What’s on my mp3 player? Inkheart, by Cornelia Funke.

I’m just beyond the halfway mark and enjoying it, though I have to admit I get annoyed with the child main character, Meggie. I don’t think I like her, but that might change. The moment she defied her father and obstinately refused to get in the car during a dangerous moment when he was eager to escape quickly and quietly, I dubbed her a brat. As yet, she’s not convinced me I was mistaken. It’s always a bit surprising when a kid (or a character) rubs me the wrong way. In some ways, I’m extremely tolerant and accepting of kids, but in others I’m pretty strict. The character’s behavior in that scene struck me as a sort of tantrum and that did nothing to endear her to me.

Aunt Eleanor, Farid, and Dustfinger, on the other hand, are gems!