I recently went to my local book store and asked for some recommendations. The guy working that day was great. He gave me several recommendations, many I had already read and loved. One of the books I hadn’t read was Something Missing. A novel about Martin, a thief who takes his “job” very seriously. He also has a different take on stealing from his “clients”, he only takes what won’t be noticed, like toilet paper. Despite being a thief, Martin is a good person, who cares for others, including his clients. Martin is socially awkward and yearns for deeper relationships with people. His career choice, however, limits his ability to be honest and get close to others.

Surprisingly, this book is fun and humorous, and even suspenseful. I instantly loved Martin and his quirky mannerisms. I wanted him to find what he was looking for, and found myself unable to put the book down toward the end. All in all a fun and entertaining read.

This is a first for me since the third grade…a book review. I don’t read NEARLY as many books as Tom Duff, so don’t worry I won’t be doing this often. However, I just finished The Thirteenth Tale, and it was good enough that I wanted to write a review.

The Thirteenth Tale: A Novel by Diane Setterfield

The Thirteenth Tale is a story within a story type of book. Vida Winter is a famous author who is old and unwell. After telling multiple (incorrect) tales of her life to journalists, she is now ready to tell the truth. She wants to tell her story to Margaret Lea, herself a young and bookish girl who works in her father’s antique bookshop and a biographer.

The book weaves in between the stories of current day Margaret and childhood Vida. Even the “present day” of Margaret has a timeless feel.

Aside from the story pulling me in and captivating me from the first chapter, the writing of this book is excellent. I found myself re-reading passages just because they sounded so beautiful. I generally tend to be a quick reader, I am engrossed in the story and rush to see what happens. Not so with The Thirteenth Tale, I sat back and read this book from cover to cover. One reviewer said this was a book for book-lovers and I completely agree!