Today I will review the books that I read last year! I enjoy reading biographies, Chicken soup for the soul: answered prayers books, history books, and romantic books. Fun fact: I majored in History when I was a student at my alma mater. Now let’s start with a book that I read titled The Fabulous Bouvier Sisters by Sam Kashner & Nancy Schoenberger.

This was an interesting read. While reading this book, you can see how different yet similar the Bouvier sisters are. I was intrigued by the fact that Jackie Kennedy Onassis was fluent in French and she lived in France! This book also explains how the sisters adored their father and how they were influenced by their mother. For example, I read that their mother expected the sisters to dress up every time they go out. I also liked the pictures that the authors included in this book. You can see how the ladies evolved as they grew older. I also read about the sisters’ romantic relationships and I also read how Lee felt about having a famous sister who is widely recognized around the world. As you know, Jackie was prominent not only for her fashion taste, but also by her conspicuous face and her marriage to John F. Kennedy (JFK). JFK was assassinated in November 1963 and the authors wrote what happened to Jackie in the years after her husband’s death. It was compelling to learn how Jackie and her sister Lee experienced and lived as the years go by. I recommend you read this book if you are captivated by the Camelot era and if you like Jackie Kennedy!

I read this book with a student that my sister was tutoring and I enjoyed reading this book. This book is based on a true story! This book is about a young enslaved man named Henry. Henry desired to be free. However, Henry’s elderly owner passed away and the owner’s son became Henry’s new enslaver. Day and night, Henry was a slave. Then Henry fell in love with a woman and they started a family. However, like Henry’s family, many enslaved families were separated and family members never saw each other again. Henry then decided that he will escape from slavery by moving to the north. If you are a history enthusiast, I recommend that you share your love of history with your children, nieces, and/or nephews by reading this book together and discussing the ramifications of slavery.

I read this book because this book was listed as as a First Year book at University of Maryland in 2018. And I wanted to read it. University of Maryland has a tradition where all students, faculty, and employees can read the book and have an analytical discussion about the book. What is distinct about this book is that it is not a streamline plot. Rather, this book has a number of short stories with different characters and themes. The author is an immigrant who immigrated to the United States when he was a little boy. And he grew up here in the U.S. The historical aspect of this book is that many Vietnamese people immigrated to the United States after the U.S. withdrew from the Vietnam war. The book also includes a brief biography about the author. I recommend you read a book written by an immigrant author because you can get a feel of what it would be like to immigrate to a foreign country and having to learn a foreign language and experience cold weather. If you read the historical articles or heard from people, many Vietnamese people were placed in colder states like Minnesota and they were not used to the freezing temperatures. I usually do not read books with short stories, but it was interesting to learn about the characters’ perspectives.

I finished reading this book last August and I enjoyed reading this book! I think it was an unwonted yet interesting plot. The author Elin Hilderbrand gave her insight for how she was inspired by the movie “Same time next year” before she completed writing this novel. I also liked how in the beginning of each chapter, Hilderbrand gave a short list of people’s names and events that were discussed/covered in the news in that particular year. For example, in one chapter, it was the year 2001 and that was when the tradegy of 9/11 happened. So what I liked about each chapter is that Hilderbrand gave the reader some background information as to what major events were happening in that year! The history nerd in me knows that I was intrigued and interested in learning what was happening in that year especially my birth year. I think this book is a great beach read and I think you will enjoy reading this book. Hilderbrand did a great job describing the scene, the food, and the furnishings (in the protagonist’s house). Hilderbrand also did a good job describing the aspects of Nantucket; I want to visit Nantucket, Massachusetts in the future! I think a summer vacation in Nantucket will be splendid. Lastly, I am hoping that Hilderbrand will write another full-length book with the same characters from this book!

I can relate to the protagonist in this colorful storybook. This storybook is about a young girl who has an unique name. However, she felt sad that people did not pronounce her name correctly. My name is uncommon and it is pronounced MAY. However, the spelling of my name throws people off. Despite the simple pronunciation, people mispronounce my name as ME or MY. I think it is important to let people know how your name is pronounced. That way, people will not repeatedly mispronounce the name. The protagonist’s mother explains that people’s unique names are like the sounds that make up a harmonious song! I encourage you to read this storybook to your kids if your kids feel upset or sad that their teachers or classmates do not pronounce their names correctly.

When I was a kid, my mom purchased the Little House on the Prairie book series for me! I remember looking at the book covers and I even looked at the illustrations in the first book. There is also a TV show that was made based on the books. I fondly recall participating in the Oregon Trail stimulation with my 5th grade classmates. That was a fun memory because I remember that I made butter the old-fashioned way! Last year, I read Wikipedia biographical pages about Laura Ingalls Wilder, her sister, and Laura’s husband. I was fascinated by the distinct way of life that the people experienced in the 1800’s in the Midwest! I wonder what it would be like to be living in the midwest without electricity or wifi! For sure, it would definitely feel different on my part! If you are fascinated by the archaic lifestyle, I recommend that you read this book so you can get a feel of what it was like to be growing up in those days.

If you have any book recommendations, please let me know in the comments below!