Michelle Paver is probably best known for her Chronicles of Ancient Darkness books, but I came across this little gem in my local bookshop and I just had to tell you all about it.
Because, quite simply, this book is amazing!
It was the cover that caught my eye – bleached whalebones on an empty beach, and when I picked it up and looked at the blurb and saw that it was a ghost story, set on Svlabard in the 1930s – well, that was me hooked. Honestly, she could have written it especially for me! I headed straight for the till.
You see, I’ve been to the Arctic, and I know how special it is.
So I guess for me this book had a unique resonance. But I would have loved it anyway. I was hooked from the start and it didn’t let me go. I was there on that Svalbard shore, watching as the days grew shorter, and then I was cowering in fear as the night drew in and I was still reading.
I won’t say anything about the plot. You must read it for yourselves. But quite simply this is the best book I’ve read in a very long time and I wanted to tell you all about it.
But something else occurs to me. With all the talk of bookshops and libraries closing, I can’t help feeling that if I couldn’t browse the shelves then I might have missed this little gem. My local bookshop is a treasure trove. I’m saddened to think, should it ever close, of all the wonderful books I’ll simply never find.
I was looking forward to reading Dark Matter even before your post, Kate. Now I might actually make a special journey to get my hands on it. Thanks for reminding me.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the rec! I've never heard of this book so I'll definitely have to check it out!
ReplyDeleteConcerning bookstore and library closings, NOOOOOOO! Perusing bookstores is one of my favorite pastimes: so relaxing and so fun. And I couldn't survive without my library!