vol. 59

sorry, but since i'm back, i'm going to go on a little rant...

i'm really not sure when it began - if it's due to spellcheck or not (and i doubt it, since most people are too damn lazy to even take the 20 seconds it takes to run spellcheck), but it's disgusting just how horrendously pathetic the average person's ability to spell has become (and when i say average, i really mean everybody's)

people - you don't loose your keys when you can't find them, you lose them... right now there truly must be some kind of secret society that's out there teaching people that this is how you spell lose because i can't even begin to tell you how many times i've seen this lately...

and, while i'm at it... led is the past tense form of to lead, NOT lead...

the book thief...

it's been quite some time since i've posted... and it's been a little bit since i finished reading the book thief by markus zusak, but it's about time to get this down somewhere...

first, the backstory - i had a student a couple years ago who carried this book around like it was a piece of gold - anytime there was any downtime in yearbook whatsoever, she was devouring this book - i quietly observed her poring over this book - she'd cry and try to cover it up so that nobody could see her... for christmas, she presented me with a copy of my own... politely, and appreciatively, i accepted it, but quickly placed it on a bookshelf at home - where it sat for about two years... so fast forward to a couple months ago - we're looking to update our curricula and zusak's book came up as a possibility... finally, the push i needed to check it out...

quite simply, i was hooked from the start - a holocaust story from a german perspective? death as a narrator? you've got my attention now...actually, i should expand on that - an extremely sarcastic death as a narrator? you've truly got my FULL attention now... i was intrigued with liesel from the start as well - she found herself in a situation and did her best to adapt - she didn't know what was happening around her, yet did her best to get through it - i truly believe that zusak crafted a beautiful, moving look at a young girl who gradually learns who both she and her foster parents are...and they aren't who they appear to be at times...

at the heart of the matter, truly, you fall in love - with the narrator - the characters - with zusak's writing - with the idea of somebody creating a book that moves you to tears...

i don't really want to give more away than what i have - but i want you to read this and let me know what you think...i've recommended it to so many people - those who've read it have loved it - and so will you...