Inkheart

by Cornelia Funke

I made the mistake of joining a book club. You know, where you get so many free books as long as you buy a set amount in a set time period? Yeah, that was a bad idea. Anyway, this book was highly recommended based on the other options I selected, and it came for free. I have to say, though, that it didn't really look appealing. It sat on the shelf for a number of months. Then, before bed the other night, I picked it up to fend off the boredom of trying to sleep.

I read for four hours straight. And I think Inkheart is one of the best books I've ever read. The characters were well-developed, there were twists in the plot, it was a thorough and intricate story. Most impressive, perhaps, is that the book is translated from German. I'm amazed by the translator! The writing was magnificent!

Later I learned that there's a sequel of sorts, Inkspell, and I hope it's every bit as good as Inkheart. Recommended to anyone who likes children's fantasy.