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Wednesday, October 26, 2011

RTW: Best Book of October

Welcome to our 102nd Road Trip Wednesday!


Road Trip Wednesday is a ‘Blog Carnival,’ where YA Highway's contributors post a weekly writing- or reading-related question that begs to be answered. In the comments, you can hop from destination to destination and get everybody's unique take on the topic. We'd love for you to participate! Just answer the prompt on your own blog and leave a link -- or, if you prefer, you can include your answer in the comments. 


This week's topic: What was the best book you read in October?


Happily and oddly enough, October has been a very fruitful reading month for me. I don't know how it came to happen that I've read so much since it seems like October has been the busiest month of my entire life, but I like to think that the book fairies know I need to read to stay afloat and they took pity on me. So, with that all in mind, I have a rather large selection to pick from this month, but thankfully there has been one book in particular that stood out, so the decision wasn't too stressful.



The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern is absolutely gorgeous. I was lucky enough to actually get to meet her at an event in my hometown a few weeks ago, and she is such a sweet person. Here is a little background on the novel, in case you haven't heard of it, and if that's the case, I'd be surprised since it's quite popular at the moment. I really can't say it any better than the jacket sleeve and Goodreads.
The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque des Rêves, and it is only open at night. 
But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway—a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Unbeknownst to them, this is a game in which only one can be left standing, and the circus is but the stage for a remarkable battle of imagination and will. Despite themselves, however, Celia and Marco tumble headfirst into love—a deep, magical love that makes the lights flicker and the room grow warm whenever they so much as brush hands. 
True love or not, the game must play out, and the fates of everyone involved, from the cast of extraordinary circus per­formers to the patrons, hang in the balance, suspended as precariously as the daring acrobats overhead. 
Written in rich, seductive prose, this spell-casting novel is a feast for the senses and the heart.

While reading this, I fell in love not only with the characters, but also with the circus itself. It's a living, breathing entity that easily captured my imagination. I only wish that I could be a part of Le Cirque des Rêves.

The Night Circus isn't a YA novel, but it isn't entirely an adult book either. It's something that I would put in a category with the Harry Potter series and The Lord of the Rings, if only because of the rare illusive quality I'm trying and failing to describe. I suppose y'all will just have to read it to find out for yourselves.

14 comments:

  1. Thanks for the recommendation. I had heard The Night Circus was a good book, and your comments confirm what I've heard. I'll have to check it out on my next trip to the library.
    Donna V.

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  2. I've heard good things about this one, I'll have to add it to my list.

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  3. Ooh I think I've heard whispers of this book but I didn't know what it was about. Definitely adding this to my TBR list, it sounds fantastic! Thanks!

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  4. I've heard a lot about this book and am adding it to the TBR pile (which is getting out of control). Thanks :)

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  5. Sounds interesting - I'll have to add it to my list.

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  6. You're the second person this week to talk about this book. I should definitely check it out.

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  7. Great review. I'm going to check this out as soon as possible.

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  8. I have heard great things about this book as well. It is on my TBR list. Unfortunately, October has not been my best month for reading books. I have started some, but with four kids having Oct. B-days and school carnivals etc. I have not had any extra time. I almost said that I will play catch up in November, but I am still on the fence about NaNo so maybe not.

    Awesome Review.

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  9. And my TBR list screams at me, "NO NO NO!!! NOT ANOTHER!!!" But I respond with soothing words, "It's okay... just for a little while... I'll be reading them soon..." I hug my TBR list and give it a chair and a footstool. It's feeling rather full right now. :)

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  10. Yay! I'm so glad to see I've swayed you all to read it, and I'm thrilled that the consensus seems to be that you've all heard "good things" about it! Trust me, it's worth every second spent on it. I know everyone is super busy, but it's one of those books that rewards you for taking the time to indulge in its story.

    @ Colin: Poor little TBR list. Haha! Mine can empathize. Although it's more of a scattered entity than anything else.

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  11. This sounds like a book I would absolutely devour when I get a chance to read it. Plus the cover is awesome. I love the style and the black and white. Looks like my list is going to get even longer! (I'm trying to read three at once now, so hopefully it'll get shorter soon!)

    My pick for this month was Hunger Games, but I'm so glad to see books that promise to keep me entertained as much as it did.

    If you ever need a title banner for your blog, I make banners! (love the title font, by the way)

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  12. Sounds pretty fantastic! Adding to the TBR!

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  13. sounds wondrous! thanks for recommending it!
    always looking for a remarkable read!

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I used to ask for proper grammar and such in comments. Now that I'm older, I realize it's still important, but that not everyone likes following the rules or even remembers the rules. Instead, let's just be kind.