The Thirteenth Tale

Last week, a colleague walked into the library and asked me if I had read The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield. I had not. She told me I had to read it, set the book on my counter, visited for another minute and then walked out.

From September to May, I read a fairly steady diet of YA and cross-over lit (books written for adults, but read by teens). This may sound like work, but, in all honesty - YA is my guilty pleasure. I love this genre. Feeling like I should read one more novel, I started the book that same night. My plan was to give at least 25 pages (my advice to kids), skim the rest and return it. I was hooked from the first page. There were some sentences that took my breath away. Brilliantly crafted in Gothic style, it was reminiscent of Wuthering Heights (hated it) and Jane Eyre (one of my favorite books of all time), this story captivated me. The ending completely surprised me - me . . . I almost always read ahead to the ending of a story (this book was no exception) and I was still surprised!

This is not a book I would have read from the summary on the back. It was only read to appease a friend, but I am so glad I gave it a try.

S0, in the continuing spirit of stepping out of our comfort zones . . our book club has chosen to read Hyperion by Dan Simmons. Lance and Dave selected it for us and most of us are looking forward to being forced out of our tried and true genres - will keep you updated on what our group thinks of this book. Why don't you read it with us?