Two books to bring to your attention.

The first is one that I couldn’t put down. The second one was also good but did not reach the level of the first.

“The Shadow of the Wind” is the first adult novel by Carlos Ruiz Zafron, published in 2005 and the Barry Award winner for Best First Novel.  It takes place in Barcelona just after WWII and tells the story of a boy who gets caught up in a mystery about a book entitled “The Shadow of the Wind.”

It’s definitely worth your time; tho I must suggest that you have a good bit of free time when you begin the book as you will not want to put it down.

“The Angel’s Game” is Zafron’s newest novel that was just published last month. It also takes place in Barcelona (in the 1920s) and again is about books and a mystery surrounding a young writer who has been commissioned to write a book that people “will live and die” for. 

There are similarities in the two books, but “The Angel’s Game” is more dense and not as totally engaging as “The Shadow of the Wind.”  But that is not to say “Angel’s” is not worth reading. 

Just don’t expect a read as good as “The Shadow of the Wind.”