"Inkheart" by Cornelia Funke (BR)

[SFFBC, Ancillary Mod]

Buddy read for 2024 Forum on Formative Spec-Fic.

Paired with Charlotte's Web - discussion (April)

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[Allison, Fairy Mod-mother]

I am so late! Anyone still up to reading this??

[DivaDiane]

I did buy the German audio book on Audible and fully intend on listening to it soon-ish. I am so behind, in addition to having overbooked myself.

[Meredith]

I am definitely interested in reading this, but at the rate I'm going, and with other planned reads, I probably won't get to it until April. Although.... I did just finish an audiobook, so my 'audiobook slot' is open... hmmm... *scurries off to evaluate reading plans*

[Allison, Fairy Mod-mother]

yay! I'm starting the audio too

[Sarah]

I read this one a few months ago and loved it!

[Bonnie]

Through Chapter 6.

Jumped right in, easy to get involved in the story.
I gave this to my niece after moving to Germany even though i hadn't read it. (Also read Momo a couple years ago.)

I thought it was earlier times because of the reading with candles at night... eventually realized that Meggie likes reading with candles, not that she has to.

[Bonnie]

“These stories about the ill-made knight and people with hairy feet going on a long journey to dark places. Have you read them both?”

Hairy feet = The Hobbit

What is the ill-made knight?

[Allison, Fairy Mod-mother]

That's Lancelot <3

[Meredith]

I'm several chapters in and enjoying it. The audio is nice and cozy with Lynn Redgrave basically reading me a story. Several of the MG books I remember fondly from growing up were read to me first before I read them myself. (Phantom Tollbooth, Charlotte's Web, Mrs Frisby and the Rats of NIMH come to mind)

[DivaDiane]

Meredith, that’s pretty much why I love middle grade books soooo much. Although, come to think of it, there weren’t that many that were read to me, but I have such fond memories of my love of reading being awakened with them.

[Bonnie]

Chapter 26 - SHIVERS DOWN THE SPINE AND A FOREBODING

I didn't realize the chapter was from Dustfinger's (limited) point of view, so I was confused about the old man and the three children.

Dustfinger is a complicated guy. Layers.

[Bonnie]

Chapter 27 - A Good Place To Stay

(view spoiler)[“Suppose he finds us?”
“Nonsense. Do you know how many villages there are along this coast?”
Meggie shrugged her shoulders. “He found you before, even when you were far, far away.”
“He found me with Dustfinger’s help, and you can be sure Dustfinger isn’t going to help him again.” Mo rose and drew Meggie to her feet. (hide spoiler)]

DUDE. Come on.

There's an old saying in Tennessee — I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee — that says, fool me once, shame on — shame on you. Fool me — you can't get fooled again.
― George W. Bush

[Bonnie]

Chapter 47 - Alone (75%)

Mortimer...
(view spoiler)[ “Mortimer!”
“Sorry, but I knew you’d scream! Come on!” Mortimer took his hand away from her mouth and gestured to her to follow him. She wasn’t sure which she wanted to do most, fling her arms around his neck or hit him hard enough to hurt. (hide spoiler)]
... does that too often.

[Bonnie]

Finished:

I'm glad I read this but will give it only three stars ("I liked it"). Mostly due to the second half. If I had read it at ages 10-13 I would really have loved it I bet.

The setup, the characters, the magic, love of books and adventure!
But it *really* dragged from about the 55-60% to the 95% mark... After they went to Capricorn village the second time, where ever that was in the book.

(view spoiler)[They all seemed to be going around in circles, occasionally changing groups or changing locations. (Meg goes to village, moves to house instead of cell... add Aunt Elinor & Mo; Mo goes to the village and joins prisoners, Elinor goes to police and then comes back to Dustfinger and Farid, then Farid heads to the village... The bad guys seemed mostly to move prisoners around. (hide spoiler)]
But it was mostly wheel-spinning with
-little of significance changing overall situations
-little to no character development or growth, e.g. (view spoiler)[have Meg figure out her dad is not such a great guy as she always assumed, and deal with that. Or have Mo do some awesome stuff and become a better father and person. Or Dustfinger find something to like about his new life. (hide spoiler)]

Needed to have 150 pages chopped out to move things along.

Good: reminded me of The Princess Bride, Seven-Day Magic, Knight's Castle, The Phantom Tollbooth, Marianne Dreams, and sometimes Roald Dahl.