insideKENT Magazine Issue 84 - March 2019 | Page 36

CELEBRATING
WORLD BOOK DAY
7 March 2019
“CELEBRATE STORIES. LOVE READING.” THAT’S WHAT
IT’S ALL ABOUT ON WORLD BOOK DAY. IT DOESN’T
MATTER WHETHER YOU’RE SEEKING ADVENTURE,
INSPIRATION, BEAUTY OR NOSTALGIA – PICKING UP A
BOOK AND GETTING LOST IN ITS PAGES IS ONE OF THE
GREATEST OF HUMAN EXPERIENCES.
There are millions of books to choose from
(more than 130 million according to Google’s
advanced algorithms), with over 2 million
more being published each year, so there’s
sure to be a book out there for everyone.
This year, rather than listing the best books
according to Amazon, we’re listing the best
books according to us! Here are the
insideKENT team’s favourites.
Donna, Creative & Editorial Director
The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón
Hidden in the heart of the old city of Barcelona is the 'cemetery of lost books', a labyrinthine library of obscure
and forgotten titles that have long gone out of print. To this library, a man brings his 10-year-old son, Daniel,
one cold morning in 1945. Daniel is allowed to choose one book from the shelves and pulls out La Sombra del
Viento by Julian Carax. But as he grows up, several people seem inordinately interested in his find. Then, one
night, as he is wandering the old str eets once more, Daniel is approached by a figure who reminds him of a
character from La Sombra del Viento, a character who turns out to be the devil. This man is tracking down every
last copy of Carax's work in order to burn them. What begins as a case of literary curiosity turns into a race
to find out the truth behind the life and dea th of Julian Carax and to sa ve those he left behind. A
page-turning exploration of obsession in literature and love, and the places that obsession can lead.
Why Donna loves this book:
"This book is on constant rotation on my Kindle – I read it every few years, and every time I find myself up
‘til 3 in the mor ning, unable to put it do wn! It sucks y ou in as soon as Daniel finds himself exploring the
Cemetery of Forgotten Books, allowed to choose only one. Zafón's writing is simply beautiful, and w hen
it’s over, you feel you deeply know the characters and want to continue living in the story."
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