Recommended Recent Reads

I finally read Brisingr, by Christopher Paolini, the third book in the Inheritance Cycle. To be honest, I read it several weeks ago and it took me a few weeks to get through it (I admit taking a break from it to read something else).

It is a long book, and ended a long way from bringing the story to a resolution (as in, finally killing that darn Galbatorix). I don't mind long books, though, and overall I think it was very good. It didn't draw me in and hold my attention quite as well as Eragon or Eldest and I didn't feel any urgency to get to the end, but I also didn't get bored. There is a lot of fascinating stuff going on in Eragon's world ( though at times it felt like too much), which should please most epic fantasy fans. I will be happy when the fourth (and final) book comes out.

While I took a break from Brisingr, I read Hate that Cat, by Sharon Creech. It is the sequel to Love that Dog, a novel-in-verse I think I have mentioned here on the blog before. Great book! Every bit as sweet and moving as the first. Not quite as sad. Loved it! If you want something you can read in just one evening, you can't go wrong with these two.

Another recent read was Inkdeath, by Cornelia Funke, the third and last of the Inkheart trilogy. Inkheart is one of my all-time favorite books and is a perfectly lovely story all on its own, but I enjoyed the other two in the trilogy as well.

Inkdeath was excellent. It was a darker story than Inkheart or Inkspell (no surprise, given its title), with a little more sadness and death. But it is a hopeful story and also has some humorous bright spots, some romance, and plenty of action. Cornelia Funke has a gift for creating truly vile baddies. The book ended differently than I thought it would, but it was a satisfying ending. I can't wait to see what Ms. Funke comes up with next.

My most recent read was Emmy and the Incredible Shrinking Rat, by Lynne Jonell. My daughter picked it up at the book fair, and when she was finished reading it, she insisted that I read it before beginning any other book. This book hooked me immediately. Humor, sadness, mystery, adventure and fantasy abound in this delightful tale. I read it in less than a week, which is saying a lot considering how little time I've had for reading lately! Perfect book for some light, fun reading.