Inkheart BY Cornelia Funke

rating: 4 of 5 stars
This was a good book, of course, what book about reading books isn't a good book?! I loved Cornelia Funke's book The Thief Lord so much that I plan on reading all of her books, but having gotten distracted by many other books since I had yet to even start on this endeavor. Then, in December on my ill-fated, not so free date, we saw a trailer for a new movie coming out, Inkheart! I just had to read the book now, so I got on the waiting lists at the local libraries, finally received it AND finally got through it. Mind you, I do think this is a good book and I was interested the whole time but with life's many distraction, it did take this slow reader a long time read this book! At first, I thought this was a book where the readers get taken into the story itself, but, for the most part, it is quite the opposite, the characters come out of the books! The storyline of this book, really made me want to read more and learn to read AND write beautifully. Not only things that are well written, or even popular among the masses, but to be able to bring good things to those who take the time to read such things. To captivate an audience and change their lives for the better, now that is something to work towards! I look forward to seeing the movie and reading the other two books in this series!

With well over 500 pages, of course there are several quotes:

pg 8: "Some books should be tasted some devoured, but only a few should be chewed and digested thoroughly." so true!

pg 38: "Her curiosity was too much for her. She felt almost as if she could hear the books whispering on the other side of the half-open door. They were promising her a thousand unknown stories, a thousand doors into worlds she had never seen before." A perfect description of the heart of a true book lover upon entering a personal library!

pg 39: "She was just staring at the books. The shelves on which they stood smelled of freshly sawn wood. They went all the way up to a sky-blue ceiling with tiny lights in it, hanging there like stars. Narrow wooden stepladders on casters stood by the shelves, ready to help any reader up to the top shelves. There were reading desks with books lying open on them, held in place by brass chains that shone like gold. There were glass display cases containing books with pages stained by age but showing the most wonderful pictures." WOW!

pg 87: "...it's not just plants and animals that die out, so do books. Quite often, I'm sorry to say. I'm sure you could fill a hundred houses like this one to the roof with all the books that have disappared forever." I believe this to be true and it is sad, in a way...BUT, at the same time, it does make room for all the books yet to come....what are YOUR thoughts?

pg 125: "She's a real bookworm. I think she lives on print. Her whole house is full of books --- looks as if she likes them better than human company." I think this is one statement that could be said of me, if I didn't love my family so much.

pg 148: "To think of all the times I've wished I could slip right into one of my favorite books. But that's the advantage of reading --- you can shut the book whenever you want." 'nuff said!

pg 181: "The fact that you don't believe me doesn't make that a lie." I have said these exact words on many an occasion.

pg 427: "Only in books could you find pity, comfort, happiness --- and love. Books loved anyone who opened them, they gave you security and friendship and didn't ask anything in return; they never went away, never, not even when you treated them badly. Love, truth, beauty, wisdom and consolation against death. Who had said that? Someone else who loved books; she couldn't remember the author's name, only the words. Words are immortal --- until somone comes along and burns them." How true, even in something as simple as ones journal...hmmm, something to think about!

pg 441: "Happiness made her bold." I don't know if I've ever made this connection, but as I read these words and thought back, I believe them to be true!

pg 528: "...inventing stories in , filling new, empty pages with the right words --- I can't do that. That's a very different trade. A famous writer once wrote, 'An author can be seen as three things: a storyteller, a teacher, or a magician --- but the magician, the enchanter, is in the ascendant.'" I am stating right here, right now, that I will one day be an author. I have the ideas, it is just a matter or learning the trade of putting them together into something worthwhile!