Catching up (books, trips and future)

I have stopped writing here for long time. I will hopefully start again, because starting from September, I am going on a world trip that will last at least a year (hopefully).

More on that later. First the catching up.

• Best books I read in 2018 so far

I have already read 39 books. Check my Goodreads (zizeloni) for reviews on all of them. I will mention here my favorite ones.

Neapolitan Novels, by Elena Ferrante

No need to talk about these series by Elena Ferrante, the life story of two friends growing up in Napoli in the 50s. I read the fourth book in 2018 and it was a 5-star as the other 3.

Shiver, by Junji Ito

Nine short manga stories, all super creepy and in most cases, disgusting as well. Crazy imagination! I will read more by Junji Ito for sure.

Revenge, by Yoko Ogawa

After this book, she is officially my favorite Japanese author. Murakami, you lost, because for every Wind-up Bird Chronicles and 1Q84 you have two mediocre ones. Αlthough now that I think about it, I love him too… difficult choice…. oufff

This is a book with short stories that each has a small (maybe trivial) connection to another. The way she connects them impressed me a lot. Everyday stories that are just slightly sad and weirdly unsettling. Read it and all her other books

I am not your Perfect Mexican Daughter, by Erica Sanchez

A Young Adult book about the 15-year old daughter of Mexican family living in USA. A very depressing life, sister died, they are poor and the mother is literally horrible, very strict, but the daughter (and the author) doesn’t hate her like I did, they just accept her. That was the most interesting part of me, how a mother so objectively horrible in my opinion, is not horrible according to the author.

I connected with the main character and although it became very depressing at some point, it was a good book.

Exit West, by Mohsin Hamid

I just finished this, that is why probably I am putting it on the list. A short book with long sentences and lyrical writing which usually I hate, but here I likes. The story of Nadia and Saeed, who met and fell in love in an unnamed Middle Eastern country on war. As the city is being destroyed, they manage to escape through one of the “doors” that randomly open all over the world, portals that connect countries. These doors change immigration, the world needs to adjust to this new reality. But what I liked the most was how he kept talking about the relationship of the young couple and how even in these difficult circumstances, it is important to work on your relationship or break it, even if that is the only person you have left in the world.

M Train, by Patti Smith

Patti Smith drinks coffee, watches detective shows on TV, travels to Mexico, French Guiana, Berlin, London, Japan, Tangier. She discovers Murakami and loves The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle (me too!). She buys a cabin on the beach, she remembers the dead, she has dreams, she loses her coat.

A book about her everyday life. A book with no point, with few dialogues, with dreams, everything I dislike in a book. And yet I loved this one. I liked Just Kids more, but this one also gave me many feelings, made me understand how important it is to have a good relationship with yourself, to decide the kind of life you want.

There were some chapters I liked less, there were some I was in love with. I started getting stalkish ideas of meeting Patti Smith on the street and telling her that she is an amazing person.
I impulsively bought all her other books online after reading this. I will have an interesting summer!

 

HONORABLE MENTIONS

 

Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine, by Gail Honeyman

I had a very good time reading this book. Eleanor is a thirty year old woman that doesn’t really comply with society’s rules. Think of a Sheldon Cooper or detective Monk or Sherlock Holmes kind of person (without the high IQ or special skills). She has her routine, no friends… and a secret past that is gradually revealed.
Most of the book is about the everyday life of Eleanor, as she makes a new friend and has to abandon her routine. In between this everyday life, you get some pieces of her past.
I really loved how Eleanor sees the world sometimes. So much truer than what we are used to. It makes you question why we accept some of society’s rule that make no sense.

I Am Not Your Negro, by James Baldwin, Raoul Peck (Editor)

I bought this book after a tour in Harlem and influenced by what I heard on the tour, I gave it 5 stars because I see its value for black Americans.

The book has short pieces of James Baldwin’s (a writer I had admittedly never heard of, but who was great for the civil rights movement) text or speeches, dealing with the rights of black people in USA. There are comments on Malcolm X, Martin Luther King and Mercer. There are also images from movies and some dialogues, dealing with the same issue. The way this book is made is amazing, it is a piece of art.

Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind, by Yuval Noah Harari

Everyone should read this book. It is not perfect for sure, a lot of opinions that are probably not scientifically objective (if such a thing even exists). But if this is your complaint (I read many of those in Goodreads) go read the scientific papers and form your own opinion. This book is read easily, I learned a lot of things I didn’t know (I had also taken his Coursera course).
I liked more the first part, about prehistoric sapiens. Then I didn’t like it that much, I am not a fun of Romans or religion. I liked the third part as well, about the scientific revolution.
I repeat: read it, you will learn a lot and it will make you think!

 

• Trips of 2018 so far

In February I went to Rwanda for a week with Actionaid Hellas. It was my first trip to Africa and it was a special trip because we helped the community with building and really saw the way of life in a village. You can read all about it in my previous blog post.

In May I went to USA, specifically New York/New Jersey. I have a friend staying in Princeton, NJ and I was going to New York while she was at work, various places in New Jersey at the evening, Philadelphia and Washington on weekends. I stayed for more than two weeks, I took many free tours while alone in New York (Free Tours by Foot) and in general I had a great time! It was my second time visiting New York, so I had already seen tha main attraction and could focus more on having fun (like making a trip to Lorimer Str in Williamsburg, where “A tree grows in Brooklyn” takes place and buying a copy of the book from the nearest bookstore).

 

In June I went to Cyprus for a wedding of two friends. We were a group of many people that flew from Netherlands and we had a great time. Wedding, food, swimming, same as Greece!

We did cross to the turkish occupied part. It was interesting to see passport control in the middle of a shopping street. But because of the whole history, I didn’t feel comfortable being on the other side. We left after an hour or so.

 

• Future plans

My boyfriend an I plan to travel for a year or more. We have a one-way ticket to New York for the beginning of September and a vague plan to do a road-trip for about two months in USA and then head south. Either start from Mexico and the Central American countries or Cuba, Jamaica and maybe Haiti and Dominican Republic.

I watched many videos on how to pack light and I have already an awesome backpack and clothes, so I think I will make a post about what I will bring to the trip.

Hopefully I will be updating my blog (through cellphone though…).

But I will definitely update Instagram (@zizeloni), so follow me there if you are interested in following the trip!

Book posts will become less unfortunately. I have a kinddle with more than 100 books, but I don’t think I will be writing reviews while on the trip (except from Goodreads)