Saving Francesca

Maggie Stiefvater and Tessa Gratton have both talked about how much they loved this book, so when I ran across it at my local Bargain Books I figured I’d give it a try. I bought it with Nobody’s Princess and Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist. The stack of them have been sitting on the mantle since I came home with them five weeks ago. In the meantime I purchased a copy of Gail Carriger’s second parasol protectorate book, Changeless and Patricia Briggs’s Silver Borne.

It took me several weeks to get through Changeless (which is a whole other post waiting to be written). There was nothing wrong with the book; I highly enjoyed it. I just get into these reading slumps. They seem to be happening more and more in the last year and half than they ever did before. Each time it happens I fear I’ve lost my love of reading. I’m just apathetic about it, even when I’m enjoying something. But eventually a book like Saving Francesca comes along, and that apathy dissipates.

I finished Changeless yesterday afternoon just before I left to meet O for lunch, so as I was running out the door I went to grab my copy of Silver Borne. I don’t like to go anywhere without a book, in case I get caught just sitting around waiting. Normally I have at least one backup book stashed in the car, but we’d just cleaned it out this weekend and I needed something. Silver Borne has disappeared, however. A roommate must have moved it, because I searched high and low and can’t find it anywhere. So, in a rush I grabbed a book off the mantle and left.

Wow. Thank goodness I did. This is one of those books that just blows you away, refilling the well/recharging your batteries. Not only did I want to reread this book right away, studying it, but it left me ravenous, wanting to burn through my TBR list. The characters in this were so expertly crafted, I’m in awe. It sucked me in and wouldn’t let go. I read it in less than a day, the way I used to read everything. I couldn’t put it down. And I get the feeling that the subtlety of the characterization is going to haunt me for weeks.

It makes me want to go through my WIP and perfect the characterization now that I’ve seen it done. It lit a fire making me want to read and write so much more. I can see why this one was an award winner.