My favourite book by Sharon

Today it is very lovely Sharon’s turn to tell us about her favourite book. Here is what she had to say.

When I was asked to choose a favourite book to write about, I don’t admitting that I wondered how on earth I was going to do that. I have many favourite books, each one with special meaning to me but for very different reasons and I would find it impossible to hold one up above all the rest and call it my absolute favourite. So I decided to choose one with special significance and tell you about why it is so significant. That book is Island by Jane Rogers.

The book is a dark tale of one young woman’s unravelling mind. She travels to a remote Scottish island to track down the birth mother who abandoned her to a life in care, intent on killing her in order to exact revenge. What she finds on the island is not only her mother, but a strange half-brother who shows her a new way of viewing the world. While the ending is far from happy, its uplifting message that salvation is possible for even the most lost of souls stays with you weeks after you’ve closed the book.

This book, aside from being fantastic (I’ve read it four times at least), has special meaning for me. I make no secret of my obsession with BBC’s Merlin and the film adaptation of this book starred one Colin Morgan, who plays Merlin in the TV show. As soon as I heard that he was going to be in the film, I bought a copy of the book and was instantly smitten with it, so my excitement for the film reached fever pitch in the invervening year or so. When it was finally released, I was lucky enough to attend the premiere in Glasgow (you might read ‘lucky’ as determined and obsessed enough to move heaven and earth to attend the premiere in Glasgow). My very good and patient best friend and I hired a car and made a 400 mile round trip in one day to the cinema (you drove 400 miles to see a film? people asked me scratching their heads) but it was one of the most amazing and fun days I’ve ever had. It felt like an adventure, and anyone who knows me will know I can’t resist a harebrained adventure. Colin and the film’s producers were in attendance to watch the film with us and answer questions afterwards. I tried to retain my dignity for a while, but it crumbled as the Q&A ended and I practically vaulted over four rows of seats to catch them for a word before they left the theatre (he shook my hand; I haven’t washed since… no, really, I haven’t). So my well-loved copy of Island is now even more precious, containing the autographs of Colin and the film makers. I take it to bed every night and hug it as I sleep. But even if yours doesn’t have a wizard’s autograph inside the front cover, it’s a brilliant read and one I’d recommend.

To follow Sharon on twitter : @SharonSant

To check out her blog:
http://www.sharonsant.com

Tomorrow we will have yet more favourite books, so keep your eyes peeled!

Thank you Sharon for taking part.