Friday, March 30, 2012

I'ts almost April Fool's Day!

Yikes!  It is almost April 1st and I haven't picked a book yet.  Guess I'll get to it ASAP.

Hope you are enjoying Defending Jacob.  Once again I'll say 'YIKES'!  (It seems to be a favorite exclamation of mine lately.)  Next month we need a book that doesn't make me exclaim.  

I know that Maria has finished the book and Jim is halfway through.  Eileen is still waiting for it from the library. When I see her next week I'll have to introduce her to Kindle & Ipad - right Maria?  We are getting to the point where we prefer buying books on our Ipad so we don't have to wait at the library.  Hopefully next month I will select a book that is readily available.

Conversation in my house about Defending Jacob goes like this:
DH:  These characters are so engrossing
ME:  Really?  I don't like the characters at all.
DH:  I can't read anymore because I don't like what I see coming!
ME:  It's only a book!  You only have a few more days.  
DH:  How can you not be totally engrossed by this book?
ME:  How can you be totally engrossed by this book?

He hasn't finished it yet - just wait!  This author is on my 'definite need to read another' list.  

Ya'll have a wonderful weekend and hopefully your will get the next BOM on Sunday.

Happy Reading,
Barbara

Thursday, March 22, 2012

What's the Defense?

Hello Readers,


So, how is Defending Jacob coming along?  This was a great suggestions Maria!  Thank you.  I am about 3/4 done.  It's interesting to me that the character development isn't as gripping as I thought it would be.  I am thinking that male authors just don't do that as well (?) as female ones.  What do you think?  For instance, Kristen Hannah's characters get to me from the beginning of the book.  I identify with them (sometimes all of them) and want to know what happens beyond the book.   In Unbroken, The Book Thief, and now in Defending Jacob, I appreciate the story, have empathy and understanding of the characters and the twists and turns of the plot but I don't become integral to to character.  Does that even make sense?  
Hope you are all reading and enjoying the book.  Just 2 weeks til April!  What will the April book be?  Male or female author?  Current era or long ago?  Fiction or non?  Stay tuned!


Happy Reading,


Barbara

Saturday, March 17, 2012

I feel so old!

Hello dear readers,


Yes, I feel so old because what keeps going through my mind is 'where does the time go?'  I keep trying to convince everyone that the earth spins faster in Vermont!  No one believes me!   All this to say I should have written my review of The Book Thief sooner but just didn't get around to it.  
Let's see, what question do I want to answer first?  Death's visiting the living and dead.  Conceptually I loved it.  Death was loving, caring and sometimes not happy he had to collect a soul.  It's always good to have literary confirmation that we have a soul!  The interesting part to me was where did he take the souls.  Could death have been Jesus or God or one of the prophets?  I think I may have liked Death as the best character -- if (s)he was considered one.  
Max and Liesel were both rescued by Hans & Rosa.  Rosa is a hardhearted character that only has the shell of hardheartedness.  She is sympathetic, empathetic and deeply caring.  She accepts without question the entry of the refugees and cares for them as best as she could.  Hans is just one of those bleeding hearts who would do anything for anyone yet he does have his principles.
How many of us would allow a person to 'steal' into our homes to read, eat, or rest as Ilsa allowed Liesel?  Liesel was a waif, a orphan, a street urchin.  Bravely Ilsa allowed her to enter the home to read and steal books.  How brave!  The agoraphobia prevented her from living life for years and yet when necessity presented itself she stepped out of her shell to help Liesel.  Awesome!  
What must it have been like to live in Munich during this time?  Horribly frightening but without the ability to see what actually happened on a grand scale.  As I mentioned before Dachau was a horrible place on the outskirts of Munich and to envision those Jews walking down the streets makes my stomach roil.  Then, Hans tried to offer some kind of solace and was beaten.  How many times did the people try to stop the progression of Nazi Germany and were rebuffed, killed, and tortured.  Conscription of the fathers and brothers against their desire to serve and/or abandon their families.  ughh!  I don't know how to express my disgust and thankfulness that I didn't live in that time and place.  

As a child I learned 'sticks and stones will break my bones but words will never hurt me'.  And yet, the words followed by actions killed millions because of the built up hatred caused by those words.  The military operates by dehumanizing the enemy.   When do we listen to the 'other side' for what it is - just another opinion - instead of disagreeing immediately. We don't even listen to the words - even though they don't hurt - to avoid the nest step of stones.   We all try to live by what is right and good but fall short of our own expectations.  Is that why death says: 'Humans haunt him'?  We are a conundrum to death.


The Book Thief is one good book!  I couldn't put it down and couldn't keep reading, a total ying and yang, good verses evil, truth against lie.  I wonder how much of the story came directly from Markus' family story?  How much is truth mixed with fiction?  I would highly recommend this book.  Would you?


Have a wonderful St. Patrick's Day.

Keep on Reading,
Barbara

Saturday, March 3, 2012

The Book Thief Visited


Speaking of visits – What do you think about Death’s visitation to the living and deceased?

Obviously Liesel is a character demanding our sympathy and feelings.  Yet, she was a thief.  Was her thieving justified due to circumstances?  Is thieving ever justified or is it circumstantial morality?

The Hubermann’s give refuge to Liesel and Max.  Why?  What do Max and Liesel have in common and what does caring for them fulfill in Rosa and Hans?

One of the fascinating specifics in the book was the color of Hans’ eyes.  Death repeatedly talked about them as did Liesel.  Do you think there is significance in that?  Are you ever swallowed up by the color of someone’s eyes?  {I remember a boy in high school who had ice blue, grey eyes that were just mesmerizing yet I don’t remember his name, just his eyes! I used to think he could read my thoughts with those eyes.}

Mein Kampf plays an important role in both Max and Liesel’s alienated existence.  Has anyone read it?  I love that they painted over the pages to write their own stories.  So deliciously ironic!

Do you have a story playing around in your head like the Standover Man or The Word Shaker?  What is your story about?  How is it written and do you have illustrations?  Last year I read the letters of my neighbor’s mother.  She was the first female cardiologist in NJ.  After medical school she went to Appalachia and worked for 4 months with the family there and she recorded her daily work in letters that were mailed home to family and friends.  It was a powerful study on the surviving capabilities of the human spirit. 

The mayor’s wife, Ilsa Hermann is and empathic character throughout the book.  Her inability to dress and be present in the town was due to great loss.  She is obviously educated and loved books.  Was that part of the reason she secluded herself?  Did she see from her reading what was happening to Germany and couldn’t face that as well as the loss of her son?  Agoraphobic behavior is overcome when she visits Liesel’s home to give her the book.  Do you think she overcame the agoraphobia at the end of the book? 

We cannot forget to mention Rudy.  Just thinking of a boy imitating Jesse Owens in Nazi German makes me laugh and shudder.  Why does Rudy instantly love Liesel?  Do you believe in love at first sight? 

Hitler used words to separate Aryan from Jew.  He dehumanized the Jew to less than worthy of life.  Death says: ‘I am constantly overestimating and underestimating the human race – that rarely do I ever simply estimate it.’  And the final line in the book: ‘I am haunted by humans’.  How do you think, feel, or react to those statements?

Now I have gone on about the book in a very brief way for the over 500 pages that contained a great amount of information and discussion points.  Enter your comments and reactions so we can share the information and story in this book. 

Happy Reading,
Barbara



Thursday, March 1, 2012



This is the BOOK OF THE MONTH for MARCH 2012
Defending Jacob: A NovelMaria suggested this book and I needed to make sure we weren't dealing with WW2 yet again!  My niece was reading this book so maybe she will join in the discussion at the end.    


Have a great day everyone.


Happy reading,
Barbara