The Thirteenth Tale

Okay, so soon after Harry Potter, I didn't really expect to read a Really Good Book. I've had a string of luck recently; Special Topics in Calamity Physics was a) very entertaining, b) Clever and c) well written, despite a few failings. You can't go wrong with Harry Potter. Plus, I even found another decent mystery writer! (Ruth Rendell).
So when my friend Shoshana gave me The Thirteenth Tale, which she loved, and basically demanded that I read it, I wondered if it was too much to ask to read another good book.
People, it's really good. Especially if you're a reader.
Again, there were some overly gothic/'ugh, I didn't really want to know that' sort of passages, but much of the book is given to contemplating books and love of books (the main character grows up with a father that owns an antique bookstore! And she learns to read from these Old Books! And their day consists of going to the bookstore and reading! (For reasons I won't go into here, they don't actually sell many books, and thus don't have many customers! And thus don't have to actually talk to people--they just read! This is an ideal childhood, really. Sure, she's socially inept, but she had unlimited access to books!)
Anyway, the novel combined good qualities of mystery, Bronte-type novel, family drama, and book lovers book. Dyami pointed out that writing a book about book lovers is a pretty good marketing decision. Surprise! Book lovers want to buy your book.
Ah, but see, the thing is, the book is also about a wonderful novelist--a contemporary Dickens, and if you're going to write about a really, really good novelist, you've got to write, well, a pretty darn fine novel.
And I don't know if this author (Diane Somebodyorother) is a Dickens, but she wrote a very good book.
PS. Those of you on my Christmas list, don't read this book! Because I need ideas for Christmas presents! So no fair poaching my ideas! You know who you are!