a book review from matt and more bean soup

***A SMALL BUT WORTHY NOTE***

i've seen so many young men

over the years who think they're

running at other young men.

they are not.

they're running at me.

death...

The Book Thief Review

by matt

 I thought since Staci is consumed with the various Shades of Grey books and has neglected her own reading assignment, that I would help her do her job.  She claims Shades of Grey isn’t as pornographic as all the news and TV reports portray it, yet I can hardly pry the book from her hands (shes on the second book now).
Well, here goes the review of The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak.  I need to point out that initially I wasn’t really interested in reading/listening to this book, but I’m glad I took the time.
 The book is set in Germany during WWII..  The story is narrated by the Grim Reaper, the personification of death.  He tells the story of a young girl named Liesel Meminger,  a foster child.  Books help her cope with many of the events that happen throughout the book, even though at the beginning of the book she doesn’t know how to read.  Obviously she learns how to.
Liesel’s foster family takes in a Jew and hides him in their basement.  The book describes the fear the family has and also that of the Jewish man.  It helps you feel what it would like to live in Nazi Germany, the fear of government, hunger, crime and of war.
The family endures the foster fathers business dying because he isn’t a member of the Nazi party, money and food are in short supply.  The mother cleans clothes to help pay the bills, but as the war weakens the economy her side business ends.  The family ends up eating pea soup for every meal.
            I really enjoyed this story.  Although Liesels life seems like a nightmare, the author shows how little things can make life enjoyable.  She finds joy in the friendship of her Jewish houseguest, playing soccer, stealing books, and reading them, even though it seems everything and everyone around her are falling apart.
I recommend The Book Thief and if you listen to it you will really enjoy the narration.  I give the book 4 ½ of 5 stars only because I don’t really believe in giving anything 5 stars.

***A LAST NOTE FROM YOUR NARRATOR***
i am haunted by humans.

thanks matt:)

i appriciate you picking up the slack while i have been otherwise occupied;)

but what can i say...

i will cover shades of grey later...

p.s.: i gave the book thief 5 stars...so there

~~~~~~~~~

lindsay and the cutest little red haired girl in the world, ireland,

tried their hand at our bean soup recipe (here)

and lindsay said that kevin was dying at how good it was...

they also made grandma j's rolls and i gotta tell you guys...

you have got to make this soup...

it is delicious and beyond easy

i miss this little beauty<3 

if you make it, let me know what you think...

on to june...

bye...
more later...