Book Thief Read Along Final Discussion: Parts 7 to the End, and a Giveaway!

And already (or should I say finally!) our Book Thief read along has come to an end! I hope all those who have participated have enjoyed the fun, both those reading for the first time and those re-reading. It's a great book, is it not?

Today, the discussion is being hosted by Kathy from Read This Instead. She has some great questions, and so here they are with my answers. Beware: some spoilers ahead!


1. How did you feel when Max had to leave the Hubermanns? What did you expect would happen to him?

That was crazy sad and and of course I thought it was over for him. I had no idea what he would figure out to do ore where he would. One thing is for sure, he's one strong dude.

2. Why do you think Liesel ran out to Max when they finally did cross paths, even after she had seen what happened to Hans earlier in the book?

Because the power of her love and concern for him totally outweighed the fear of what might happen. Though I do think that even if she wasn't scared for herself, she should have considered the consequences for him! But anyway, I think it was worth it for both of them that they got some contact. What a sad scene though. Ugh.

3. What did you think of Death spoiling the ending a couple chapters before it actually happened? Did the warning make it easier to handle?

Not really, no matter how much we knew what was going to happen, it was still hard. And always always always, I hope that it will end a different way. The first time I read it, I hoped that somehow, something would happen to make Death's predictions not be right.

4. Which death impacted you the most?

Rudy, always Rudy. The others are sad too, but it's always Rudy that sticks in my mind. However, this time I was especially moved by Rosa's probably because so many of you reading this for the first time hated her in the beginning and I knew you would come around and so I was paying more attention to the Rosa parts and her actions and so when it described her end, and Liesel saying goodbye, that's when the tears came for me.

But, speaking of Rudy, I thought I'd share a little clip here. Here is Markus Zusak reading a bit from his book, about Rudy. Let's just say, he had us all holding our breaths. (P.S. If you want more of his speech that day, let me know and I'll send you links. Some of it's on YouTube, but much of it is "unlisted" because they weren't happy with me putting the whole thing up!)

 5. How did your view of Ilsa Herman change over the course of the book? 

She was amazing really. She has a beautiful soul, she GOT Leisel, maybe better than any other person in the book. That fact made me so happy. And I totally forgotten that they take care of her in the end. Wow. She is a really amazing character too.

6. The power of words is such a big theme throughout the book. Which instances of powerful words stuck out to you? Or, which quotes from the book stuck out to you?

I tried to tweet some of the quotes that stuck out. I succeeded sometimes and failed other times, but just for fun, here are the some of the quotes that I ended up tweeting, just in case you missed them!

"It kills me sometimes, how people die." "They were going to Dachau, to concentrate." "One was a book thief, the other stole the sky.""There were stars," he said. "They burned my eyes.""They were not sent there for a shower." "Better that we leave the paint behind," Hans told her, "than ever forget the music."”So many humans. So many colors.”"Like red rain clouds on the white-sky canvas at their feet." "Trust me, though, the words were on their way...""Liesel, upon seeing those eyes, understood that Hans Hubermann was worth a lot.""That's the sort of thing I'll never know or comprehend--what humans are capable of.""If you feel like it, come with me. I will tell you a story.""I walked in, loosened his soul, and carried it gently away.""Here is a small fact. You are going to die."

7. In this post Markus Zusak says:

In many ways I felt that the book is about Liesel’s different kind of loves - for Hans, for Rosa, for Rudy and Max, and for books and living in general.

Which of those loves resonated with you most?

Interesting quote, because I always think that the power of words is what this book is so much about. But no, it really is about love, isn't it. I really don't know how to answer this question because each of those relationships are so powerful. I love them all!

8. Thoughts on Liesel and Death finally meeting? 

That is quite the hold your breath moment, isn't it? It's fun to have the scene played over again, after he (Death) mentions it in the beginning, because wow, it means so much more after you've learned who everyone is. And it's powerful that Liesel can recognize Death so well, and how he is stopped in his tracks because of it.

9. If this was your first time reading The Book Thief, is it what you expected? If it was a reread, what did you notice this time around?

I'm amazed at all the stuff I forget during each reading and how when I read it again, I'm like, oh YEAH! This time around I paid attention to the images that were painted, I slowed down and really pictured them in my mind. Amazing. Truly amazing.

10. Will you see the movie?

Of course! But after just finishing this book last night and how sad those scenes are, I'm not sure I'm going to be able to actually WATCH them. I'm going to need lots of Kleenex that's for sure.

Be sure to link up your answers over at Kathy's anytime this week!

Update: Another link to Markus Zusak answering the questions about why so much foreshadowing, and do Liesel and Max get married. It's worth a click over to listen!

A Book Thief Giveaway!

It's been an awesome fun read along! Thanks everyone for participating! To say thank you, we have a fun giveaway! The three of us have made "I am Haunted by humans" t-shirts for you... three different kinds and sizes, for three different winners!

To enter to win, fill out his form letting us know your thoughts about the book, and we'll pick three random winners. Good luck! And we'll see you at the next read along!