I am utterly charmed

To be entirely honest, I wasn't super excited when I heard the winners of all the awards on Monday (although I was delighted Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! was recognized).

But, since I am a super swell librarian, I decided to read the winners and see what I thought. I read The First Part Last first, since it was short. It was a pretty darned good book. My only complaint would be that I didn't like that the baby's mother suffered a debilitating illness. That seemed to push the book over into melodrama, and the story of a teenage boy raising a baby alone is dramatic enough.

This morning, then, I started The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo. I have read, and enjoyed, her other books, but somehow had neglected to pick this one up.

Reader, I am utterly, absolutely, irrevocably charmed.

I am not even halfway through it yet, but I am in love with this book and will likely purchase it for my personal collection. I already have favorite lines:

"Stories are light. Light is precious in a world so dark."

and

"Suffering is not the answer. Light is the answer."

Sigh.