The Book Thief

I recently finished The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak. It was over 500 pages, but so good that even after 500 pages I still wanted more. I couldn't put it down.

It's the story of a young girl growing up in Nazi Germany. So it's one of those great, but tragic books. The first few chapters were a little confusing and dreadfully sad, but after that it perked up a bit. That is to say I wasn't crying every time I picked up the book. Death was the narrator of the story, which was very clever, and probably my favorite thing about the book.

I also appreciated that this book was about ordinary people living in Germany during the war. All my other war books are about Jews in hiding, Jews in camps, members of the resistance in occupied countries, Allied forces, etc. Germans lived, suffered, died, and showed compassion during the war as well.

Great read - 4 stars.

She Got Up Off The Couch

A few months ago I read "A Girl Named Zippy" by Haven Kimmel on the recommendation of a friend, and loved it. I just finished the sequel, "She Got Up Off The Couch, And Other Heroic Acts from Mooreland, Indiana." I loved it even more than "Zippy." One of those books that I enjoyed so much I almost wanted to ration it out to make it last longer. It's a fun ramble through her childhood in small town Indiana. The author has a great, quirky sense of humor about herself, her past, and her friends and family. And, a bit of inspiration, as the title indicates.

The Nine: Inside the Secret World of the Supreme Court

I really enjoyed this walk through the past few decades of major Supreme Court decisions. It was fascinating to learn more about the individual justices - their personalities, their political and philosophical views, and the way they interact with each other and their clerks. It was a great crash course of the cases that have come through the courts since Rehnquist became Chief Justice. The author clearly is a huge fan of Sandra Day O'Connor and the book does have liberal slant. But a great,...more I really enjoyed this walk through the past few decades of major Supreme Court decisions. It was fascinating to learn more about the individual justices (their personalities, their political and philosophical views, and the way they interact with each other and their clerks) and how the Supreme Court actually functions. It was also a great look at some of the major cases that have come through the courts since Rehnquist became Chief Justice, for instance Casey v. Planned Parenthood and Bush v. Gore. The author clearly is a huge fan of Sandra Day O'Connor and he talks about some justices more than others. But I heard somewhere that only some of the justices spoke to him while he was researching for this book, so that could explain it - he just had more material for some than others.

Boo's picks

Boo's book of choice these days is Hug by Jez Alborough. It's a very cute picture book about a little monkey, mama and baby animals, and of course, hugging. Just about the only word in the book is "hug" but the pictures tell a great story. We have it in a board book, but I have also seen it in a large hardback.

Another favorite book is The Monster at the End of This Book by Jon Stone. This book has been around for ages. I remember it being a favorite of mine when I was a kid. Starring Grover from Sesame Street. Grover tries to keep you from turning pages to prevent getting to the 'monster' at the end of the book. It's very cute.

The Glass Castle

I just read The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls on recommendation from Anne. It is a fascinating autobiography of the author's childhood growing up in poverty. Once I started, I couldn't put it down. The author's descriptions of her childhood adventures are almost unbelievable to me - it was incredible to see the kids learn to fend for themselves at what seems to me at an impossibly young age. It gives a unique glimpse into a life that I certainly have no concept of. It opened my mind, and gave me enormous respect for the kids who pulled themselves out of that world and gave themselves a different future. I absolutely recommend this book.

Eclipse

When I start reading a series, I can't stop until I have finished it. I have finished reading the third book in the Twilight series, Eclipse. I have mixed feelings on this book. There was a lot more on the Cullens in this book, and they are my favorites. I enjoyed that. But Bella is such a silly girl and Jacob is a silly boy. I liked the plot, but I was somewhat bored by all the dialog, and I thought there were too many revisitations of the same themes.

I wonder if Bella isn't some mythical creature as well. Bella mentions at one point how strange it is that she happens to be so involved with not one but two mythical creatures. Maybe she is drawn to them because she is as well. That would explain why she is not affected by Aro, Jane and Edward's powers. See, I must like the books at least a little, because I am theorizing about them.

New Moon

Here is a review of New Moon by Stephanie Meyer that I wrote awhile ago and am just now getting up.

Time for review of book #2 in the Twilight series - New Moon. I think I mentioned it a little in the Twilight review. The four or five blank chapters were quite clever. I really liked that. But I have to admit to being bored for most of the book. I kept reading because I was sure that the Cullens would show up. I enjoy the characters of the Cullens, I think more because of the extra chapters I have read on Stephanie Meyer's website. I was also intrigued by the Paris and Romeo metaphor she had going. It did get exciting and I couldn't put it down as soon as Alice showed up. I have Eclipse waiting for me at the library and I'm looking forward to the love triangle that awaits me there. I heard today that the next (final?) book will not be out until late 2008.

Twilight

I recently finished reading Twilight by Stephanie Meyer. A few people had recommended it and most reviews on barnesandnoble.com were very positive. I saw reviews such as: "Best book ever written". "No book will ever live up to this one."

So I was a little disappointed in Twilight. It was certainly interesting young adult fiction, definitely not the best book ever written. I went from interesting to sappy to interesting to predictable. My sister clued me in to Stephanie Meyer's website, and I enjoyed reading the alternate perspectives (Midnight Sun, Miscalculation) much more than the actual book. I guess it wasn't that bad however, because yesterday I picked up the next book, New Moon, from the library.

Unfortunately, New Moon, is pretty bad. The last half of the first chapter was great, but the chapter following was a let down. I'm about halfway through now and it is boring, boring, boring. If I hadn't been sick I think I would have stopped reading it. But at the time it was too much to get up off the couch and get a new book. I did like the four blank month chapters though. I thought that was clever.

Has anyone else read these books? Does New Moon get any better? I really wanted to like them, I need a fantasy replacement for Harry Potter.