Markus Zusak: The Book Thief

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

I found this book to be absolutely incredible. It was very powerful and touched me greatly. I can remember the very day I bought it (New Year's Eve 2007) and the exact book I bought at the same time as this one (The Lightning Thief). For some reason it took me a great amount of time to pick up The Book Thief and read it. It probably would have taken longer had someone not suggested it as a book to read for last month. Writing this now I realize I meant to write that person a thank you but have forgotten. I hope to be doing that shortly.

Right away as I sat in a public place reading this book I thought it would be a deeper book than what I had been reading more of lately. It wouldn't be a book that could easily be read where people may be loud nor would be considered anywhere on the same end of a rope as a light, fluffy read which requires little thought. Death seemed the perfect narrator and I put down my book with haste eager to read more of the life he had to tell of Liesel Meminger, the girl he knew best as the book thief.

Early on in the reading of this book readers will know much of what is to come later on. When Death begins the story of the book thief I didn't at first believe he would tell her story so well as he does. My thoughts had been Death would surely only see glimpses of her and every other person's life, toward each of their life's end. He surprised me, as did Markus Zusak, with a beautifully written novel that made me love the characters and which produced tears.

I'm partially German on both sides of my family. This book made me feel a little better about it. Everything that happened around the time of WWII was most incredibly the worst of horrible things. It had made me have a dislike toward being part German. Zusak shows us that there are good Germans as well as bad Germans, however. This book will tell you the story of a very good German.

I highly recommend this book for many reasons. It is mere fiction, unlike The Diary of a Young Girl, however it has much to tell in it's strong and moving tale. You would be at a real loss and missing out on one of the most precious books without ever reading The Book Thief.

This was the first book I read by Markus Zusak. I'm very curious about his other books now such as I Am the Messenger. I would greatly enjoy reading more of any of his books and will be excited about any future books he may write. I feel he has produced one incredibly special book with The Book Thief and do not doubt other books of his to be the same in their own way.

Sarah Waters: Fingersmith

It was such a busy weekend I missed posting about a book. I finished this one still in October. This is not a Young Adult book, but an adult novel. I read Young Adult books pretty frequently as anyone can see but reading something more mature and of better vocabulary has made me see how I miss books written for the general or adult audience. With a partial learning disability I always notice how what I read effects the words I use when I speak and write. I was happily buried in beautiful words not so commonly used in modern time for a few days.

With the last book I finished reading, I was still in the mood for Victorian books. A friend from LibraryThing recently reminded me that I had one still unread, Fingersmith by Sarah Waters. You always intend to read books and especially when you first purchase or receive them, but it can take a while when you have so very many books. I bought this one in April the day I met another LibraryThinger for the first time. We got in two bookstores, which left me about $80 shorter and buried under about five more books in my TBR pile.

Right away while reading this book, I noticed like last time how very different the main character was to what I was used to reading. The main character, Susan Trinder, is an orphan girl living and growing up amongst thieves. Still, when something stumbles along that changes her future, she isn't at complete ease for the reason that her journey is set out for: to help a friend make his fortune by tricking a girl, Maud Lilly, who is inherit a great sum of money upon her marriage, into marrying him. The plan after this is for Gentleman, also known as Mr. Rivers, to then dump his wife in a mad house, Susan then awarded a small portion of the funds. She is eager to make the woman she considers to be her mother proud and to provide her with a fortune.

Susan learns new life skills such as how to be more of a lady as she prepares to leave home for a place where she will be known as Susan Smith. She is to be a maid for Ms. Lilly with a complete and false history as the maid of Mr. River's aunt. Susan has weeks for Ms. Lilly to adjust to Susan, to gain her trust and even befriend her before Mr. Rivers returns to the Lilly's. She prepares Ms. Lilly for each day, dressing her and attending to her needs, accompanying her and spending time with her whenever Ms. Lilly is not with her uncle to read in the library or in the dining room for meals. When Mr. Rivers appears and begins to make his moves on Ms. Lilly, Ms. Lilly is slow to give her confidence to Susan, but shyly does so.

The story goes on and I wish to not give it away. It is extraordinarily plot twisting and always surprising. It is typical to guess what will come in books as you read and to make correct predictions but this simply seems impossible in this book. As the tale goes on, it only gets better and there were most certainly parts that made me cry. Everything I thought as I read for what would come to be was wrong. I would read this book again. Thank you to my friends from LibraryThing for a wonderful book suggestion!

55 / 70 books. 79% done!

Ann Rinaldi: A Break with Charity

This story is a Young Adult novel about the Salem Witch trials. Someone recommended it to me last year after I read a short nonfiction book on the subject and had said I'd like to read more about it. This was a really wonderful recommendation and I'm sorry it took me so long to read it.

This is a great book and provides the reader with an idea as to what could have happened during those terrible times using Susanna English as the main character of the story. The author sets you straight on what was fact from what was fiction in the Author's Note after the end of the story.

I had already studied this subject lightly in a college U.S. Women's History class but this book opened my eyes and let me see a new perspective about some of the people I had learned about in my class, such as Tituba. This book also gave me a closer perspective of what life may have been like not only during the life of one of my favorite poets, but also for her as well as she was also a Puritan. This poet is Anne Bradstreet, the first American poet.

Rereads, Anyone?

I have nintey books tagged as TBR, but tonight I am really struggling to pick a new book up. I tried to begin a reread because I am craving historical fiction, left over from my latest read. I couldn't do it - the book had to be put down after eighteen pages. I couldn't reread a book that basically told the same story I'd just read only from another's perspective - it was much too soon. I looked through my short pile of soon to be read books, but each in itself would take so long to read, and I am looking for something easy. I paced from one side of the room to the other scanning my shelves for something appealing but nothing. I grabbed an Austen book that I have as of yet to read, sat on my bed, but still could not bring myself to read. What is wrong tonight? Perhaps it's simply too soon since the last book I read and I can choose better in the morning. This is what I hope. I considered rereading some historical fiction with nothing to do with the Tudors, but passed it because it was two connected trilogies and would lead me away from reading TBRs. I also considered rereading just two favorites that are intertwined then returning to my TBR pile once more. As I said, I hope the morning will provide an answer.

This has at least made me think about, with having so many unread books to tackle, how many rereads I will read this year, and which ones. I thought to gather them up here.

Charles de Lint: Newford: The Onion Girl and Widdershins



My two absolute favorites by this author, and that's saying something as I've read quite a lot by him. I've only read each of these two books once but that was enough and the stories have not left my mind. I think about them from time to time and wish I would reread them, knowing the pleasure yet pain this would bring. This is the year I will at last reread them, though. It's far too much of a favorite, and five years wait for the first of the two is long enough.

Stephenie Meyer: Twilight, New Moon, and Eclipse



In preparation for the author's latest book in the Twilight series, Breaking Dawn, I will be rereading these books over the summer. Probably in July. Book four will be released on August 2nd, and I know I will read all these books rather quickly. (Shouting for a friend as this would be too difficult to resist the temptation at their possible drop from faint: EDWARD CULLEN! ;)

J.K. Rowling: Harry Potter and the ... ?



I'm really not sure which books I'll be reread from the Harry Potter series this year. I will definitely be rereading Deathly Hallows. I think I may finally reread Order of the Phoenix and Half-Blood Prince beginning this weekend for a weekly group discussion. (I am super, super sorry for not doing this sooner! You know who you are.)

Rosalind Miles: Guenevere and Isolde trilogies



These are the trilogies that I would begin rereading tonight had I not so many TBRs to tackle. I adored both series, but unlike any other series I've enjoyed as much, I never once reread them. The very month I finished reading the second series, I began a mythology class, and was I ever wanting to reread them only two months later when I'd learned all about the triple goddess and the likes. I may dig into my old notes before rereading these.

One of my sisters pointed out to me that I couldn't very well reread a book when I own so many that I have not yet read. I wondered then what everyone else does. Do they reread their books, or not at all so long as they own books they have not read? We will always own books we have not read! It's our own disease! Letting books sit on a shelf never to be read again sounds absolutely dreadful - I cringed at the thought while my sister spoke to me. No. I will reread my books! Hers may be forgotten and collect dust if she so wishes.

Note: The artwork featured with Charles de Lint's books was done by John Jude Palencar, and the artwork featured with Rosalind Miles' books was done by John William Waterhouse. They did the cover illustrations of those books. I admire their work greatly.

Phillipa Gregory: The Other Boleyn Girl

The year is 1522. (The prelude is 1521.) Young Mary, sister of soon-to-be-well-known Anne Boleyn is the main character of this book. As Boleyns in the royal court, these sisters and their brother, George are expected to go above and beyond to do all they can to help their family rise in name and honor. They are preassured by their father but mainly their uncle, and when King Henry VIII catches Mary's eye, the family is to put aside a part of Mary's life while she is to become all that matters to the king, her siblings alongside her to ensure she is thrust in the king's favor.

As the years pass, Anne is forced to give up something that mattered more to her than anything ever would but one thing. She eventually becomes the sparkle in the king's eye while Mary is behind the scenes, and the king's favor takes a turn. The sisters, not unlike all sisters, become rebels to one another, as Anne and Mary each fight for something that would give them what they truely want.

Things take a turn and Anne dreams of a world of power while Mary dreams of a much simpler world in the country. Meanwhile, George, too, enters a life in which he must be careful to not lose what matters to him most aside from family name and honor. The siblings are soon left to fend for themselves as the court sees that the Boleyns, all powerful yet not as eye-catching as they once were, fade out of the glow and are forced into darkness and despair.

Before I read this book, I wasn't really sure if I'd like it. I thought that either the book would drag by and I'd want to set it down, or that what everone said would be true and that it would be a good book for me as well.

I loved this book and am thrilled the author has so many other books out there that I can read. In my head I'm silently saying 'uh-oh' because I know from this book that I will be hunting down Gregory's other books, finishing them shortly after getting my hands on them. I've been trying very hard to not buy any books for a few months. I like that her books have a way of telling us about history while keeping my interest better than history classes I had when I was younger.

Another reason I enjoyed this book is because my family traces back to King Henry VIII, and it's nice to learn more about all of it. Had I grown up on the other side of my family, I'd have had books of plenty to see how it all traces back and learn more, but I didn't. I think this is the second historical fiction book that I've read. The first was Suzannah Dunn's The Queen of Subtleties, about Anne Boleyn.

I rate this book 4.5 stars. I hope to read another of Gregory's books soon. Next by Phillipa Gregory I'm going to read The Constant Princess, about Katherine of Aragon, then The Boleyn Inheritance, and The Queen's Fool. Wish me luck in finding any of these on BookMooch!