The City of Dreaming Books
Really gets to the heart of the joy (and obsession) of reading. Also felt some ressonance with my current writing situation. I found myself getting more and more into the book as it progressed until very near the end. However the pictures sometimes got in the way of this process, especially when they didn't seem quite as scary as what I already had in my head.
The Well of Lost Plots by Jasper Fforde
Another ingenious tale of bookworld by Jasper Fforde, this tale satirises the very process of writing itself. Funny and witty, this book is often hard to put down. Fforde's work is pure genius, his characters are surprising despite (or maybe because of) many being well-known by many an avid reader. Its hard to classify what genre his work forms, but this particularly book is more closely related to the detectove genre than any other. Jasper's work is enhanced by the presence of imaginative credits, adverts and, on his website, behind-the-scenes footage (accessed via the book's very own password). Highly recommended.
Voices by Ursula Le Guin
A gentle tale of what it means to discover yor talents and role in life, set within a place where rreading is banned. I really sympathised with the characters who had once had books- I couldn't imagine a world where I wasn't allowed to read! The character of Memer was well thought out and rounded, whilst the Waylord was interesting and thought-provoking. I also loved the way in which the relationships between the conquered and the conquerers was explored. This book is joining the other books in my Ursula Le Guin permenant collection.
