Notes from a Reading Journal: “The Starless Sea,” by Erin Morgenstern.

“Why are you here? I’m here to sail the Starless Sea and breathe the haunted air.” — P. 234

“Occasionally Fate can pull itself together again. And Time is always waiting.” — P. 73

My only regret is not being able to cozy up by a fireplace in a country inn while reading this book! If you have loved: Stardust, The Ten Thousand Doors of January, The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe, and/or The Magicians, you will love this book.

Truly, truly, this is one of the most magical reads of recent memory. You have to put your logical brain on hold for this one, though, and just let the brain candy do its work. There is no “why” except story for the sake of story, and that was fine with me for this joyride. If you think about it too much, you may not get past all the unanswered questions you will inevitably have, and I think that is where the critics seem to strike. The reader is just going to have to use his own imagination to fill in the blanks. I loved that the ending leaves it open for a sequel!

Zachary stumbles across a mysterious book in his campus library and discovers that the story is about him. It leads him into a world far beneath the surface of the Earth. Down the rabbit hole, if you will. Drink me.

Fans of New York’s the “Strand” will delight in the references to the famous bookstore. Many kicks were had by me. It’s a bookmark of the Strand, from the Strand, inside a book that is talking about the Strand. “Are we at the Strand?”

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