February 1st Book Review

***Thought of the day: On Sid the Science Kid (which I LOVE, btw.) Doesn't Teacher Suzie's songs sound suspiciously like Michael Jackson???***

January's book (to be reviewed on February 1st) The Book Thief:

(A Drama)

Narrated by Death, Markus Zusak's groundbreaking new novel is the story of Liesel Meminger a young foster girl living outside of Munich in Nazi Germany. Liesel scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing when she discovers something she can't resist- books. Soon she is steal ling books from Nazi book-burnings, the mayor's wife's library, wherever they are to be found.

With the help of her accordion-playing foster father, Liesel learns to read and shares her stolen books with her neighbors during bombing raids, as well as with the Jewish man hidden in her basement.

Welcome to Braeleigh's Book Club!!!

So, I am an avid reader. I mean, I really read a lot. I used to read more, but now I have 3 kids, and honestly, most of my reading is done a paragraph (or a sentence) at a time. LOL. So, since I now have this glorious emotional/mental outlet called my BLOG, I figured it was a good thing to blog about.

Our book reviews will be only once a month (the first day of every month- even if that means interrupting Something Silly for Sunday or wordless Wednesday.) Maybe that sounds like a big ol' space between books, but for sanity's sake, we're keeping it low key that way. If I want to read a decent sized book, with my kids all over the place, and my playing chauffeur several times a week, I'm lucky to get a couple of pages in a day. Besides, I think book clubs USUALLY do one book a month, right?

Book clubs on a whole are kind of hard for me to attend. My husband works full time and goes to school full time. Usually, the day the book club in my neighborhood meets, my husband is at school, and it's late enough in the evening that it's past or almost bedtime, and my children are at that really hyper/disobedient time of day when they're just about ready to wind down, but it's the storm before the calm. I'd rather not have to take my kids to a book club while the other women leave their children home just so I can spend all my time keeping my kids in line.

Not to mention, the book club in my neighborhood happens to be a group of women from my ward (church group) and they are really more interested in reading church books, like The Work and the Glory, and books written by prophets. I'm sure they're all great. But I am so infinitely not interested in those books, that I'd rather eat snail shells than try and focus on one of them long enough to finish it.

Mostly, I'll be reading something that I am interested in. And I'd love for you to read with me! Then, we can discuss our opinions about the books through comments on the first day of every month. I am happy to take suggestions, and please feel free to vote for the next book (The poll will always be available for the whole month at the top right hand corner of my blog on the sidebar.) I will always try to have many different types of books. The options for February are:

The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne
(A Classic/Romance)

Set in 17th-century Puritan Boston, it tells the story of Hester Prynne, who gives birth after committing adultery and struggles to create a new life of repentance and dignity. Throughout the novel, Hawthorne explores themes of legalism, sin, and guilt.

Romeo And Juliet by William Shakespeare

(A Play: A Tragedy)

A tragedy written early in the career of playwright William Shakespeare about two young "star-cross'd lovers" whose deaths ultimately unite their feuding families.

The Moor Child by Eloise McGraw

(Children's Literature)

A novel, centering on the life of a changeling girl in Ireland and drawing heavily from Irish and European folklore about changelings, leprechauns and fairies.

The Princess Bride

(A comedy)

The book combines elements of comedy, adventure, fantasy, romance and fairy tale. It is presented as if it were an abridgment of a work by S. Morgenstern, and Goldman's 'commentary' asides are constant throughout.

There are many books that I have read before and would love to read again, and many books that I have not yet had the pleasure of reading, and would love to have the chance. I will always welcome suggestions, and would be happy to add them to the 'list'!!!