Study Abroad London: Books to Read Abroad

London is the perfect place for reading for many reasons. Once is that most people spend a ton of time on the tube and a perfect commuting activity is reading. Another is that the typically gloomy weather creates the perfect environment to curl up with a cup of tea and a good book.

So here are some book that I highly recommend if you are studying abroad in London!

1. Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed
          I actually read this book a couple of months before studying abroad and it helped me work up the courage to go on this adventure. This book is about a woman who attempts to find herself while hiking the pacific crest trail. This is the authors own true story and I found it to be very motivational. From it I took away that I can do anything and that even if a situation sounds scary I am capable of overcoming that fear. This is a great mindset to get into when studying abroad because so much is new and foreign and you have to learn to be brave at times.

2. Carry On by Rainbow Rowell
          This is retelling of Harry Potter with gay characters, but it's also so much more. Yes there are tons of parallels to the Harry Potter series, but it's also it's own unique story. It becomes so moving and heartbreaking at times, but also so hilarious. I instantly fell in love with the characters. This is a good book to read abroad because it takes place at a British magical school. I suppose you could also read Harry Potter, but since pretty much everyone in the world has already read Harry Potter this is great alternative.

3. Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch
          This is the first book of the Rivers of London series (it's also called Midnight Riot if you need help finding a copy). This series is about a police officer in London who solves crimes of the supernatural nature. You've got magic, mystery and London all wrapped up in each book. It's pretty much perfect. This book is the absolute best for studying abroad in London because in every book there are references to locations in London and having lived here the last few months it's cool to recognize the locations mentioned in the book.

4. More Than This by Patrick Ness
          This is a story about a boy who dies (not a spoiler, this happens in the first couple of pages) and about what happens to him after death. It's not about the afterlife in a religious sense by any means. It's better to go into this book not knowing anything else, so I'm going to leave the synopsis at that. It's a good book for studying abroad in London because parts of the story do take place in London and it's just great to read books set in London while in London. Another reason is that this a captivating and easy to read book so it will keep your attention even during peak hours on the tube.

5. Othello by William Shakespeare
          The best time to read a Shakespeare play is when you are in London. I recommend Othello because it's really easy to understand (even if Shakespeare is not really your thing). It's a story about how jealousy can lead you to do crazy things. And it has the best villain in Shakespeare, Iago. London is home of The Globe Theatre, so even if you don't read Othello, check out a Shakespeare play there.

Study Abroad London: Useful Apps

Studying Abroad can be a fun and stressful at the same time. Here are some apps that I find useful to use to manage all that stress and fun!

1. City Mapper: This app is wonderful for navigating a city that you're unfamiliar with. You can find directions anywhere using public transportation or walking. Plus you can save the routes and then pull them up at any point even if you don't have WiFi and it will still direct you. This is great when traveling to other countries where your data plan doesn't work. This app saved me from getting lost in Amsterdam!

2. Hostel world: If you are like me, when you study abroad you will travel and stay in hostels. They are the cheapest option normally, and they are decent places normally. Hostel world's app helps you keep track of your reservations and also gives suggestions as to what to do in the city you're visiting.

3. Skype: Being far away from home and your normal college friends can be hard, Skype makes it easier. You can talk to your friends and family, see their faces and it might help with some of that homesickness you're likely feeling.

4. Instagram: While you're studying abroad everyday is an adventure (ok, so not everyday, but most days). Preserve those memories and share them with your friends via Instagram.

5. Capitol One Banking (Or whatever banking company you use): Most likely your banking company has an app, I know mine does. This is really helpful, because staying on budget is super hard while abroad. The app let's you check your account balance directly and helps remind you that maybe you shouldn't eat out every meal. Also most apps come with a feature that let's you freeze your credit/debit card. This way if your card is lost or stolen you can freeze it so no one else can spend your money.

There are so many more useful apps out there fro study abroad students, but these are the ones I've used in the last couple of months. Leave your favorites in the comments!

October 2016 TBR

Here are the books I want to read during the month of October:

1. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll 

          This is the Alice in Wonderland story that we are all familiar with. I decided to pick this up

          because I found it on my kindle, and I realized that I've never read this classic before.

2. Buffering by Hannah Hart 

          This a book by youtuber Hannah Hart about her life. I've watched Hannah's videos for a few years now and I'm interested in learning about her life. I feel like she has some really funny,                 interesting, and heartfelt stories to share.

3. Midnight Riot by Ben Aaronovitch 

          I picked this book up in the spring and then got caught up with school work that I never had a             chance to really get into the story. So here is my attempt to try again because this book seems interesting and I want to give it a go. It's about guy named Peter who wants to become a detective but he's being assigned to desk work. Then a mysterious murder takes place and he finds out he has the power to speak to a ghost who witnessed the event.

4. Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury

          I picked this up in an indie bookstore in Bristol, England. I've been meaning to read something  by this author so when I saw the book I decided to pick it up. It takes place during Halloween so I thought it would be a perfect October read.