Friday, February 5, 2010

Reading About Reading About Stealing

I've been struggling to come up with posts for the last few weeks. You may find that hard to believe, what with the pictures of undead grilled cheese men and verbatim snippets of conversation, but it's true. And it's not even my usual fall back excuse of being lazy, it's because I've been reading. Feeding my mind instead of polluting yours. Probably a good thing for everybody.

But it's also dangerous. Or at least a health hazard. The last week or so I've noticed my hands and wrists have been getting sore (stop it right there) but I couldn't figure out why. Then last night while I was tossing and turning in bed because I couldn't sleep I figured it out (seriously, stop it). I rolled over to look at the clock and couldn't see it because it was lost behind three of the books I'm currently reading. Two are usually on the floor and whatever I finish before turning off the light stays on the nightstand, but last night all three were up there. I decided to throw them on a scale and see what I got.

That's 8.9 pounds of books. 2720 pages of carpal tunnel. No wonder my hands hurt, and I have big hands. (That's what she said!)

Also, I seem to have accumulated a massive back log of reading material as well, a situation my Christmas job at the book store only exacerbated. You know the problem with working in a bookstore? It's full of books. It's also filled with people who generally like books, many of whom get very passionate about books they've read and think you should read them too. And the books? They just keep coming. Day after day the delivery truck drops off boxes filled with new books or sometimes even old books to resupply dwindling stock. Books that you've never heard of or books that you've always wanted to read. It's cruel, really.

I read two really good books over the holidays that I meant to post about at the time but never got around to, and both were about thieves. First up is The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. It's about a young girl growing up in Nazi Germany and it's narrated by Death.


Now I don't really do book reviews, don't get in the subtle aspects of this or the yadda yadda of that, but if I really enjoyed a book I want to share it, and I loved this book. Zusak is one of those writers that not only tells a good story, but he does it beautifully.
"When Max heard the news, his body felt like it was being screwed up into a ball, like a page littered with mistakes. Like garbage.
Yet each day, he managed to unravel and straighten himself, disgusted and thankful. Wrecked, but somehow not torn into pieces."
If you haven't read it, put it on your list.

Next up is The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan.


I spent a lot of time working in the kids section while I was at the book store and saw so many copies of this leave I decided to check it out for myself. Think Harry Potter, but instead of the main character being a wizard, he's a half-blood Greek god. Coincidentally, the first book in the series comes out in theaters next week.



Like Harry Potter, this is one of those kids books that you'll love reading as well. I'm going to read the rest of the series and I'm looking forward to reading it to my kids when they get older. Hopefully the movie is good as well.

This is the part where I should be wrapping everything up in a neat and tidy conclusion, but this post is long enough as it is. So, the end. Plus, I've got the start of a man-cold and I'm pretty sure it's a new hybrid strain of tuberculosis and ebola.

What? It could be.

45 comments:

  1. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  2. If you die can I adopt SL and the kids??

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  3. The Book Thief has been on my TBR list for a while, I just haven't gotten around to it. Maybe I'll bump it closer to the top. I'm currently reading a hefty book as well (I went and weighed it and it's 3.4 lbs! It's hardback though so that adds a bit of weight), The Tea Rose. It's excellent.
    I've tried reading the Percy Jackson books twice, but couldn't get into them. I'm going to give it another go though on your recommendation. Indy and I are currently reading the 39 Clues books, which are really good. I wish I didn't have to read them out loud because I can't read as quickly as I'd like. :)
    I will refrain from making any comments about your hand and wrist hurting but know that I thought all of them. ;)

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  4. The Lightening Thief - what age is that appropriate for?

    The other book is narrated by Death - what an interesting concept. Kinda creepy, but definitely interesting.

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  5. I'll have to get that lightening thief on my kindle....

    It is possible that you caught Khartoum from my blog. I hear that is going around.

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  6. My son read the Lightening Thief and I never gave it a second thought. Well, I guess now I have.
    I've been passing on the Book Thief as well, since I generally don't like reading about Nazi Germany. But with that kind of endorsement, well, I guess I'll give it a go.

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  7. Ahh see sounds like those books would be right up my sons alley. HE loves reading period... reads anything and everything..

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  8. lol. hope the man cold gets better. great books! had one of my kids i counsel turn me onto the series...cant wait to read under the done...doing wrist exercises to get ready...

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  9. Thank you so much for the book reviews!!! my Son is 10.5 and I he was rummaging through my shelves for something to read nad well the stuff on my shelves aren't in his range. Thank you!~!!!!!!!

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  10. So you wrote a long post about having nothing to write about??? Does that make any sense? lol

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  11. I agree that you need a Kindle; 8.9 pounds is one of the reasons I bought one!

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  12. Sea of Monsters (Book 2) is my favorite in the series.

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  13. Thanks. Thanks a lot. Like I don't have enough to read. I should start sending you the American Libraries monthly book review magazine. 120 pages of what's newly published. Kills me every time.

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  14. From one book whore to another....a deep thankyou! My list is ever growing ;)

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  15. Man, I need to get back to reading.

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  16. It would seem that the proper thing to do would be to steal those books. Kind of like with the Anarchist's Cookbook or anything written by Hunter S. Thompson.

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  17. oh! Working in a book store is so dangerous! I'm surprised you had any money left over for bills!

    I have 3 books going at once too. One on my Kindle (Summer People by Elin Hilderbrand... chick book), one print book (I have about 30 that I bought before I got the Kindle. right now it's Scarpetta by Patricia Cornwell) and one audio book on my Blackberry that I listen to driving back and forth to John's house (Pop goes The Weasel by James Patterson... an Alex Cross book). My Kindle has about 10 or 12 books already loaded on it (my kids got me amazon gift cards for Christmas).

    I can't wait for that movie to come out!

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  18. I love reading books by Death. He's such an uplifting kind of guy. (But that does look good. I like that morbid time period.)

    When I found out the library where we are moving is two floors and about three times the size of the Barnes and Noble...I wept I was so excited. I usually have at least four books in different stages of being read because I put something on hold at the library and it comes in before I finish what I'm reading but I can't wait to read the new book so I start reading it too and then...it's never ending.

    Me and books are best friends. Actually who needs friends when you've got books?

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  19. I've been reading a lot too. I think my dream job would be to work in a bookstore. But in actuality, I wouldn't really want to help anyone, I'd just like to sit in one of those comfy chairs and read.

    As a fellow reader - a question. How old do you think a kid needs to be to start Harry Potter? Wonderboy will be 7 in June and I'd love to start reading them with him. Too soon? I can't decide.

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  20. Ive been reading allot too, maybe its the cold weather, keeping us inside? peace

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  21. I just read the entire Percy Jackson series and thought it was fantastic.
    I have been reading a ton as well. The kindle is my favorite piece of tech for just that reason.
    I worked in a bookstore for 3 or 4 years and honestly? I have never gotten over it. So awesome. So many books. *sigh*

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  22. There you go again...putting more books on my reading list. I still haven't made it through my last buy...which was over two months ago. Stupid busy life.

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  23. Oh man, I worked at a book store for most of my 20's, and I remember that overwhelming feeling. Standing in front of the fiction section, staring at all the books that you want to read, and knowing that you could never, EVER catch up and read them all, because they just keep coming and coming. It was kind of miserable and exciting at the same time. BTW, I'm reading that damned humongous Stephen King book too, and I think I've thrown my shoulder out from toting it around.

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  24. A friend told me about the Percy Jackson books. I liked HP so I might try these.
    x

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  25. Damn you and your carpal tunnel. Now I want to read those. This is why I stopped working at a book store. Because there were weeks I spent more than I made.

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  26. Another great book about stealing: The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick. I also blog about books at http://pragmaticmom.com. I LOVED the entire Percy Jackson series and my mom friends who read The Book Thief for their middle school mother/daughter raved about it. Milkweed by Jerry Spinelli is also supposed to be good for anyone who wants to continue down the Nazi Germany story path...

    I haven't read the middle school age; still buried in books for ages 0-12.

    Pragmatic Mom

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  27. The end of the Harry Potter saga left me rather bereft - so I think the Lightning Theif might be good for me. (Did I spell bereft right? I don't think I've ever typed it before...)

    I think my last interesting post involved a blow gun made from vacuum cleaner parts and an orange juice cap...so I can relate to the lack of inspiration to write...

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  28. I worked in a bookstore. Everyone was beige. Head to toe. Male or female. Beige.

    Maybe some of your new book friends can recommend a good book on Man Colds.

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  29. I'm reading an insurance text. I really hope they turn it into a movie because George Clooney would make it SO much more interesting.

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  30. See that is why you are having trouble with blogging topics. You are too busy reading. Now stop that intellectual crap Captain and waste your time instead on Twitter.

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  31. huh. i was debating about getting the percy jackson book (i love books that are well-written - it doesn't matter if they're for kids), but i have a sidney sheldon book i'm in the middle of along with a nice little stack of six or so others (went nutso at the bookstore one day).

    it's on my list though!

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  32. I love that your "man-cold", in your terms, is a hybrid of TB and Ebola. Did you know that I'm fascinated by the Ebola virus. I know that's sick and twisted, but I am. If you want another good book to read, about Ebola, read The Hot Zone.

    I'll put the books on my list. I've got a ton on there right now!

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  33. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak is now on my to read list.
    Gerardine

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  34. I am very curious to read The Book Thief.

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  35. The Lightning Thief sounds interesting.

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  36. You're the second person who has said that the Zusak book is good. So maybe...

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  37. I love to read but when I am teaching during the year, I just don't seem to find time. I have 2 kids, 2 blogs, grading, lesson plans & powerpoint to make, I do like to watch TV, and well, sleeping and eating are pretty nice on occasion (WOW! That was a one hell of a run on sentence!) Now I feel guilty for not reading. Thanks, thanks alot. ;-)

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  38. Hmm, d'you think you can get an e-reader on prescription? ;)

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  39. What is it about some kids books that is so captivating for adults? I had a reading addiction about a year ago, and it caused me to get almost nothing done ( I was reading every Hemingway book I could get my hands on). Now, I spend my time, as you say, polluting everyone elses mind and not feeding my own. Maybe a good balance is in order?

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  40. I too covered the kids department when I worked at the local retail bookselling monstrosity, and it got me hooked on Artemis Fowl (which if you haven't read, I recommend!). I didn't read Percy Jackson until this year though, and now I LOVE that series. Although watching the trailer, it doesn't appear that the movie will be following the book very closely... at least I don't recall Persephone being part of the first story much, or a scene in NYC with the water towers... ah well. Such is Hollywood. I'm sure it'll be good in its own right.

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  41. Working in a bookstore..mmmmm heaven!

    Books just keep on coming...

    Yup. Heaven.

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  42. Well, I'm late to the party, as usual, but I wanted to say I really liked Under the Dome, in the sense that I got many hours of reading enjoyment out of it. Or I guess that's what "liked" already means. Thanks for the other recs--I keep hearing about Book Thief, so now I'm like, OKAY ALREADY, I'm reading that next.

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  43. Ha - I complained about the Stephen King book every day for a week --- but I could not put it down for ANYTHING!!! It was well worth the physical therapy I need to go through for my wrists aching.

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  44. I love 'The Book Thief'! I htink Death is so cool, I'd actually like to meet him. . . Though maybe more in the way Liesel comes to have a relationship with him . . . not that I want anyone to die . . . I'm digging a hole for myself, aren't I?

    Anyways, totally agree that it's an awesome book

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Come on, sailor. I love you long time.