Book Recommendation: ‘Inkheart’ by Cornelia Funke

Inkheart is probably one of my most damaged books. I first read it back in middle school, and it was one of those books where, once I had completed the final page, I would flip back to the beginning and read it all over again. The spine is cracked, and I’m surprised the pages have managed to stay inside.

The book follows Meggie and her father, Mo, a bookbinder. Mo never read books aloud to Meggie, despite her attempts to get him to, and for good reason: He has a secret gift that when he reads aloud from books, the characters from them come alive and enter the real world. When a mysterious visitor shows up at their home one day, Meggie is set on an unexpected adventure.

This was a book I could not put down when I was younger and continue to reread every few years as an adult, and it still resonates with me. The characters are lovable; the world is fleshed out and captivating; and the story builds in maturity in the subsequent books. Originally written in German, this is a translated work.