Saturday, July 18, 2009

Two Great Books

Happy Saturday! Today I am going to review two books I have read from my summer reading list. The first is a young adult novel, The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. It was one of the best books I have read, in...well, ever. Don't be put off by the category of young adult novel. It is perfect for a book club, too. You can look up the reviews and summaries online, but let me tell you what I loved about it. The book dealt with one of the most horrific periods of history and human shame - Hitler's WWII Germany. But the story told against this backdrop is one of childhood reality, friendship, love, hope and even adventure. A story that endears while also breaking your heart with its sudden bursts of foreshadowed reality. I recommend it to anyone!

The second book is The 19th Wife by David Ebershoff. Completely different tone, but still an historical fiction that is truly absorbing. This novel combines the true tale (though fictionalized) of Brigham Young's 19th wife and her apostasy and crusade against polygamy with a modern day murder mystery about a 19th wife of a fundamentalist sect not unlike those in recent headlines. The stories are both fascinating because they reveal a life so different from my own. Read it!!

1 comment:

T'Ilia said...

Thank you for sharing your thoughts on these two books. They are (ahem, were) both on my "maybe read someday" list, but I just wasn't sure I wanted to commit them to the "must read someday" list. They have graduated to the latter, based on your recommendation.