Everyone has the book that they almost broke up with. The book that almost made it back on to the shelf or in the donations bag after fifty pages because you simply cannot see yourself ever enjoying it. However, for many of us i’m sure, that book often becomes one of our favourites. Mine certainly did.
In 2015 i finally picked up The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. I started reading it about a month before Christmas and whereas i was enjoying the story, i couldn’t really focus on it and was getting easily confused between characters and plot-lines. After a few days of trying i was getting nowhere and did what i usually do, stop at page fifty and pick up something completely different. I was put off by the seemingly (for me) complex story-line and i didn’t think i’d ever enjoy it.
I knew that this was a popular and very highly aclaimed novel, so i made sure to put it back on my shelf and not disregard it completely. Only a few short weeks late i picked it back up, figuring the pretty cover deserved another chance. I started it a few days before Christmas and read it right through the Christmas period in a matter of days. I completely devoured it.
The story is filled with so many magical elements, amazing, creative and interesting characters and some incredible story-lines. It’s really difficult not to fall completely in love with this story. I wanted to know more about Celia and Marco and everyone in their world. I wanted story after story about their adventures and what would happen to them in the future.
It was simply the most magical book i’ve ever read. I’m not saying that i remember everything about it, however i remember the feeling that the book gave me and how 
much i adored each person in it. It’s something that i very much need to read again actually.
So that’s the book that i very nearly broke-up with and i would have regretted it more than anything i think. I would have never found this story of a travelling circus, never to return to the same spot that moves in the middle of the night. It’s such a compelling read for literally any age. It’s been wonderful talking about it with so many people of so many ages.
Let me know in the comments what books you have nearly broken up with but ended up loving them.
The Little Contemporary Corner 
That’s a great question. I can only think of two books which I broke up with and despite all my efforts could not grow to love. They were Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel and A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth. Many have raved about them and perhaps one day I will go back and read them again.
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