Random reads: To the Nines by Meg Cabot

One Christmas when I was thirteen I received a book. This book happened to be part of the Princess Diaries series by Meg Cabot. The person who gave it to me said they’d heard somewhere that it was a good book for people my age. Great, I thought, I love books. Unfortunately this book was the ninth book in a series of ten. Because of the occasion I decided not to make an issue of it, and said thank you.

I like to start a series from the start and I refused to read it at first but it was the only new book I had to read so after a day or two finally gave in and picked it up. I'd guessed that I probably wouldn’t bother with the rest of the series anyway, so why not. Well I was wrong because I actually enjoyed it and couldn’t wait to read the last book. But then I remembered the other eight books that I had skipped and realised I’d have to read those as well. Normally, that wouldn’t have been the kind of series that I’d read and enjoy but I surprised myself and did. I loved reading about Mia's life and seeing what she'd decided to tell us.

I tried reading it again a year or two later but it wasn’t the same. Mia just wasn't as funny as I'd remembered. I think being thirteen made the whole story seem more magical and believable somehow. But I can’t deny that, at the time, it was a great gift.