The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Ironically, I have never thought of books as precious. They have surrounded me my entire life. I have old friends and new favorites, but it has never been a struggle to get to any of them. Zusak pushed me out of my mental comfort zone by forcing me to imagine what it would be like to fight to get words and then to understand them. He found beauty in the midst of horror and made me rethink what I have always taken for granted. Leisel is special, you should meet her.

Many thanks to my mom for letting me borrow this book before she had a chance to read it.