Come with me and I'll tell you a story.
I'll show you something.
The Book Thief
I'd like to start the narrative of our first book club in 2011 by telling you what color the sky was as we made our way to Arnora's new "crib". I'd like to but I can't. Because my nose was buried in the book as I feverishly tried to finish. Thank God, Carla was driving or that maneuver would've been tricky. I turned the last page just moments before we arrived. The sun had set by that time and I cannot tell you if there were stars or not because I could not see them for the tears in my eyes. A few minutes later I was standing in the living room gazing at the enormous picture of our "Calendar Girl" photo hanging above the fireplace surrounded by candles and flowers. A beautiful altar in praise of beautiful women and I was so surprised and happy to see it that I just couldn't stop laughing! And as we all know, "laughter through tears is my favorite emotion!"
This was Arnora's first time to host book club and she did an excellent job welcoming us and making Natalie's version of German sausage rolls. Lou brought the flowers and wine this time. Carla G made German potato salad (yum, my favorite version), Barb brought "mac & cheese", Lis brought sauerkraut, bread and chocolate. Pam brought cheese and apples, Diana brought bread and she and Darby both brought Champagne to toast the new year. Laura brought beer and Carla A brought sauerkraut and pea (or lentil soup as Darby preferred to call it.) I have to say that Carla's version sure tasted a lot better than the pea soup Rosa made everyday in our story. Janie topped off the evening meal with melt-in-your-mouth brownies. Thanks, as always to everyone who contributed. I, having barely finished the move into my own new "digs", was not able to get it together to even bring wine.
We were missing Terry & Denise. But congratulations to Terry on another new great-grand child. Denise was having problems with a car battery.
This month's book was "The Book Thief" written by Markus Zusak and offered to us by Barb last month. The quote on the front of the book, "BRILLIANT and hugely ambitious. It's the kind of book that can be LIFE CHANGING" (the New York Times) was absolutely on the money.
Diana said, "It was the perfect book." Carla A said "Zusak now surpasses Pat Conroy for me in his use of poetic prose." Laura said, "Death's voice as our narrator was absolutely authentic." "Darby said that Death was omniscient and omnipresent in the lives of each of the characters and was a unique perspective." Diana loved Zusak's use of adjectives and adverbs - Darby said it was "cinematic" in its telling.
For me, I could compare it favorably to "To Kill a Mockingbird". Both stories are about girl's coming of age in poor and difficult times and set against the historical background of prejudice and violence. "The Book Thief" is set in around the late 1930's through about 1942, in Germany during WWII. The rise of Hitler and the attempted extinction of the Jews. Well, primarily the Jews. In reality, it was the attempted extinction of anyone and anything that was not Nazi Germany. Both books draw you in and mesmerize you with the characters and the language.
Death, our narrator, as you would rightly assume, hovers over this story but not in a scary, black-hooded, scythe carrying way. Death is poetic, and artistic and compassionate. He simply has a job to do and he does it without question. Most of the time. When he does dare to question he realizes it is futile and only crazy making. He cannot change who he is or what he is destined to do. But, he does his job with elegance and grace and is ever so gentle with the souls he carries away.
Death watches the unspeakable horrors of war and the mentality that would drive millions into work camps and gas chambers right along side the beauty of the sun rises and and sun sets, the stars that burn your eyes and the people who risk life and limb to go against this atrocity.
Liesel is our Book Thief and like Scout, she is a tomboy. Her best friend is Rudy and together they keep each other company, play soccer and steal food and books. They are each others constant companions and saving graces. Liesel is abandoned by her mother, a supposed communist, who sends her into foster care to save her. She ends up on Himmel Street (translated Heaven) but it is anything but. However, her foster parents are kind (in different ways) and her "Pappa" teaches her to read in their basement using his house paints to draw letters and pictures on the basement walls. They shelter a Jew. For me Pappa was the equivalent of Atticus Finch. Quiet, unassuming, weary but kind and with a deep sense of justice. A gentle giant.
Books save Liesel's life both literally and figuratively. The first book she "steals" is found in the snow at her brother's graveside. She found the book but didn't return it to its owner. It was called, "The Grave Digger's Manual" and it was the first book she learned to read. It was also the first time she met Death. In the end, she was reading in he basement when the bombs fell and that is what saved her life. I think, for many of us in book club, books have saved our lives in one way or another and we connected deeply to Liesel's story.
There is so much more to this story. The characters are believable and compelling. This war story is told not about the Jews, the Nazi's or even the Americans. But from the perspective of the ordinary German citizen who had no beef with the Jews. They were living hard scrabble lives just trying to get by and many of their decisions were not just a matter of right or wrong but a matter of their life and death.
Life is hard, war happens, people are tortured and people die. But as long as even one man, without thinking, steps out of the crowd to hand a piece of stale bread to a tortured and persecuted man, there is hope for all us. Humanity is ugly and it's beautiful and Death has shown us the best and worst of people in this deeply emotional story. Death is "Haunted by Humans" and rightfully so. The book gives a message of hope through words of love and friendship. The book rated a 4.6 with an "I absolutely loved it with all my heart and soul".
What a great book to start our New Year!
February's Book Club will be a PAJAMA PARTY at Lis' with breakfast foods as our menu. We will do another variation on our Valentine's from last year. This year everyone BRING your Valentine's with you. If you are unable to attend, then please send yours with someone. The Valentine's can be made, store bought cards, notes, whatever. Sign them - or don't, it's up to you. And next month's book is called The Invention of Hugh Cabret by Brian Selznick. There is a waiting list at the Library, Border's has it and used copies are available on Amazon.com starting at $7.
Ladies, Happy New Year and to a great year of celebrating 10 years of this amazing group!
I'll show you something.
The Book Thief
I'd like to start the narrative of our first book club in 2011 by telling you what color the sky was as we made our way to Arnora's new "crib". I'd like to but I can't. Because my nose was buried in the book as I feverishly tried to finish. Thank God, Carla was driving or that maneuver would've been tricky. I turned the last page just moments before we arrived. The sun had set by that time and I cannot tell you if there were stars or not because I could not see them for the tears in my eyes. A few minutes later I was standing in the living room gazing at the enormous picture of our "Calendar Girl" photo hanging above the fireplace surrounded by candles and flowers. A beautiful altar in praise of beautiful women and I was so surprised and happy to see it that I just couldn't stop laughing! And as we all know, "laughter through tears is my favorite emotion!"
This was Arnora's first time to host book club and she did an excellent job welcoming us and making Natalie's version of German sausage rolls. Lou brought the flowers and wine this time. Carla G made German potato salad (yum, my favorite version), Barb brought "mac & cheese", Lis brought sauerkraut, bread and chocolate. Pam brought cheese and apples, Diana brought bread and she and Darby both brought Champagne to toast the new year. Laura brought beer and Carla A brought sauerkraut and pea (or lentil soup as Darby preferred to call it.) I have to say that Carla's version sure tasted a lot better than the pea soup Rosa made everyday in our story. Janie topped off the evening meal with melt-in-your-mouth brownies. Thanks, as always to everyone who contributed. I, having barely finished the move into my own new "digs", was not able to get it together to even bring wine.
We were missing Terry & Denise. But congratulations to Terry on another new great-grand child. Denise was having problems with a car battery.
This month's book was "The Book Thief" written by Markus Zusak and offered to us by Barb last month. The quote on the front of the book, "BRILLIANT and hugely ambitious. It's the kind of book that can be LIFE CHANGING" (the New York Times) was absolutely on the money.
Diana said, "It was the perfect book." Carla A said "Zusak now surpasses Pat Conroy for me in his use of poetic prose." Laura said, "Death's voice as our narrator was absolutely authentic." "Darby said that Death was omniscient and omnipresent in the lives of each of the characters and was a unique perspective." Diana loved Zusak's use of adjectives and adverbs - Darby said it was "cinematic" in its telling.
For me, I could compare it favorably to "To Kill a Mockingbird". Both stories are about girl's coming of age in poor and difficult times and set against the historical background of prejudice and violence. "The Book Thief" is set in around the late 1930's through about 1942, in Germany during WWII. The rise of Hitler and the attempted extinction of the Jews. Well, primarily the Jews. In reality, it was the attempted extinction of anyone and anything that was not Nazi Germany. Both books draw you in and mesmerize you with the characters and the language.
Death, our narrator, as you would rightly assume, hovers over this story but not in a scary, black-hooded, scythe carrying way. Death is poetic, and artistic and compassionate. He simply has a job to do and he does it without question. Most of the time. When he does dare to question he realizes it is futile and only crazy making. He cannot change who he is or what he is destined to do. But, he does his job with elegance and grace and is ever so gentle with the souls he carries away.
Death watches the unspeakable horrors of war and the mentality that would drive millions into work camps and gas chambers right along side the beauty of the sun rises and and sun sets, the stars that burn your eyes and the people who risk life and limb to go against this atrocity.
Liesel is our Book Thief and like Scout, she is a tomboy. Her best friend is Rudy and together they keep each other company, play soccer and steal food and books. They are each others constant companions and saving graces. Liesel is abandoned by her mother, a supposed communist, who sends her into foster care to save her. She ends up on Himmel Street (translated Heaven) but it is anything but. However, her foster parents are kind (in different ways) and her "Pappa" teaches her to read in their basement using his house paints to draw letters and pictures on the basement walls. They shelter a Jew. For me Pappa was the equivalent of Atticus Finch. Quiet, unassuming, weary but kind and with a deep sense of justice. A gentle giant.
Books save Liesel's life both literally and figuratively. The first book she "steals" is found in the snow at her brother's graveside. She found the book but didn't return it to its owner. It was called, "The Grave Digger's Manual" and it was the first book she learned to read. It was also the first time she met Death. In the end, she was reading in he basement when the bombs fell and that is what saved her life. I think, for many of us in book club, books have saved our lives in one way or another and we connected deeply to Liesel's story.
There is so much more to this story. The characters are believable and compelling. This war story is told not about the Jews, the Nazi's or even the Americans. But from the perspective of the ordinary German citizen who had no beef with the Jews. They were living hard scrabble lives just trying to get by and many of their decisions were not just a matter of right or wrong but a matter of their life and death.
Life is hard, war happens, people are tortured and people die. But as long as even one man, without thinking, steps out of the crowd to hand a piece of stale bread to a tortured and persecuted man, there is hope for all us. Humanity is ugly and it's beautiful and Death has shown us the best and worst of people in this deeply emotional story. Death is "Haunted by Humans" and rightfully so. The book gives a message of hope through words of love and friendship. The book rated a 4.6 with an "I absolutely loved it with all my heart and soul".
What a great book to start our New Year!
February's Book Club will be a PAJAMA PARTY at Lis' with breakfast foods as our menu. We will do another variation on our Valentine's from last year. This year everyone BRING your Valentine's with you. If you are unable to attend, then please send yours with someone. The Valentine's can be made, store bought cards, notes, whatever. Sign them - or don't, it's up to you. And next month's book is called The Invention of Hugh Cabret by Brian Selznick. There is a waiting list at the Library, Border's has it and used copies are available on Amazon.com starting at $7.
Ladies, Happy New Year and to a great year of celebrating 10 years of this amazing group!
