The Alex Crow by Andrew Smith: The Alex Crow was a last minute purchase I made before boarding my flight home from Paris last summer and has proven itself to be one of the best impulse buys I have ever made. It centers around 15-year-old Ariel, "pronounced Ah-riel," and his "many lives." Beginning in an undisclosed, middle-eastern village torn apart by war, Ariel reminisces, or rather recalls, how he ended up at a summer camp for boys in the United States within just a year. While this novel is heavily male-dominated, there's a struggle between the sexes, which eventually introduces the science-fiction plot line of the story. Sci-fi isn't generally my genre of choice, but Andrew Smith does an excellent job of blending a plausible scenario with science-fiction in a way that allows the storylines, while some set in different time periods, to successfully intertwine and relate in a way that doesn't always obviously present itself to the reader. If you're like me and enjoy a book that allows you to make your own inferences and conclusions, while enjoying some satirical commentary about American boys from a 15-year-old refugee, then I highly recommend The Alex Crow.Time it took to read: 2 weeks
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho: My tried and true! I first read this book when I traveled to France for the first time at 19-years-old and have yet to travel without it. I'm not someone who can usually reread a novel, but every time I read The Alchemist I find a renewed passion for travel and discovery. The story takes place across Spain & northern Africa and follows the journey of a young shepherd by the name of Santiago. While he was well educated and is able to read & write well, Santiago chose to be a shepherd in an attempt to satisfy his insatiable wanderlust. One day, he returns to a town in the south of Spain with the hopes of meeting a beautiful girl that he had spoken too and become fond of the previous year. However, before he's able to reconcile with her, he begins a conversation with an old man who claims to be a king and who speaks of "Personal Legends." This conversation is the first of many experiences that lead Santiago to sell his flock and journey across Spain, Morocco, and Egypt in order to discover his "Personal Legend." Hands down, my favorite book. Highly, highly recommend for those who can't shake that feeling that they're a long way from where they were meant to be.Time it took to read: 4 days
90 Miles to Havana by Enrique Flores-Galbis: The semi-true story of a young boy forced to leave his home country of Cuba, along with his two older brothers, as a part of the Pedro Pan Project during the rise of Fidel Castro in the early 1960's. After being shipped off to Miami in a desperate attempt to escape the possible child labor many parents feared would be inflicted upon their kids, Julian finds himself in a refugee camp along with other Cuban children waiting to be reunited with their families. What makes this novel interesting is Julian's comparisons on the camp with the political events taking place in Cuba during the Castro uprising. Throughout the novel, Julian attempts to navigate through the camp without disrupting the nasty camp bully while devising a plan to reunite his family. The story is loosely based on the experiences of Flores-Galbis, who was a member of the 16,000 Cuban children sent to the United States during the Pedro Pan Project, which makes it all the more interesting.Time it took to read: 1 month
Perfect Days by Raphael Montes: This book was first described to me as a tale of an awkward premed student who becomes infatuated with a girl and, through some odd turn of events, is forced to kidnap her as they engage on a road trip across Brazil. A little humor, a cross-country journey, an expected romance, sounds like all the makings for a good summer read! Wow, was this book so much more than that! It's much darker than it's portrayed to be as the "protagonist" Theo turns out to be a mentally unstable sociopath who unlawfully forces a young woman to engage in some twisted road trip in order for him to live out some sick fantasy. Perfect Days gives readers a look into the mind of a lovestruck sociopath as he rationalizes his way through his would-be-obvious illegal and inhumane actions.
Time it took to read: <1 week
1,000 Places To See Before You Die by Patricia Schultz: While this one is the only nonfiction book on this list, I wanted to include it because I oftentimes find myself skimming the destinations and planning my future trips. What's great about this book is that it not only includes the major tourist locations (i.e. Venice, Paris, Munich, etc.) it includes those cities most often disregarded by short-term visitors. The city in which I generally stay in France, Beaune, is a very petite ville close to Dijon (a popular city for tourism), but is often overlooked due to its inferior size. However, the city has many historical building, vineyards, wineries, wine cellars, and events that make for an unforgettable summer vacation. I was surprised the first time I saw Beaune mentioned in 1,000 Places to See Before You Die and have since trusted it to help me decide where I'll jet off to next!
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