All Quiet on the Western Front

I feel that it's very fitting that this book is often lauded as the greatest war novel of all time. To me it also read as the greatest anti-war novel (besides Slaughterhouse Five) because after reading this dark, chilling, DEPRESSING account of what it's like going to war, why on earth would you ever want to enlist?? One very interesting thing I noticed while reading this, is that patriotism or fighting for your country never came up. At all. They weren't protecting the fatherland, they joined because it was expected of them, they didn't have any deep desire to show off their patriotism. All Quiet on the Western Front showcases several young German men on the front lines during World War I. They're fighting in the trenches, enjoying the little things in life (food, companionship, and cigarettes) and wondering where on earth their youth went. Two years of seeing the unimaginable, suffering every malady, and losing friend after friend has them questioning everything from why they are there to what they plan on doing if they are lucky enough to survive the war. A fast paced read that everyone should read.

The Book Thief

Geoffrey Rush said it was a five handkerchief film and I think the same is most definitely true for the book. It starts off innocently enough, with a word of note from death, the impartial narrator. Death tells the tale of Liesel, a young German orphan who finds a new home in Nazi Germany and forges a strong bond with her new papa. Papa slowly coaxes her out of her shell with his accordion, cigarette rolling, and reading lessons. They start off with "The Grave Digger's Handbook," a book Liesel stole at her brother's funeral, but soon progress to other novels (the majority of which Liesel has stolen). Each novel she conquers marks a new phase in her life. As the war progresses into Germany, reading is her true salvation. It also helps her bond with the Jew hidden in their basement.

This is one of those books that will stay with you. It's haunting and poetic; Death is a fantastic narrator and his insights to the future and value of human life will astound you. It's also nice to read a book from the perspective of the "protagonist," an eleven year old German girl and member of the Hitler Youth, rather than the "victims" (not that there is ANYTHING wrong with reading about the victims, it's just nice to switch it up, I've read dozens of memoirs from survivors and other literature from the side of the oppressed). 

Fans of Indiana Jones!!!!!

So I just finished reading Strindberg's Star by Jan Wallentin and I LOOOOVED it! I've been reading like a billion romances lately and this was an AWESOME break from that. Picture Indiana Jones? Pretty awesome right? Well this book is just like "The Lost Ark" so definitely give this a try!! There are un-explainable and highly sought after objects that Don, a history scholar must find and figure out the power of. Little does he know that these objects have a big history in the arctic (19th century), Sweden, and in Nazi Germany (I told you this was like Indiana Jones!). It's a fast paced multi-national thriller and it's so hard to put down because you want to figure out what in the hell is going on. This is a must read for any Dan Brown fans as well or for anyone who likes a good historical (fake historical, anyway) thriller. Give it a try, you won't be disappointed!

I received this book for free through Goodreads Giveaways in return for my honest, unbiased opinion.