I loved this book! It is truly a masterpiece! Although the author's style of writing was distracting to me at first, I came to really appreciate it. It was a beautiful, although horrifyingly sad, story. Read it! You won't be sorry!

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

Sending it along to istop4books as a surprise RABCK! Enjoy, Noel!

Valpete - what can I say? I'm speechless!! I really never expected this, but I am very very happy to have received it. It will be read very soon! Thank you so much for the lovely RABCK!

This book has been waiting patiently on my bookshelf since January! I signed up for the Reduce Mt. TBR and I promised to read 45 books already on my Mt. TBR as of Dec 31, 2008 (this one just missed my deadline). As soon as I completed the challenge, I picked up this gem of a book and read it slowly, savoring the characters and the amazing descriptions. As I read it, I realized the target audience was young adult, and I felt that this book was an excellent introduction to a younger audience, far more removed from that time than I, to the horrors experienced in one small town, but one young girl and her friends. The book kept things in proportion, didn't go into extensive explanations of the history behind the war - it just told the story of Liesel and her adopted family, the neighbors on her street, and the immediate people in her life.

Liesel, who arrives at the home of her new family quite illiterate, but with a book in her hands, falls in love with the written word. Books and words help her cope with the chaos of her surrounding world. Quite powerful!

This is now an international ring - all the basic rules still apply. I'll need 3 journal entries from each one of you:
1. Journal when you receive the book
2. Journal when you've read it
3. Journal when you've mailed it on to the next person

and...if you're going to be longer than a month in reading this book, please send me a quick PM.

Here's the list, which will stay open and may be changed if others join the ring:
(the book will be sent to Iez's brother-in-law in Chicago who will hand carry it across the pond!)

Iez, Netherland
MartinaViola, Italy - ship EU
Pajarito, Germany - ship EU <------- has asked to be skipped
Faerie-glen, Germany ------ book is here
Oedde, Germany - ship anywhere
Hyper7, South Africa, ship anywhere

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

This book is finally on its way to Iez and I had to travel to Belgium to get it going! I hope you all find it a worthwhile read!

with a load bang it dropped in the mailbox. The paper is okay:)
will start reading it asap because a ringbook never comes alone

what a lovely book. I really enjoyed it. Could not stop reading. Thanks for sharing and sending it to me..
Only bad thing was that all German words were translated. I can read german and everytime I wondered like huh I just read that:)
Forwards with this book

The book has just arrived!
I hope It won't take too long to me to read it!

It's very difficult for me to find the right words to talk about this book.

I loved every character: Hans and Rosa, Max, Rudy and obviously Liesel, the book thief, with who every reader can identify himself, sharing what she feels for books: a true love for words.

I really appreciated the structure of the novel: the chapters are never too long and allow the reader to enter deeply in the story, knowing news - written in bold - that neither the characters did know!
Someone may consider it as *spoiler* but we should remember our narrator is Death and we can't expect a special treatment nor a happy ending from such a storyteller!
I enjoyed the writing of Zusak too. The author seems to "depict" the scenes and situations he's showing, rather than describing them. It's a way of writing that makes me feel really close to Liesel, as the author wants us to look at Second World War through the eyes of a little girl, a word shaker, not only a book thief!
Besides I was pretty much surprised when I saw the drawings: I didn't expect them, but I think fairy-tales are really important to convey certain messages to children, sometimes to adults too.

I prepared myself to burst into tears at the last pages and I did!
It's not easy make me move this way so I thank Noel (istop4books) for sharing this extraordinary novel!

The book is on its way to Germany, towards the next reader: Faerie-Glen.



This the cover of the italian version; I still wonder why the title has been translated as "the girl who saved books" which has nothing to do with stealing! Maybe in Italy we're not ready for a book thief...we still need to justify such a theft! :D

The ring starter didn't want it back, so I sent it to Chelsearth as a wishlist RABCK. Enjoy!

Oh, I've yet to read "The Book Thief"... I was notified by mail and dropped by the post to get the package yesterday. This is one of the few books on my wishlist, and I cannot wait! (Thanks OBCZ-Ulm / faerie-glen for taking time to share it with me!) I'll be back when I finish :)