2019 Book Recap

It is already mid-2020, but I have not posted my annual book recap of 2019 yet. Blame it on the exciting 2020! Anyhow, 2019 is not my productive reading year either because of the six months that I spent in nursing school and the almost three months of nursing board exam review. That left me with just a few months to complete the 24 books reading goal of 2019. However, in between those hectic months, I was able to squeeze in a few books that want to read. I can honestly say that I made great and interesting book choices that year.
Below is the list of the ten books that I read in 2019.
1. Girl, Wash Your Face – Rachel Hollis
I vaguely remember what I love about this book since it is partly a memoir and a self-help book. What I know is, I enjoyed reading it.

Rating: 8/10
2. China Rich Girlfriend – Kevin Kwan
It is the second book of the Crazy Rich Asians series by Kevin Kwan. I have read the first book last year, and I am yet to read the third book, hopefully, this year. As usual, I was very entertained about the life of the spoiled brats in the book.

Rating: 7.5/10
3. You – Caroline Kepnes
I decided to read this because I watched the series on Netflix, and I want to know more about the character’s personality. We all know that what they show on screen is just a summary of the important points in the book, and by doing that I regret nothing!

Rating: 9/10
4. The Female Persuasion – Meg Wolitzer
I love feminist books, and this is one of them.

Rating: 8.5/10
5. Anne of Green Gables – LM Montgomery
This book landed the 3rd spot in my all-time favourite books. It was well written and very immersive. It feels like I am looking at Anne’s life from a distance. I also like how the author made Anne very smart and competitive. Exactly what I want all girls to be.

“Oh, it’s delightful to have ambitions. I’m so glad I have such a lot. And there never seems to be any end to them– that’s the best of it. Just as soon as you attain one ambition you see another one glittering higher up still. It does make life so interesting.”
“When you are imagining, you might as well imagine something worth while.”
“It is ever so much easier to be good if your clothes are fashionable.”
Rating: 10/10
6. Hidden Bodies – Caroline Kepnes
It is the second book of the book series You. It probably is the reason why I did not watch or, I was not interested in watching season 2 of You on Netflix anymore since I already know what happened. Anyhow, I loved the book, but it is not as gripping as the first one.

Rating: 6.5/10
7. No Visible Bruises – Rachel Louise Snyder
I have always been curious about the psychology behind domestic abuse. I want to know the big WHY. Why do people hurt the people they claim to love, what made them do it and, why do they continue doing it. Why does the abused stay with the abuser? This book delved into the psychological side of the abuser and the abused, their family and the system. This book opened my eyes to the vulnerability of women at home most especially the ones who are dependent on their abusers.

Rating: 10/10
8. To Kill a Mockingbird – Harper Lee
This book landed the second spot in my all-time favourite books. I love books being narrated by kids, just like how I loved Anne of Green Gables. Their innocence and unbiased opinions will put righteous adults to shame. But the gist of this novel is the prejudice and injustice towards people of colour.

“Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. They don’t eat up people’s gardens, don’t nest in corncribs, they don’t do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.”
“You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view… Until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it.”
Rating: 10/10
9. The Path Made Clear – Oprah Winfrey
Stuck in a limbo of trying to find validation from the outside? This book is a must-read for those who are struggling to find their identity.

Rating: 8/10
10. Educated – Tara Westover
The best memoir I have ever read. Tara Westover is a good storyteller, her vivid memory about her childhood and her overall life made her evaluate what is real and good about her situation. Plus, she is smart and intelligent.

“You are not fool’s gold, shining only under a particular light. Whomever you become, whatever you make yourself into, that is who you always were.”
Rating: 10/10
That’s it for my 2019 list. I don’t have a specific number of books to read for this year. I decided to just go with the flow.