Inkheart

The first book in the trilogy written by Cornelia Funke, and made into a popular movie, Inkheart was a wonderful read for those who love fantasy and adventure and appreciates the magic of books.

Young Meggie loves stories, but her father Mo hasn't read aloud to her for years. When a stranger knocks on their door, Mo is forced to reveal an extraordinary secret power that her possesses. When he reads books aloud, the stories come to life and both beautiful and dangerous characters come out of the world on the page and into the real one. With her father being pursued by the evil Capricorn, who wants his talents for dastardly purposes, Meggie finds herself living the kind of adventure that she's only ever read about. An adventure that will change her life forever.

I honestly have to say that I never knew this book even existed until I came across it one day in one of my favourite book shops. I had seen and loved the movie, but never knew that a book had actually come first. Naturally, I was very eager to buy a copy of the first book and read it. Very glad that I did. This book actually inspired me to go out and put my entire library together.

I particularly love the way each chapter begins. Every chapter has a quote or passage from another book like The Wind in the Willows or Kidnapped or The Lord of the Rings, that gives you some hint as to what is about to happen. I just found that all very clever and that's what actually got me interested in expanding my library and buying all the classic works.

This book is a great read for anyone who loves fantasy and adventure. It's nice and easy to read, and gets you hooked pretty much right away. I literally could not put this book down. It was a classic example of a story within a story. By this I mean, as you read further into the story, you start to lose track of where you are. Like the fiction becomes the reality. It was wonderful, you literally become lost in Inkheart. An easy, but fantastic read.