Somewhat obligatory book reviews; or, Living large, reading tons

I am spending an enormous amount of time here reading. It is blissful.

I found an EXCELLENT book at the library that I have been wanting to read forever, so I made sure to slow down and enjoy every single page of it. It was so worth it---don't you hate when you finish the kind of book that invades your dreams, and then you know you have to follow it up with something else? Last week for more than once, I found myself contemplating a big life question: Shall I watch my television show that took 24 hours to download, or shall I read another few chapters in a damn good book?  It was so nice to have options. And to find the patience to try to not do both poorly---but postpone one for the other.

“You can never know about about your own destiny: are the people you meet there to play a part on your own destiny, or do you exist just to play a role in theirs?” ---Libba Bray, Going Bovine

It would be amiss for someone with "librarian wanderlust" as part of her blog address to never, ever talk about books. This is a blog about our Cuban adventure, but reading has been a big part of entertainment for all four of us, so here is my quick-and-dirty, once-every-six-months book talk. I've spent a bit of time with several amazing characters and locations, and even lived through some historical events, so I naturally want to share.

This is just a fraction of what I've read since October, but these are some of the best of the best I've read (here is where you non-readers can skip to previous blogs and catch up):

For older elementary/middle school, Wonder by RJ Palacio weaves a story of a homeschooled middle school kid born with a facial deformity who enrolls in school for the first time---not nearly as depressing as you would think. I totally fell in love with the main character, and each chapter is told from a different family member or friend.

For middle school: In Countdown by Deborah Wiles, a young girl deals with the Cuban Missile Crisis. It's surprisingly suspenseful, with lots of newspaper clippings, advertisements, and photographs from that time period thrown in for authenticity.

For upper elementary/ middle school/high school: The Penderwicks: a Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy by Jeanne Birdsall  tells about four witty, precocious girls who live with their widowed, absentminded professor father, rent a summer cottage from a curmudgeonly old woman, and have zany adventures with a rich boy who is basically held captive in his own home---it's like a modern day Little Women meets The Secret Garden, but no sister gets sick and dies, thankfully.

For older middle/high school: Divergent by Veronica Roth--all I can say is, why am I just reading this one? It's been recommended by several teens and adults, with reason. Very good dystopian sci-fi, strong female characters.

For high school: Going Bovine by Libba Bray is road trip book with a hypochondriac Mexican-American dwarf [or is that "little person?"], a lawn gnome who may actually be a Norse God, a punk angel who speaks in riddles, and a stoner teen with Mad Cow Disease. In case I didn't hook you with "hypochondriac Mexican-American dwarf," it's freakin' awesome.

For high school: Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs has weird vintage
photographs that are surreal, and the book takes on the same dreamy, unreal tone. Part mystery, part supernatural fantasy, and it takes place mostly on an island out from Wales---it is a great read for anyone who wants to get lost in a fantasy world that is more otherworldly than sci-fi.

I also got sucked into the third installment of the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon, and I FINALLY picked up The Paris Wife by Paula McLain (historical fiction about Hemingway's first wife) ---yes, THAT is the book I chose over Don Draper. It was worth it, but now I'm in mourning because I am really sad to not have those characters and their travels as part of my nightly routine.

I read several other books since getting here, and I have a large stack to still get through---we have a WONDERFUL selection of books at our public library, and the school libraries aren't bad, either. Living here is good for breaking me of my book-buying addiction, because the NEX book section doesn't really carry books I want, and I'm finding books on my shelves and on the library shelves I still need to read. In fact, with a much shortened commute time and less time with television, I now have the time to read every single day.

Gitmo may not fill my dream of a busy city, but sometimes, this place is a librarian gangsta's paradise.