Read the following text out loud.

I really enjoy Dan Brown's stories. I recently read "The Lost Symbol." It's a thriller set in Washington, D.C. after the events of "The Da Vinci Code."

Here's an excerpt from the beginning of the book:

Fact:

In 1991, a document was locked in the safe of the director of the CIA. The document is still there today. Its cryptic text includes references to an ancient portal and an unknown location underground. The document also contains the phrase "It's buried out there somewhere."

All organizations in this novel exist (...).

All rituals, science, artwork, and monuments in this novel are real.

The story takes place over 12 hours. As usual, Brown describes everything in unbelievable detail. Still, the plot is very fast-moving and Brown's writing skills make this book very hard to put down. The story line is great. Each chapter reveals more and more, but not too much. Since this is a thriller, the reader is kept in suspense, but there are also humorous moments. My favourite quote is:

Langdon remained silent a long moment. "Actually, Katherine, it's not gibberish." His eyes brightened again with the thrill of discovery. "It's . . . Latin."

Don't worry. I'm not going to say anything more - I don't want to reveal the plot or the ending. I'd spoil the joy of reading "The Lost Symbol."

I've read mixed reviews about this book, but, personally, I liked it quite a bit. The story was very interesting, and I just couldn't stop reading, because I wanted to know what happened next. "The Lost Symbol" is not only a good read, but it also challenges the readers to open their minds to new information. I highly recommend it.