Even though I blog about television, I really love reading good books. As we all know, once you have a kid, you can kiss your quality book-time good-bye. I can find time to read magazines, newspapers, and many blogs... but finding time to read a book is a precious commodity.
That said, moms who like to read books *cherish* solo airplane time because it allows big chunks of time to dive into a book. I had some travel-time recently, but was disappointed after selecting some dud books. I even picked up the newest book from my beloved Alice Sebold, and just could not finish the darn thing. (Sebold's must-read is The Lovely Bones, but skip The Almost Moon.)
However, my most recent read was worth the wait. My dear friend Vicki sent me her copy of The Shadow of the Wind, and it was memorizing from start to finish. I devoured the book (which was an awesome distraction during my 4-hour layover in Chicago), and deeply loved (and deeply hated) each wonderful character.
The book was written in 2001 by Spanish writer Carlos Ruiz Zafon, and was translated to English in 2004. The story takes place in post-Spanish Civil War Barcelona, and tells the tale of a young boy named Daniel who loves books. Daniel discovers a treasured book with a rich history, and as he investigates the mysterious author, the boy finds trouble, love, danger and passion as he tries to uncover the mystery of his beloved writer.
The Shadow of the Wind is truly a good read, and worth the precious time of a mother who craves good books.
I am so glad you loved the book!!! Looks like our taste in print media is much more similar than movies (...long live the chick-flick)! I keep checking the internet to see if he is working on a 2nd book , but nothing yet. My next recommendation - The Pillars of the Earth - WOW! It's a page-turner, but at 1000-pages, wait for a long trip or vacation :)
Posted by: Vicki | May 05, 2008 at 11:02 AM