A Book Lover's Blog Post

This post might be completely irrelevant to Spain.  However, I feel it is necessary for my own memory that I write down the different books I've read within the last month.  If you are in the market for some new books, please continue reading this post...

I have an addiction.  An addiction with books.  And my Kindle has fueled this addiction.  Wonderful for me; horrible for my wallet.  I've had my Kindle for about a month now.  And while I will always prefer holding an actual book and turning its pages, I have nothing but high praises to sing about the Kindle.  Being able to read and buy books whenever you want is a wonderfully, awesome thing.  I've composed a list of the books I've read thus far:

Kindle User's Guide

Yep I read all 568 pages.  I've actually read this guide two and a half times.  Very informative.

Allegient  

by Veronica Roth

The Summer before I left for Spain, I got hooked on the Divergent series.  So much so that I probably read the first two massive books in the series in a matter of two weeks and forced everyone around me to read it too.  However, I had to wait for the third book to be released.  And to make matters worse, it wasn't getting released until September when I was already in Spain.  With no libraries containing books in English, I pushed my love of this series to the side as if it were a stuffed animal of my childhood.  Of course, within 10 minutes of owning my Kindle, I purchased the third book of the series.  While this book was my least favorite of the series, it is still a set of books I would highly recommend for everyone to read.

The Crossfire Series  

by Silvia Day

 This next series was recommended to me by my old college roommate.  Internet reviews claimed it was better than the famous 50 Shades of Gray.  I obliged and purchased all three books.  Now, I have to say that the first 100 pages of the first book were definitely better than 50 Shades.  But after that, the next two books were just okay.  Very monotonous.  Still good though.  Just not a page turner.

Where We Belong 

by Emily Griffin

You might have heard about this author because of her well known books Something Borrowed or Something Blue. I chose to read this book because over the Summer someone had recommended it to me.  It was very typical Emily Griffin in her way of portraying life and love.  While I didn't love it, I definitely enjoyed it as an easy read.

She Wore Only White 

by Dorthe Binkert

This book was part of a set of books on sale for 99 cents.  Not being a very famous book, I was pleasantly surprised by how well written it was.  The story involved a girl from Europe traveling on a boat, similiar to the Titanic, to the United States.  While the main plot encompassed this particular girl, the story shed light on many characters whose historical accounts were told within this story. A quote from the book:

"I think the horizon is the most beautiful line in the world.  It's... it's a view into eternity."

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory 

by Roald Dahl

The Kindle is great for more than just personal reading!! I use it in my private lessons.  This story is the center of some of my lessons with my brilliant 10 year old girl.  Each week, we take turns reading chapters out loud and discussing each one.  Any book written by Roald Dahl is a classic.

Stalina 

by Emily Rubin

This book was pretty dreadful.  The writing was bad but it came in the collection of 99 cent books so I guess I shouldn't be too surprised.  If you like Russian history, there is a eensy, teensy, tiny possibility you might enjoy this book.  However, the story line and the writing were kind of awful. You've been warned.

War Brides 

by Helen Bryan

I just finished this book, and I loved it!  The story followed five woman growing up during WWII in England who become unlikely friends.  The author portrayed the livelihood and realism of what it was like living through the war and having the need to live your life as close to normalcy as possibly.  If you love history, especially anything about WWII, you will love this book!  A long book that I didn't want to end!  I'm still reminiscing about the characters! 

The Fault in Our Stars 

by John Green

One of the saddest books I've ever read and also one of the best!  I bawled my eyes out for about the last four chapters of the book.  But the book wouldn't have been the same or as good if I hadn't felt that kind of sadness.  I should mention there were also moments of genuine happiness that I laughed out loud out.  It takes a lot for me to laugh out loud when it comes to books, movies, or TV shows, and this book managed to make that happen.  The story takes the reader on a journey following two teenagers battling cancer while also trying to understand their lives and the universe.  It is not your typical love story and it's also not your typical terminal illness story.  Completely prophetic and insightful.  A must read for everyone!

The Goldfinch 

by Donna Tartt

I purchased this book tonight after finishing John Green's book.  I was still weepy with tears and wasn't really in the mood to read book descriptions, so I purchased it based off of Kindle's best seller list.  I'll keep you posted once I've finished it.  If it holds up to its number three ranking, I should be finished by the weekend.

And before the Kindle came along, I slowly read and savored the only two books I brought with me to Spain:

Bossypants 

 by Tina Fey

A non fiction book written by Tina herself that I purchased in Newark Airport.  I found myself laughing at almost every page.  It was also one of those books where you could read a chapter, put the book down for weeks, and then continue reading without having the need to remember what just happened.  If you want a good laugh or you just love Tina like I do, read this book.  She got me through my first month in Spain, particular my three hour wait in the middle of a pueblo called Carbra during siesta; I will forever be grateful.

The Cuckoo's Calling 

by JK Rowling

I purchased this book last June and resisted reading it until I couldn't take it anymore.  Once I finished Tina's book, I moved onto this one around late October.  I somehow managed to make it last until Christmas.  I will forever be a fan of JK Rowling thanks to her famous Harry Potter books, so this post may be a bit biased.  I will have to admit, her last book Casual Vacancy sucked.  So I kept my hopes low for this one.  But I was pleasantly surprised with its plot and characters.  The story involves a mystery that will leave you turning pages until the end until it is solved.  A recommended read.

And there you have it folks.  Books, books, books.  See, I'm not always partying in Spain; I spend the majority of my time lesson planning and reading. Enjoy!