November 8, 2011

A Book I'm Thankful For

I've been a reader since I was a little girl. To try and name all my favourites would be impossible. Even to try and figure out which book over the course of my whole life I'm most thankful for is a daunting task. I have some favourites I've loved since I was little (The Giver, A Wrinkle in Time, The Magician's Nephew), but when I think about a book I'm most thankful for my mind can't help but drift to a book I read earlier this year. This gorgeous book is entitled 'Jellicoe Road' (or 'On the Jellicoe Road', originally) by Melina Marchetta.


Just thinking of 'Jellicoe Road' makes me slightly giddy. There are very few books I feel passionate enough about to recommend them to everyone with no caveats, but this is one of them. Whenever someone mentions it I can't help but squee over it, and when I see positive reviews I get so excited that someone else has enjoyed it as much as I did. I feel a connection to 'Jellicoe Road'. I created a label here on the blog for my review of it called "beyond description," because that's what 'Jellicoe' is to me. I can go on and on about it, but when it comes down to it I can't even fully describe how much I adore it.

'Jellicoe' is heartbreaking and hopeful. It's simple and complex. It's confusing at times, but ultimately rewarding. Gorgeous, breathtaking, disjointed, poetic. It will make you laugh and make you cry. I don't know how Melina Marchetta writes so beautifully, but somehow she does. No other author makes me feel the way she does with her words.

I really can't think of a more beautiful book, and that is why 'Jellicoe Road' is a book that I'm thankful for. I really can't praise Melina Marchetta's writing enough.

You can read my review of 'Jellicoe Road' here.

And now in full confession time, I'm writing this post because I saw a contest on Beth Revis' blog.


Really, this is the ultimate way to enter a contest. It's an epic giveaway, so who wouldn't want to win the prize (open internationally, btw)? But it's also awesome to hear about all these books that are special to people, and I've really enjoyed reading the several posts I've seen about it in my Google Reader.

If you enter the contest or have just written about a book you're thankful for be sure and link me to it in the comments, because I'd love to check it out!

6 comments:

  1. We keep seeing good things about this, but your comments put it over the top. Time to get a copy in our hands!

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  2. I need to read this book! Thankfully, I'm no longer a Marchetta virgin (go me!) as I recently read Saving Francesca and loved it, so I'm looking forward to reading more of her books:)

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  3. Whenever I read anything about Jellicoe I feel such a longing and nostalgia for the book - I even have it in my ipod at all times.

    I think this is really the type of book that changes you.

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  4. This one keeps popping up on all these blogs and lists -- I really need to read it! Sounds fabulous. Thanks :)

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  5. I read this book last year or the year before (it's been awhile) and I think it had been talked up too much or something and I didn't love it as much as most people seem to. But I did like it a lot. I'm thinking that maybe if I were to read it now, since I've gotten into contemporary more, I'd like it a lot better then I did the first time. I think Ballads of Suburbia would maybe be the book I would say I'm the most thankful for. It's one book I can really really relate to.

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  6. Yay for Jellicoe Road! :D I loved this one, and I am so glad that I read it, and a big reason that I read it was because of all of your encouragement and enthusiasm towards it, so thanks Ashley. :D I can definitely see why you're thankful for this book, it's amazing and inspiration, and just everything that a book should be. I definitely second your thanks! :D

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Thank you so much for taking the time to comment; I appreciate each one!

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