LOOK!BOOK!

Julie is back with this month's installment of LOOK!BOOK!
I still remember when I bought The Book Thief. I was in Dublin for the 2007 National Book Awards and my friend Elspeth (also at HarperCollins) pointed it out to me in Eason’s bookstore on O’Connell Street. At more than 500 pages it weighed a ton and I cringed at the thought of carrying it around for the rest of the day. But Elspeth always recommended the best books and so, of course, I forked over the Euros.

With something like a million copies sold around the world and a dozen literary awards you’re likely familiar with the story. Set during the Second World War, readers follow a young girl named Liesel as she adapts to her foster family and new life on Himmel St. in a small town outside Munich. As the war escalates, she has close brushes with Death, who narrates the book and has a sort of fascination with her.

I was so blown away by The Book Thief that it was one of the few books I carted back to Canada when I left London after nearly six years. To me, it represents the very best of “crossover” fiction, appealing to teens and adults.

My other faves include (no judgment!):

How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff (2006).

The Earth, My Butt and Other Round Things by Carolyn Mackler (2005).

The Luxe by Anna Godbersen (2008).

Apples by Richard Milward (2007).

Junk by Melvin Burgess (2003).

But I need some new ones badly, any recos?

~Julie