All My Semester Abroad Reads, Ranked

9. Wind From the East, Almudena Grandes

I couldn’t come to Spain without reading at least one book by the iconic madrileña, Almudena Grandes. I had high hopes for this book, but ultimately, it felt a little flat to me. Despite being 700 pages long, the characters never felt fully fleshed-out or realistic. The plot was so convoluted and melodramatic that I can’t even begin to describe it. Overall, I wasn’t a huge fan of this one.

8. Of Love and Shadows, Isabel Allende

As a huge fan of Isabel Allende’s other works, I was disappointed not to like this book more. While the writing was (as expected) rich and absorbing, I felt that the romantic subplot clashed with the central narrative to a distracting degree. The setting of an unspecified, authoritarian Latin American country was interesting, with many complex and realistic characters, but was ultimately too vague to be compelling.

7. Out of Place, Edward Said

Being an Egyptian-born American citizen, studying in Spain, reading this book in Morocco, “Out of Place” perfectly sums up my life. Edward Said’s memoir about his complicated childhood in multiple countries is dense, and at times very slow, yet interspersed with such poignant meditations on exile and placelessness, I decided to power through it. As an Arab living in diaspora, I too have struggled with the feeling of ghorba my entire life: Never quite feeling at home in any one country or place. Rather than viewing this as an impediment, however, Said interprets being chronically “out of place” as a source of liberation and strength. Struggling through homesickness abroad, I found this to be a very empowering message.

6. The Ages of Lulu, Almudena Grandes

I’m a little embarrassed to say I’ve read this book, and even more so to admit I enjoyed it. Initially, I was hesitant to pick up another work by Almudena Grandes, but Ages of Lulu was a pleasant surprise. The novel is composed of erotic vignettes from the titular character’s life as she comes of age, each one becoming progressively darker. It’s sexy, strange, and disturbing––a great read if it’s to your taste, but very off-putting if it’s not.

5. Ornament of the World, Maria Rosa Menocal

The first book I picked up from the IES Granada library, Ornament of the World is an illuminating exploration of different religious groups in Medieval Spain and how they coexisted. Although the material is dense, the book reads surprisingly fast, often focusing on anecdotes or vignettes of specific historical figures. Menocal’s writing is informative yet poetic, imbued with a sense of grief for all the culture lost during Spain’s Reconquista. If you’re a fan of Medieval history, I’d definitely give this one a read!

4. Romanceros Gitanos, Federico García Lorca

Lorca is arguably Granada’s most iconic literary figure, and after reading the seminal Romanceros Gitanos, it’s easy to see why. Even in Spanish, the beauty and complexity of each word amazed me. The collection is composed of only 18 ballads, each telling a brief story or illustrating a scene from early 20th-Century Andalusia. It’s a surreal journey through war, love, and death, told with Lorca’s signature mysticism and sensuality. Definitely required reading for anyone visiting Granada, even if you don’t take IES Granada's Lorca class.

3. Giovanni’s Room, James Baldwin

During periods of significant change in my life––for instance, studying in a new country––I love to revisit old favorites. Baldwin’s masterpiece follows the life of American expat David during his stay in Paris, where he becomes entangled in a turbulent affair with charming Italian bartender Giovanni. I first read Giovanni’s Room six years ago, immediately falling in love with the rich characters and beautiful writing. At age fourteen, I never imagined I’d someday turn the last page on a flight back from Paris. It was the perfect read during my Semana Santa Euro-trip––stylish, captivating, and absolutely heartbreaking. Giovanni deserved better.

2. Granada, Radwa Ashour

How could I come to Granada and not read Radwa Ashour’s quintessential novel set in the Medieval city? Granada follows a diverse cast of Muslim characters as they navigate the fall of the Nasrid Empire during the Reconquista, from book burnings to forced conversions to battle. It’s an incredibly rich novel, following the central family through generations of exile. Ashour’s writing is lyrical and meditative, fully immersing you in every scene. When I first bought this book in Alexandria, I couldn’t wait to read it sitting by the Darro River, or in the gardens of the Alhambra.

1. Love in the Time of Cholera, Gabriel Garcia Marquez

OK, it’s not exactly fair to rank one of my all-time favorite books first, but I can’t help it. Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s epic love story is even more enchanting now than when I first read it five years ago. The novel follows Florentino Ariza, a young poet who falls in love with the beautiful Fermina Daza. Even after fifty-one years, hundreds of lovers, and a marriage to another man, Florentino’s love never dies––like a bad case of cholera. It’s hilarious, magical, devastating, and just straight-up insane, written so beautifully it always takes my breath away. You absolutely have to read this book if you haven’t already!