Currently almost finished with Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafron http://www.curledup.com/shadwind.htm . Cued up to read are Possession, Those Who Saved Us, Crossing the Unknown Sea, The Lost City of Z. Those are just the adult books. I also like to keep up with what's new in Children's books. The newest Wimpy Kid- Dog Days is out and the kids are clamoring for it. I want to reread Georgia Heard's Awakening the Heart. Poetry Club starts Monday.
So let me know if you have read Shadow of the Wind. Billed as a true Gothic read and adored by the King himself, Stephen King that is. It is compelling. I can't put it down and it keeps me up at night. The narrator is also the protagonist so you become familiar with the voice in his head. When he speaks in dialog to other characters, he sounds so much more charming and delightful... Interesting. The book seems to flesh out that authors are found in their books. Their voices can't be silenced as long as their books are still speaking. The most beautiful prose statement about the interaction between readers and books is in the first chapter.
"This is a place of mystery, Daniel, a sanctuary. Every book, every volume you see here, has a soul. The soul of the person who wrote it and of those who read it and lived and dreamed with it. Every time a book changes hands, every timesomeone runs his eyes down its pages, its spirit grow and strengthens...When a library disappears, or a bookshop closes down when a book is consigned to oblivion, those of us who know this place, its guardians, make sure that it gets here. In this place, books no longer remembered by anyone, books that are lost in time, live forever, waiting for the day when they will reach a new reader's hands. In the shop we buy and sell them, but in truth books have no owner. " I say bravo! and amen!
If you have stayed with me till now, I thank you and am waiting to hear what your mind's garden is growing. What are you sowing and harvesting by reading?
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Nancy, What a wonderful read! I am currently enjoying "Matters Arising" by Sarah Harrison, filled with so many lovable characters. I guess I'm looking forward to "Shadow of the Wind" although I really don't want to be kept up at night! I love "Crossing the Unknown Sea" and actually requested 2 how to write books from the library this weekend. Keep on writing - you have a natural flair for it!
ReplyDeleteBetsy, thank you for making a comment. How exciting and how supportive. You are too sweet. I can use all the encouragement you can give. You should checkout my niece's blog Wanderlust. She is doing it for a class but she is a Journalism major and really knows how to write professionally. She has several articles in the Columbia newspaper published! ( for money too!)Very exciting!
ReplyDeleteI have the Three Marriages book Jan mentioned also by Whyte. I haven't had a chance to look at it yet. I want to check out "Matters Arising" too- sounds good.
Thank you again! Nanc-