Wow, I can't believe last week is over! And look, another one just waiting to replace it... hello, Tuesday. As usual, I got absolutely nothing done this weekend. My to-do list included: raking the lawn, clearing out weeds, putting in a garden, starting a compost pile, vacuuming the house, doing laundry, doing dishes, working in my studio. I did... yep, none of those things. My husband, however, did my laundry and the dishes. So at least the list was partially checked off. I really want to start a vegetable garden, but it seems to be a task of titanic proportions for me. Not to mention hubby has specifically stated he will have nothing to do with it, i.e., the garden and its upkeep. Not that I blame him.
The only thing I did that didn't involve watching more LOST (I only just finished season 2, and all I can say is, "What?!"), was attending my first book club meeting. We read the AMAZING The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. Heartbreaking, funny, and surprising, I was so glad to have joined the club in time to read this book. I might have overlooked it... it was in the "Young Adult" section of the book store, along with anything and everything vampire/high school angst/teen drama... not really my style. I would not have said this was a teen book; definitely appropriate for teens, but just as suitable for any adult who can stand to imagine life in Nazi Germany. Now I'm getting ahead of myself! My self-imposed blog schedule has discussions on books I'm reading later in the week! Oh well, I just can't contain my excitement about this book. I guess excitement is a bit extreme; this book is very sad and is a sobering reminder of what the human race is capable of, both good and bad. Zusak's style is quirky, his artistic use of language had me reading every single line (I'll admit, sometimes I find myself skipping over a few lines in other books to move the story along... *blush*), and the way he weaves colorful cross-sensory metaphors in so beautifully... sigh. You just have to read this. If you read nothing else, including my blog, read The Book Thief. I would read it again, but can't bear the heartbreak a second time.
Based on how much I enjoyed The Book Thief , I purchased another Markus Zusak book, I Am the Messenger. Both of these books have received awards for their literary excellence, so I am very much looking forward to my next read. The next book on the book club list looks fairly disappointing, and I'll be skipping that one for sure. Has anyone read any of these two Markus Zusak books yet? No spoilers please, but what did you think? What book has inspired you this year?
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