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review: rooftops of tehran

book info: on sale: now copy from: public library pages: 348 review written: 21.12.17 originally published: 2009 edition read: Penguin NAL 2009 title: Rooftops of Tehran author: Mahbod Seraji In a middle-class neighborhood of Iran's sprawling capital city, 17-year-old Pasha Shahed spends the summer of 1973 on his rooftop with his best friend Ahmed, joking around one minute and asking burning questions about life the next. He also hides a secret love for his beautiful neighbor Zari, who has been betrothed since birth to another man. But the bliss of Pasha and Zari's stolen time together is shattered when Pasha unwittingly acts as a beacon for the Shah's secret police. The violent consequences awaken him to the reality of living under a powerful despot, and lead Zari to make a shocking choice... my thoughts: This book was first published in 2009 and I remember adding it to my list around that time but never actually reading it since I preferred checking out library books to ...

The Secret

pick your thon!


I had the lovely privalege to be a host in The Book Monster's yearly "Pick Your Thon" event (my post here) and decided to make this post to do all the challenges!

First up is my challenge, which was:

Draw a picture of your favourite scene in a book you are reading reviewing at the moment (any book you'd like) or create a collage of photographs if you are not comfortable drawing.

When I wrote this post, I had been reading "Shadow of the Wind" by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. Now, just now, I had been reading a bit of Shakespeare's Henry the IV and watched the first few seconds of The Hollow Crown. I had seen the first two episodes with Hal being Tom Hiddleston and such, and felt compelled to read along to it.

So to be fair, I made two collages just highlighting the books instead of the favourite scene (because it's so hard finding that specific photographs)

Also, if you want to participate in this challenge, go to my challenge page (here) and leave a comment with the link to your collage!


photo credits:
bottom left: goodreads


photo credit: google images (too lazy to get actual credits, will come back to it!)

They're not very good, but there you have it! I felt really compelled to just make a Tom Hiddleston collage, but alas, the play isn't all about Prince Hal!




TheWindyPages.com
On to the challenge hosted by The Windy Pages is to:

"Put the title of the song, artist and why this song reminds you of the book " (in the comment section, but why not add it here?)

 For the Shadow of the Wind, I can't think of a particular song, but I have  a group called "Angus and Julia Stone", a sibling duo that sings these amazingly haunting, sweet songs that really fit the mood for Shadow of the Wind.
 Maybe this song might work called "All of Me" It was my first song I heard by them and I believe it works, yeah?


Lyrics:

Is there a cure for this pain
Maybe I should have something to eat
But food wont take this emptiness away
Im hungry for you my love

Well I made it through another day
In my cold room
On scraps and pieces left behind
I survive on the memory of you

All Of me is all for you
Youre all I see
All of me is all for you
Youre all I need

Is there a remedy for waiting
For loves victorious return
Is there a remedy for hating
Every second that Im without you

All of me is all for you
Youre all I see
All of me is all for you
Youre all I need

All this life is all for love
Its the only road Ill choose
And every street and avenue
Only one will lead me back to you

One Love, One Love, One Love
One Love, One Love, One Love

Why? The first stanza, all of this really, reminds me of Julian Carax, "surviving on the memory" of Penelope. This truly is Julian's song and I really feel that it's his character singing through this song. It's a perfect match! You'll know what it means if you've read it, but I don't want to give it away!

Now for the challenge at Danasquare's challenge
"Choose your favourite cover of a book you are reading or reviewing and explain why it's your favourite"

 Right, I'm just going to skip the Henry the IV play and just continue with The Shadow of the Wind. Thankfully, this has many lovely covers! Here's my favourite:
credit: goodreads
There's too many good things about this cover. The beautiful touch of black-white and gold is absolutely lovely, and  the paper texture really brings out the classy, old-fashioned Barcelona feel of the book. Isn't is beautiful?

The other challenges, well I haven't got time or space for them, so this is it! 

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