HoosierJen May 17, 2015 Share May 17, 2015 I hope no one minds that I'm jumping into the book club, but I finished reading The Book Thief yesterday, and I'm wondering if anyone else read it and what everyone's thoughts were. Personally, I thought it was beautifully-written and it's going on my shelf of "don't ever give these away" books. Actually - in the interest of full disclosure - this was my second reading of The Book Thief. I first read it a few years ago, devoured it, loved it, and immediately passed it on to friends and family. This reading, however, was different. I teach middle school, and this was the book I assigned to my advanced eighth graders. Because I was reading along with them (and wouldn't let myself get ahead of them so we were all at the same point for discussions) I was forced to read more slowly than normal and actually took three weeks to read it when normally I would've finished in two days. It was a totally different experience, and I'm so thankful for this slow read - I noticed things that I'd totally missed before, and the beauty and sadness of some of Death's words had a more powerful impact. Which leads me to my question . . . At what age do you think this book is appropriate for students? Do you consider it an acceptable choice for eighth graders? Would you be comfortable with your 13/14-year-old child reading it? 1 Link to comment
Black Knight May 20, 2015 Share May 20, 2015 As for your question, I'm probably the worst person to answer it, because I don't believe in age restrictions for reading. When I was growing up, I was allowed to read anything I wanted from the bookcases in my house (except Shirley Conran's Lace, which my bio mother really had a bug about. I just read it on the sly, naturally, and I never did tell her that I personally thought one of the Sidney Sheldons that I'd read with her full knowledge was "worse" - which just goes to show that mileage varies), and I was always very glad for that policy. I don't have kids, but with my nieces the only thing I think about when giving them books is not their age, but their technical reading level (their parents have similar thinking to mine, so there's no conflicts). The older one is nine, and I gave her the full Hunger Games trilogy a couple of months ago as a present. She loved them. But even if I do try to take age into account, I don't think it's problematic to have eighth graders read that book. They're only one year away from high school, and I don't hear arguments about appropriate reading age when it comes to high schoolers (arguments about other things, yes - racist books, gay-positive books, etc.). 1 Link to comment
Anela May 28, 2015 Share May 28, 2015 The Book Thief is one of my favourite books. :) Link to comment
purplex15 June 1, 2015 Share June 1, 2015 I also loved The Book Thief. I also read it slowly, chapter a day. It was a book I hated finishing because I just loved the way it was written so much. I also loved I Am the Messenger, a totally different type of book by the same author. Link to comment
HoosierJen June 3, 2015 Share June 3, 2015 I haven't read I Am The Messenger....I'll have to read it this summer. If it's anywhere near as good as The Book Thief then I'm sure I'll love it. Link to comment
sunshinelover June 24, 2015 Author Share June 24, 2015 Anyone have suggestion we can start compiling for a continued list? 1 Link to comment
glowlights June 29, 2015 Share June 29, 2015 Anyone have suggestion we can start compiling for a continued list? It's hard without knowing what everyone else's tastes are. Someone upthread mentioned To Kill A Mockingbird. And it seems many enjoyed The Book Thief, so perhaps The Kite Runner?? I have to re-read Carmilla by Sheridan Le Fanu if that's up anyone's alley. Here are some of the better-known authors on my current list, if anyone else is interested in anything written by: Donald Barthelme Michel Houellebecq Kelly Link Sofi Aksanen Umberto Eco Don DeLillo John Irving Joyce Carol Oates David Gilbert Ian McEwan John Williams A.M. Homes John Gardner Jeffrey Eugenides Chuck Klosterman Richard Yates Etgar Keret Chuck Palahniuk F Scott Fitzgerald Iris Murdoch Richard Ford Russell Banks Richard Russo Orhan Pamuk Link to comment
romantic idiot July 12, 2015 Share July 12, 2015 Might I suggest The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Anderson? It's not too heavy but the character work done with the protagonist and the world building is quite interesting. 1 Link to comment
sunshinelover October 13, 2015 Author Share October 13, 2015 (edited) with. Any I'd like to get the book club started up again in November. Here's a starting list I compiled. Any more suggestions before finalizing? Anne Bronte:Agnes Grey Andy Weir: The Martian Ransom Riggs; Miss Pergrine's Home For Peculiar Children Harper Lee: To Kill a Mockingbird Susan Beth Pfeffer: Life as we Knew It Kimberly McCreight: Reconstructing Amelia Aldoux Huxley: Brave New World Katherine Anderson:The Goblin Emperor Joyce Carol Oates: Zombie Edited October 13, 2015 by sunshinelover 1 Link to comment
glowlights November 6, 2015 Share November 6, 2015 I know it's early in November, but is anyone else reading Agnes Grey? I find myself losing patience with her (she comes across as whiny to me), but that seems to go against the general consensus that this is a great portrait of the conditions faced by young women who went to work as governesses... Maybe it's just me... Link to comment
radishcake November 7, 2015 Share November 7, 2015 I know it's early in November, but is anyone else reading Agnes Grey? I find myself losing patience with her (she comes across as whiny to me), but that seems to go against the general consensus that this is a great portrait of the conditions faced by young women who went to work as governesses... Maybe it's just me...As a former live in nanny in THIS century I can tell you that it's a pretty weird working relationship, especially with live in. Lends itself well to coming off a bit whiny just because it's such an odd position to be in. Link to comment
glowlights November 10, 2015 Share November 10, 2015 radishcake, I can certainly appreciate that it's an odd relationship with all sorts of boundaries to navigate. And I did think the book gave some insight into the impossible position of Agnes being asked to educate/discipline/nurture someone else's children while at the same time having all authority undermined by the parents. Or being in that position when the parents have very different values, such as allowing cruelty to animals. But then Agnes just seemed to have a real lack of self-awareness (beyond her young age) that I found off-putting. The lord and lady of the manor didn't cancel their plans and stay in to greet you upon your arrival? Honey, you're an employee, not a guest. And then she asks the wrong person about having her bags sent up and seems surprised about getting a stare. Some of her characterizations are so self-serving and two-dimensional that I ended up giving her the side eye, not the characters she intended me to dislike or disapprove of, such as Rosalie. Agnes is such a stick-in-the-mud little Puritan that I very much distrust her over the top portrayal of Rosalie's "shocking" flirtations. Basically, I detected a strong odor of eau de Mary Sue. But I did enjoy the simple, spare prose style. And the narrative moved along at a good pace. 1 Link to comment
radishcake November 11, 2015 Share November 11, 2015 Some of her characterizations are so self-serving and two-dimensional that I ended up giving her the side eye, not the characters she intended me to dislike or disapprove of, such as Rosalie. Agnes is such a stick-in-the-mud little Puritan that I very much distrust her over the top portrayal of Rosalie's "shocking" flirtations. lol I find that happens to me a lot when the main character is such a prude. :) Link to comment
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