#I kind of wish Meggie had more to do! Inkheart ended with her picking up writing and I don't know if CF forgot about it or didn't want

[leatherbookmark]

Done with Inkdeath! As I thought, I'm sad to say goodbye to this world :( But it was soooo good to reread it and relive all the stuff that made me crazy as a kid hehe

[takahero]

in honour of finishing inkspell, here are some basta observations I picked up along the way. also, inkspell spoilers warning! i also have MANY MANY thoughts so i’d love to hear what you guys think to some of the questions raised

“He hadn’t changed: the same thin face, the same way of narrowing his eyes, and there was an amulet dangling around his neck to ward off the bad luck that Basta thought lurked under every ladder, behind every bush.” — pg.138

“Basta’s left hand was bandaged, Elinor noticed when he took his fingers away from her mouth.” — pg.139

“‘I’d have been here much sooner, believe you me, but they put me in jail for a while on account of something that happened years ago. No sooner was Capricorn gone than all the people who’d been too scared to open their mouths suddenly felt very brave.’” — pg.140 (see they never tell us WHY he was in prison, do they? the possibilities are endless. we know he committed atrocious things, like arson, but imagine if he got put in jail for something completely different…LOL)

“‘You wouldn’t believe how often I’ve told him there’s nothing to be ashamed of in going to jail, particularly when your prisons here are so much more comfortable than our dungeons at home.’” — pg.140 (OHHHTMGOD MEME IDEA)

“Basta flung his arm so roughly round Orpheus’ neck that his glasses slipped down his nose.” — pg.141

“‘Hold your tongue, Basta!’ Mortola interrupted him abruptly. ‘You’ve always liked the sound of your own voice.’” — pg.141

“‘Well, Silvertongue, I’m sorry it’s taken some time,’ he said in his soft, cat-like voice.” — pg.180

“‘My son always said revenge was a dish best eaten cold,’ observed Mortola.” — pg.181 (question. did basta find out about mortola’s true identity between inkheart & inkspell? do u think he realised it when mortola cried when capricorn died?)

“Basta passed a finger over his throat and winked at him.” — pg.186 (wink 2 LMAO)

“Basta bent down and picked up a rusty helmet lying at his feet. ‘What do you expect me to say?’ he growled, throwing the helmet back into the grass with a gloomy expression, and giving it a kick that sent it clattering against the wall. ‘Of course it’s our castle. Didn’t you see the figure of the goat on the wall there? Even the carved devils are still standing, though they wear ivy crowns now — and look, there’s one of the eyes that Slasher liked to paint on the stones.’” — pg.190

“‘So Basta was right after all. He’s dead, here and in the other world too.’” — pg.191 (interesting….so Basta knew Mortola’s plan wouldn’t work? he just wanted a ride home?)

“‘I’d really like to know what happened!’ he muttered. ‘I always said Capricorn wasn’t here, but what about the others?…What are we going to do if they’re all gone?’ Basta sounded like a boy afraid of the dark. ‘Do you want us to live in a cave like brownies until the wolves find us? Have you forgotten the wolves? And the Night-Mares, the fire-elves, all the other creatures crawling around the place…I for one haven’t forgotten them, but you would come back to this accursed spot where there are ghosts lurking behind every tree!’ He reached for the amulet dangling around his neck, but Mortola did not deign to look at him.

“‘Oh, be quiet!’ she said, so sharply that Basta flinched.” — pg.192

“‘You’re going to leave them here?’ That was Basta’s voice.” — pg.193 (at first I was like oh so he has a heart….but then he was mean to resa straight after this 🙄)

“‘Sorry, but he must have overlooked me, shut up in that cage as I was,’ purred Basta in his catlike voice.” — pg.377

“‘Wasn’t it Mortola who had you put in the cage to be fed to the Shadow?’ Basta just shrugged his shoulders and flung back his silver-grey cloak. Of course, he had his knife. A brand new one, it seemed, finer than any he’d ever had in the other world, and undoubtedly just as sharp.

“‘Yes, not very nice of her,’ he said as his fingers caressed the handle of the knife. ‘But she’s really sorry.’” — pg.377 (okay so it SOUNDS like he threatened/made some kind of bargain with his knife, but I strongly doubt that considering how afraid he seems of her?? i know he’s technically working for the adderhead but even by the end of the book, it seems he is far closer to mortola than adderhead. what is their relationship? or does he sincerely think she’s sorry/has deluded himself into believing such? UGH SO MANY QUESTIONS)

“Basta had always liked describing his own and other people’s abominable deeds in detail.” — pg.378

“‘But we’re not going to shoot you.’ Basta came a little closer to Fenoglio, his face as intent as that of a stalking cat.” — pg.378 …. living for all the cat references tbh

“‘He wants you to crawl on your belly to him, that’s what our noble lord and master likes. But never mind, he pays well!’” — pg.378 (yes basta all abt getting that bread LMAOOOO)

“He slowly drew the knife from his belt. Its blade was long and slightly curved.” — pg.379

“‘Hey Basta, I know you like the sound of your own voice.’” — pg.379 (AHAHAHAHA HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE CALLED OUT BASTA ON THIS NOW? IVE LOST TRACK)

“With a regretful sigh, Basta put the knife back in his belt. ‘Yes, very well, you’re right,’ he said in surly tones. ‘I need to take my time with this sort of thing. Questioning people is an art, a real art.’” — pg.380 (LMAOOOOOOO HE IS SUCH A DRAMA QUEEN)

“Basta. The same thin face, the same twisted smile. Only the clothes were different. Basta was no longer wearing his white shirt and black suit with the flower in his buttonhole. No, Basta now wore the Adderhead’s silvery grey, and he had a sword at his side. With a knife in his belt too, of course. But he was holding a dead chicken in his left hand.” — pg. 455

“‘Yes, they are!’ purred Basta. ‘The little witch, and the fire-eater into the bargain. It was well worth the wait. Even though I’ll probably never get that damned flour out of my lungs again.’” — pg.455 (ok….so who’s gonna draw basta sitting amongst the flour AAHHAHA)

“‘Servant? Who’s a servant here? Just listen to him. As bold as if he’d never felt my knife! Have you forgotten how you screamed when it cut your face?’” — pg.457 … don’t call basta a servant…..noted

“‘Oh, don’t look so disbelieving, little witch, I still can’t read and I don’t intend to learn, but there are enough fools around the place who can, even in this world.’” —pg. 457 (i wonder how much capricorn influenced basta’s views on reading. because capricorn said that he learnt how to read from a maid, right? so basta certainly wouldn’t have trash-talked reading in front of him. and even after living in OUR world for nine years, I’m still surprised that he never attempted to learn, given how dependent we are on it. anyway my headcanon is that he secretly wants to, but doesn’t want to give others the satisfaction of knowing they have something he doesn’t. also nobody he knows would be willing to teach him (unless he threatened them) bc of his obviously violent and short-tempered nature…and learning requires so much patience. still, though, would love a fic of basta being taught how to read in secret and having some kind of positive interaction)

“‘You’re even more talkative than you used to be, Basta.’ Dustfinger’s voice sounded as if he found this tedious.” — pg.458 HAHAHAHAHAHAHAAH IM DYING. honestly the animosity between them was just. A+++

“Basta was in an even worse state. He was sitting close to Mortola, his face so red and swollen that Meggie almost failed to recognise him. But he had escaped death once again. Perhaps the good-luck charms he always wore worked after all.” — pg.526

“The sunlight falling into the room made Basta’s face look like a boiled lobster.” — pg.575 

“Basta put his hand to the amulet hanging around his neck. It was not a rabbit’s paw, as he had worn in Capricorn’s service, but something that looked suspiciously like a human finger-bone.” — pg.581 (THIS STILL IRKS ME SO MUCH)

“The Piper straightened his back, as ready to attack as the viper on his master’s coat of arms…He was a good head taller than Basta.” — pg.582 WHY DO I KEEP FORGETTING HES NOT TALL LMFAO

“The two men were standing so close that the blade of Basta’s knife wouldn’t have fitted between them.” — pg.582 HAHAHAJAHAAJAHAHHAAHAHAHAH PKESJENE I LOVE THIS SO MUCH … IMAGINE BASTA SQUARING UP W HIS NOSE JUST SMACK BANG IN THE MIDDLE OF PIPER’S CHEST OR SOMETHING

“The Piper struck Basta in the face so hard that his head hit the door frame. Blood ran down his burned cheek in a trail of red. He wiped it away with the back of his hand. ‘Take care to avoid dark corridors, Piper!’ he whispered. ‘You don’t have a nose any more, but one can always find something else to cut off.’” — pg.582-583 THIS SCENE WAS SIMPLY……CHEF’S KISS

are you serious is he dead??? WHAT. okay I knew dustfinger’s love for farid would be the end of him and basta being the instrument to rip that away from him was totally heartrending. i WISH it had been more climactic? like dustfinger unleashing his fury and fighting basta, blind with anger and grief. THE DIALOGUE POTENTIAL BETWEEN THEM AS THEY FINALLY TALK ONE-ON-ONE, and then some revisiting of the scene where dustfinger has the opportunity to kill basta but AGAIN withholds because killing is not in his nature….THEN MO IN SHINING ARMOUR SWOOPS IN TO DO THE JOB

now, off to inkdeath!

[inkandpaperadventures]

October Book Challenge

So I missed A LOT of days here thanks to bad internet and being away. But now I am back and I thought I’d catch by compiling the questions I missed into one post so here we go.

Day Three: Your favourite series?

My first reaction here was to say Harry Potter but truth be told, I have gone off that series a bit in recent years. Bet you can guess why. I think instead I’m going to say The Shadowhunter Chronicles by Cassandra Clare. The books are full of fascinating lore and lots of diversity and a focus on various kinds of relationships from romance to found family which is something I really enjoy. And, as the series is so large and still growing, there is a book, character or relationship for everyone.

Day Four: Favourite book of your favourite series?

Leading off of that I’m going to say The Red Scrolls of Magic by Cassandra Clare. It’s set in the middle of the original part of the series, The Mortal Instruments, but focuses solely on my two favourite characters, Magnus Bane and Alec Lightwood. Sweet, funny and full of adventure, I highly recommend it.

Day Five: A book that makes you happy?

A book that made me really happy when I read it would be Red, White and Royal Blue. Everyone who has read this book will understand immediately and if you haven’t read it, I highly recommend that you do. It’s a sweet enemies-to-lovers romance with a good dose of politics. It’s a book that left me smiling and feeling incredibly hopeful for the future.

Day Six: A book that makes you sad?

The first book to come to mind was The Book Thief. Again, pretty obvious why this one upset me but I will never forget the horror when you realise Liesel is all alone. This book broke my heart but was a brilliant read.

Day Seven: A book that makes you laugh?

I struggled to think of one here and the one I’ve chosen may not be everyone’s first pick. I chose The Princess Bride for this slot as I read it again earlier this year and found it to be far funnier than the first time I read it. Goldman has a very dry wit as he twists the story to confuse the reader by telling a story within a story. And I have to admit that the self-aware stories are some of my favourites.

Day Eight: Most overrated book?

It’s more of a series but The Cormoron Strike novels by Robert Galbraith (aka JK Rowling) isn’t as good as I think a lot of people made it out to be. I’ve read all four of them and to be honest, the only reason I pushed on was for the character of Robin and even then I don’t know if I can put myself through another one let alone the apparent nine still to come.

Day Nine: A book you thought you wouldn’t like but ended up loving?

The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien. I never watched the Lord of the Rings movies as a child ad I definitely didn’t read the books. I actually picked up the book because a friend so the first Hobbit movie and said it was good. I wasn’t preparing to hate it but I definitely didn’t think I would love it but the book has become one of my favourites.

Day Ten: A book that reminds you of home?

Inkheart by Cornelia Funke. I read this book when I was twelve and ever since it’s been one of my comforts during rough times. The story follows Meggie, a bookworm, as she learns that her father has been keeping a lot of secrets from Meggie. Secrets about himself, her mother’s disappearance and even about Meggie herself. It’s a fun read and if you love books, its incredibly heartwarming with a lot of nods to many childhood favourites.

Day Eleven: A book you hated?

Atonement. Hands down. Everyone seems to love this book (or at least the movie) but I couldn’t get into it and didn’t finish it. Briony was so irritating that I had to keep putting the book down and it was a struggle to pick it back up and eventually I just gave up. The framework of the novel is interesting but it’s unfortunately become a book I’ll probably never pick up again thanks to a bad first experience.

Day Twelve: A book you love but hate at the same time?

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. The characters are all cruel and cold and treat one another terribly, so much so that you don’t even know who you are truly rooting for. In fact, I found myself rooting for characters, not because I liked them but because they were challenging characters I really didn’t like. All that being said, it’s a fascinating character study set against the dazzling and corrupt backdrop that was New York in the 1920s. Which is incredibly fitting if you know much about the actual characters. Pretty but awful.

Day Thirteen: Your favourite author?

I don’t know if I have a single favourite author. There are several that have caught my attention whose writing I love. For the sake of answering I will pick one but I wouldn’t classify her as my absolute favourite. Rather she is one of my favourite authors and that is Rainbow Rowell. I’ve enjoyed everything of hers that I’ve read and her characters are some of the most relatable I’ve ever come across, especially Cath from Fangirl. Not only that but she gave back the wonder that was the Harry Potter series in the form of Carry On and Wayward Son with a diverse cast and a more sensitive approach to the creation of the magickal world the characters reside in.

Day Fourteen: Book turned movie and totally desecrated?

I could say the Harry Potter series as I have a lot to say on those movies but I’m actually going to say The Hunger Games. The book is a horrifying dystopian about inter-generation abuse in the extreme but the movie turned the narrative into exactly what the novel was critiquing. The movie is what The Capitol wants the Games to be seen as but rather than critiquing this the movie appeared to endorse it. A horrifying death match between children was turned into a romance which was a disgusting homage to the book.

Day Fifteen: Favourite male character?

This is incredibly difficult as so many characters come to mind but the one I’m leaning towards most is Magnus Bane from the Shadowhunter Chronicles. A biracial, bisexual immortal warlock who loves cats and glitter? Sign me up. Magnus has one of the biggest hearts as well, no matter what he says and is incredibly loyal to those that he cares about, staying behind to face down everything from demons in the pit of Hell to annoying family members. Characters who have stayed kind despite everything that has happened to them are, honestly, incredibly undervalued and Magnus definitely fits the bill.

Day Sixteen: Favourite female character?

Cath from Rainbow Rowell’s Fangirl. As I mentioned above, Cath is one of the most relatable characters I’ve ever come across in fiction. A shy nerd who loves her books and writes fanfictions about her otp is probably super relatable to a lot of people. What I loved most about Cath is how unapologetic she is for her nerdy love. She relationships are pretty turbulent during the novel and it is through reading and writing that she finds peace and, eventually, the strength to let the past go.

Day Seventeen: Favourite quote from your favourite book?

This question was incredibly difficult as I do not have a single favourite book but rather a shelf full of favourites. In the end I’ve settled on one of my favourite quotes from Inkheart by Cornelia Funke.

“Books loved anyone who opened them, they gave you security and friendship and didn't ask for anything in return; they never went away, never, not even when you treated them badly.”

Day Eighteen: A book that disappointed you?

Dracula by Bram Stoker really disappointed me. I had such high hopes for such a classic novel but I found that once Van Helsing entered the story it became dull and the horror of Dracula became so distant as to be almost nonexistent.

Day Nineteen: Favourite book turned into a movie?

It’s probably not my favourite but I think this may be one of the most faithful adaptations of a book I’ve come across. The Secret Life of Bees is one that I almost put under ‘a book that made you cry’ but I think its adaptations makes it more fitting here. The changes they did make to the movie don’t detract from the core story and the movie retains the importance of the bonds between all the main characters.

Day Twenty: Favourite romance book?

There are a lot, especially from this year alone but I’m going to pick It Sounded Better In My Head by Nina Kenwood. This book was incredibly realistic with its depiction of the confusion a first relationship can cause. The importance of the main character, Natalie’s, friendships isn’t lost in light of her new romance but rather they run parallel to the romance and are just as important. The book it short, sweet and hits home in a way that left me wanting to read more.

Day Twenty-One: The first novel you remember reading?

The Twits by Roald Dahl. I proceeded to then read most of his novels before turning to Emily Rodda but it was definitely the cruel married couple that started my journey as a reader.

Day Twenty-Two: A book that makes you cry?

The Absolutist by John Boyne. If you are looking for a happy ending this is not the book for you. This book was heartbreaking and left me crying for quite some time. Set in WWI and featuring a pair of young men who meet in a training camp of the Biritsh Army, it follow them as they arrive on the battlefield with very different stances on the war and a forbidden romance brewing between the two. If you do read this book, brace yourself for the ending.

Day Twenty-Three: A book you wanted to read for a long time but haven’t?

Valentine by Jodi McAlistor. It’s been on my to read list for well over a year now and it is currently sitting on my bookshelf in line to be read. A fantasy ya novel set in Australia that deals with fairies is right up my alley and Jodi McAlistor herself is a fascinating author whose studied so much ya fiction, in particular feminist and romance fiction that I feel that this novel is going to be amazing once I get around to it.

Day Twenty-Four: A book you wish more people would’ve read?

The Troutespond Series by Elizabeth Priest. This series is rather niche and only just got off the ground last year but its charming and features four teenage girls as the main characters. The girls find themselves caught up dealing with the world of fairies even as they struggle to study for final exams and getting ready for university.

[readbookywooks]

Mo picked up his coffee cup. It still hurt when he moved his left arm. ‘We’ll get it over with tomorrow, Meggie,’ he said. ‘You heard Elinor – it’s not far away. And by the end of the day after that you’ll be back in Elinor’s huge bed, the one that a whole school class could sleep in.’ He was trying to make her laugh, but Meggie couldn’t. She looked at the strawberries on her plate. How red they were. ‘I’ll have to hire a car too, Elinor,’ said Mo. ‘Can you lend me the money? I’ll pay you back as soon as we meet again.’ Elinor nodded, her gaze lingering on Meggie. ‘You know something, Mortimer?’ she said. ‘I don’t think your daughter is very keen on books just now. I remember the feeling. Whenever my father got so absorbed in a book that we might have been invisible I felt like taking a pair of scissors and cutting it up. And now I’m as mad about them as he was. Oh well, that’s something to think about, eh?’ She folded her napkin and pushed her chair back. ‘I’m going upstairs to pack, and you can tell your daughter who Fenoglio is.’ Then she was gone, leaving Meggie at the table with Mo. He ordered another coffee, even though he usually drank no more than one cup. ‘What about your strawberries?’ he asked. ‘Don’t you want them?’ Meggie shook her head. Mo sighed, and took one. ‘Fenoglio is the man who wrote Inkheart,’ he said. ‘It’s possible that as the author he will still have some copies. Indeed, it’s more than possible, it’s very probable.’ ‘Oh, come on!’ said Meggie scornfully. ‘Capricorn’s sure to have stolen them long ago! He stole all the copies – you saw that!’ But Mo shook his head. ‘I don’t believe he will have thought of Fenoglio. You know, it’s a funny thing about writers. Most people don’t stop to think of books being written by people much like themselves. They think that writers are all dead long ago – they don’t expect to meet them in the street, or out shopping. They know their stories but not their names, and certainly not their faces. And most writers like it that way – you heard Elinor say it was quite hard for her to get hold of Fenoglio’s address. Believe me, it’s more than likely that Capricorn has no idea the man who wrote his story lives scarcely two hours’ drive away from him.’ Meggie wasn’t so sure. She thoughtfully pleated the tablecloth, then smoothed out the pale yellow fabric again. ‘All the same, I’d rather we went to Elinor’s house,’ she said. ‘I don’t see why …’ She hesitated, but then finished what she had been going to say. ‘I don’t see why you want the book so much. It’s no use anyway.’ My mother’s gone, she added in her thoughts. You tried to bring her back but it doesn’t work. Let’s go home. Mo helped himself to another of her strawberries, the smallest of all. ‘The little ones are always the sweetest,’ he said, and put it in his mouth ‘Your mother loved strawberries. She couldn’t get enough of them, and was always terribly cross if it rained so much in spring that they rotted in her strawberry bed.’ A smile lit up his face as he looked out of the window again. ‘Just this one last shot, Meggie,’ he said. ‘Just this one. And the day after tomorrow we’ll go back to Elinor’s. I promise.’ 23 A Night Full of Words What child unable to sleep on a warm summer night hasn’t thought he saw Peter Pan’s sailing ship in the sky? I will teach you to see that ship. Roberto Cotroneo, When a Child on a Summer Morning Meggie stayed in the hotel while Mo went to the hire-car firm to collect the car he had booked. She took a chair out on to the balcony, looked out over its white-painted railing to the sea shining like blue glass beyond the buildings, and tried to think of nothing, nothing at all. The sound of the traffic drifting up to her was so loud that she almost didn’t hear Elinor’s knock. Elinor was already on her way down the corridor when Meggie opened the door. ‘Oh, you are there,’ Elinor said, coming back and looking rather embarrassed. She was hiding something behind her back. ‘Yes, Mo’s gone to fetch the hire car.’ ‘I’ve got something for you – a goodbye present.’ Elinor produced a flat parcel from behind her back. ‘It wasn’t easy to find a book without any unpleasant characters in it, but I absolutely had to find one your father could read aloud to you without doing any damage. I don’t think anything can happen with this one.’ Meggie undid the flower-patterned gift wrapping. The cover of the book showed two children and a dog. The children were kneeling on a narrow piece of rock or stone, looking anxiously down at the abyss yawning beneath them. ‘They’re poems,’ explained Elinor. ‘I don’t know if you like that kind of thing, but I thought that if your father read them aloud they’d sound wonderful.’ Meggie opened the book. She read: Oh, if you’re a bird be an early bird And catch the worm for your breakfast plate. If you’re a bird, be an early bird But if you’re a worm, sleep late. The words were like a little melody singing to her off the pages. She carefully closed the book. ‘Thank you, Elinor,’ she said. ‘I—I’m sorry I don’t have anything for you.’ ‘Oh, and here’s something else you might like,’ said Elinor, taking another little parcel out of her new handbag. ‘Someone who devours books like you should have this one,’ she said. ‘But I think you’d better read it on your own. There are any number of villains in it. All the same, I think you’ll enjoy it. After all, there’s nothing like a few comforting pages of a book when you’re away from home, right?’ Meggie nodded. ‘Mo’s promised we’ll join you the day after tomorrow,’ she said. ‘But you’ll say goodbye to him too before you leave, won’t you?’ She put Elinor’s first present on the chest of drawers near the door and unwrapped the second. Meggie was pleased to see that it was a thick book. ‘Oh, never mind that. You do it for me!’ said Elinor. ‘I’m not good at saying goodbye. Anyway, we’ll be seeing each other again soon – and I’ve already told him to look after you. Oh, and never leave books lying about open,’ she added, before turning round. ‘It breaks their spines. But I expect your father’s told you that a thousand times already.’ ‘More often than that,’ said Meggie, but Elinor had already gone. A little later Meggie heard someone dragging a case to the lift, but she didn’t go out into the corridor to see if it was Elinor. She didn’t like goodbyes either. Meggie was very quiet for the rest of the day. Late in the afternoon Mo took her out for a meal in a little restaurant nearby. Dusk was falling when they came out again, and there were a great many people in the darkening streets. In one square the crowds were particularly dense, and as Meggie pushed her way through them with Mo she saw that they were standing round a fire-eater. It was very quiet as Dustfinger let the burning torch lick his bare arms. But as soon as he bowed and the audience clapped Farid went round with a little silver dish, which was the only thing that didn’t quite seem to belong in these surroundings. Farid, however, looked much the same as the boys who lounged around on the beach nudging each other when girls passed by. His skin was a little darker, perhaps, and his hair a little blacker, but it would never have occurred to anyone looking at him that he had just slipped out of a story-book in which carpets could fly, mountains could open, and lamps granted wishes. He wore trousers and a T-shirt instead of his blue, full-length robe. He looked older in them. Dustfinger must have bought the clothes for him, as well as the shoes in which he walked very carefully, as if his feet weren’t quite used to them yet. When he saw Meggie in the crowd he gave her a shy nod and passed on quickly.