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!

Surinamese literature

I'm pretty sure you weren't expecting it, but Suriname has some skillful artists who have written several beautiful books. Cynthia Mcleod is probably Suriname's most celebrated author of historical novels on Suriname. She has written quite a few and they're all equally captivating and beautifully written. What makes these books especially precious is that they're based on actual historical facts. Mrs Mcleod has dedicated herself to years of research before putting pen to paper. So let yourself be swept away by her works of art on slavery, the history of Suriname, ethnical diversity and the complexity of Surinamese society. I love the detailed way she goes about telling her stories. You can almost smell the sweet sent of Surinamese air, feel the wind as it sweeps over the fields and taste the b-b-met-r that her characters dig in to. My personal favorite is "Welkom el Dorado", a stunning story about the Couderc family that portraits how the stretch of time can change personal views, society and even the way one views oneself.


Two titles are also available in English  "The cost of sugar" and "The free negress Elisabeth". You can buy them here, here, here and hopefully also in your local bookstore :)
If you happen to be in Suriname (you never know...) do take a tour along the beautiful plantations and maybe you'll be lucky enough to have your trip narrated by mrs. Mcleod herself!

Another must read is "De koningin van Paramaribo" (The queen of Paramaribo) by Clark Accord. Don't let the title fool you, Suriname is a republic and has never actually had a queen. The lady in question miss Maxi Linder was Suriname's most notorious prostitute. In fact her reputation preceded her all the way to The Netherlands. It was the many sailors and soldiers who frequented her services whom lovingly gave her the name "the black queen of the west". Clark Accord has been able to write a captivating chronicle on her life's story; her startling rise and unfortunately also her painful demise. Mr. Accord has also written two other books "Tussen Apoera en Oreala" and "Bingo" but personally I think his first novel is his best work.

You can buy his work here and here. Unfortunately they're not available in English, his first novel however is translated in Spanish and German. 

Now of you go and get reading!

GOLD

Yes it's true I'm a major bookworm an I love love love Chris Cleave! He is by far my favorite modern day writer.
Gold is the title of his newest book, which was released this month. I of course had to get my hands on this hardcover special edition. And it just so happens that I'll be in London in a few weeks, so I'm going to see if he'll be doing any book signings. Cause yeah I'm a junkie for first editions and if they're signed it just makes it all the better ;)

But back to Chris. The first book I read from him was 'The other hand' (which is actually his second novel). I came upon it by accident (I found it in the break-room at work) and had no idea what it would be about. I was immediately sucked in to the story of this little African girl. It's best not to tell you to much but here's the first sentence: "Most days I wish I was a British pound coin instead of an African girl."

I read his first book 'Incendiary' second. I didn't know what it would be about either, so I was really hoping it would be just as good, and Chris did not disappoint. I was on holiday in Hong Kong while reading it and I actually postponed all my sightseeing to finish the book! No I'm not kidding, I stayed in the hotel all day. I just needed to finish it and then I read it all over again. The first line is: "Dear Osama they want you dead or alive so the terror will stop." Bet you think you know what it's about now don't you? But you're wrong.

Why do I like his books? His topics are current worldly dilemma's, things I feel we should all have thought about at leased once. His writing is excellent and something a lot of people have commented on is how well he (a male) is able to describe everything so realistic and vividly from a female perspective (the main character in both 'The other hand' and 'Incendiary' are female).
The best word to describe his work is 'accurate'. 

But it's also an emotional thing. Do you recall that moment, that split second, when you wake up in the morning, the sun is shining and all just seems well. But then reality sinks in and you start to recollect that something terrible has happened and your life will never be the same again? That is exactly the feeling that his books leaves you with. So no not very uplifting but very much worth it.

So everyone, please do yourself a favor and read at leased one of his books.

Trust me they are BRILLIANT!