Tag: Spain

The City of Mist by Carlos Ruíz Zafón

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If you haven't read any of the books of Carlos Ruíz Zafón, you're surely missing out on one of the true literary pleasures of this universe. A modern-day Cervantes, Ruíz Zafón spun stories about labyrinths, mysterious figures in black, magical pens, death and destruction and war, the beauty of love, the pain of romance, the … Continue reading The City of Mist by Carlos Ruíz Zafón

The Labyrinth of the Spirits by Carlos Ruiz Zafón

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I can't say enough about Carlos Ruiz Zafón's writing. It's absolutely beautiful, lyrical, lush without being overly purple, and whether describing the sensory overload of a roomful of books, the scent of tobacco, the deeply scarlet hue of a woman's lipstick, or the existential dread and horror of torture and death, the man writes like … Continue reading The Labyrinth of the Spirits by Carlos Ruiz Zafón

The Prisoner of Heaven by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

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If I could have any set of books with me on a desert island, I'd choose the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon, the Johannes Cabal books by Jonathan L. Howard, and The Cemetery of Forgotten Books series by the one and only Carlos Ruiz Zafon. This mysterious, lyrical, dark and yet oddly uplifting series, set … Continue reading The Prisoner of Heaven by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

The Angel’s Game by Carlos Ruíz Zafón

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My game plan is to blog all of Carlos Ruíz Zafón's quartet of books featuring The Cemetery of Forgotten Books in Barcelona, which is also one of my favorite cities in the world, before September, which is when the fourth and final installment of this amazing series ends. I previously blogged the first book in the … Continue reading The Angel’s Game by Carlos Ruíz Zafón

Cuentos: Tales from the Hispanic Southwest by José Griego y Maestas and Rudolfo Anaya

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I'd consider this book of short stories, Cuentos: Tales from the Hispanic Southwest, one of the pivotal books of my childhood. I've mentioned my father and his love of reading, and there were always books around him. In his car, in his house, you name it. As well, being a very strong proponent of civil … Continue reading Cuentos: Tales from the Hispanic Southwest by José Griego y Maestas and Rudolfo Anaya

The Vacationers by Emma Straub

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This book was previously blogged about by a fellow food blogger, Cara Nicoletti, whose page Yummy Books was one of the inspirations for starting my own food and book blog. The Vacationers is about a family's secrets and dysfunctions that come out over two weeks when they are vacationing in their house in Mallorca. I … Continue reading The Vacationers by Emma Straub

The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón

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One of the books I'd want to have with me if stranded on a desert island, this noir-style novel has everything you could want in an adventure story. The Shadow of the Wind is set in post-WWII Barcelona, and has tongue-in-cheek melodrama, mystery, forbidden love, a spooky mansion, hints of the supernatural, a strange, scarred … Continue reading The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón

Don Quixote de la Mancha by Miguel de Cervantes

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I was lucky enough to have inherited my dad's version of this marvelous treasure of a book, Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, and which has notes in his handwriting, making it even more precious. My undergraduate degree was in Spanish, and as part of my graduation requirements, I had to read Part II … Continue reading Don Quixote de la Mancha by Miguel de Cervantes