Books are mirrors: you only see in them what you already have inside you.

My favourite book is without a doubt 'The Shadow of the Wind' by Carlos Ruíz Zafón. I first read it when I was way too young to comprehend every detail of the plot but it drew me in from the first sentence. The next paragraph describes perfectly what 'The Shadow of the Wind' means to me:

Once, in my father's bookshop, I heard a regular customer say that few things leave a deeper mark on a reader than the first book that finds its way into his heart. Those first images, the echo of words we think we have left behind, accompany us throughout our lives and sculpt a palace in our memory to which, sooner or later - no matter how many books we read, how many worlds we discover, or how much we learn or forget - we will return. — The Shadow of the Wind.

Set in post-war Barcelona, this book tells the story of a boy who is led by his father to a mystery place called 'the Cemetery of Forgotten Books', where he found a cursed book that will change his life. It involves a tragic love story projecting over time. 'The Shadow of the Wind' is the first of the four novels that complete the 'Cemetery of Forgotten Books' saga. Zafón's style is characterized by its impeccable technique and gothic aesthetics. He makes you believe it's you who is living what he's describing. For all of this I highly recommend it to everyone who love reading.      

And now... I'm going to reread it! ;)

Describing someone.

I have a very close-knit family and I admire every single one of my relatives. But, If I really look up to someone, that's my cousin Ana. She's four years older than me.

As I am an only child, I spent my childhood with my cousins and because of this, she is one of my best friends. She is the perfect definition of 'great things come in small packages'. At such a young age, she already has two degrees on engineering and she's working for a truly important company. Apart of having a useful profession I admire her because she has a very outgoing personality and she always put other first. Thanks to her I have learnt the importance of working hard to get what you want in life. One thing we have in common is our sense of humor which is pretty silly. Besides, Ana is an optimistic person and she is always trying to cheer people.

In a nutshell, she is the perfect role model because she is both a hard worker and also a very generous person.

Informal letter.

Dear Tom,

Lately you've been drinking and smoking a lot. This is something that really bothers me.

I'm worried about your habits recently. You shouldn't drink so much to have a good time going out because it's affecting your mood. Also, if you go on like this, you can end being dependent on alcohol. Furthermore, when you're drunk you can be strongly influenced by other people to do something that you don't really want to. Besides, I have seen you getting involved in terrible fights and being unable to keep a secret.

From my personal experience, I think that you can improve your health by changing little habits in your spare time. What I did to quit drinking was search for funny things to do. For example, you can go dancing which is very entertaining or going to the cinema rather than spend the night drinking and smoking. When you go to a bar, instead of ordering a beer you can have a coke or other non-alcoholic drink. Another good reason to stay healthy is that you could drive so you wouldn't need anyone to give you a lift. Plus, where is the attraction of getting drunk to have fun if you aren't going to remember it later or you're going to feel bad?

I hope you'll think about quitting drinking so next times you go partying you're able to stay healthy.

Lots of love,
Cynthia.

Unpopular opinion.

Villains have the best part of a play. Usually people do not enjoy the characters of villains because it is easiest for them to connect with the moral of the hero. However, I like villains better because they are freer than heroes so they can do whatever they want to. For this reason I find villains funnier than heroes. Also, I like to research the villains past because they normally have a more complicated story and I think it is more interesting than the story of the hero. In my opinion heroes are funny as well, but they do not do anything unexpected, while villains are always surprising the spectator. In conclusion, while both heroes and villains are interesting, from my point of view, villains are better because they are more profound than heroes and they are always doing the unpredictable.

Peaky Blinders.

The BBC has done it again.  From the setting to the actors, Peaky Blinders has everything you want in a good tv series. Set in the 20s Birmingham, which I really appreciate because it breaks the rule of using London in every British tv series. Peaky Blinders is a ganster family called like that because they sew razor blades to their caps. Led by Tommy Shelby (an amazing Cillian Murphy) the family calls the attention of Chief inspector Chester Campbell (played by a brilliant Sam Neill), sent by Churchill from Belfast to find a shipment of stolen weapons. This TV series takes great care on the picture and gives a nearly perfect representation of the time. Also, the soundtrack is stunning.
For all of the above you can't miss it.