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5-star books

Más Allá Del Invierno - Isabel Allende
I don't often read pure fiction novels but I love Isabel Allende as an author - and she didn't disappoint!  I found the novel so compelling and was always excited to be able to sit down and read another chapter.  A few events toward the beginning felt a little unbelievable, but throughout the course of the story they started to seem more reasonable.  The story contains mystery, adventure, love, and humor, and touches on themes of immigration, life purpose, loss, and grief. 

Dos Espías En Carácas - Moisés Naím
This historical fiction novel is one of the best books I have ever read.  Not only did it entertain me at every turn, it also taught me a lot about the politics of Venezuela and Cuba in the late 20th and early 21st centuries.  It has love, adventure, danger, politics, and more, with interesting and believable characters and events (including many real personalities and true events).

Emerge O Muere - Carlos Cuauhtémoc Sánchez
This unique book is like a self-help book wrapped in a novel.  While I didn't agree 100% with all the suggestions and perspectives, it made me think,  it gave me some new perspectives and some good techniques for dealing with the difficult times we all pass through.  The accompanying story gets better and better as the book goes on, with a fantastic ending that is worth the wait! 

Un Largo Pétalo Del Mar - Isabel Allende
This historical fiction novel spans decades and crosses continents as it follows a small group of Spaniards as they flee the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War in search of a place to call home.  I learned so much reading this book, and enjoyed every moment of it.

La Hija De Fortuna - Isabel Allende
Una gran aventura que toma lugar en Chile y los Estados Unidos en la época de la fiebre oro.  Esta historia es llena de lujuria, lujo, peligro, dolor, acción, escándalo, tristeza, fuerza, y amor. No hay momento aburrido ni momento difícil de creer.  Los personajes son suntuosos y creíbles.

Como Agua Para Chocolate - Laura Esquivel
Como agua para chocolate es una historia de amor integrada al mundo colorido, acogedor y fantástico de la cocina mexicana, donde la ternura, la entrega y el amor luchan con una personalidad independiente que busca alcanzar sus sueños más preciados y la libertad plena.

​Malinche - Laura Esquivel
Este es un recuento extraordinario del amor apasionado y trágico entre el conquistador Cortez y la mujer india nativa americana quien sirvía como la intérprete de él durante su conquista de los Aztecas.  Una historia bastante triste pero muy interesante y rica.

4-star books

El Túnel - Ernesto Sabato
El Túnel is a dark, psychological novel in which a painter recounts his obsession with the woman who is seemingly the only person capable of understanding one of his paintings.  His obsession begins with stalking, then grows into suspicion and emotional abuse.  The book's title is symbolic of the painter's emotional and physical isolation. 

Cuentos De Hombres - Susana Pérez-Alonso
This book is a compilation of short stories about love and relationships.  I really enjoyed all of stories, with the exception of one, and I really appreciated the excellent character development.  An enjoyable and easy read.

Laura Y Julio - Juan José Millás
Recently separated from his wife, Julio decides to secretly occupy his neighbor's apartment while the neighbor is in the hospital.  Upon doing so, Julio adopts his neighbor's style and manner of viewing the world, himself, and his estranged wife.  In the course of his transformation, Julio discovers a new life that he strives to convert from farse to a reality. 

Violeta - Isabel Allende
Another great novel from Isabel Allende.  This one follows the life of a Chilean girl up until her death at old age.  It recounts all the quite varied stages in her life, as well in the history of Chile and the world, including two pandemics, wars, political coups, births and deaths, love and fortune, and personal growth.  Per usual with Allende, the characters are super well developed - you feel that you know them.  The stories are vivid and compelling.  The only reason I didn't give this book 5 stars is that somehow I didn't connect well with the protagonist and some of stories felt superfluous. 

Un Viejo Que Leía Novelas De Amor - Luis Sepúlveda 
Este es una aventura con personajes vistosos y muy detallados.  El tema, los personajes, y los acontacimientos son todos muy interesantes y este libro corto va rápido.  

​La Misma Ciudad - Luisgé Martín
Este libro aborda un tema difícil.  El protagonista tiene unos deseos que a lo mejor la mayoría de gente tiene, pero el hecho de que él actua en ellos es menos que ético y poco probable.  No me gustó el protagonista pero me gustó pensar en el tema.  El libro es breve y va rápido.

3-star books

El Zahir - Paulo Coehlo
This is the fourth Paulo Coehlo book I have read and it will be the last.  It was more grounded and inspiring than other Coehlo books I have read, yet I was still frustrated by the vague philosophical/mystical language and some strange, unnecessary parts of the story. 

Corazón Tan Blanco - Javier Marías
I struggle to understand the point of this fictional novel.  It is largely a book about  relationships between lovers, with several mysteries interspersed, but it doesn't provide resolution of most of the mysteries and most of the interactions between the characters are not very intimate and not very believable.  The story this book tells is not worthy of the 300+ pages. 

Las Batallas En El Desierto - José Emilio Pacheco
This book is a very quick read and is interesting enough for that short length.  I'm glad it wasn't longer - I didn't feel any connection to the characters nor the main stories weaved throughout.

Los Santos Inocentes - Miguel Delibes
This book consists of a series of short stories, each building upon the prior.  I liked the book more and more as I progressed through each story and I LOVED the ending!  The main reason I didn't rate it higher is that it uses older, more rustic Spanish, thus making it a bit hard to understand and enjoy. 

Guinea - Fernando Gamboa
I learned a lot about Equatorial Guinea from this book and I enjoyed the rich descriptions of the people, places, and thrilling events.  I also liked all the twists and turns - I never knew where the adventure was going to head!  The main things I did not enjoy: 1) The main character was pretty annoying, she asked too many questions and couldn't seem to just shut up and follow the people who were trying to help her.  2) The ending was so bizarre and unclear, that it left me quite unsatisfied. 

Mi País Inventado - Isabel Allende
I love this author's sense of humor - I found myself chuckling throughout the book. I also marvel at her ability to pin-point the characteristic traits of the residents of Chile vs. those of the United States - she has a knack for perceiving patterns in human behavior.  I enjoyed learning a bit about Chile and overall really enjoyed this book -  but it has a very narrow audience (those interested in Chile, the military coup that brought Pinochet to power, being a nomad with no real "home" country) and is not exactly a page-turner.

Crónica De Una Muerte Anunciada - Gabriel García Márquez
This book spends most of its time describing in detail numerous minor characters and events that are secondary, but related, to the main characters and event.  The mystery that is the main theme of the book never does get resolved, which I found to be wholly unsatisfying.

La Casa En Mango Street - Sandra Cisneros
This book is a short and quick read.  It has very short chapters, each one focusing on a particular person or event, which makes it easy to keep reading.  It's a pretty enjoyable read, though I didn't find it to be particularly educational or moving.

El Profeta - Khalil Gibran
The prophet, Al Mustafa, has lived in the city of Orphalese for 12 years and is about to board a ship which will carry him home. He is stopped by a group of people, with whom he discusses topics such as life and the human condition. The book is divided into chapters dealing with love, marriage, children, giving, eating and drinking, work, joy and sorrow, houses, clothes, buying and selling, crime and punishment, laws, freedom, reason and passion, pain, self-knowledge, teaching, friendship, talking, time, good and evil, prayer, pleasure, beauty, religion, and death.  The chapters are short and the gook is a pretty quick read.  I found a few nuggets of wisdom in the book and was content to have spent my time reading it.  However, as the chapters went on, I found the language less meaningful and discernible, and more meandering, lengthy, and almost haughty.   I don't regret having read it but I don't highly recommend it. 

Relato De Un Náufrago - Gabriel García Márquez
Supuestamente basado en hechos reales, es un poco difícil creer todos de ellos.  No me sentí una conexión emocional con el protagonista.

La Quinta Montaña - Paulo Coelho
Bastante extraño, triste, y confuso, pero el mejor de todos los libros de Paulo Coehlo que he leído.  Tiene como base una parte pequeña de la biblia. 

Doce Cuentos Peregrinos - Gabriel García Márquez
No prefiero cuentos cortos, en general, por la poca conexión con los protagonistas que ofrecen.   Estos no son malos pero tampoco no son particularmente buenos.
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Cuentos Andaluces - varios autores
No prefiero cuentos cortos, en general, por la poca conexión con los protagonistas que ofrecen.   Estos no son malos pero tampoco no son particularmente buenos.

2-star books

La Ley De Amor - Laura Esquivel
I bought this book because I really enjoyed "Como Agua Para Chocolate" and "Melinche" by this same author, but oh how disappointed I was by this book!  This is one of the worst books I have ever read.  It was humorous at times, and had a hint of a spiritual undercurrent, both of which kept me reading, but the book was just too weird (science fiction, reincarnation, souls switching between bodies) and without recompense - I didn't feel like I learned anything about the world or myself. 

Aura - Carlos Fuentes
This short book is somewhat dark, hard to understand, and with an inconclusive ending.  

La Bruja De Portobello - Paulo Coehlo
Muy raro.  No me identifiqué con ninguno de los personajes o eventos

La Alquimista - Paulo Coehlo
Muy raro.  No me identifiqué con ninguno de los personajes o eventos

Aphrodite - Isabel Allende
Los temas de este libro no me interesaron:  la comida afrodisíaca, recetas, y el sexo entre adultos majores.

La Tesis De Nancy -  Ramón J. Sender
Tiene demasiados significados dobles, juegos de palabras, y argot.  Es demasiado difícil para un estudiante de español.  Además, aunque es chistoso a veces, en su mayoría es una historia ridícula. 

Réquiem Por Un Campesino Español - Ramón J. Sender
Esta es una novela corta que toma lugar en la época de la guerra civil española.  No me identifiqué con los personajes y estaba decepcionada por el final anticlimático.

El Libro De Arena - Jorge Luis Borges
Un libro de cuentos cortos un poco raros.

Cueras De Sangre - José Enrique López Jiménez
Me gustó aprender un poco sobre esta época en la historia de los Estados Unidos pero este libro no es muy bien organizado y me hubiera gustado saber un poco más del contexto más amplio en lo cual la histora tuvo lugar.