If you haven't noticed on my sidebar, I read a lot of books. A lot. In fact I prefer to read in my bits of spare time than almost any other activity. If I am not reading a book, I feel like something is missing. I am also fairly picky with what books merit 4 and 5 stars. There are a lot of enjoyable books that I have read, but there has to be something more in order to get my highest recommendation. I don't really have a specific recipe, but I just know.
I think the next few months I will post some of my absolute favorites that I have read the past several years.
Best Stand Alone Book
1. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak - This is truly one of the best books I have ever read. I don't even know where to start it is so good on so many levels. It is about a girl, Liesel, in Nazi Germany who steals books in order to learn how to read. This book isn't your standard read about the horrors of concentration camps in WWII. It is about:
an iron-fisted woman - the smell of friendship - the gates of thievery - way of the words - peace - champagne and accordians - a final kiss on poisoned cheeks - a promise keeper - and a frightened boy with frozen legs
What on earth have I written? Well that leads me to my next point. I think the best way I can describe Zusak's writing style is heavy-handed and well...different. Some may describe his writing style as "over the top." I think given the subject and events of the book, it fits well. You will have to read the book to see what on earth I am talking about and why I wrote it that way.
Zusak does an excellent job of hammering into your head what he is saying, and he does so using "Death" as the narrator for the story who is compassionate, frank and has a witty sense of humor all his own. For example:
A SMALL PIECE OF TRUTH
I do not carry a sickle or scythe.
I only wear a hooded black robe when it's cold.
And I don't have those skull-like facial features you seem to enjoy pinning on me from a distance. You want to know what I truly look like? I'll help you out. Find yourself a mirror while I continue. Not only does Death use plenty of foreshadow in the book, he also describes events and circumstances using words and phrases that you wouldn't normally use. And why is it that knowing what is going to happen and bracing yourself for the impact rarely helps when the storm finally breaks? Good writing, I tell ya. See, that is part of the recipe.
A few examples of his descriptive writing:
Her teeth were like a soccer crowd, crammed in. The sky was like soup, boiling and stirring. In some places, it was burned. There were black crumbs, and pepper, streaked across the redness.A bathrobe answered the door. Inside it, a woman!
His character development is also superb. Your initial judgement of some when you meet them will slowly change over the course of the book, while others you love from the first introduction. If I could summarize this book I would say it is full of love and hope. This book is emotionally draining, but worth every tear you will shed. Because you will cry. That I promise.
Now I must stop writing about it or I will either 1) start bawling or 2) start reading it again.
ps If you ever read any of my recommendations I would love to know what you think about them!
pps As far as content goes, there are German swear words, written in German throughout the book. There are a few American swear words as well.
