For my last post of 2014 I wanted to show, with pictures, the books I read and spent so much time with this year.
Back in January of 2014 I set out to read 30 books as part of my Reading Challenge. I wanted to focus on reading Brazilian authors early on as I felt that I really needed to learn more about Brazilian literature and this time, read books for fun and not because I was told to back when I was much younger.
I took advantage that UNC has a vast books collection with a very decent section on Brazilian authors and I was able to read some really awesome books by Erico Verissimo, Joaquim Manuel de Macedo, José de Alencar, Jorge Amado and Machado de Assis! I also fell in love with these authors and the fact that it took me a couple of decades to truly appreciate them doesn't bother me at all, since I believe that it took me this long to reach the right maturity level... in other words, I was not ready for them yet until this year.
I also fell in love with John Steinbeck and Ray Bradbury, and I think that Grapes of Wrath and Dandelion Wine are two of the best books I have ever read!
Lastly, 2014 was also the year I started reading short stories (to sample different authors and see what they 'have to offer'), and I highly recommend the short stories of Flannery O'Connor, John Cheever, Simon Rich, and Gabriel García Márquez.
In 2015 I plan to continue reading more Brazilian authors and exploring different authors and genres! I may even re-read The Lord of the Rings again. :)