All three of us love to read, but the enthusiasm and the clear love of literature that came through as we began to share some of our most favorite books while sitting in a darkened bar in Berlin must have been a sight to see! Throughout this conversation, we reminisced about favorite books of our past - the crazy story lines, the language, the characters. It was fun to see how many books we commonly loved, as well as discover ones we've never read, but now hope to.
Anne has an amazing ability to remember so many parts in all the books she has read, and Tessa can remember the most obscure details, while I seem to remember little but titles, authors, and general story lines that have impacted me. Regardless, when arriving at school on Monday, Anne brought six books for me to read and checked out equally as many from the library. I love it!
The first book of this stack that I've chosen to read is The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. This book was extremely popular a few years ago and I'm sure many people know it, yet I never heard of it until moving to Barcelona (maybe my memory issue again?). The book is set in Barcelona and mentions many streets and plazas near where I live. The language and description in the book is incredible, something that is so impressive to me considering it's been translated from Spanish to English. Although I am only eight chapters in, I am dying to keep reading - suspense, mystery, romance, books, intrigue! It's been a long time since I've felt that way about a book, particularly one for adults.
Today, my 5th graders and I were about to finish our read aloud book. They have been dying to hear the end and their daily excitement about the story has been so fun to see. Before reading, I told them about the conversation Ms. Anne, Ms. Tessa, and I had. (Their reaction was a mix of "That sounds so boring!" with "Wow - you really talk about books?" :) I also shared with them a paragraph from The Shadow of the Wind that really struck me (see below). Although they didn't all understand it (as expected!), I like to think that they will remember a tiny piece of the moment.
So, if you haven't read The Shadow of the Wind, I highly suggest it. (You can also take the book tour the next time you visit me in Barcelona! :). And, I hope it reminds you of your "first book." Now, I have to get back to reading . . .
"Once, in my father's bookshop, I heard a regular customer say that few things leave a deeper mark on a reader than the first book that finds its way into his heart. Those first images, the echo of words we think we have left behind, accompany us throughout our lies and sculpt a place in our memory to which, sooner or later - no matter how many books we read, how many worlds we discover, or how much we learn or forget - we will return." - Carlos Ruiz Zafon, The Shadow of the Wind, p. 6
I read this book when I was here 2 years ago, and it was the perfect book to get lost in while learning about the city. A walk on Tibidabo when it gets a little warmer is definitely recommended because so much of it happens around there too. X
ReplyDelete