Carlos Ruiz Zafón

The past weeks I've been entranced by his works. Stealing every available moment to read a little more. Unconsciously gnawing at my nails in suspense. Sometimes even forgetting I was at work and uhm... had to work! Yes, mr. Zafon has enthralled me with his stories circling the cemetery of forgotten books.

It all started with me needing a new book to read. And when I say need, I really do mean need. I have a fair collection of books I cherish as if they were all hardcover signed first editions. I read them over and over again. Because I truly love them. Because they remind me of things I do not wish to forget. Because they help clear my head and set me straight. But sometimes I find myself roaming, scouring bookstalls, searching for something I can not put my finger on until I have found it. Or better said, until it has found me. And that's how I stumbled upon "The prisoner of heaven". 

A beautiful tale about friendship, love & losses woven with a thread of mystery that will have you sitting on the tip of your seat from start to finish. I devoured it within two days and was extremely saddened once I had finished it. I even considered reading it again, just to see what it would reveal next. But there was more to be discovered. It appeared I had bought part of a trilogy, so two more books awaited me: "The Shadow of the Wind" and "The Angel's Game".

I finished reading them with a hungry speed. My favorite remains to be "The prisoner of heaven" and my least favorite "The Angels Game". The last had this very dark and sinister feel to it and at sometimes I even wondered whether I should stop and pickup reading during the day. This wasn't necessary a bad thing, but I missed that hopeful hint which the others had. Its story also didn't line up with the other two which left me feeling a bit bereaved :(

For a moment I feared mr. Zafón might have knocked Chris Cleave of his literary pedestal. But in the end Cleave's still remains my nr.1!