I recently finished reading the Ink Trilogy by Cornelia Funke, and over all, enjoyed it quite a bit! (although, I wouldn't suggest it for anyone younger than twelve.)
The setting switches between our world, and a different one inside the pages of a book, called Inkworld. In this book, certain people called Silvertongues, have the ability to read things right out of books! Or...themselves right into it.
Meggie is the daughter of such a man, who accidentally read her mother into a book nine years earlier and has been trying desperately to get her back ever since. Thus opens the first book.
It doesn't stop there of course, but I can hardly say more without spoiling quite a few secrets, that you DON'T want spoiled.
The story was intriguing, and the writing style made me want to keep reading more! Her swordfights, and battles were exciting, but not greusome; her characters were really believable, and weren't so perfect that you couldn't sympathize with them. And, by the end of the series, I was actually sorry that I had finished because I couldn't keep reading the story!
A great theme in this book is selflessness, and sacrificing your wellbeing for others. Meggie's father, Mo, over and over again, puts himself in danger to protect her and others. And Meggie also displays great bravery and courage when everything seems lost.
I also liked how clearly defined good and evil was in this book. With the exception of one character (who finally sacrifices a lot for the side that he has always wanted to win) there are no moral compromises by the 'good guys', and the bad guys, although in some cases slightly sympathetic, are NEVER portrayed as desirable role models.
That said, there are a few problems with this book as well.
Firstly, I believe that Mrs. Funke went a little farther than she might have needed to in describing the vices of certain men in the book. While she does not go into sordid detail with some of the things that happen, (and really are fairly vital to the story line) she most definitely implies very strongly, and spells a lot more out than should have been necessary.
Secondly, given the circumstances in some parts of the book, it is easy to see why Meggie would be disrespectful to her parents; however, just because it is natural, does not mean that it was the right thing to do, and she never really apologizes for the way she has disrespected their authority.
And lastly, there is a little bit of very bad language in the book, however as far as I can remember none of the main characters use it. (mostly by the bad guys, or a crotchety old lady)
I would probably recommend this book for someone in their early teens, on up.
It was just...sad! And it moved too quickly and the characters were shallow.
I have to say, Rafi Gavron was a great actor 
) And I'm also thankful that magic didn't really play a part in the whole trilogy, that all the imaginative events were actual reality. 
My favorite line was the duct tape line.
That would be awesome! 
Waaaay better than the movie. Well, in some ways. The first book drags a little, so my brothers didn't get through it. The second and third, even though they're both well over 600 pages...more than a hundred more than book one...are paced better.
I saw the movie before the book, so my mental pictures of the characters were shaped entirely by the movie, but I don't mind. 
