From the Bookshelf of Diversity in All Forms!…

The Book Thief

Markus Zusak

Start date: August 2, 2019

Finish date: August 30, 2019

Discussion: Monthly Bonus Reads

Why we're reading this: August Bonus Read- National Book Lovers Day

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
[close] August Bonus Read- National Book Lovers Day

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Find A Copy At

Group Discussions About This Book

Showing 2 of 73 topics — 889 comments total

Monthly Bonus Reads

The Autobiography of Malcolm X (February 2023)
By Mariah Roze · 2 posts · 18 views

last updated May 17, 2023 10:35AM

For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide (March 2023)
By Mariah Roze · 2 posts · 11 views

last updated Mar 06, 2023 08:42AM

showing 1 of 1 topics view all »

What Members Thought

Aug 23, 2018 Jess Penhallow rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: germany, 1940s, 2018-chunky-books

What a beautiful book. I never thought that something written so simply could make me cry like this book did! Wonderful characters a plot that was simple but never boring and a constant theme of hope and love in one of the darkest periods of history. Sometimes you just need to read something that is a little saccharine but with a lot of heart and this was perfect.

40 likes · Like · see review

Nov 29, 2014 Sandra (LadyGrey Reads) rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 5-star-favorites, 2017-2018-reads, worth-re-reading, recs, audio-books, 2017-top-ten, 2017-book-of-the-month

“I am haunted by humans.”

description

That gif is an accurate representation of how I felt when I finished this. It didn't matter how prepared I felt I was for that ending - it still broke my heart.

The story is a very slow build. In a way, it is an accurate representation of life. It isn't always fast. But as war closes in around the main characters and their town things start to change. There's suspicion and distancing, love and grief, and they're all viewed and told to the reader from Death's POV - who lea ...more

25 likes · Like · see review

Dec 30, 2014 Shay rated it it was amazing

Shelves: my-precious, reviewed, holly, 2015, frankie

One thing that I absolutely loved about this was the fact that Death was the narrator. Such an interesting view to take on events like these. This book follows the story of Liesel. A lovely young thing who unfortunately is in a foster family and loves books. If the title doesn't give away a huge plot point then I don't know what will. Literally she steals books. I don't want to go off on a tangent explaining the story because I feel it's something you need to explore for yourself. I love this bo ...more

8 likes · Like · see review

Dec 22, 2020 Paulette Brown rated it it was amazing

This was a wonderful book. It made me remember my love of reading. When I was younger I would read all of the time then life came along. Reading for fun was pushed to the back of the list. This year has given me an opportunity to put reading for enjoyment front and center. This book held my interest from beginning to end. The descriptions made me feel like I was there and I cared about the characters. It also showed how people are easily led to do the wrong thing.I’m sure this is on a recommende ...more

Like · see review

Jan 17, 2015 Ellie Wilson rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favourite-books-ever, wwii-fiction

It has been months since I first read this book, and I am only just beginning to write the review it deserves. Some books deserve the best possible review that you can write, and some books you simply have no idea what to write in a review: this is one of those rare books that possesses both of these factors. Please don't expect his review to be perfect; it won't be. However, I shall try to do "The Book Thief" justice in whatever way I can as I write this. Please be patient.

Where to begin? I fir It has been months since I first read this book, and I am only just beginning to write the review it deserves. Some books deserve the best possible review that you can write, and some books you simply have no idea what to write in a review: this is one of those rare books that possesses both of these factors. Please don't expect his review to be perfect; it won't be. However, I shall try to do "The Book Thief" justice in whatever way I can as I write this. Please be patient.

Where to begin? I first read this book as summer was drawing to a close. The days were somehow lighter and darker at the same time: days of pure bliss and relaxing were still taking place, and yet the warm, carefree season was drawing to a close.

I had wanted to read "The Book Thief" for quite some time. As I stumbled across bookshops, I always saw the cover of a girl reading a book, and however much I wished to purchase it, I couldn't quite bring myself to. It seemed that I was waiting for something.

It was in the last week of my summer holidays that I saw "The Book Thief" once last time. It was displayed on a shelf, in a position of honour. I already had one book in my hand that I was hurrying to buy, "The Perks of Being a Wallflower". But for a moment I ceased hurrying, and I picked "The Book Thief" up. I stared at it for quite some time. Then I continued to hurry to the counter, with two books in my hands now instead of one.

As I was placing the two books onto the counter, the lady behind picked up "The Book Thief" and stared at it for just a moment. "This is a really good choice," she said.

She was right.

I finished the book within a matter of days.

It is exceptionally difficult to find a book that has you laughing and crying hysterically at the exact same moment. It is also hard to find a book that contains characters so vivid they are practically jumping off the page. It is near impossible to find a book whose words you remember long after you have turned the final page.

I shall not say much about the book, except that it looks as humans as we really are: bare and stripped down to nothing except our own devices. It looks at the effect words can have on us in all situations. It shows us words of its own.

As I said before, any review of this book really can't do it justice. I won't say anymore about it, because I can't. But I will say this: you as a reader, will probably have read many many books. Out of those many, many books, I am sure there is one that stands out and speaks to you as a human being. I will just tell you this: This book spoke to me. ...more

Like · see review