The Shadow of the Wind (The Cemetery of Forgotten Books, #1) - Carlos Ruiz Zafón, Lucia Graves I originally picked up the Shadow of the Wind after it being highly recommended to me, and I was drawn to it for it's bookish theme. A secret library, a book surrounded with a mysterious history, and a little independent bookshop in Barcelona. If there's one thing I can't resist, it's a book for book lovers.

The bookish themes didn't disappoint, and the book was filled to the brim with book-related snippets that made me smile and nod. In some ways, this book felt like home for me. The settings were beautifully explained. Zafón's Barcelona was a beautiful place, sometimes dark, that I loved exploring. It was a pleasure to form images in my mind of the library, the bookshop, the streets of Barcelona, and the many other amazing places I was taken to.

The characters all had complexities, all had both light and darkness to them. I loved getting to know each one. Many types of relationships were explored, with wonderful dynamics. The only character I didn't like was the one person I wasn't supposed to. The antagonist of this story has taken his place in the ranks of the most memorable and terrifying villains I've encountered.

Exciting from the offset, I got swept into the plot, never lost interest, and found it difficult to put this book down (except in the moments where my imagination got so carried away I just had to pace around the room living out scenes in my mind). There are several challenges faced in this book, and with each one I felt the frustration, sadness and anger of the characters, as well as celebrating their victories with them.

I feel that this book is strong on it's own but nevertheless, I look forward to the rest of The Cemetery of Forgotten Books and anything else Zafón has to offer. The Angel's Game is sitting a few metres from me now looking incredibly appealing.

The Shadow of the Wind made me laugh and cry. I highly recommend it.