I finished reading "The Book Thief" last night (Friday, November 18). It was actually a very good book.. Because it was set during WWII in Nazi Germany, there were parts of the book that were a little intense. However, the intensity of the novel is what made Death the perfect and obvious choice for the role of Narrator. Most of the characters were likeable, though Frau Hubermann--the Book Thief's adoptive mother--was definitely generous with the verbal and physical abuse. She often referred to Liesel as "Saumensch," or pig. Frau Hubermann often heaped similar verbal abuse upon her husband Hans. I felt sorry for some of the minor characters: The mayor's wife (whose son had been claimed by Death) and Max, the Jew who hid in Rosa's & Hans' basement. I even felt a little sorry for Rudy Steiner--The boy with hair "the color of lemons" who was always trying to get a kiss from Liesel. I'm pretty sure he got one in his final moments in the arms of Liesel. Oops! I've just spoiled part of a fantastic story! Before I say anything else that may ruin the story, it's time for Richard Paul Evans to confide in me and reveal "The Mistletoe Secret"!
The master of the holiday novel presents the moving story of two people who brave loneliness and loss to find love.
Dear Universe,
Is anyone out there?
Thinking no one is reading, a blogger who calls herself LBH writes about her most personal feelings, especially her overwhelming loneliness. She goes from day to day showing a brave face to the world while inside she longs to know how it would feel if one person cared about her.
Alex Bartlett cares. He’s reading her posts in Daytona Beach, Florida. Nursing his own broken heart and trust issues, he finds himself falling for this sensitive, vulnerable woman whose feelings mirror his own. Following a trail of clues LBH has inadvertently revealed, he discovers that she lives in the small town of Midway, Utah. He makes his way there just after Thanksgiving, determined to find LBH. Maybe she’s a Lisa, Lori, or a Luanne. Instead, he finds a woman named Aria, a waitress at the Mistletoe Diner, who encourages Alex in his search while serving his pie along with some much-needed sympathy and companionship.
Alex finally finds his LBH, a woman who is as beautiful and kind as he imagined she would be. How can he tell her that he knows her secret? What’s holding him back? Could it be his feelings for Aria?
I'm hoping it will be more intriguing than its predecessor, "The Mistletoe Inn." I was disappointed in the predictable plot of that particular novel. However, I hope that doesn't discourage anyone reading this blog post from checking out any of the books discussed in the aforementioned blog post! Happy Holidays & Happy Reading!
