The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

 The Book Thief by Markus Zusak-552 pages

Once you figure out that the narrator of the book is Death it makes a lot more sense!  It is actually a very cool and different angle.

It is 1939. Nazi Germany. Death has never been busier, and will be busier still.

By her brother's graveside, Liesel's life is changed when she picks up a single object, partially hidden in the snow. It is The Gravedigger's Handbook, left behind there by accident, and it is her first act of book thievery. So begins a love affair with books and words, as Liesel, with the help of her accordian-playing foster father, learns to read. Soon she is stealing books from Nazi book-burnings, the mayor's wife's library, wherever there are books to be found.

But these are dangerous times. When Liesel's foster family hides a Jew in their basement, Liesel's world is both opened up, and closed down.

Such beautiful, well developed characters.  I LOVE this book!

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

 The Book Thief by Markus Zusak-566 pages

I previously read this during a teen librarianship class while studying for my MLS. I thought it was a good book then and I have an even greater appreciation for it after reading it a second time. It's the story of a young girl named Liesel who arrives, starving and lonely, at 33 Himmel Street, Molching, Germany during World War II. It's a story of love and loss. It's about Liesel's love for her foster parents, Hans and Rosa Hubermann and their love for her. Also, it's about the love between Liesel and Max Vandenburg, Liesel and Rudy, and all of Liesel's friendships. It's a coming-of-age story for Liesel. She goes from illiterate to writing a book of her own. Along the way, Liesel "steals" books and steals words away from Hitler and Nazi Germany. A quote from Liesel that stays with me is "I have hated the words and I have loved them and I hope that I've made them right." Words can be a very powerful tool for both destruction and building up. Hitler gained power through his rhetoric. He was a demagogue who said what the German people wanted to hear at the time. Albus Dumbledore says to Harry Potter in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows that “Words are, in my not-so-humble opinion, our most inexhaustible source of magic. Capable of both inflicting injury, and remedying it.” This is another great quote about the power of words. I would highly recommend this book to anyone. 

Bridge of Clay by Markus Zusak

Bridge of Clay by Markus Zusak
534 pages

"The breathtaking story of five brothers who bring each other up in a world run by their own rules. As the Dunbar boys love and fight and learn to reckon with the adult world, they discover the moving secret behind their father's disappearance.

"At the center of the Dunbar family is Clay, a boy who will build a bridge--for his family, for his past, for greatness, for his sins, for a miracle.

"The question is, how far is Clay willing to go? And how much can he overcome?"   ---from the publisher

I'm not sure how to review this one succinctly.  Zusak's writing is beautiful and the story is interesting and original.  When he visited the area last fall he talked about this book being somewhat autobiographical.  That said, at times the writing is more lyrical than explanatory.  What do some of those sentences mean anyway?  And it dragged in parts for me.  I don't know, maybe I'm just not cut out for these 500+ page tales.  If you've read it, I welcome your thoughts!

December 2015 Post #2 by Jason Phinney

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak-560 pages

Zusak's novel is about a girl in Nazi Germany during WWII who is dropped off to "foster parents" by her mother and her brother dies on the way to be dropped off. It is a somber story that includes much death (consider the setting of the story), but is ultimately filled with hope.

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger-214 pages

This "classic" (although I did not like it, personally) is about a teen who leaves his boarding school and goes on an adventure to New York. Holden Caulfield decides he doesn't like school and doesn't really fit in. I find him to be quite odd, although it is a fairly accurate portrayal of teen psyche. 

I am the Cheese by Robert Cormier-233 pages

This novel reminded me of "Shutter Island" with Leonardo DiCaprio and Sir Ben Kingsley. A teen boy is on a trip to see his father in a mental hospital. His parents were confidential informants and a part of the witness protection program with the FBI. In the end, it turns out the boy is actually in a mental hospital recovering from the traumatic death of his parents. 

Forever...by Judy Blume-224 pages

This novel is about teen love and sex. A teenage girl who is a virgin falls in love with a boy from school and she has sex with him for the first time. She ends up breaking up with him for another guy she meets while counselor at a tennis camp. Birth Control/contraception is also considered, so it was ahead of its time (it was published in the 1970s). 

Dancing on the Edge by Han Nolan-256 pages

This is an interesting, weird yet good novel about a girl (Miracle) whose mother dies as she is giving birth to her. The girl's father and grandmother raise her and her father is a writer. One day her father just "disappears" into thin air. Her grandmother is a medium and is into a lot of occult stuff. The girl ends up in therapy after trying to "melt" herself and she burns herself. The girl ends up living with her Aunt who truly loves her. It is a good (albeit sad) story of finding acceptance and love. 

Hard Love by Ellen Wittlinger-224 pages

A teen boy meets, becomes friends with, and falls in love with a lesbian at a zine store over their mutual interest in writing and reading zines. The story is about falling in love (the boy thought he would never love anyone and hated prom) and "hard love" (because the girl he falls in love with ends up falling in love with another girl, since she is a lesbian but she was his first love).

Hold Me Closer, Necromancer by Lish McBride-368 pages

A college dropout named Samhain (Sawin) who works at a fast food restaurant finds out he is a necromancer when a stranger who is a leader on the Council visits his workplace. Sam's mom is a witch (the "good" kind). She did not tell him about his father or himself being a Necromancer, though. In the end, Sam defeats Douglas (the stranger) and gets his estate as compensation for defeating him. 

 Ship Breaker by Paulo Bacigalupi-326 pages

 I found this novel rather interesting. It is set in a post-apocalyptic world where large oil rigs are stripped for their parts and the parts are sold. Bosses control the "ship breaking" crews and take most of the profits. However, one day one of the crews stumbles upon an almost abandoned yacht and they strip it, but find a rich girl still alive on board. They are found out and captured, but then escape to New Orleans and are pursued. They end up escaping their boss for good and that's how the story ends.

The Fifth Wave by Rick Yancey-497 pages

I will start by saying I did not like this book. I did not get into the characters and found the book uninteresting. That being said, it is about aliens living among (and "as") humans attempting to exterminate humans and take over Earth. The story is creative in that the aliens are indistinguishable from humans in appearance and they recruit the children to an army to help exterminate the rest of the humans. 

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak -- 550 pages

This is my second time listening to this book and I enjoyed it just as much as the first time.

During World War II, Liesel Meminger goes to live with people she's never met. On the train ride there, her only brother dies. With her new Papa's help, Liesel learns to read, and she learns the beauty and value of words.
Her best friend, Rudy, pesters her for a kiss. Her Papa plays an accordion. Her Mama uses her tongue worse than a sailor. A Jew shows up on the door step, nearly collapsing from exhaustion. And Liesel steals books.

Markus Zusak has mastered his words. Every word is deep and beautiful. His characters each have such a strong personality that you get to feel as if you know each one as well as you know yourself.

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak - 552 pages

Despite it's title, The Book Thief's focus is not stealing books.  Yes, that does occur, but the book is about the power of words.At one point the main character, Liesel Meminger observed that it is because of words that not only she became an avid reader, but that the German people believed in Hitler.  She realized that words, written or spoken have the power to change both individuals and the world.

To provide more of a storyline summary, Liesel is sent to live with the Hubermann family when her mother is presumably sent away due to her communist leanings.  She lived with the Hubermans for approximately four years during which time they become her parents, Hans Hubermann teaches Liesel to read, and they harbor a Jew.  She also befriends Rudy Steiner and attends school for the first time.  Liesel also has an odd relationship with the mayor's wife, but to say anymore will spoil the book for those who have yet to read it.  Overall, I did enjoy the book but I found the fact that it was narrated by "Death" to be odd.