Read anything lately?

So Today I learned that the date is posted when I publish these blogs. So I don't have to put the date as the title of the blog.

I have been reading The Historian and I have to say that my everyday vocabulary enhances the more I read. I don't necessarily learn new words but I do use more complex words in everyday conversation. (Maybe I just think that, but it seems true)

The Historian is great to learn information about Dracula and some historical facts about European history and culture.

- I was reminded that Istanbul is today's name for the city once called Constantinople. Also, that it is currently the 5th largest city in the world.

Over the summer I read Anna Karenina. It was long... very dry and I have learned that I am a bit more feminist then I had initially thought. Now it did take me a third the way through the book to teach me how to properly say Anna Karenina, and I have to say that that is probably my favorite point I learned.

I did learn that Leo Tolstoy did write the book and it was written in Russia. Anna Karenina was actually a series of books and was originally published in a Russian magazine. The only book that wasn't was the last one. Tolstoy and the Publisher could not agree on an ending, so the last book was published with the series.

I guess you can say Anna Karenina was a true 18th century soap opera.

One point I don't understand in the book is its title. The author focused the story on many characters, most notably Levin. Why name it after one character? Plus, it isn't like she was necessarily a good character. I have heard descriptions of her as being a heroine. I can't disagree enough, what heroine kills herself?

So 900 pages later, I now can say I have read the book, but more importantly I can say I wont be reading it again.