49) A Woman in Your Own Right: Assertiveness and You 50) The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared

This post is more than a month and a half overdue, as I have been busy with finals, which are now over, yay :)

Guess who just realised that they've completed their challenge?! I'm super happy about that, especially considering that I haven't been doing much reading recently. I've decided that I'll keep the blog going though, at least until I've reached a full year (mid-June) :)

49) A Woman in Your Own Right: Assertiveness and You by Anne Dickson

 I don't read much non-fiction, or self-help books, but I would really recommenced this one.  It's made me question my everyday behavior, and helped me to be more assertive, and thus more happy. If you often find yourself not saying anything in an uncomfortable situation, or unable to communicate how someone's behavior makes you feel, then this is a great book to read. It contains assertiveness exercises and role-plays to help you work on your assertiveness, so you can't just read it. You have to actively put what you've read into practice, and trust me, it really is worth it!







50) The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson

 I saw the film adaptation of this book last year in France; unexpectedly it was in the original Swedish with French subtitles, which was a bemusing, but fun state of affairs. If you liked Forest Gump you will enjoy this book, as Allan improbably meets many important historical figures  through a series of random events, baffling the reader with his insouciance and carelessness. It is one of those books that cleverly weaves together past and present, showing us the richness of Allan's past life, which is unknown to all those around him, and the extraordinary events  that unfold when he decides to disappear from his care home just before the celebration of his one-hundredth birthday. You will especially like it if you are interested in history; personally I must admit I found some passages rather boring, in a similar way to the huge chunks of philosophy in Sophie's World, which I found detracted from the plot. Overall it is one of the most random books I have ever read, but also one of the most fun and stimulating; definitely one to try.