the Book Thief

I can't even begin to tell you.  I started reading the Book Thief after Christmas and finally finished it.  I've heard about it for months, probably years if I think hard about it, and I caved.  The movie is coming out, a couple close friends had read it, and I'm going to do my best right now to tell you what I thought without giving it away.

According to my iBooks, it's 476 pages.  If you're looking for a light and quick read, this isn't it.  For light and quick, read Regis' memoir.  The Book Thief is about a young girl in Nazi Germany, and it's narrated by Death.  Zusack writes it beautifully.  I just texted one of my friends that it was haunting and beautiful and emotional all at the same time.

While following a mostly linear plot, Death lets the audience in on a few secrets here and there, giving us sneaks of different endings.  I cried multiple times.  Anyways.

Throughout the story, we learn about the relationship between main character Liesel and her foster parents, the Hubermann's, Liesel and Rudy, and the part that Jewish man Max plays in their lives.

Everything I want to say about the Book Thief is essentially a spoiler.  I'm clearly really bad at book reviewing, so I figure it's good that that's not what I want to spend my life doing.  Here's what I have to say.  This book is beautiful.  The love that is displayed in this novel is heart-achingly written and able to be imagined.  To quote Death, "it makes my heart hurt".  The history of World War II is weaved through the characters' lives and laid on the pages.  Death speaks of it in numbers lost, and I'm just reminded again of what an event the Holocaust was.  I'm going to be done raving.  Just read it.

What have you been reading?  I'd love to hear.  Especially if it's so good you can't even gush properly.

it's Thursday!

I love Things I Love Thursday.  It challenges me to figure out what things have meant a lot to me this week, and it's kind of awesome.  Here's what I'm loving this week...

- Sharpie highlighters

I'm in full finals mode, which means my post-its and highlighters are my best friends right now.  I already wrote about my favorite Post-It Flag Pen, but I love the Sharpie highlighters just as much.  They don't smear, and they last FOREVER.  I color-code everything, so having one of every color is an absolute MUST for me.

- Make Everything Okay

This is my life saver on some days.  When I'm sitting at my desk, stressed beyond belief about finals and what not, I click on this and it truly works.  There's something about being reminded that it will be okay, and sometimes you're the one who has to do some adjusting to make it okay.

- 101 in 1001

Nathan and I are attempting to create our own lists and support each other through the completion of said lists.  When I read about these before Thanksgiving, I was bound and determined that this would be my project to start on January 1st.  As I began writing the list (and stopped, and started, and stopped), I realized that this was going to take longer than the 5 weeks I'd given myself.  It's challenging, when they become realistic goals, to think of the 101 things you want to have accomplished in 2.75 years.

- Scents from the Page

This is unbelievable.  I want every single one of these, and I want to buy them all for my friends.  There's something about reading a book, and the scent of the book, that sucks one in and takes you to a different world; but these candles, these candles are scents reminiscent of the places from your favorite books.  And for only $10, it's cheaper than re-buying the book.  I'm not sure how that mindset works, but sure, why not.

- Regis Philbin

Long story short, Regis Philbin became one of my role models/inspirations when I was 13.  I loved him - but I didn't realize how much until half a decade later when I read "How I Got This Way", his second memoir.  There is something about this man that is inherently inspirational and beautiful.  I picked up his first book, "I'm Only One Man", at a second hand bookstore months ago.  School has finally wound down enough that I could start reading it and, after a few pages, I'm hooked.  But I was hooked after the dedication page.

"This book is for any of you who have ever wanted to do something but feared you might not be good enough to do it.  This is to tell you to go for it.  You might surprise yourself.  Look what happened to me."