Karsa Orlong Posted January 29, 2012 Posted January 29, 2012 I read Shadow of the Wind last year - and loved it - but I haven't got The Angel's Game yet. I want to read it but with 90 books on my TBR list it might be a while before I get it ... Quote
Kidsmum Posted January 29, 2012 Posted January 29, 2012 Another thumbs up for Shadow of The Wind I've had Angel's Game for ages but haven't got round to reading it yet. 9 books is very impressive VF don't think I could manage so many in one month Quote
vodkafan Posted January 30, 2012 Author Posted January 30, 2012 (edited) Hi all sorry my SOTW review is late I will try to do it tonight. It was my Birthday Friday and my daughter (the reading one) bought me 4 paperbacks from the Works as a present. She put some thought into it and managed to get me 4 that I have never read, although the genre (spy/intrigue) is new to me. So they have gone straight onto my TBR pile. They are: The Rome Prophecy Sail The Bourne Identity The Cassandra Compact . (To see my complete current TBR pile visit the first post/page of this blog) I discuss books with my daughter a lot now. I bought a few YA books from off my Wish List a couple of weeks back. Last Light and The Knife Of Never Letting Go were among them. When she saw them in my book case her eyes lit up because she already recognised the titles without me telling her about them. I like that. She is just starting The Hunger Games. I have finally got her away from reading Vampire romance. Edited January 30, 2012 by vodkafan Quote
poppyshake Posted January 30, 2012 Posted January 30, 2012 Many happy returns James .. hope you had a nice birthday How thoughtful of your daughter to get you some books and how lovely that you can chat about books with her. I think I've started up reading vampire romance where she's left off or werewolf romance .. that's the same thing isn't it? I've just started Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater .. I've also started Dracula so that's definitely vampires. I don't quite know what's come over me Quote
chaliepud Posted January 30, 2012 Posted January 30, 2012 Happy belated birthday VF! What a great relationship with your daughter :-))) Quote
Kylie Posted January 31, 2012 Posted January 31, 2012 Happy Birthday for last Friday, James! What a thoughtful present your daughter gave you. I haven't heard of most of them, but I think the Bourne books are supposed to be good. Congratulations for steering your daughter towards other books! Quote
Karsa Orlong Posted January 31, 2012 Posted January 31, 2012 Belated Happy Birthday mate I've read The Bourne Identity a couple of times. Be interested to know what you make of it, especially if you've seem the film version. And congrats on getting your daughter out of the 'dark fantasy' section of the book shop. 'Dark fantasy'. Pfft. How dare they associate that load of old tosh with fantasy. Where's the 'snooty' smiley? Quote
pickle Posted January 31, 2012 Posted January 31, 2012 Happy belated birthday and fantastic present from your daughter, I love getting new books and its a genre I have read a bit on although none of those in particular. Will be interested in finding out what you think of the Knife of never letting go I really liked it and intend to read the next couple at some point I have been waiting for pay day for what seems like and age, Oi!!! Karsa I like 'Dark Fantasy' does my girlie heart good romance and werewolves a girl can dream can't she Quote
Karsa Orlong Posted January 31, 2012 Posted January 31, 2012 Oi!!! Karsa I like 'Dark Fantasy' does my girlie heart good romance and werewolves a girl can dream can't she Fine. No sympathy from me, then, when the werewolf of your dreams tears you to pieces - or just bites you and curses you - at least until somebody comes along and shoots you with a silver bullet. Ah, romance, eh? I blame Willow and Oz - it just won't work out We really need a snooty smiley Quote
vodkafan Posted January 31, 2012 Author Posted January 31, 2012 Fine. No sympathy from me, then, when the werewolf of your dreams tears you to pieces - or just bites you and curses you - at least until somebody comes along and shoots you with a silver bullet. Ah, romance, eh? I blame Willow and Oz - it just won't work out We really need a snooty smiley I think the fantasy is that the vampiire/werewolf loves the girl soooo much he doesn't bite her even though he really wants to. Sounds fishy to me I think the only good vampire is one with a 3 foot stake sticking out of his chest Quote
julie Posted January 31, 2012 Posted January 31, 2012 Happy Birthday VF My birthday was yesterday ! Did you have some cake ?. Quote
vodkafan Posted February 1, 2012 Author Posted February 1, 2012 Thank you everyone for wishing me happy birthday. Happy Birthday to you too Julie. That means we are both Aquarius. No I was working so no cake. Nice Fish and Chips in the canteen though. Quote
julie Posted February 1, 2012 Posted February 1, 2012 Pretty neat,so many Aquarians in the same place . Quote
Kylie Posted February 1, 2012 Posted February 1, 2012 Speak for yourself, Steve! There's nothing common about me. Quote
Karsa Orlong Posted February 1, 2012 Posted February 1, 2012 That's not what Jason Donovan said Quote
frankie Posted February 1, 2012 Posted February 1, 2012 Us giants aren't fussy Chrissy You crack me up Voddy! Oh and happy belated Birthday!! That's not what Jason Donovan said He should be so lucky, lucky lucky lucky.... Quote
vodkafan Posted February 1, 2012 Author Posted February 1, 2012 That's so weird us all being Aquarius.... birds of a feather and all that. Frankie are you Sagitarius ? you just missed out. Quote
Kylie Posted February 1, 2012 Posted February 1, 2012 He should be so lucky, lucky lucky lucky.... Hahaha! Oh, I wish I'd thought of that!! Quote
frankie Posted February 1, 2012 Posted February 1, 2012 That's so weird us all being Aquarius.... birds of a feather and all that. Frankie are you Sagitarius ? you just missed out. What do you mean I missed out?? Sagittarii RULE!! Hahaha! Oh, I wish I'd thought of that!! Haha I bet you do Quote
vodkafan Posted February 1, 2012 Author Posted February 1, 2012 (edited) Shadow Of The Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon This book starts off with 10 year old Daniel, who lives with his bookseller father in Barcelona after WW2. Of course for Spain the war started in 1936 with their own Civil War and everyone is exhausted and poor. Daniel is taken by his father to a special secret place- The Cemetery Of Forgotten Books- where he is allowed to choose one book to take away. All of us have had that feeling that sometimes a book chooses us instead of the other way around. And indeed it seems as if the story in this book is a mirror of Daniel's own life so far. The book is the only one left in existence. But Daniel soon finds that someone else wants the book...a character from the book itself...the Devil! I enjoyed this book even more than The Angel's Game. There are many similarities between the two stories. It is as if the writer had an idea which then split into two. But where TAG was dark and Gothic and you feel the protagonist is working towards his doom, SOTW is lighter and you feel Daniel can overcome everything if he can only unravel the mystery of the book. Daniel doesn't believe in the Supernatural. There are parallels between Daniel and the fated writer all the way along so you want for him to break out and not make the same mistakes. Zafon writes with a lot of humour but he can turn quickly to drama and tragedy. Some brilliant quotes and gems. It is fast paced and a fairly easy read, but not a lazy read; if you do not pay attention you will miss bits. Looking at the book from another angle, it brings up the question of whether the circumstances of our birth dictate who and what we will be and do, or can we change things? Are some people born bad or made to go bad? Edited February 1, 2012 by vodkafan Quote
Karsa Orlong Posted February 1, 2012 Posted February 1, 2012 Great review James The last sentence just reminded me of Big Trouble in Little China: "Are you ready?" "I was born ready." Quote
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