Reading a book outside of IR this break

I have started to read "Lost Names" by Richard Kim this break. It is for a Global assignment, so it doesn't count for English IR but I am really interested in the novel. It gives an account in such a different perspective than the way I learn events in history. In class I learned general facts about World War I, however this book is in such detail and I am actually grasping and remembering the material that is mentioned in the book. Reading this book has helped me understand the WWI unit more and I have also realized that I learn as a reader much better than I do by being lectured. From now on, I think I will enjoy reading historical books like the one I am reading now because I gain more appreciation for history and what I am learning in class. When events are written in a story style, I am more interested and attentive to the subject.

I have also read some more of "The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society" (I need to create an abbreviation for that long title!) and am enjoying the humor of the novel, which is basically a collection of letters written during the end of WWII. I am looking forward to reading some more tonight. And I didn't think of this when I picked up the book, but I bet this will also help me in my next global unit: WWII!