The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

My friend 'Domino' is a reader like I am. In fact, he was my first friend on Goodreads.com. Goodreads is a website where you can keep track of what you're reading and rate books. You can share your opinion and write a book review. It's also fun to find friends who are on it. I've come across many a good book to read through my friends on Goodreads.

Back to Domino...he originally mentioned this book to me. It's one of his favorites. I trust my friends to recommend the cream-of-the-crop books to me. So far, I'm not disappointed.

The book is about a boy who finds a remarkable book in a place called the Cemetary of the Forgotten Books. He devours the story and it leaves him yearning to learn all he can about the author and to find more of his work. This leads him to discover a mysterious life surrounding the author. Through the course of events, the boy also comes in contact with a man attempting to obtain and burn all of the work by this particular author.

My favorite part about the book thus far (besides the story) is the rich vocabulary used. I read with my dictionary sitting next to me :) I enjoy looking up a word or two every few pages to get the full meaning of what's happening.

It keeps the story interesting when more characters are introduced and their lives inexplicably intertwined - how they're related and what experiences they share, I'm not yet privy to. But I'll keep reading.

What a Pig!

My friend 'Ham' (ha ha, I'm so funny...) mentioned liking the last page the best in the entire book. My favorite part is the very last line in the book. Hence my pig-o-meter:







The book is about a bunch of farm animals revolting and taking over a farm. They change its name from Manor Farm to Animal Farm. It's astounding all that animals can accomplish.

Eventually the pigs take on the leadership role and even associate with humans in order to accumulate materials necessary for making a windmill and other farm equipment-esque materials. Throughout the book, the pigs develop more and more human characteristics...and unfortunately, they aren't very flattering characteristics.

It's a good story, and it makes you stop and think about the human race. How civilized is the human race really?

It was pretty good. I'm interested in where the topic of Animal Farm will take us during book club in a few weeks.

Animal Farm by George Orwell

You know how you were required to read certain classics in high school? Apparently this is a pretty common one. Not when I went to high school...or should I say, not where I went to high school. Not sure which is more accurate. But in all honesty, I don't think I'd even heard of this book until a week ago.

'Kit-Kat' participates in a book club once a month. I'm not currently attending a book club though I'd like to be! Kit-Kat mentioned that I might like going to hers and they're reading Animal Farm for September. In her words, it's a quick read and it's pretty good.

In talking with other friends, many had to read it in high school. I may be a few years late, but better late than never :)

The book is about the animals on a farm who decide to rebel against the farmer and take over the farm. Guess who's in charge once the rebellion happens? The pigs - most clever of all the farm animals. The catch-phrase is "Four legs good. Two legs bad."

The farm animals divide up the work according to who is capable of doing what. I can see the potential for disaster and I'm just in chapter five - then again, the book is only 10 chapters long :) So I'm halfway through!