Reading Recently

Within one week of being home for winter break, I read more than I did the entire semester. During the semester, I would read a chapter or two of a book as a way to relax before going to bed. It was really nice to give my eyes a rest from a screen, but that was really the only time I found for pleasure reading. It has been so nice to read for fun this winter break, so here are some of my favorites that I have read recently. 

| Pancakes in Paris |
A true story of an American who follows his dream of living in Paris by opening up an American Style diner. It is an entertaining book of struggles life in France as a business owner and the friendships he makes along the way. I would recommend this book to anyone who has had the idea to own a restaurant or just loves reading about Paris.

| Beartown |
Maybe one of my favorite books here. A hockey town deals with struggles of survival. I won't say too much about the plot so I don't give anything away, but this book was hard to put down. This isn't a happy or cheerful book, but I loved it none the less. The writing draws you into the small town as it attempts to survie through a junior level hockey team.

| Hillbilly Elegy |
UW Madison gave out copies of this book, and since everyone seemed to recommend it, I knew I should read it. Hillbilly Elegy has become a classic in its own right and I believe everyone should read it. A story of a man growing up in a poor, small town and his advancement and change as a person. The new version of the American dream.

| Garden of the Beasts |
The Story of the US ambassador's daughter during the rise of Hitler. It is a totally different way to view the situation. The books speaks a bit of the politics of the time, especially between the ambassador and others in the US gov't, but it mainly focuses on Martha and her changing impressions and relations with the Nazi regime.

| A Fall of Marigolds |
There are two stories that end up linking together in the end. One of Clara, a nurse on Ellis Island, struggles with the idea of returning to the mainland after the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire killed the man she loved. The story is of Taryn, who lost her husband in the World Trade Center on 9/11. These two stories both tell of a women struggling with the new life they have, but then something happens to each of them that brings them purpose.

What have you read recently?

xoxo,

Maddie