enchanting...

I finally finished Inkheart by Cornelia Funke. (Forgive the photo of Annie's beat-up well-loved copy, but I don't know how to post those cute little pictures of books like everyone else.) I don't know why it took me so long to finish this book...probably just that whole proverbial chicken thing, trying to do too many things at once and finishing none of them. Anyway, it certainly wasn't because I didn't enjoy the book. Quite the opposite, in fact...I loved every single page of it. And now, I guess, it's time to write a short book review. Something I hate to do. It's not so much the actual writing that I mind. It's more that I don't feel worthy. I think I need to come up with a little warning thing to post with my book reviews. Maybe something like this...

WARNING: The book review you are about to read was NOT written by a professional. The author has no literary training, and I'm sure in the opinion of many, no taste. She in no way wishes to influence your decision on whether or not to read the following book.

I don't know...I suppose I could perfect the wording a bit, but hopefully you get the idea.

So, anyway...Inkheart.

This book was a pure delight! Every page was magical. And it wasn't simply because the story was so enchanting, but also because Funke has magic in her pen. There were times when I simply had to re-read passages, not because I didn't understand something, but just to enjoy the beauty of the words again.

But don't get me wrong, this book was not all sunshines and roses. The story had its fair share of evil. Capricorn, the head honcho of evilness, was truly a frightful character. And, personally, I found some of the other characters even more terrifying in some down-to-earth manner. Basta and his knife scared me right to the end, and I found the Magpie equally unsettling.

Other characters were marvelously endearing. Meggie, the brave heroine at age 12, and her father, Mo, devoted father and book doctor extraordinaire. Dustfinger, tragic soul. Elinor, mother to an enormous collection of books, grew on me with each passing page. Yes, a simply delightful mix of characters.

And at the heart of the entire story is books. Books, books, beloved books...and all the magic in the words and worlds they hold.

The story was enchanting, and clever, and suspenseful, and engrossing! I enjoyed every minute of this book...but remember, that's just my opinion.

I really want to say a big thank you to Carl for hosting the Once Upon a Time Challenge. Though Inkheart has been on my "to read" list since my daughter read it a couple years ago, I doubt I would have gotten around to it for quite some had it not been for his challenge.