My Reading List for Spain!

Tomorrow, I leave for Barcelona!

Eep!

My bag is nearly packed and my passport is ready for a brand new stamp! But before I can munch on tapas and practice my extremely rusty Spanish, I must first survive my 8-hour flight to Switzerland and then a 5-hour layover in Geneva. Which is why I have armed myself with a slew of books to devour while I roam around the Geneva airport, where I shall avoid speaking to anyone because I don't know any French or German and I'm terrified I'll have to resort to pointing and grunting to order a sandwich.

(I figure most people will speak English but I was in Paris a few years ago and I politely asked a saleswoman if she spoke any English...and she scoffed at me! So now I'm all nervous.)

Anyway. Books! Here is my reading list for the long flights and train rides:

Grave Mercy
{by Robin LaFevers}

My friend Ellen Oh was kind enough to loan me her ARC and I couldn't resist diving into the novel last night. I mean, the book is about medieval female assassins! How could I resist? The first paragraph totally hooked me:

I bear a deep red stain that runs from my left shoulder down to my right hip, a trail left by the herbwitch's poison that my mother used to try to expel me from her womb. That I survived, according to the herbwitch, is no miracle but a sign I have been sired by the god of death himself.


Code Name Verity
{by Elizabeth Wein}

WWII. British spies. Shot down in Nazi-run France.

Um, yes, please?

Thanks to Sasha and Em, I snagged a copy of this ARC last week and I'm super excited to dig into it. I studied history in college and so any novel with a WWI or WWII backdrop tickles the nerdy historian in me.






A Clash of Kings
{by George R.R. Martin}

Justin and I are huge fans of the show Game of Thrones (new season starts in April!) and he urged me to read the books.

Right now I'm only a few chapters into A Clash of Kings, the second novel in the series, but I'm really enjoying it so far, especially the constant shift of POVs. My favorite POV? Sansa. Oh, Sansa. My heart hurts for her  and what she has lost.

*Death scowl at Joffrey*



Bitterblue
{by Kristin Cashore}

My preciousssssssss....

Haha.

But seriously. Don't touch my copy of Bitterblue! It's mine.

Ok, it's not really mine---I borrowed it from Jessica Sheehan *waves at Jess*---but I am bursting at the seams to read this novel! I have been waiting and waiting for it since I finished Fire three years ago, and I can't wait to get lost in Bitterblue's story.


Since I can be a speedy reader, I also have Under the Never Sky and Black Hole Sun loaded up on my Kindle. Just in case, you know? I can never have enough books! Much to Justin's chagrin....

But he can't complain. Miracle of miracles, I have packed very lightly for this trip, which is no small feat for an over-packer like me. Behold, the suitcase of wonder!

{Me Caroline! Me can pack!}

Yep, I have crammed a week's worth of clothes, three pairs of shoes (thank God for thin ballet flats!), toiletries, and three books into a little carry-on-size suitcase. And I have a tiny bit of space leftover if I want to buy something from Zara during my trip.

Who am I kidding? I'm totally buying something from Zara!

Hope you guys a have wonderfully fantastic weekend!