Markus Zusak 2006 Teen Book Video Award Winner -- THE BOOK THIEF

I recently found a fan-made video winner for The Book Thief. Give it a look?



I wasn't in The Book Thief group, but I've read it. It's one of my most favorite book ever, and I must have read the gorgeous thing five times. Even if historical fiction bores you, give this book a chance. Even people who hate reading ended up consuming this.

There are rumors it'll be made into a movie soon. Cross your fingers!

"The Book Thief by Markus Zusak is a novel of cruelty, poverty, and hope. Liesel Meminger is a young girl who has been placed in foster care by her mother. Liesel's brother dies en route to their new home and this leaves Liesel traumatized, causing her to have terrible nightmares in the middle of the night. Liesel's foster father begins teaching her to read on these nights to distract her from her pain. Liesel learns to turn to books for comfort. When the war begins, comfort becomes a rare state of mind, so Liesel finds ways to seek it out. Liesel begins to steal books in her efforts to deal with the cruelty of the world around her."--www.bookrags.com

Buh Bye

So College Lit is coming to an end.

I enjoyed this class more than I thought I would--which, by the way, is a lot--and am sad to see it go. I learned some and met some really awesome people. And had a lot of laughs. And not much homework. It had a nice balance.

So Farewell, College Lit, my last English class of my high school career--it was great.

:)

Wrongs of Passage

Cook makes an excellent point--"We, as Americans, need to look at the rites of passage we celebrate and determine what it is that we are truly valuing, and what we are teaching our children to value." While there are several important rites of passage--graduating college, religious ceremonies, first dates--there are also some very shallow, very selfish, meaningless ones as well, such as some people's Sweet 16's.

So, all in all, it depends. America would do well to remember the good things in life.

When I was in fourth or fifth grade, I was a queen at spinning rumors and garnering gossip. It was fun, a game. I always loved stories, so when I could make one up that made people listen, all the better.

However, I had noticed some were hurt, but saw no reason to stop.

One day, I went to the bathroom, and opened the door to "I don't really like Stefanie, do you?"

I looked up, locking stares with my two best friends. The mirrors reflexed their expressions--shock, fear--and I turned away before they could react.

When I got back to class, I sat down quietly, eyes itchy, mind wild. My chest hurt; my hands palsied. Pale, I thought, Is this how I've been making people feel?

That passage took me down a road where I arrived at a decission to never rumor or gossip or talk bad about anyone ever again. So far, so good.

Say WHAT?

Having just finished those twenty words for Jane Eyre, my Linguist senses started to tingle. One thing I've always loved about older books is the vast vacab they have. Usually. I always learn something new.

From the same language that used such words as "lugubrious" (mournful, dismal, gloomy), "anathematized" (To denounce; curse), salubrious" (wholesome; conducive or favorable to health), and "spoony" (foolish; silly), we also get a wonderful array today, such as "swot" (to study intensely for exams), "snog" (a long kiss, often used by teenagers), "gobsmacked" (to be surprised), and "moose" (unpleasant, boring; an ugly person).

I love slang. And swear words. One of the first things I go to when learning a new language is just that. There have been some hilarious ones--one of my faves was along the lines of "in the resturant", which was used in a language without its own native swears as a substitute for the "F" word. Blimey.

Do you have any fun slang to share?