The aim of it is to read a book in a month and then to think of some questions or thoughts that you might want to pose to the rest of the group or even the author through the magic of Twitter. As I said, brilliant idea.
So the challenge for me came when the first book was selected by democratic vote. No it wasn't that I didn't like the look of the book, or that I thought it would be a challenge. No the problem came when I TRIED TO GET HOLD OF A SINGLE COPY!
It was sold out, everywhere I looked. I'd made the mistake of leaving it a few days before trying to pick a copy up (by a few I mean two or three at most). I even found to my dismay that Amazon were out of stock; Amazon, as in the multi million dollar company that should never really run out of anything.
The challenge started on the 1st of March (roughly). I didn't manage to pick a copy up until the 12th and that was thanks to the hard working people at Liverpool Libraries who had ordered a copy in. Imagine my joy when I realised I'd be the first person to borrow it! I just had a mini librarian moment!
Anyway I borrowed it, took advantage of an opportunity to spend two hours reading the first half of it...
...and then didn't pick it back up for several days.
Now before you think there was something wrong with the book there really wasn't, it was great. Lots of lovely, beautifully used language, nice steady pace that picked up at just the right points, lots of action for those who don't like spending an hour reading a description of a bedroom.
But I was hampered by an encroaching deadline. To add to that, there've been several things that have overwhelmed my real life to the extent where I needed to force the time to read the second half. It was totally worth it though, there was an ending I could never have seen coming!
The story centres around Emmeline, who's parents are often away. One morning she receives a letter coolly informing her that they are both dead and that she must go into the care of a woman she has never met in a country that she doesn't know.
That is simply the start of it. With cloak and dagger espionage, mystical peoples and creatures and a boy who goes by the name of Thing there is plenty to entice and keep a reader going. There are 384 pages so it's a fairly meaty read but there's no harm in that at all.
The strongest part of the story, it's beginning; by far the most unique opening to a book I have ever had the joy to read. How do you even begin to top a book that starts with the following?
'For as long as she could remember Emmeline Widget had been sure her parents were trying to kill her.'
Emmeline, think my parents were trying to do that too, by giving me grey hairs!
This is a great book, one that I have to say I'm looking forward to giving it a re read at some point. It took me ten days to finish it. My poor colleague who has had to wait for me to finish has only got nine bless her!
A book by an author I've never read before this counts as book 12 on my 52 book list. I look forward to talking it over in the book club!
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