The Book Thief, A Review

The Book Thief
By: Markus Zusak
My Rating: 5/5

Full disclaimer about this book, it sat on my shelf for a good four years, yes years, before I got around to reading it.  Once I finally cracked it open, I was mad a myself for not picking it up sooner.

To get the first thing out of the way, this is a book about the Holocaust.  That was the biggest thing that kept me from picking up the book in the first place.  I could not bring myself to start reading it, I did not know how the author would handle such a dark time in history.  To my surprise, he handled it very well, and kept me on the edge of my seat through the whole book.

The narrator of this story is Death.  There is no way to sugar coat it, but it is very well thought out and done.  He talks about how busy he was during that time in human history, which is hurtful to think about but makes the story so good.

This book kept me pulled into the story from the begining.  I laughed, I cried (a lot) and I just fell in love with it. It quickly became one of my all time favorite books.

I loved the characters and grew attached quickly, which is not a good idea considering the time period this book is sat in.  I was completely invested in what I was reading because I needed to know what happened next.

Thanks for reading!!
Love, Stephanie

Have you read The Book Thief?  If so, what are your thoughts? 

Top Five Books I Did Not Finish

Hey Guys!

While I was browsing YouTube this morning I saw Padfootandprongs07 talk about her top five books she didn't finish so it got me thinking about what I haven't finished. 

Please don't be angry with me I'm at a point in life where if I'm not enjoying a book, I'm going to stop reading it.  That doesn't mean these books are terrible, and I'm sure lots of you thoroughly enjoy them, they just weren't for me.

The Casual Vacancy
By: J. K. Rowling

I wanted to love this book, I really did.  Something about it just kept me from diving into the story.  Maybe one day I'll pick it up again and give it another go.

Days of Blood and Starlight
By: Laini Taylor

Oh this book.  I loved the first one Daughter of Smoke and Bone, but each time I've tried to read the sequel, I just couldn't do it.

The Time Travelers Wife
By:Audrey Niffenegger

I picked this book up blind from the library.  They had a special event going that was masquerade themed and all the books were covered, but had a short synopsis.  I tried reading it, but it just wasn't what I was looking for at the time.  I also may pick this one up later and try again.

Mocking Jay
By: Susan Collins

Please don't throw stones at me for this one.  I own the trilogy, and enjoyed the first two books, but once I reached a certain part in Mocking Jay, I just couldn't continue.

Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea
By: Jules Verne

I know, It's a classic.  I tried reading this book on my kindle, which I struggle with anyway, so maybe I'll pick this up in a physical form soon.

Well, there you go!  Five books I did not finish!

What about you?  Do you power through books you just don't love?  Or are you like me and are not afraid to DNF one?

Let me know in the comments!!

Thank you for reading!!
Love, Stephanie

These Broken Stars
By: Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner
My Rating: 4/5

I have to say I loved this book.  I went into it with an open mind and without much knowledge of what happens other than the main girl has red hair and is wearing a pretty dress on the cover.  (I know, how dare I be sucked in by a pretty cover, again)

I had heard a few people mention it was a good science fiction, young adult, fantasy novel, so of course I was intrigued and picked it up.  The whole book is written from two different and switching points of view.  At first that caught me off guard, but I loved the differing views on what was happening around them.  I can only assume the co authors did these in turn, each writing a chapter then the other writing the next from the other view.  They blended well and it never seemed to be disjointed at all.

**I may get a little spoilery here so you've been warned**

Lilac and Tarver find themselves on a seemingly abandoned but terraformed planet.  They each are the last person they would want to be stuck with alone, but they have no other choice.  Lilac is the daughter of the wealthiest and most powerful man in the universe.  Tarver is a lowly country boy turned war hero.

They are traveling across the galaxy on the Icarus which is the largest ship of its kind which struck some people as too Titanic-like but I didn't quite get that.  I was more afraid of the mythology behind Icarus and how he flew too close to the sun.  Just as I was about to look up about Icarus, my fears were confirmed.  Suddenly they are pulled out of hyperspace and in the panic, Lilac and Traver end up in the same escape pod.

As they travel across this (mostly) abandoned planet they must learn to work with each other to survive.

I loved how their relationship grew.  It felt so natural to me and I couldn't stop reading to find out what happened to them. Need this book in your life? Amazon is pretty great for that, and if you buy through my link I get a small commission, so its a win-win!