From the Bookshelf of 2025 & 2026 Reading Challenge…

The Book Thief

Markus Zusak

Start date: August 1, 2016

Finish date: August 31, 2016

Discussion: Group Reads

Discussion leader: Taylor C

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Group Reads

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* Group Read Rules and Timelines
By Winter , Group Reads · 1 post · 2564 views

last updated Jan 23, 2016 02:35AM

January Group Read Nominations
By Winter , Group Reads · 6 posts · 42 views

last updated 16 hours, 46 min ago

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What Members Thought

Jul 05, 2011 Ashley Fritch rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: paused

I savored every moment of this book. The language was so delicious, I fell in love every time I opened the book.

3 likes · Like · see review

Jan 02, 2014 Bobby rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fiction, history, writing

Frequently while reading this book I was reminded of one of my favorite quotes from William Blake:

“There is a Moment in each Day that Satan cannot find.

Nor can his Watch Fiends find it, but the Industrious find
This Moment & it multiply, & when it once is found
It renovates every Moment of the Day if rightly placed”

This book shows how people can live for much or even all of their lives under the most appalling circumstances and still find opportunities to appreciate and enjoy being alive. Also ...more

2 likes · Like · see review

Jul 31, 2011 Jane rated it it was amazing

Shelves: young-adult

I can't believe I've waited for so long to read this book. Sam Mauro said I would like it, and he is so right. Not sure about asking every sixth grader to read it. But I can imagine reading it with some kids in a book club. The writing style is wonderful and surprising and while the topic is grim the way the book unfolds helps me to deal with the awful subject. It's masterful. ...more

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Apr 05, 2011 Rhonda rated it really liked it

I really liked this book. The characters were all wonderful and the writing was really very intriguing. Markus Zusak can definitely find some very interesting ways to go about describing things and I loved that.

"Death" as the protagonist was OKAY, but the book could have been just as good without that whole gimmick I think. What I definitely did not care for were the constant starred and bolded interjections from the narrator that came along every page or so. I think all of that could have been ...more

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Jul 04, 2014 Amy rated it it was amazing

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak provides readers the other side of death and heartache. Walking with death, you examine the life of Liesel Meminger and unlock a chapter of her life. Nicknamed the Book Thief, she steals words and then shares them with loved ones during difficult times. Growing up as a German during WW2 her adopted family braves hiding a Jew risking the consequences. At first sight, her family life is chaotic but underneath that gruff exterior and pretense of anger is a loving coup ...more

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Nov 16, 2010 Rose rated it it was amazing

Shelves: ya-fiction

Death narrates... and what a wonderful job it does as we are introduced to an eclectic group of people living in war-torn Germany. It was interesting to read a book about WWII from the German perspective. Not all Germans during this period were Nazis who hated Jews...

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Jan 21, 2019 Soelo rated it it was amazing

Shelves: ebook, bookclubread

I finished this book this morning. I read it as the first selection from my new book club. I’d already seen the movie, plus there is a lot of foreshadowing, so I knew the ending would be both sad and hopeful. I can’t read another bleak book for a while, though. When I saw the movie, I heard it was going to be a hard book to film and I know what they meant now. The writing is full of metaphor, clever prose and even puns. Some of that came through in the film, but I am glad to have read the book t ...more

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Jun 20, 2012 Kat rated it it was amazing

Made me cry by the end. I was a little uncertain of the method of storytelling at first. It can be difficult to harness the voice of Death without also coming across as pretentious, but I think the truly omniscient this person perspective really made the storytelling something special.

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