Summer Reading Thing(y) 2009

I keep censoring myself as I type. Type, delete, type delete.

I think I might participate in a(nother) summer reading program. I'm slightly late--no surprise there, but it's low pressure, and new territory for me. Kind of. We are supposed to just read books by LDS authors and I'm not hugely aware of all the LDS authors out there. Good thing the sponsoring web site has a list. And since I am familiar with Shannon Hale and have read four of her books, I will start off in the comfort zone.

The Short List
1. Anything Shannon Hale that I haven't read
ie. Enna Burning, River Secrets, and the Actor and the Housewife

And I've always wanted to read more Orson Scott Card books. So perhaps he will be next...

The Book Thief

Should I read this book? YES!

The Book Thief takes place in Nazi Germany at the start of WWII, but the characters and individual events are fictionalized. I loved it. After reading I wanted to talk to the author and discuss with him how he came up with such vivid imagery and poetic details. I like good poetry. And the book was full of it.

The tale is narrated by Death, and although that may seem morbid and dark, it was exactly the opposite. In a time of great suffering, pain, and inevitable loss, the narrator ironically lends sympathy and even hope.

He forshadows much of the pain and tragic events, which tend to lessen the emotional blow when they do happen and where some forshadowing can ruin a good story, the foreshadowing in The Book Thief only added to it, even as obvious as it was.

The characters were real and round, each with imperfections and flaws that made them seem as if they were your own neighbors, parents, friends. The childhood of the protagonist was full of everyday failure and triumph, framed by greater tragic and even triumphal events of the time.

I came away from reading The Book Thief not only with satisfaction of having read a good tale, but also a greater understanding of more than just the Jewish victims of the Holocaust. I felt a greater appreciation for ancestors who lived and endured that time of war and rationing. And thought to myself--wow we've got it pretty good. So thanks Marcus Zusak for a great read.

Books, books, books...

So I started this particular blog because I love books and love reading books and I love talking about what I'm reading, but there isn't always someone to talk to about it when I need to talk about it.

To some, reading is a waste of time, but to me it is a way to fill my mind with ideas and life stories and connect me to humanity. It is a way for me to understand the human condition and empathize with it. It is a way for me to regenerate, to learn, and to experience catharsis. As will all pursuits in life I have learned I have to use judgement and moderation, or I will binge. And yes, I have been known to binge read a time or two (or three or four). So join me if you want, but I'll be here anyway. Unless, of course, I'm not. And for a little taste test (really this is for me to remember which ones I want to write about) sometime in the near future I will post about the following good reads: Hummingbird's Daughter, The Book Thief, Pillars of the Earth, Friday Night Knitting Club.