015

This one is part of the long list of authors that I should have read already but haven't, so yeah new releases make this happen. Also this cover is just too pretty. 

So, some of those are on your Fall TBR too? Some new release that I passed on and you think I'll enjoy it? Tell me all about it on the comments bellow. 

Tackle Your TBR Update

Hey guys, I'm one day later for my Mid-Point Check but oh well, I was really lazy yesterday and didn't wanted to face my failure haha 

So my goals for this read-a-thon was basically read three hours a day and read 8 books (novellas and graphic novels included) until the end of the two weeks. I have not managed to read three hours every day, everything was nice and flowing till friday but them weekend and marathon of tv shows happened and I just lost my game. About the books, I did managed to finish my re-read of The Demon King by Cinda Williams Chima and Siege & Storm by Leigh Bardugo, more 4 novellas of The Grisha series by Leigh Bardugo, and Saga volume 3. With these reads I read a total of 1220 pages this week and this is a totally win for me, since I usually read only 1 or 2 books each week.

But now I'm kind of in a slump, I just have been having a really hard time deciding what I want to read next and since I'm very mood reader this sucks but I think I found my way to keep my reading game on: re-reading. Right now I started Can you keep a secret by Sophie Kinsella and I think I'll stick to this one, on the digital front I think I'll go with ARC's because Harper Collins just put an avalanche of 2016 titles on Edelweiss and that is just so freaking exciting or maybe I'll go with my netgalley ARC's since there are only 3 for me to get totally 0 reviews to be done there.

That's it for me guys, wish me the best luck for this next week and tell me bellow how are you doing with your goals and challenges and TBR's. 

The Boy Next Door - Meg Cabot

The Boy Next Door by Meg Cabot
Series: Boy #1 
Published by Avon on October 11, 2012

To: You (you)
From: Human Resources (human.resources@thenyjournal.com)
Subject: This Book

Dear Reader,

This is an automated message from the Human Resources Division of the New York Journal, New York City's leading photo-newspaper. Please be aware that according to our records you have not yet read this book. What exactly are you waiting for? This book has it all:

*Humor
*Romance
*Cooking tips
*Great Danes
*Heroine in peril
*Dolphin-shaped driftwood sculptures


If you wish to read about any of the above, please do not hesitate to head to the checkout counter, where you will be paired with a sales associate who will work to help you buy this book.

We here at the New York Journal are a team. We win as a team, and lose as one as well. Don't you want to be on the winning team?

Sincerely,

Human Resources Division
New York Journal

Please note that failure to read this book may result in suspension or dismissal from this store.

*********This e-mail is confidential and should not be used by anyone who is not the original intended recipient. If you have received this e-mail in error please inform the sender and delete it from your mailbox or any other storage mechanism.*********

I entered the re-read challenge at the start of this year and so far have been failing miserably, but I have found myself coming back to old favorites from time to time when the mood strikes and this time was the chance for "The Boy Next Door". I have to say that I was very nervous about it, because this is an old favorite of mine, I think I read it the first time when I was about 11 or 12 and re-read it obsessively during my teen years so to say that I was desperate to it to hold up my good memories of it is an understatement. Of course, this being one of the old Meg Cabot books I had nothing to worry about.

This book is a perfect one sitting reading since is wrote on the form of e-mails, making the reading experience very easy to follow and engaging. One think that surprised me was how hilarious I thought this was this time around, I found myself laughing out loud at so many times - I don't know if I just didn't remembered this aspect or if I didn't understood a lot of these passages when I was younger.

Mel is definitely one of my favorite heroines by Meg, she is smart and funny and wit, also obsessed with celebrity and always search for a excuse to buy new clothes, she knows shit about coking and drink bears and just and all around person - I really love how feminist her character sounds without ever being preachy. Actually all this book has such a feminist tone, I just love how I could see on this re-read how much Meg Cabot influenced on my way of thinking when I was growing up with her heroines without me ever noticing, just flawless.

The romance is just as cute as I remembered. John is such a sweet guy and I loved everything about him and the build up of their relationship, from their insta-attraction to their actually being together was just completely cheese and I loved every second of it.

We also kind of have a mystery on this one, but let me tell you it's very subplot and only at the start and the ending that it really matters to the story, this is mostly a romance but still it was nice to have the mystery to break from it at times.

I'm glad to report that "The boy next door" is still a favorite of mine and I think it will continue this way for a very long time. Super recommend this one if you like sweet romances, is looking for a book wrote on a different format and/or is looking for a quickly funny read.

Ten Finished Series I Have YET to Finish

TTT is a weekly feature hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

This weeks TTT is a freebie BUT since I didn't do the one of last week and I really want to do it I'll use this theme as my freebie. I have to say I'm really scared of what I'll face when looking at all the finished series that I started and have yet to finish, the last couple of years I've not been able to manage the rate between series started versus series finished so yeah, probably gonna freak out at the end of this. 

1. The Lux series by Jennifer L. Armentrout: this series is such a big committed! I only read Obsidian so far and my plan was to binge read it but I'm terrible at binge reading things and Obsidian ended up draping a little bit for me and the second book promises big drama on the romance front so I'm saving this for when I have more patience aka vacations on winter. 

2. The Dark Elements by Jennifer L. Armentrout: yes, another Armentrout paranormal series. I read the first one at the beginning of this year, and despite some reservations with it really enjoyed. This woman knows her paranormal fans, so can't wait for continuing with this one. 

3. Seven Realms by Cinda Williams Chima: I absolutely LOVED the first book of this series but waited a few months to pick up the second one and my jelly brain didn't remembered much so right now I'm re-reading The Demon King and plan on finishing this series on the next few months. 

4. Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead: I read the first three books of this series last year almost one after the other because it was so good, but after the roller coaster that was the third one I got afraid and pushed reading the forth. I did ended up reading it and want to continue with the series, I'm already too invested to quit.

5. Scarlet by A.C. Gaughen: I read and loved Scarlet at the beginning of this year but I picked up the second book of the series and still am at about 20% in. I felt like that one is going so much slower and my ship is making me see red BUT I do want to continue with this series, the first book was so so good </3

6. The Grisha trylogy by Leigh Bardugo: I started this one only last month (I think) and so far only read the first book but I really enjoyed that one and already have plans on continuing with the series these next few months. 

7. Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor: I read DoSaB last year and it blew my mind, like so much awesomeness on only one book. But I didn't not owned the other two yet but now I don't have this excuse anymore and need to get back to reading this series because hell yes to more awesome and original fantasy on my life. 

8. The Heroes of Olympus by Rick Riordan: This is a completely shame on my series reading, I absolutely LOVE the Percy Jackson series and I read this one until about half way through The House of Hades until I just stopped... And never picked up again. But I'll remedy that soon.

9. Legend by Marie Lu: I'm not the biggest fan of dystopian novels, most of the more popular ones I didn't read but Legend is such a good book that I just had to pick up the rest of this series, now the only thing missing is for me to finish it!

10. Penryn & the End of Days by Susan Ee: another post apocalyptic series for me to finish! I really enjoyed reading this one last year and really need to organize myself to finish this series because it promises good stuff ahead. 

Honorable mentions: Boys by Meg Cabot, Fables by Bill Willingham, Lord of the Rings by J.R. Tolkien, The Vampire Diaries: The Return by L.J. Smith, Luxe by Anna Godbersen, Confessions of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella (is this series finished, idk), Graceling by Kristin Cashore, Elemental by Brigid Kemmerer.

Tackle Your TBR

Hey guys, today I'm here to announce that I'll be participating on the Tackle Your TBR Read-a-Thon. So far September has sucked pretty bad on terms of reading, I've on a terrible mood where I basically don't know what I want to read so that makes things difficult because I basically keep just staring at my bookshelves and not reading a thing, but I plan to change that on this two weeks read-a-thon.

Tackle Your TBR is being hosted by Tressa from Wishful Endings. Basically the objective of this read-a-thon is to read as just books of your TBR as you wish, there will be prizes and challenges and other stuff that you can find out all that is gonna happen and how to sign up and join us here. 

 I would like to read 10 books on September, I already read 2 so that leaves me with 8 books to read and that is gonna be my goal. I'm being really, really, really wishful with this goal but there is why challenges like this exist for me to freak out and get more anxious about my readings get back on my horse and read a ton and make everybody jealous of my super reading power. Another goal is to read at least three hours a day during all the read-a-thon another delusional wish which I think will be manageable.

Physical TBR 

Digital TBR 

Graphic Novels

Well, this will be my TBR for the read-a-thon, there is actually 9 books not 8 on it but oh well. The physical ones will be the hardest to get to read since they all have 400+ pages but I'm optimistic about my digital and graphic novel TBR, on the digital front I put only one book and two novellas so that should be easy and graphic novels are always quickly reads (also can't wait to get to continue with Saga since I loved the first two volumes). 

That's it guys, wish me lucky. Tell me what is yours TBR for this read-a-thon on the comments bellow!

World Suicide Prevention Day

Hey guys, today I'm here not with a review but to talk a little bit about depression and suicide since today is the World Suicide Prevention Day. I think raising awareness on this subject is of major importance and it always makes me happy to see how much more open the world is becoming when discussing mental health. 

Bless this

For those who don't know I suffered from depression on my teen years and had two attempts of suicide, one when I was 15 and another at 16, the second time I had side effects because of the medication I had taken and ended up having to be interned on a hospital and later on passed to the psychiatric, were I stayed one week. There was when I started getting treatment and when I got out continued with the psychiatric accompaniment until this day. I don't know what I could have said to myself at that time to make the situation better so today I'm not gonna try to talk inspiring things to get people to see a better way of living but will try to talk with the parents, friends and colleges because that is were the help has to come from.

The first thing to understand about depressive people, especially the ones that are thinking about suicide/already tried to commit it is that they don't care about the great joys of life. They aren't making life more difficult for them when they don't make to appointments, can't keep up at work/class, don't want to be social or get out of bed and do simple things like take a shower or eat. It's extremely hard to them to care about anything, I remember on the first years of my treatment that I couldn't see a future, I was only 16 and I already didn't see any reason to keep going, it was so hard to see myself on college or dream about what I wanted to do with the rest of my life - most of the time it felt like life was an ocean and I was just there floating without really caring where I would go and re-starting to care about things was hard, it took time and so much energy and there was a lot of times when I didn't think I would make it. 

Other thing is that when someone depressed doesn't want to get out of bed it isn't because she/he is lazy or because the treatment isn't work or he/she isn't even trying. Having depression is extremely tiring, I remember that I would go to school and when I got home I would just want to sleep or lay in bed because having to interact with people was so exhausting. The best description that I ever read about depression is definitely on It's Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini, on this book the main character says at one point that the things to do, the tasks of daily life, are Tentacles and he also explains about the loops that a depressive brain goes on, which ends up incapacitating people of doing the things that they should do and them anxiety levels goes up and the cycle begins. 

So, people that are feeling this way almost never can search for help. First because there is (for some reason) still a stigma around mental health I think campaigns like this one help to take away these prejudices and get people to know more about the subject, but still a lot of people don't want to face their problem and admit that they think they could have depression, I think a lot of people still thinks of depression as a weakness - usually depressive patients blame themselves for not being able to handle with daily things like everyone else around them. A lot of people also think of depression as a excuse for lazy people, that isn't a real disease, so this and all of the symptoms of depression makes the patient searching for help extremely hard.

I would like to ask to everyone to keep an eye out for signals of depression on their colleges, friends and family members if someone you know is starting to change their sleep patterns (having insomnia or sleeping during the day and being awake at night), change their food habits (eating more or less than regular, vomiting after eating without another disease related reason, eating excessive amounts of food at short periods of time/stressful times), start showing destructive  behavior (this could go many ways such as uncontrollable expenses, abuse of drugs or alcohol, and drugs can be illegal ones but also auto medication or abuse of remedies that the person has at home, dropping out of or incapability to keep doing work/college/school without any reason that you can see), develops a new habit that is prejudicial and/or hurtful (washing hangs excessively, cutting, this could be a lot of things too, for instance in stressful times I take the hair of my brow until it goes until the point where I have flaws), changes on humor and/or personality (if the person starts having crises of anger and/or extremely sadness this can be a sign of a mental health problem and not only depression). 

I really hope that this kind of campaigns keeps going so more and more people can get information on the subject and help people passing through these hard times, be clear that the best help you can get someone is by helping them get treatment with a professional on mental health - that can be a psychologist or a psychiatrist. Be ware of the symptoms and always try to help, that is the best you can do.