When I Read This Book Review: The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

“His soul sat up. It met me. Those kinds of souls always do - the best ones. The ones who rise up and say 'I know who you are and I am ready. Not that I want to go, of course, but I will come.' Those souls are always light because more of them have been put out. More of them have already found their way to other places.” 

-Markus Zusak - The Book Thief

I read this about a month ago and never got around to reviewing it. This surprises me because The Book Theif even brought me to tears. It's eloquently written from the perspective of Death. It was interesting as a reader to personify the character of Death in my mind. To me he was a skinny, sickly looking skeletal man in black tattered robes floating above human sight lines until he was called upon to do his job.

I know, I know. It sounds dark, but I will tell you this, it's worth the read. I'm not saying this book was life-changing, but it really made me think about the world in a very different light. It also evokes strong emotions for the people that endured WWII and risked their lives to keep others safe. 

I won't go into great detail as to what the book is about because you could easily search Google for a better plot summary than I could give, but following Liesel and her friend Rudy as they fight their own war is an inspiring and thought provoking experience. I highly recommend this to anyone, but especially to those who enjoy historical fiction with a tad bit of adventure and a smidge of romance.

What have you been reading? Have you ever read The Book Thief? What were your thoughts?

When I Read This Book Review - Beautiful Creatures

“I said it, just like that. No stupid jokes, no changing the subject. For once, I wasn't embarrassed, because it was the truth. I had fallen. I think I had always been falling. And she might as well know, if she didn't already, because there was no going back now. Not for me.” 

by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

Beautiful Creatures is a fantastic read for fans of Twilight, Daughter of Smoke and Bone, and other paranormal romance novels.

This book came highly recommended from my cousin who reads everything! We have very similar taste in books so I definitely trust her opinions. The first thing I noticed about Beautiful Creatures was the point of view. Finally, a book with a male narrator. It's fun to read from a teenage girl perspective because I was a teenage girl and can easily relate to those characters, but once in awhile it is a nice change of pace to read from a teenage boy perspective. It is also a new take on paranormal romance because in many books, like Twilight (which I still love, so I don't care what anybody says), the male love interest is the one with the super natural abilities. In Beautiful Creatures, Lena has special abilities and is the character with strength, physically and mentally.

Ethan Wate, the protagonist, lives in the small southern town of Gatlin, South Carolina where nothing ever changes. He's always dreamed of a way out of his boring life until one day Lena Duchannes shows up and nothing is ever the same. Lena is the town shut-in's niece and is labeled a weirdo from the moment she steps into the school. Little do her classmates know, Lena is a Caster with special abilities. Through a series of weird dreams, Ethan feels he already knows Lena in a special way. The two can't stay away from each other and begin to form an unbreakable relationship. The problem is that Lena turns sixteen in just a few short months and that's when she will be chosen for the Dark or the Light. The story follows the trials and tribulations of their relationship and the moment of truth for Lena's fate. 

I loved this book and am eagerly awaiting a trip to the library to pick up the next one.

As always, I'm always looking for book suggestions so if you've read anything life changing recently just let me know!

Outfit Inspiration: Puck Connolly from The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

“Does anyone ask you why you stay, Sean Kendrick?"
"They do."
"And why do you?"
"The sky and the sand and the sea and Corr.” 

~Maggie Stiefvater, The Scorpio Races

In The Scorpio Races Puck Connolly, a feisty young girl, is fighting to the death for her future and her family. Her ultimate plan never included competing in the Scorpio Races, but it is her only option. The Scorpio Race is an event held on the first of November. This is no normal race, these horses, or capaill uisce, are deadly and emerge from the sea every fall. Puck is the first girl to ever compete in the race, while nineteen-year-old Sean Kendrick is the reigning champ. The story is told from both the point of view of Puck, as well as Sean. As much as the book is about the killer horses, the island, and the race itself, it is a tale about a heroine and a hero who both must win this deadly race to survive. Their lives intertwine into a beautifully written story. Puck’s strength in matters of the heart, the family, and the race lead her to some incredible feats. “Some race to win. Others race to survive.” If you’re looking for something thrilling, romantic, and powerful then I fully recommend The Scorpio Races. 

Corr - Sean's Capall uisce

Dove - Puck's pony

Kinnagoe Bay, Donegal, Ireland

Hair clip, Sweater, Jacket, Boots, Leggings, Ring

Puck is a rugged, tough, and spunky young girl who spends her time training and racing her pony, Dove, on the beaches of Thisby. She would need a wax cotton jacket to keep her dry on misty island days and boots ready for riding. This outfit would be comfortable enough to train in, but also practical for her island life.

Source

Each year the town of Thisby bakes November cakes for the festival leading up to the Scorpio Races. Here is a recipe for this yummy treat.

When I Read This Book Review

Don't worry, I'll take your suggestions for a better title on upcoming book reviews!
I recently finished reading a book titled All There Is: Love Stories from StoryCorps by David Isay.

This collection of stories encompasses everything I look for when choosing a book. There's romance, there's happiness, there's hardship, and let me tell you, it even brought me to tears. 

All There Is is a collaboration with StoryCorps, a nonprofit organization that aims to record, share, and preserve the stories of our lives. They travel around to cities all around the United States and invite people from all backgrounds and walks of life to share their stories. This particular collection is the love stories StoryCorps came across in their 10 years of recording history. 

I usually don't tend to read a lot of non-fiction stories; I'm a giant Twilight, Hunger Games, Shiver, The Scorpio Races kind of girl. And I'm proud of it. But when I grabbed this book off the bargain shelf and began reading the first story, I couldn't put it down. I ended up standing in the middle of the book store with tears welling up in my eyes because the stories were so real and sweet. Love stories in fiction novels always make my heart swell up with unreal expectations, but these real people sharing their lives with each other touched my heart in a completely different way.

I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys love stories. For me I'd give it a 9 out of 10. Pretty darn good! Have any book recommendations? Leave me a comment! I'd love to hear what books you are loving.