I'll try to make this brief but I just HAVE to tell everyone about a book I just finished.
For my Spanish class about the Caribbean and Latinos (focusing on the Dominican Republic, Cuba, etc) we had to read Julia Alvarez's In the Time of the Butterflies. I HIGHLY recommend this book.
I'm so not a history person but this book was phenomenal. Regardless of the fact that I was pressed for time in reading this book, I seriously could NOT put it down. I stayed up until 3:30am the other night reading it because it's so good. Then, in class yesterday we discussed it and watched the beginning of the film. I think I learned more about Latino/Spanish history in that 2.5 hours than I have in most of my education because of the use of a great book rather than a textbook.
Also, since I carried the book with me everywhere, it became a conversation starter. Multiple people told me that they had read this book or another one of Alvarez's and it got us to talking. I really enjoyed the overall experience that I got from having to read this book. Check it out and let me know what you think!