About the Author- Markus Zusak

The author of the book that I am currently reading is Markus Zusak.  He is an Australian author who has written several top selling books.  Some of these books include The Book Thief (my reading book), I Am the Messenger, Getting the Girl, Underdogs, Fighting Ruben Wolfe, and several other novels.

Zusak grew up knowing that he wanted to tell stories about Nazi Germany.  His mother told him stories when he was little about how Jews were being marched through her small town.  He now lives in Sydney, Australia where he eats lunch with  many different animals in the park.   His favorite books include What's Eating Gilbert Grape by Peter Hedges, The Half Brother by Lars Saabye Christensen, and My Brother Jack by George Johnston.

"I wanted to write something very different than what I've done before.  The idea of a book stealer was in my head when I was writing I Am the Messenger, but it wasn't ready to be written. The original idea was set in the present, in Sydney, which didn't feel quite right. Then I thought about writing of the things my parents had seen while growing up in Nazi Germany and Austria, and when I brought the ideas together, it seemed to work, especially when I thought about the importance of words in that time, and what they were able to make people believe and do" (Zusak). 

The Book Thief- Introduction Thoughts

Right now I am reading The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. I just started it a couple days ago, so I am not yet far into it.  So far, I am confused about who the narrator is.  In several instances, it says things like, "I walked in, loosened his soul, and carried it gently away" (Zusak 10).  This leads me to think that the narrator is not a person, but a soul that takes other souls.  Then, in instances, the narrator says things like, "I'm glad the guards didn't notice me as they walked by" (Zusak 8). In the world that we live in, we can't see souls of the dead.  This means that the guards are able to see the narrator, and he is not a soul.  I really want to read on to discover what the narrator truly is.  What do you think about the form of the main character?

The book takes place in Nazi German, in 1939, as the back cover of the book describes.  I'm not really interested in books about the Holocaust, but since this book has been made into a movie that was just released, I figured I'd give it a shot.  I have heard a lot of really good reviews about the book as well.  For those of you who have read it, or are currently reading it, what do you think?  Is it woth reading on?

Here  is the preview for the upcoming movie about The Book Thief.

The Fault in Our Stars

Hazel Grace is  a complex character that develops over the course of the story.  In the beginning of the novel, she was a depressed teenager with cancer.  Everything she did was because she was limited by cancer.  She sat in her room all day reading (the same book over and over) and watching T.V.  (America's Next Top Model).

One day, Hazel goes to cancer support group, like she does every week.  But this time there was a new person there, Augustus Waters.  Hazel and Augustus hit it off right away.  Soon, they become best friends.  They are together all the time, and over time Hazel spends more and more time with Augustus, as well as his friends.  Then, after several months together, Gus uses his wish so that they could visit Amsterdam.

While in Amsterdam, they discover mutual feelings for each other.  One date leads to another, and soon enough they fall in love.  Gus and Hazel do many things while in Amsterdam, including visiting tourist sites such as the Anne Frank house, and other places.  Even though both of them have cancer, they don't let that stop them from doing what "normal" teenagers do.

As you can see, Hazel has changed a lot after meeting Augustus Waters.  She goes from being a shy, anti-social, depressed teenager, to a confident and outgoing person.  She is no longer limited by cancer, and she does whatever she wants to do, not letting her cancer get in the way.

The Fault in Our Stars is a movie in the making.  Author John Green is picking out the cast, and has released some of the main characters that the movie will feature.  Here is The Fault in Our Stars Movie Article.