Inkheart

I think I first read this book at about 12 or 13, but I gasped remembering Inkheart and Inkspell - this was one of the first books I ever read that had me on the edge of my seat and really viscerally invested in what was happening with the characters. Funke weaves such a comprehensive world with such rich relationships within it, and I remember breathlessly reading on to find out what was to come of the characters I'd grown to love. Highly highly recommend, particularly I think for young adults/adolescents, and definitely on my list to re-read.

I can't even express how amazing this book was. About a year ago, I started reading but then it had gotten boring around the middle so I quit reading it. I decided to give it another try cause why not ? I don't regret reading it. It was so good. I recommend it to anyone who likes magic or fairytales. 10/10 for me.

This book took me longer to get to this time around. Its been years since I last read it and I forgot a lot of the beginning which felt slow to me, I just wanted to hurry up and get into the meat of the story so it took me a while to get through the beginning but once things started picking up I enjoyed the book again.

AUDIOBOOK/FANTASY

Meggie and her father, Mo, go on the run with the mysterious Dustfinger, who warns them that the evil villain Capricorn is hot on their trail. Dustfinger betrays them, however, leading to Mo's capture and Meggie's determined attempt–with her Aunt Elinor in tow–to recover her father. Along the way, Meggie learns of her father's magical ability to read objects out of books (he previously read both Capricorn and Dustfinger out of books inadvertently), and uncovers a similar talent of her own. While the action and conceptual basis for this book are great, the real beauty for me is Funke's portrayal of the value of books: how they should be cherished, used, and explored.

I've never tried an audiobook before, preferring to read (it's much faster). Considering the length of Inkheart, I probably should have chosen a shorter book for this category, but I've meant to read this book for years and haven't ever gotten around to it. Lengthiness aside, I absolutely loved listening to this book. Lynn Redgrave's narration brought the book to life in a way that I often miss because I read too quickly; I had to patiently wait for each word to be read, and I think that enriched my experience. Even those who have already read Inkheart should try this version out–it's worth the listen.

This book is an adventure story from a book-lover. The concept and the magic of the worlds that books contain is great. I love the idea of a story reader bringing to life the story and the books whispering to the reader, especially children. I think a lot of elements in this story were great, however, it was just too long and boring. The pacing was off, in my opinion, and near the end, I just wanted to be done with it.

An adventure book about books. 3 stars, wish it was better. May read the sequels.

I chose to reread this book (originally read in 2004) for the 2015 Reading Challenge. I had to choose a book more than 500 pages long, and this fulfilled the requirement. When I first read this book, I was absolutely in love. It is probably still one of my favorite stories.

Now on to the review!

Loved it! I would definitely recommend this story to anyone who enjoy YA novels or fantasy novels. I have a few problems with it, but they aren't that big of a deal. The narration switches sometimes. For the majority of the first half of the book, it is from Meggie's POV. Suddenly it switches to a few other character's POV. It doesn't, however, last long. Although it was a bit confusing at first, Funke makes sure to note when the narration has changed. This is a small quip and I still plan on reading the rest of the series as soon as I can pick it up!

This story is about Meggie and her father who live in an old farm house. Meggie's father mends books, chasing away the mold and book worms and giving them new dresses. Meggie didn't remember her mother who had gone away nine years before. One day Meggie looked out her window and saw a strange man standing out in the pouring rain. He was just standing there staring at their house. She went to tell her father and he brought the stranger in. Only, her father seemed to know him. He called him Dustfinger and Dustfinger called her father Silvertongue. Meggie was sent to her room to go to bed but she sneaked back and listened outside the door to them talk in hushed voices about a horrible man called Capricorn. The way they talked scared Meggie and she begged her father to send him away. She didn't like him.

The next morning Meggie's father woke her up early and was packing for a trip. They set off on a trip that Meggie would never forget, to a place where things come out of books and are not always good. Meggie learned that it is a lot more fun to read about the adventures in books than to be in them herself.