Shadow of the Wind Readalong for March 2015

During our last Travel the World in Books Twitter chat, we decided to read Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon set in Spain for our March group read. I read Shadow of the Wind last year and was hypnotized by the Cemetery of Forgotten Books, mystified by what really happened to Julian Carax, and captivated by Zafon’s writing. This book was amazing enough in it’s English translation, I can only imagine how remarkable it would be if I could read Spanish.

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Barcelona, 1945: A city slowly heals in the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War, and Daniel, an antiquarian book dealer’s son who mourns the loss of his mother, finds solace in a mysterious book entitled The Shadow of the Wind, by one Julián Carax. But when he sets out to find the author’s other works, he makes a shocking discovery: someone has been systematically destroying every copy of every book Carax has written. In fact, Daniel may have the last of Carax’s books in existence. Soon Daniel’s seemingly innocent quest opens a door into one of Barcelona’s darkest secrets–an epic story of murder, madness, and doomed love.

Still not sure if you want to join us? I give you one of my favorite quotes from early in the book, just a glimpse into the gorgeous writing and the nostalgic feeling Zafon creates for those who truly love books:

“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 lives and sculpt a palace 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.”

Shadow of the Wind is the book that left a deeper mark on my heart than all others before it or since. It’s not even been a year and still the book’s magic haunts me and I, the one who hardly ever rereads books, am returning to get taken away by the beauty of this book all over again. I hope you will join me and sign up in the linkup below.

Grab your copy from Amazon*, Barnes & Noble* or or an Indie Bookstore near you* and join us to discuss this fantastic book that carries us away to Spain during a time when the country is recovering from a brutal Civil War.

Discussion Schedule:

March 18, 2015: Chapters 1-28 on blog and Goodreads
March 31, 2015: Chapters 29-End on blog and Goodreads
April 6, 2015: Twitter chat 9-10pm EST

Discussion questions will be posted both on my blog and in our Travel the World in Books Reading Challenge Goodreads Group, so feel free to join us in either place or BOTH to share your thoughts. Spoilers are allowed in the discussion threads so be sure to stop by after you’ve read the chapters indicated. We don’t want to spoil the fun for you but we sure do want to talk about what happens!

It’s Never too Late to Join our Travel the World in Books Reading Challenge

Our Travel the World in Books Reading Challenge is hosted by Lost in Books, Savvy Working Gal and I and is designed to encourage readers to explore other cultures and countries through books. No pressure or stress, you set your own goals and length of time you’d like to participate. Chat with us in our monthly chats and join us for our monthly events that include readalongs or themed reading months. Also linkup your book reviews by continent for books you’ve completed and pin them to our Challenge board on Pinterest. For more info, check out our Travel the World in Books Reading Challenge page.

Sign Up for Shadow of the Wind Readalong!

Enter your blog, Twitter or Goodreads info to join us for the readalong! By entering your email, you are giving the hosts permission to contact you with subsequent Travel the World in Books event notifications. Your email address will not be shared and you can unsubscribe at any time. But we hope you continue to talk good books from around the world with us!

Let the fun begin and enjoy your travel to Spain with The Shadow of the Wind!

Note: This post contains affiliate links as indicated by an asterisk (*). I receive a small commission should you decide to purchase at no additional cost to you. Thanks for supporting my blog.