Hello, my stylish friends! Back home for about a week, I have the luxury to set time aside for quality reading before classes resume at full speed. Whilst, it is nice to pause and reset, I would want myself to pick up more books (for fun nonetheless!) throughout the entirety of the year.
Wrapping up this month, I finish November counting my blessings with the help of these heart-wrenching books that remind me to do so every day.
I Let You Go by Clare Mackintosh
For me, the most memorable reads include a wicked twist, and I Let You Go by Clare Mackintosh does not disappoint! I got chills thinking about the cruel, inhumane actions committed by some of the characters. Mackintosh’s style resembles that of James Patterson, my (and I cannot stress this enough!) FAVORITE author, where she bounces between multiple subplots leading up to the unforeseen ending.
I Wish for You a Beautiful Life: Letters from the Korean Birth Mothers of Ae Ran Won to Their Children
I tend to refrain from crying because of books, but I balled my eyes out reading this tear-jerker! Governed by a patriarchal society, South Korea (even to this day) stigmatizes having children out of wedlock. Consequently, many unwed birthmothers choose international adoption in hopes of a better life for the child without isolation and discrimination. I Wish for You a Beautiful Life reveals the sorrow and guilt of these silenced women, and as a Korean-adoptee, I felt heartbroken reading their pleads for forgiveness and requests for the child to follow His presence.
The Seed from the East by Bertha Holt as Told to David Wisner (Author)
I could not help but reread Bertha Holt’s memoir about adopting eight children from South Korea and the beginning of (what came to be) Holt International Children’s Services. Many mixed-race G.I. children, many of whom had Korean mothers and soldier fathers, were abandoned after the Korean War. I sit in awe when I think about how Bertha and Harry Holt convinced the Oregon Senator to pass legislation allowing international adoption from South Korea for other American families.
The Wedding by Nicholas Sparks
Time to call all hopeless romantics! Honestly, I found The Wedding by Nicholas Sparks *slightly* more realistic than The Notebook. Don’t get me wrong, though — this follow-up story still entails a typical, Sparks-esque plotline. However, I appreciated the focus on the protagonist Wilson whom many readers can relate to his questioning of a fairy-tale ending (or lack of) and the status quo of a relationship long past its honeymoon phase.
*Bonus: a quick read, The Wedding took me a mere three-four hours to finish.
I’m always open to book recommendations! What are your favorite reads?
With style,
Sarah
