Book 1 Final - Fan Experience

           Have you always wanted to read the books that came into Liesel Meminger’s life throughout The Book Thief? Now you can! The author of The Book Thief, Markus Zusak, has published and released the books found in this story. These books include: The Gravedigger’s Handbook, The Shoulder Shrug, The Whistler, The Dream Carrier, A Song in the Dark and The Last Human Stranger. Buy them separately or buy the entire collection! These books will definitely satisfy any Book Thief fan.

In The Book Thief, Liesel loves book so much that she is unable to resist the urge to steal them. The first book Liesel steals is The Gravedigger’s Handbook. She finds this book lying in the snow in the graveyard where her brother, Werner, was buried in. This book was first and foremost the most important book in the entire story. This life changing book helped Liesel learn to read and it also brought both Hans Hubermann (her foster dad) and her closer together.

“Chapter one was called ‘The First Step: Choosing the Right Equipment.’ In a short introductory passage, it outlined the kind of material to be covered in the following twenty pages. Types of shovels, picks, gloves and so forth were itemized, as well as the vital need to properly maintain them.” (pg 66)

 The second book stolen, The Shoulder Shrug, was stolen from a Nazi book burning because the story contained a Jewish as a main character. This book allows Liesel to gain more books because Ilsa Herman, the mayor’s wife, would later invite Liesel into her library to read. Another book Liesel obtained was The Whistler. This book is about a murderer running away from the police. The Whistler was offered by Ilsa Herman but Liesel refused because she was outraged that she can no longer pay Rosa to do her laundry. Later in the book, though, Liesel steals it from the mayor’s house.

“*A Small Excerpt From The Whistler* She lay there, frightened, in a pool of blood, a strange tune singing in her ear. She recalled the knife, in and out, and a smile. As always the whistler had smiled as he ran away, into a dark and murderous night…” (pg 213)

The Dream Carrier is the second book Liesel stole from the mayor’s library. Liesel chose this book because of the word dream in the title, this reminded her of Max Vandenburg. Max was a Jew hiding in their basement at that time and was unconscious because of poor health. She reads it to him when he’s unconscious, in hope that he would get better. This book is about an abandoned child who wants to be a priest. Another book Liesel stole is called A Song in the Dark. She stole this book alone, without Rudy’s help. The last book Liesel stole from the mayor’s library is The Last Human Stranger. While stealing this book, Ilsa enters to room but doesn’t mind Liesel’s presence. This shows how close Ilsa and Liesel have gotten over the past years. The Last Human Stranger also connects to the book plot because: *an idea*  if the last human stranger is no longer a stranger, then humans will not be strange to one another anymore. This is related to Nazi Germany, which is when this book takes place.

“*The Last Human Stranger, page 38* There were people everywhere on the city street, but the stranger could not have been more alone if it were empty.” (pg 473)

I believe this idea will work because these books are good for both those who have read the book and those who have not. These sub-books will keep the fans interested and, at the same time, interest the people who have not read The Book Thief. For those who haven't read the book, these sub-books may lead them to read the "original" book. Because these books are written by the author of The Book Thief, it'll keep the audience involved with the author. 

Book #1 Update - The Book Thief

Summary: This book takes place during Nazi Germany. Liesel Meminger's life changes when she is adopted into her foster family, and when she discovers a single item. A book. From there, Liesel can't resist wanting more books. She resorts to stealing. From the Mayor's house or the Nazi book burning, anything will do. Can Liesel's life get any riskier? You'll just have to find out when you read The Book Thief.

The Book Thief has intrigued me in many of its chapters. The first thing I noticed was that the story is narrated by Death, you won't find many books like this. The book is very historical and kind of informational. Although this book is fictional, the story seems very realistic. The book is maybe too dramatic in most aspects, but realistic in some situations. I didn't like the beginning of the book, it was very boring and slow. I'd say that the first 100 pages are not very exciting, but the waiting does pay off. By the middle of the book, it gets more interesting and thrilling as a lot of different events start to happen. I believe that this book kind of fell short of my expectations. Many of my friends have been telling how good of a book The Book Thief was, but honestly, I don't find it that great. This story has a good plot and is well written, but it doesn't really leave me wanting to read more. It's a good but not fantastic book. 

What is a Book?

A book is like a painting.

Feelings, ideas, and imaginations are put into both paintings and books. A book is unique. It contains its own material, and holds value. The cover of a book is created to fit the particular book. No two books are alike even if one book may contain the same ideas of another. We say This book is copying this book! but is it? One book may get ideas off of another, but never does it copy the exact content. For example, the book Divergent and The Hunger Games are alike, but not identical. Like a painting. An artist may want to take the idea of another painter but the paintings aren't going look exactly like the other. Even if an artist paints the same subject, with the same medium, he or she will never be able to exactly duplicate another painting. The similar production of the painting may be different by a paint stroke or two.

What's important about a book?

As "Home Word Bound" by Nancy Jo Sales says:

"There's something about the physicality of a book, the way it looks and feels and even smells--the notes written in the margins--that makes it a living, breathing companion."

What makes a book a book is the physical object of it. Holding it, turning the pages, not looking at a screen but the printed words. Looking at a painting through a computer is not the same thing as looking at the actual painting. This is the same with books.

During Tom Piazza's inteview, he say

"Somebody else might have held the book, and valued it. Maybe they made notes in the margin, and kept it and handed it down to their children…I mean, you can give somebody a book; it has weight, it’s a gesture of faith in the future. "

A non-electronic book holds more value. It may have been near and dear to someone, someone famous may have held it, and someone spent time to deliver that book to your house. Each book has a different weight, a different feel, and a different look. Reading books on an electronic device is so repetitive: same screen, same font, same feel. For an electronic book, you just click a few buttons and you receive the book.

What can compare to the physical being of a book?

My First Book.

The Book Thief. A simple yet intriguing title. We don't usually hear that term. It makes you wonder, and think, and question. 

For my first book, I chose The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. 

There are a few reasons why I chose this book: 

1. I was already reading it - before the first trimester ended, I started this book. I wasn't able to get very far into it because of the 1st trimester finals.
2. The spread of word - many people were talking about it and how good the book is. So I decided to see for myself if the book was good. Also, one of my English teacher told me about this book, she said it was either a hit or a miss for people. (Thanks Mrs. Palmer!)  I wanted to see if it was a hit or miss for me. 
3. The cover - it's very interesting. There are many different covers for this book but the one I have was the one with the dominoes about to be hit by someone's hand. It made me wonder, "what does that have to do with a book thief?"
4. Thanks to Goodreads - I found the book in the popular books and most read section of Goodreads when I was looking for a new book to buy. 

What stands out to me about the author and this book is that he creates a unique story in the Nazi Holocaust time. The book is about a girl, starting a whole new life with her foster parents because her mother wanted to keep her from being killed in the prosecution of Jews. 

According to many reviews on Goodreads, people say the book doesn't have a happy ending and that the beginning is very boring. Depending on who you are and what kind of stories you like, you may like this book or not. 

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P.S. The movie came out already!

Why I read.

     In every day of our life, we read. Reading helps us communicate opinions and inform about what’s happening in other parts of the world. Reading can entertain, or even help people escape the daily drama of their life.

So, why do I read?

     I read for entertainment. Reading helps me pass time during a boring situation or when there's nothing to do. I remember that I used to force myself to read, but now I do it for pleasure. Reading is like T.V. in your head. What's different is that you can use your imagination. It's like your creating your own fantasy world with the help of a book. There's nothing like spending an afternoon creating and experiencing the life of a book character. 

     Another reason why I read is for the knowledge. Reading can help you learn new words, improve your grammar, and improve your spelling. Reading gives you information, whether it's vital or not. Who doesn't learn new things when reading a history textbook? 

     Books inspire. They make your heart race. They can make you say, I can't put it down! Books can make us smile, or even cry. Some books can be read over and over again, and you would never get tired of it. There's so many thing that books do for us. I read because reading can only help. 

     Divergent by Veronica Roth was one of those books that I couldn't put down. I wished I had the exciting and dramatic life of the main character, Tris Prior, but at the same time I'm glad that my life isn't as crazy as her's. Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury was a book that taught me a lesson. This book taught me to be yourself and love yourself, be happy that you are you. The book called Eragon by Christopher Paolini was easily imaginable. The description and imagery throughout the book was amazing. 

We're able to read, so why not make the most of it?