The quote on the cover of the book says specifically "It is the kind of book that can change a life." Normally an exhausted hyperbole, this time it is true. The proof? I am writing.
The Book:
Every page is overwhelming. The beauty of this writing cannot be wasted on one simply looking for a good story. If you do not love the written word, these pages are above you. I want to print anonymous flyers and leave them in the classrooms at my university or email a directory of librarians and spread the novel like a virus.
I have ready many books since I stopped blogging, but I loved sharing my experiences. As an English teacher and future librarian, I still suffer through books. The 550 pages of this one took me two months because every word drips with imagery, figurative language, and gut-wrenching emotion that it makes part seven of Harry Potter look like Dr. Seuss. It is painstaking the journey required through some of these plots, and I liked having proof of my successes, a trophy case of characters drawn and lessons learned. It is time to unlock the glass and start bragging once again.
At the top is a link to the books I have read. The start of the page explains the goal I made for myself in January of 2011. I wanted to escape from my job that was literally making me sick. The final book on the list is Mockingjay, the final installment of the Hunger Games trilogy. I finished that book on an airplane from Washington, DC to LAX. My best friend got married in upstate New York, and I brought that book with to read on the plane, that and The Book Thief. I started the book then, but decided to take a nap instead. It was over a year before I picked it up again. It seems fitting to commence the list of triumphs with the mammoth that held up the process in the first place. Truthfully, I stopped blogging and reading so much because I got a new job at a different school. I didn't hate that job nearly as much. I didn't need to lose myself in Hogsmede. I didn't stop reading, though.
Therefore, I am going to add to the list every book I can remember, and I promise to start writing reviews again. I am a future librarian who strongly considers book suggestions the most crucial part of my job.
Please suggest books that changed your life. But really. Actually change occurred because you had no choice. My fingers have been itching for months, and this book did it. Tell me yours.
"I have hated the words and I have loved them, and I hope that I have made them right."
I loved that book as well! It was one of those books that made me stop reading for a while because no book could top that incredible experience.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the suggestion. I'll definitely have to check that one out next. I'm currently reading "The Language of Flowers" and, while not usually a book I'd pick up based on the description and cover, I'm in love. Hopefully the rest of the book measures up. :)
ReplyDeleteLesley thank you for this posting of The Book Thief. Such a powerful story with characters who, on their own, could have a story written about them. It has been a couple years since I read this story and I think I will reread it this summer. It is my favorite to recommend to students and I have yet to find someone who was not moved by the story. I believe everyone should read The Diary of Anne Frank, The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, and The Book Thief.
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