Book Of A Thousand Days *****

First, I just have to say it... I love Shannon Hale! She is hands down my favorite author!

I just read Book of A Thousand Days and I loved it! I love the way Shannon Hale lures the smells, tastes, sights and sounds out of words. I don't think there is another author who influences my sense as she does.

This book is written in a completely different style. I wasn't sure I was going to like it when I started about 20 hours ago. Its written as a book of thoughts or a sort of journal. The narrator of the tale is a mucker (she sings songs to heal, help, soothe, etc.). This is sort of Hale's specialty in so many of her books the characters have special gifts with a language of sorts. I find it fascinating. Dashti, the mucker and narrator, becomes a servant to Lady Saren and gets locked in a tower with her. She starts writing this book to fill the time and lonliness. One thing I really enjoy about Hale's stories is that I never quite know what to expect in the resolution. I generally expect a happy ending, but I'm never sure what that happiness will be. I go throughout the entire book just anxious to see how the problems will be resolved...not like so many other books that are quite predictable. I also love that I love the character she develops. I want the problems to be resolved and for everyone to be happy because I really care about the characters. That is a sign of a great writer to me...making characters that feel or rather, that make me feel. This book has those kinds of characters, I was swept away and I couldn't put it down.

This book, like most books that I enjoy are in the Young Adult category and it is targeted at a younger audience, but I loved it! It was an easy read (obviously). I can highly recommend it to pretty much everyone!