Book Bucket List | Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet

A while ago, I was asking for books to feature in a post for Valentine's Day.  A friend recommended Jamie Ford's Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet and I added it to my "romantic books" list.  It's been awhile since I wrote the post, but I never forgot that book was one I wanted to read.  So this weekend, I finally picked it up and gave it a go, and I LOVED IT.  It had history, featured my favorite city (Seattle), and had a wonderful, and at times heart wrenching, story about two people living in a tumultuous time.

The story is told from the perspective of Henry, a young Chinese-American boy attending an all-white prep school in Seattle in 1942.  He hates his school, but attends because of all the trouble his parents went through to get him into the school on scholarship.  However, things are looking up for Henry when Keiko, a Japanese-American girl starts at the school and begins working with him in the cafeteria.  They start spending time together, which Henry's father absolutely does not approve of, and you can imagine what happens next.  However, with the war developing in the East, American hackles are up and before they know it, Keiko and her family are facing deportation to Japanese Internment camps.  The story focuses on how far one is willing to go for the one they love and how much people can change and adapt to their circumstances.

Jamie Ford released Songs of Willow Frost this last year and am reading it as soon as I can get my hands on a copy.

So as a thank you to my friend who recommended this wonderful book to me, here is a picture of some turtles, because she does indeed love turtles.

Book Bucket List | The Notebook

So it's Valentine's Day! I love this holiday, it's basically just an excuse for romance, gifts, and unnecessary candlelight. So for this awesome, awesome day I will give you some romantic book suggestions.

The Notebook.  This is a given, and I apologize for the obvious first pick, but this is the best Nicholas Sparks book I've read.  In typical Sparks fashion, it follows the story of the relationship between teens Noah and Allie.  After a summer together, they are torn apart by parents and social expectations, but are eventually brought back together in a spectacular fashion.  We also have the movie, which stars Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams. (I love this movie).  So if you're looking for a book and film that won't leave you with a dry eye, pick up a copy of this book!

Pride and Prejudice. I have posted before about my love of Jane Austen, and this is one of my favorite books of all time. It's funny, romantic, and has some great social commentary. If you haven't read this, Valentine's day is a great excuse.

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet. This book was just recommended to me, and I am so excited to read it.  Partially set during World War II, Henry Lee loses contact with the girl he loves when she and her family are sent off to a Japanese internment camp.  I haven't read it, but the reviews for this book are all great.  I'm going to go grab it right now.