Monday, September 28, 2015

I Am the Messenger by Markus Zusak - Aussie Author Challenge book.11

Book chat from me again.  A lot of readers in the blogger world agree that The Book Thief by Markus Zusak is a phenomenal piece of creative art.  I think so too.  So, I wanted to read another book of his, but I kept putting it off, because I thought "how can it be anywhere close to The Book Thief?"...I can now answer that.  It's different.  The setting is different.  The era is different.  The age of characters are different.  It's different, yet wonderful as well. 


I Am the Messenger by Markus Zusak - There is some really great stuff here.  At times, I got really annoyed and slightly angry.  Then, as the story continued, I liked that I had that response.  It was thought-provoking and demanded an array of emotions to be experienced.  I also felt encouraged, hopeful, and was brought to tears more than once.  Sometimes, I wanted to hug and applaud the main character; other times I wanted to tell him that he was a complete idiot.  Read it for yourself, and you decide. 4.5/5



I'd seen this quote before.  I gotta admit, when I read it in the actual book, I was especially moved by the power of these words.  These beautiful words about beautiful people are captured in a beautiful moment in the story.  Finding quotes like this in the actual context of a story is one of the beauties of a book.

I have more Markus Zusak news.  I am going to a speaking engagement of his at the Sydney Jewish Museum.  In my facebook news feed, I saw the event created.  I didn't even realize that I followed him on facebook, but I'm sure glad I do because in a matter of days, the event sold out.  As the event states, "Markus Zusak was born in Sydney, Australia. His mother Lisa is originally from Germany and his father Helmut is from Austria. They immigrated to Australia in the late 1950s."  I'm really looking forward to this.  I don't know what to expect, and I'm going solo, but I think this makes me feel like a serious bibliophile.  Or fangirl.  Or both.


I aimed to reach "Kangaroo" status with this challenge, and I'm fairly confident I'll do it! 
KANGAROO
– Read and review 12 titles written by Australian Authors of which at least 4 of those authors are female, at least 4 of those authors are male, and at least 4 of those authors are new to you;
– At least 6 fiction and at least 2 non-fiction, and at least 2 titles first published in 2014 or 2015.
Female authors:
Saving Francesca by Melina Marchetta - COMPLETED 11 April 2015 - 5/5
Frantic by Katherine Howell- COMPLETED 6 April 2015 - 3.5/5
Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty (published 2014) - COMPLETED 11 August 2015 - 4/5
Girl, Defective by Simonne Howell - COMPLETED 7 September 2015 - 4/5

Male authors:
I Am the Messenger by Markus Zusak - COMPLETED 24 September 2015 - 4.5/5
The Rosie Effect by Graeme Simsion (published 2014) - COMPLETED 26 June 2015 - 1/5
The Narrow Road to the Deep North by Richard Flanagan - CUT
The Cold Cold Ground by Adrian McGinty
A Long Way Home by Saroo Brierley (non-fiction) - COMPLETED 10 February 2015 - 4/5

Authors new to me:
Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley - COMPLETED 3 April 2015 - 3.5/5
Strange Places by Will Elliott (non-fiction) - COMPLETED 2 April 2015 - 2/5
All That I Am by Anna Funder - COMPLETED 28 March 2015 - 4/5
Stolen: A Letter to My Captor by Lucy Christopher - COMPLETED 11 March 2015 - 5/5


Before I go (since we're talking about books)...............September 27th through October 3rd is Banned Books Week - Celebrate the Freedom to Read - more information here: http://www.bannedbooksweek.org/
I got online, reserved the top most frequently challenged or banned young adult fiction book for 2014-2015 (The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie), and I'm going to read it this week!



15 comments:

  1. i've not heard of that author before! it sounds like you are rocking at this challenge.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I didn't realize he had a second book, it sounds interesting I might give it a go!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I haven't heard of this book but have been told that Book Thief is amazing. Thanks for the recommendation--I am adding to my Goodreads list now!

    Hope you had a great weekend, and thanks so much for stopping by so I could find your lovely corner of the web :) XOXO

    ReplyDelete
  4. I love that you're going to his speaking event and I wish Australia wasn't 3 days in the future and 8 billion dollars to fly to otherwise I'd get on a plane and go with you because that's awesome. I loved The Book Thief and this one has been on my list for awhile. I think once my current situation is tended to, I'm finally going to put it on my holds list.

    And thanks for the reminder about Banned Books Week. It's too late to get anything from the library but I do have The Diary of Anne Frank on my bookshelf (yep, only Jew in America who hasn't read it), so I'll be doing that this week. I'll probably reread either The Lorax or The Giving Tree with the child. It really amazes me what people will campaign to have banned.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Yay you for getting to go to his speaking engagement!

    ReplyDelete
  6. I should've just waited and read your blog post about who you were going to go see! :) I can't wait to hear about it!

    ReplyDelete
  7. I got to meet Markus Zusak at an event in LA a couple of years ago. He is SO nice and way more normal than I expected. I thought he would be this really intellectual, kind of weird guy and he wasn't AT ALL.

    ReplyDelete
  8. My mom gave me The Book Thief when she finished it but I haven't read it yet because of all the library books that have become available. I'm excited to read it, and from the sounds of it I'll have to read I Am the Messenger too!

    ReplyDelete
  9. I haven't read the Book Thief, I'll have to check it out and then this one. I love when a book causes you to feel so many emotions.

    ReplyDelete
  10. I didn't know Markus Zusak had a new book out but The Book Thief is one of my all time faves. I'll need to check this out. Maybe I can even suggest it to my newly formed MN blogger book club!

    ReplyDelete
  11. I sooo was scared to read this after how EPIC and OMG WONDERFUL The Book Thief was...and...eh, I guess I was disappointed? Like I just didn't connect to Ed like I loved Leisel and Rudy and her adopted parents and aaall the things. *sigh* And I confess I was worried about how he was feeding that dog. ;) BUT. I've only read two Markus Zusak books and I definitely want to read more!! And that is SO COOL you get to hear him speak!! *flails* Have fun!!
    Thanks for stopping by @ Paper Fury!

    ReplyDelete
  12. i am so glad you enjoyed it... you make me want to read it! i am so excited and jealous about seeing him. how exciting!

    ReplyDelete
  13. I am the Messenger sounds absolutely like my kind of thing! Need to check it out! Love your book recommendations!

    ReplyDelete
  14. I haven't read The Book Thief, but I'm adding it (as well as I Am the Messenger) to my "To Read" list.

    There's nothing wrong with fangirling at author events. I did it when I saw Chuck Palahniuk on his Rant tour years ago. (Well, on the inside. On the outside, I froze and couldn't think of anything even remotely intelligent to say as I got my book signed. I also got a picture with him and look like a deer in the headlights. Haha.)

    ReplyDelete

I love comments, and I enjoy our interactions. I respond via email, but if you're a "no reply blogger", I can't. Don't think I'm ignoring you!