Fat Ballerinas

it sounds so mysterious and romantic in Español, which is exactly what this book was about. i won’t ruin the plot, but this story was absolutely gorgeous. the excerpt from the back cover:

Hidden in the heart of the old city of Barcelona is the “Cemetery of Forgotten Books”, a labyrinthine library of obscure and forgotten titles. To this library, a man brings his ten-year-old son, Daniel, one cold morning in 1945. Daniel is allowed to choose one book and from the dusty shelves pulls The Shadow of the Wind by Julian Carax. But as Daniel grows up, several people seem inordinately interested in his find. What begins as a case of literary curiosity turns into a race to find out the truth behind the life and death of Julian Carax and to save those he left behind.

i read the book in three days. sitting in cafes and squares in the city where it took place, i felt the story wrapped around me not only from the pages but in the smells and architecture of Barcelona.

but before you go out a buy it, please know that some of you may be receiving it as a gift (don’t worry it is translated into English). i think books are better when they are given and not bought. i must thank Monica for giving me this one.