Inkheart

A book about books.

Who hasn’t imagined the books they read coming to life in their living room or being able to dive into the fictional world? A father and daughter have a magical ability to do just that.

Unfortunately, the villain of one story was released and this sets them off on an adventure typically only available in books.

Meggie and Mo are an endearing father/daughter team while they navigate the consequences and reaches of their magic.

I have been a reader all my life, but Inkheart is the story that made me want to be a writer. Every page is both an invitation for book lovers to step inside the dream of beloved characters coming to life and a call to confront the villains who emerge from the very same pages. If ever there was a book that celebrates the simple wonder of being a reader and crafting stories of your own, it’s this one.

This is the first high fantasy book I've ever read (if you put Harry Potter in the urban fantasy box), so how could I not include it in my top picks? It's one of those stories that you read way past your bedtime; that a pre-teen reader can enjoy as much as an adult; and whose relationships between characters are as charming and intriguing as the magic itself. With the perfect blend of plot twists, adventure, love, and humour—and so, so much heart—the Inkworld is one I'll never forget.

This is one of the ‘twisted fairy tale’-esque books that I’ve read most recently, and I honestly didn’t think I’d be seeing anything new. Add the fact that it was published before I was born, and I was seriously doubting whether this was worth using a precious spot in my alas never-large-enough library withdrawal limit on.

But, Inkheart proved me wrong from the start with its concept of a character being able to literally read books to life. When seeing those read to life start to make demands, the novel made for a hilarious way to idle away a… show more.

“Books have to be heavy because the whole world's inside them.” It’s not often I’ve come across a book that can be savoured quite as much as Inkheart. It’s a magical book about a magical book, dark, captivating, and full of great characters. And, though it’s part of a trilogy, Inkheart stands very well on its own two feet. If you’ve ever wanted to magic people out of stories, or enter their fictional world yourself (okay, so that’s everyone!), this book is especially for you.

I read this book all in one summer’s day while in university, and came away with a wicked sunburn in the shape of a novel on my thighs and an absolutely wide-eyed fascination with the idea that you write books about writing books and people who understand that they’ve been written. I had grown up reading and writing fanfiction and loved the sorts of fics where people took the tropes of the genre of the show and broke/inverted/discarded them.

I loved playing with narrative focus, themes, character development, and my fave fanfic trope…when the actors meet the characters they play.… show more.