The Book Thief

It's the leftover humans. The survivors. They're the ones I can't stand to look at, although on many occasions I still fail. ... I witness the ones who are left behind, crumbling among the jigsaw puzzle of realization, despair, and surprise. ... It's the story of one of those perpetual survivors --- an expert at being left behind. It's just a small story really, about, among other things: a girl, some words, an accordionist, some fanatical Germans, a Jewish fist fighter, and quite a lot of thievery. I saw the book thief three times. (p.5)

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak is a tough book to describe to someone who hasn't experienced it yet. Yes, the over 500 page book is just that... an experience. It reminds the reader of the horrors that took place in Germany under Hitler's rule. It reminds the reader of how humans do what they have to do to survive when all odds seem to be against them. And it reminds us of the complex way inwhich people interact and love one another.

Lisa Meminger was a criminal. But not because she'd stolen a handful of books through an open window. You should have knocked, she thought, and although there was a good portion of guilt, there was also the juvenile trace of laughter. As she rode, she tried to tell herself something. You don't deserve to be this happy, Liesel. You really don't. Can a person steal happiness? Or is it just another internal, infernal human trick? Liesel shrugged away from her thoughts. She crossed the bridge and told Rudy to hurry up and not to forget the book. (p. 370)

The writing style created an interesting way to unfold the story. This made the book a slower read for me but it definitely kept my interest. The narrator is Death. This gives a twist to the descriptions and perspective of what happens to the main character Liesel, her parents, and their friends. It also gives greater depth to the actions and emotions of the other characters who live in the small town of Molching, Germany where the story takes place.

They say that war is death's best friend, but I must offer you a different point of view on that one. To me, war is like the new boss who expects the impossible. He stands over your shoulder repeating one thing, incessantly: "Get it done, get it done." So you work harder. You get the job done. The boss however, does not thank you. He asks for more. (p. 309)

Liesel is a foster child, a child with nightmares, and a child trying to help those around her survive. She becomes a thief of something very important to her... books. And these books end up playing very important roles throughout her life.

Again, it's difficult to describe the experience of reading this book. The Book Thief will definitely leave an impression on any reader who takes the time and effort to read it.

I know it did for me. And the ending... unforgettable.

Soon there was nothing but scraps of words littered between her legs and all around her. The words. Why did they exist? Without them, there wouldn't be any of this. ... What good are the words? (p. 521)

With great trepidation, she opened The Book Thief and turned the pages. "I can't believe . . ." Even though the text had faded, she was able to read her words. ... She sat down on the curb, and I joined her.
"Did you read it?" she asked, but she did not look at me. Her eyes were fixed to the words.
I nodded. "Many times."
"Could you understand it?"
And at this point, there was a great pause. (p.549-550)

Mini-Challenge #3

I have never been a big fan of poetry. I have experienced some enjoyment from it on occasions, but I always had a hard time getting much from it. I do remember a time when I enjoyed some poets that were studied during english class in high school and college, but then again I had trouble intrepreting their poems for the followup assignments. Most of the poetry that I read today is found on greeting cards that provide verses for celebration or inspiration.

Mini-challenge #3 is to read a poem and review what was read. This was definitely a challenge for me. Last month while I was at the library I thought I would give it a try. I went to the shelves, pulled a book of modern poetry, opened it and read a few poems, shook my head from the words that just didn't make sense, returned the book, and decided to save it for another time. This month I gave it another shot and pulled from my personal shelf a slim volume that I received last year from PaperbackSwap.

Phenomenal Woman: Four Poems Celebrating Women by Maya Angelou includes four poems for which she is most remembered and acclaimed. I discovered this book after reading I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings and became interested in reading more of Angelou's work. I remember skimming through it last year, but this morning I picked the volume up once again and really read it. And to my surprise I found success! I enjoyed her style and understood the feeling of the poems. And I found the four poems very inspirational.

The first poem is "Phenomenal Woman". This poem celebrates being a woman. I really enjoyed this verse:

It's the fire in my eyes,
And the flash of my teeth,
The swing in my waist,
And the joy in my feet.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

The second poem is "Still I Rise". This celebrates being strong in adversity and rising above the roadblocks others set before you. I really enjoyed this verse:

You may shoot me with your words,
You may cut me with your eyes,
You may kill me with your hatefulness,
But still, like air, I'll rise.

The third poem is "Weekend Glory". This celebrates how we can be rich without money or haughtiness. I really enjoyed this verse:

My life ain't heaven
but it sure ain't hell.
I'm not on top
but I call it swell.

The fourth and final poem is "Our Grandmothers". This celebrates the history of what several grandmothers have endured throughout their lifetimes. I really enjoyed this verse:

She said, But my description cannot
fit your tongue, for
I have a certain way of being in this world,

and I shall not, I shall not be moved.

Overall, I'm glad I gave this challenge another chance. Phenomenal Woman by Maya Angelou gave me an opportunity to enjoy some poetry this morning and to add some inspiration into my day. I think that's what poetry is all about!

Smart Women

"But you loved him anyway," Gemini said.
"Yes."
"Even though he was no good for you."
"He gave me exactly what I wanted," Michelle said. "He gave me experience."
"But was it worth it?" Gemini asked.
Michelle's eyes filled up. "I don't know yet. If I live, then I guess so. If I die of a broken heart, then probably not."
"You're not going to die of a broken heart," Gemini said. "You're too smart for that."
"I don't think it has anything to do with being smart," Michelle said. (p.333)

In celebration of an author's birthday in February, I read Smart Women by Judy Blume. Judy Blume is one of my favorite authors from my teen years and I have read a couple of her adult books as well. I was really looking forward to reading her again for this challenge.

Three divorced women living in Boulder, Colorado are trying to start over with their children, their careers, and their love lives. Clare has no money problems and never officially divorced her husband who ran off with the Doughnut Girl. B.B. appears to have it all, with her confidence and real estate business, but never fully recovered from the loss of her son a few years ago. And Margo found a new career and a string of lovers while searching for a missing element in her life. Enter an ex-husband, unhappy teen-aged children, and a mental breakdown and now you have a story of smart women who try to move forward in their often challenging and confusing lives.

Primarily centered around Margo, the story begins to unfold with introductions and histories of the various characters. Then events and circumstances happen. (At this point I asked myself, "What smart women? Where are the smart women?") As the pieces finally fall into place, these events begin to shape the course of the rest of the story. Closure slowly sneeks its way into the ending and I smiled as Margo finishes the book in the same place she started it... in the hot tub.

Definitely a chick-lit book, I enjoyed getting lost in other women's problems for a few days. Smart Women is not a book for everyone, but for those who remember Judy Blume it is worth the read.

Found

"God . . . You brought this to me." He could feel andrenaline rushing through his veins, feel his brow getting damp. "Whatever's in here, let me react to Your understanding, Your wisdom." There was an assurance that came with a prayer like that. No matter what lay ahead, God was with him. Because of that, he could handle whatever he was about to find. (p. 467)

Found by Karen Kingsbury is the third book in her Firstborn Series . The title is very appropriate for this page turner, another in the Baxter Family Drama that just keeps getting better.

The obvious first... John is searching for his firstborn son. Dayne is searching for his path in life now that he has fallen in love with Katy. And Katy, Rhonda, and Ashley continue to search for the kind of love that they know God has promised for them.

But others are searching too. Someone is searching for truth. Someone is searching for trust. Someone is searching for wholeness. Someone is searching for family. Someone is searching for understanding. And someone is just searching... searching to be found.

Gradually, Dayne understood what his friend was saying. Want proof of God? Listen to the cry of your own heart, look at creation. (p.322)

There was a hole in Dayne's heart --- one that had been there since he was old enough to remember. He'd tried to fill it... (p. 326)

Dayne hadn't thought of God that way before --- the God of miracles. He stared into the darkening sky. "What miracles, God?" His question wasn't asked in anger or frustration, but more out of earnest curiosity. "What have You ever done in my life to show me that You're the God of miracles?" There was no loud answer, but Dayne could feel a knowing growing in his heart. (p. 327)

Yes, God had been working miracles in his life all along. But until now, he'd never taken the time to look for them. (p. 328)

Several miracles do happen in this story... the miracle of birth, the miracle of love, the miracle of family and friends, and the miracle of answered prayers. All these miracles that people have taken the time to look for and celebrate are experienced on many different levels by the Baxter family, their community, and their friends.

And the miracle of being found. People are found in many different ways throughout this book.

Kingsbury's Found is full of inspiration, hope, and understanding. I know I say this everytime I finish the next book, but I think this is one of her best in the series. Fortunately, it's not the end of the story yet!

Spirituality Book Challenge

Not that I need another book challenge added to my list of reading, but this one is a challenge I could not refuse. It offers me a chance to read from a genre I enjoy and allows me to clear off the shelf three more books that have been awaiting my attention. Callista is hosting the Spirituality Book Challenge from March 1st to June 1st, asking participants to read three books that have a spiritual aspect to them. Easy enough for me! I have chosen the following books for this challenge:

By What Authority? An Evangelical Discovers Catholic Tradition by Mark P. Shea. I discovered this title after taking an apologetics class at my church a couple summers ago. It was recommended reading by the instructor and I ordered the book soon after completing the class.

Like Dandelion Dust by Karen Kingsbury. I ordered this fiction book earlier this summer. Karen Kingsbury has become one of my favorite authors this past year.

Traveling Light For Mothers: The Promise of Psalm 23 by Max Lucado. I have read Lucado before and discovered this book from another reader's blog. I received the book from PaperbackSwap over a year ago and I definitely could use it for a bit of inspiration right now.

I am hoping to complete this challenge in the timeframe given and I look forward to the variety of books that I have chosen. Thanks, Callista, for another great challenge.

Going To Bend

How many times had she driven this way without taking the turnoff, without wondering what lay at the end of that road? Her people --- Old Man, Paula, Eula, Eddie, Rose, Petie herself --- didn't travel, didn't drive down new roads. They lived and died in a dead-end place where roads ended instead of began, where the skies wept harsh tears and the ocean hemmed them in as surely as any prison wall. (p.290)

Going To Bend by Diane Hammond was a slow start, but once I became aquainted with the rich blend of characters I felt right at home and loved the story. Best friends forever, Petie Coolbaugh and Rose Bundy have lived most of their lives in the small town of Hubbard Oregon. Neither has had an easy life, but they have both made their way forward in it... or so they believe. Everyone in town knows one another's stories, pasts, and daily activities. Newcomers into town are often met with some resistance; but, Nadine, Gordan, Marge and Larry have slowly become accepted into the community. And those that come and go, such as Jim Christie and other fishermen, slowly integrate themselves into the fabric of the town as well.

As the characters related their pasts and downfalls, I found each character becoming a stronger person and gaining more courage in their present situations. The story may sound slightly depressing at first but it truly is not. After I eventually got caught up into the lives of the characters, I found the story to give hope and inspiration as the ending led Petie and Rose to their next bend in life.

Marge leaned forward and squeezed Petie's hand. "Honey, is it wrong to be a broken vase when it's not your fault you fell off the table? You can't always keep things from breaking, hon, but it's not the breaking that God faults us for. It's throwing away the pieces that hurts Him, honey, when He's made perfectly good glue if you'd only take the trouble to use it. Now, you're never going to look brand new again and you can't do anything about that. But you'll hold flowers all the same, even if you're a little stove in on one side. Do you see? The important thing is, you can be the receptacle for beauty, honey; you can still hold His pretty colors just like you were intended to. Your little Ryan knows that; all children know that. It's only us grown-ups that forget." (p.279)

The story revolves primarily around the two main characters Petie and Rose, their families and their pasts, and jobs that take them into new directions. Although they don't always see the good or love in everyone, slowly they begin to find good and love all around them... just waiting to be discovered. A story about friendship, overcoming your past, and finding your way in life, Going To Bend by Diane Hammond became an unexpected good read, with a rich blend of characters that wrap you easily into their lives and dreams, a book that I very much enjoyed.

The Scent of Cinnamon

The Scent of Cinnamon by Charles Lambert is a short story that takes place in the early American West. A simple love story unfolds between Joseph Broderick and Miriam Payne beginning with a brief exchange of letters that introduces themselves and their intentions.

It would do, he thought. He looked at the photograph for a moment and saw a man, a liver-spotted dog, a house, then folded the sheet of paper around it and slid them both into the envelope. Miriam Payne, he murmured, writing these words in his small clear forward-sloping hand, and beneath them an address in Cornwall, a country he had never seen. Miriam Payne, he repeated in a stronger voice, then: Miriam Broderick. Yes. It would do.

Several weeks later, Joseph prepares to meet Miriam upon her arrival on the spice boat. On his way, however, the wheel of his wagon becomes stuck in a rut and he struggles to free it. He feels quite poorly afterwards from the physical exertion and suddenly feels a sharp pain in his chest and shoulder. He rests for a while, possibly falling asleep, and awakens feeling stronger than before and now able to continue his journey to the docks. There, Miriam is still waiting for him. It is love at first sight and they head home to begin their new life together as a couple.

"Miriam," he repeated in a voice so quiet he wondered how she could have heard. She kissed his mouth.

"I am God's gift to you," she said. "That's what Miriam means, did you know that? God's gift."

Their life continues quite well for the next month, with the exception of Jasper the dog disappearing the night of Miriam's arrival. Then one morning Joseph decides to go into the harbor town to find the latest local news. During that trip Joseph makes three startling discoveries, one of which includes finding an unbelievable letter posted on the wall near the traders' shops. What he reads will shock him.

And possibly the reader.

I very much enjoyed The Scent of Cinnamon for its vivid description and its winding storyline that makes you think about what may or may not be happening within this story. Although I knew the direction in which the story was heading, the final ending still gave me a slight surprise and made the love story between Joseph and Miriam even sweeter.

"The Scent of Cinnamon" by Charles Lambert (from One Story) from The O. Henry Prize Stories 2007 edited by Laura Furman

Tropical Fish

There are so many of us who are lost, so many. That whole week I am unsettled inside. All my ways of thinking are rearranging themselves in my head. What other people think about me recedes, as I grasp for . . . for what? I decide to write a poem, to clarify things, to try, anyway. ... My piece of paper trembles to match my voice, but I read on, reminding myself: no one knows me here, no one real will ever know.

have body, will travel
through the maze of my unbelief
to the stone wall of my yearning
for more.

The applause could have been a little more lively, I think. I'm not even sure they heard what I said. My famous accent. It is a desperate poem, but that's okay, I have done it. (pp.142-143)

A collage of eight stories that include memories, letters, diaries, and travels, Tropical Fish: Tales from Entebbe by Doreen Baingana is fictional account of three sisters and their lives in Uganda. Each sister relates an account from their childhood, adolescence, and young adulthood that describes her feelings and discoveries about life and love.

Baingana is very descriptive in her writing which allowed me to feel the emotion that each sister evokes in her storytelling. I especially enjoyed Green Stones because of Baingana's vibrant descriptions of Christine's childhood, and I enjoyed A Thank-You Note because of the raw emotion revealed by Rosa at a crucial moment in her short life.

Tropical Fish was an easy read that I thoroughly enjoyed from cover to cover. Not all stories are for the lighthearted, but each will leave you thinking about about themes that are common to many women, not just those of Uganda or the United States.

The Alchemist

"There is only one way to learn," the alchemist answered. "It's through action. Everything you need to know you have learned through your journey. You need to learn only one thing more."

The boy wanted to know what that was, but the alchemist was searching the horizon, looking for the falcon.

"Why are you called the alchemist?"

"Because that's what I am."

"And what went wrong when other alchemists tried to make gold and were unable to do so?"

"They were looking only for gold," his companion answered. "They were seeking the treasure of their destiny, without wanting actually to live out the destiny." (p.132)

A Fable About Following Your Dream, The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho is a simple yet complex tale about a young man seeking his dream and destiny. Santiago, a shepherd by trade, loves to travel the countryside with his sheep. After his reoccuring dream of a treasure found in the pyramids of Egypt is interpretted by a gypsy woman as a journey towards his destiny, he meets up with several people and travels far while learning much about life, love, and dreams. The alchemist that he meets at an oasis leads him on the final leg of that journey and eventually Santiago finds his treasure.

The story offers many words of wisdom for learning, growing, and living. I especially liked these passages as I personally love the written word and quotes of inspiration. But as for the story overall, I guess I just didn't get it. I enjoyed the story and it's simplicity, but I think I missed something in it's complexity. I read this book for the Bookworms Reading Group as our February selection and now I am anxious for the discussion to start so that I can gain insight into the story's meaning.

Or maybe... just maybe... I am trying to see too much into it because of all the wisdom Sanitago discovered while finding his destiny and dream.

Yeah, I think that just might be it!