Words Have the Power to Change Us // The Alice Network by Kate Quinn

If I haven't said it about a thousand time already on Instagram or Twitter or in my recent review, I'll say it again; I recently read The Alice Network by Kate Quinn and I LOVED it! I was so inspired and empowered and moved by it that I want to shout it from the rooftops! It was incredible! So it's no surprise I found a quote--there were several but I chose this one because it really struck me--that I wanted to represent on Words Have the Power to Change Us. There really were so many beautiful moments in that book that I could highlight or talk about but this one was the most powerful to me.

Words Have the Power to Change Us // JR Ward and The Chosen

As we all know, the Black Dagger Brotherhood is my all-time favorite series. It just connects with me and speaks to me on a very deep level for whatever reason. The characters feel like family, the story that JR Ward tells goes beyond the conventional paranormal romance genre, and every time a new book comes out it feels like coming home.

I'm going to go super emo about this quote because I think the quote speaks for itself and says everything. I will say that when I read this I had only my second moment ever of dumbfounded stunned silence while reading because this quote states exactly how I feel some/most of the time. It's like Ward had looked directly into my heart and wrote these words for me. However, I think most single women, especially perpetually single ones, can relate to this quote. It's honest. It's brutal. It's heart-breaking. But it's real.

Thank you JR Ward for writing this and understanding a single girl's heart.

Words Have the Power to Change Us // Mhairi McFarlane

I debated writing this post because there's a high likelihood of me coming off like asshole. But then I remembered I don't really care and here we are. I recently read my second Mhairi McFarlane novel, Who's That Girl, and it was amazing! Without going into a mini-review I knew that when I read the quote above that I wanted to talk about it. Background of the quote: Main character has feelings for a coworker, he has a girlfriend yet blatantly leads the main character on via chatting, only to have another acquaintance be brutally honest and tell her he's an irrelevant person because he is. He's a jerk with no regards for how his actions affect other people etc.. Why does this quote resonate with me? Probably not for the reason you think.

Itinerary Update {2} & Words Have the Power to Change Us // Honor by Jay Crownover

Hey again. Quick (ish) update on what's been going on. The blog has been a bit quiet lately as I've been finishing up my final few shifts on my contract 2 weeks ago (FINALLY!), moving back home with a road trip and stop in Nashville on the way, and then settling back home. Phew. It's been a busy few weeks! Negative out of the way first, some of you might know from Twitter I absolutely hated my last job. Hated. Hated with the fire of a thousand suns. I use that word so infrequently that when I say it, I mean it. I dreaded every day I had to walk in there because I feel like I got dumped on with the worst patients every single shift. Add to that the complete ignorance and lack of professionalism in management I have ever seen that after the first few weeks the quote I feature above was my thinking months before I actually read the words.

Words Have the Power to Change Us {The Last Mile & Katie Ashley}

Photo Location: Serengeti National Park, Tanzania

A few weeks ago I read The Last Mile by Katie Ashley--really enjoyed, review coming soon--and this one quote stuck out to me for a few reasons. Once again, it felt like a book was speaking directly to me. This particular quote felt extremely relevant to me and was definitely something I needed to hear.

Words Have the Power to Change Us {The Tudor Legacy}

I've been meaning to post this quote, from The Virgin's Spy by Laura Andersen, for awhile but other posts came up and it got away from me. I've wanted to feature this and talk about it because I find it super relevant to me not only now but all the time.

Words Have the Power to Change Us {Throne of Glass & Sarah J Maas}

Sitting at the Sun Gate at the top of/looking down on Machu Piccu

I Will Not Be Afraid // Words Have The Power To Change Us

A major element of what makes these books so amazing is the writing. Sarah J Maas' writing is eloquent and epic and brings the feels. Her words are visceral and they feel real and I just feel so, so inspired when I read one of these books. They are also funny and clever and the banter....gurrrrl the banter is always on another level. These are my favorite quotes from the books and if this doesn't sell you then I really cannot help you. 

Assassin's Blade

‘She was fire, she was darkness, she was dust and blood and shadow.’

'You're a damned idiot...You're a moron and an ass and a damned idiot...Because I'd pick you."

'I lied! And you know I lied, you stupid bastard!'

'My price was his oath that he'd never lay a hand on you again.'

‘There was no way in hell she was going to move to the southern continent without all of her books.’

‘I will not be afraid.’

Throne of Glass

‘You could rattle the stars.’

‘Libraries are full of ideas - perhaps the most dangerous and powerful of all weapons.’

‘Celaena…get up.’

'Libraries were full of ideas–perhaps the most dangerous and powerful of all weapons.'

'You could rattle the stars,' she whispered. 'You could do anything, if only you dared. And deep down, you know it, too. That’s what scares you most'

'My name is Celaena Sardothien. But it makes no difference if my name's Celaena or Lillian or Bitch, because I'd still beat you, no matter what you call me.'

'With each day he felt the barriers melting. He let them melt. Because of her genuine laugh, because he caught her one afternoon sleeping with her face in the middle of a book, because he knew that she would win.' 

'I'm not married,' he said softly, 'because I can't stomach the idea of marrying a woman inferior to me in mind and spirit. It would mean the death of my soul.' 

'Names are not important. It's what lies inside of you that matters.'

Crown of Midnight

‘Dance with me, Celaena.’

‘The rest of the world quieted into nothing. In that moment, after ten long years, Celaena looked at Chaol and realized she was home.’

‘You remind me of what the world ought to be. What the world can be.’

'The rest of the world quieted into nothing. In that moment, after ten long years, Celaena looked at Chaol and realised she was home.'

'She smiled sadly. 'You'll figure it out. And when you do...' She shook her head, knowing she shouldn't say it, but doing it anyway. 'When you do, I want you to remember that it wouldn't have made any difference to me. It's never made any difference to me when it came to you. I’d still pick you. I’ll always pick you.'

'It was like coming home or being born or suddenly finding an entire half of herself that had been missing.'

'There had never been any line between them, only his own stupid fear and pride. Because from the moment he'd pulled her out of that mine in Endovier and she had set those eyes upon him, still fierce despite a year in hell, he'd been walking toward this, walking to her. So Chaol brushed away her tears, lifter her chin, and kissed her.'

Heir of Fire

'She would remake the world—remake it for them, those she had loved with this glorious, burning heart; a world so brilliant and prosperous that when she saw them again in the Afterworld, she would not be ashamed. She would build it for her people, who had survived this long, and who she would not abandon. She would make for them a kingdom such as there had never been, even if it took until her last breath… ‘Get up,’…Celaena reached across the earth between them and brushed her fingers against Aelin’s. And arose.'

‘She was the heir of ash and fire, and she would bow for no one.’

‘She was Aelin Ashryver Galanthynius—and she would not be afraid.’

''Because I am lost,"' she whispered onto the earth. "And I do not know the way.'

'Gods, he was brilliant. Cunning and wicked and brilliant.'

'And somewhere far and deep inside her, an ember began to glow.'

'It was the Song of Eyllwe. Then the Song of Fenharrow. And Melisande. And Terrasen. Each nation that had people in those labor camps. And finally, not for pomp or triumph, but to mourn what they had become, they played the Song of Adarlan.'

'Get up.'

'Tell them it's time to fight back.'

Have you checked out the original Book Pushin' Throne of Glass post?
How about Lit in Lyrics? My ToG playlist?
Stay tuned tomorrow for some *cough* male fashion...

Thirteen Days of Ash and Fire--An Heir of Fire Blog Tour Day 3

Welcome to my stop on an Heir of Fire blog tour! I was so ecstatic to be asked to be a part of this tour. If you've been to my blog or follow me on Twitter you KNOW who much I fangirl for the Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas. I danced...literally danced for an ARC of Crown of Midnight last year at BEA. This shit is serious. So for my stop on the tour I wanted to highlight one of my favorite, favorite, FAVORITE aspects of the epicness that IS Throne of Glass--the writing. Sarah J Maas' writing is that of simplistic eloquence that evokes the deepest of emotions. The themes, the words, the feels, it all comes together to create a visceral experience while reading. It is inspiring and uplifting and harrowing and just ALL THE FEELS YOU GUYS...ALL THE FEELS! So without further ado...here are my FAVORITE quotes from the series starting with Heir of Fire...get excited, y'all, this book is all the hype and more.

Tour Schedule

August 25 – Jaz @ Fiction in Fiction in Fiction

August 26 – Katie @ Polished Page-Turners

August 27 – Kelly @ Belle of the Literati--That's me!!

August 28 – Elena @ Novel Sounds

August 29 – Nicole @ The Quiet Concert

September 1 – Gillian @ Writer of Wrongs

September 2 – Judith @ Paperiot

September 3 – Melanie @ The Daily Prophecy

September 4 – Magan @ Rather Be Reading

September 5 – Andi @ Andi’s ABCs

September 8 – Gina @ Behind the Pages

September 9 – Rachel @ Hello Chelly

September 10 – Alexa @ Alexa Loves Books

If you want to hook up with this amazing blog tour we are using the hashtag #MaasThirteen OR #HoF13Tour

AND don't forget to checkout not one but TWO epic giveaways brought to you by the amazing team at Bloomsbury!

**PS--There aren't a whole lot of Heir of Fire quotes because I don't want to be too spoilery so if they don't make sense now...they will when you read :)**

Heir of Fire

'She would remake the world—remake it for them, those she had loved with this glorious, burning heart; a world so brilliant and prosperous that when she saw them again in the Afterworld, she would not be ashamed. She would build it for her people, who had survived this long, and who she would not abandon. She would make for them a kingdom such as there had never been, even if it took until her last breath… ‘Get up,’…Celaena reached across the earth between them and brushed her fingers against Aelin’s. And arose.'

‘She was the heir of ash and fire, and she would bow for no one.’

‘She was Aelin Ashryver Galanthynius—and she would not be afraid.’

''Because I am lost,"' she whispered onto the earth. "And I do not know the way.'

'Gods, he was brilliant. Cunning and wicked and brilliant.'

'It was the Song of Eyllwe. Then the Song of Fenharrow. And Melisande. And Terrasen. Each nation that had people in those labor camps. And finally, not for pomp or triumph, but to mourn what they had become, they played the Song of Adarlan.'

Crown of Midnight

‘Dance with me, Celaena.’

‘The rest of the world quieted into nothing. In that moment, after ten long years, Celaena looked at Chaol and realized she was home.’

‘You remind me of what the world ought to be. What the world can be.’

'The rest of the world quieted into nothing. In that moment, after ten long years, Celaena looked at Chaol and realised she was home.'

'She smiled sadly. 'You'll figure it out. And when you do...' She shook her head, knowing she shouldn't say it, but doing it anyway. 'When you do, I want you to remember that it wouldn't have made any difference to me. It's never made any difference to me when it came to you. I’d still pick you. I’ll always pick you.'

'It was like coming home or being born or suddenly finding an entire half of herself that had been missing.'

'Dance with me, Celaena,'

'There had never been any line between them, only his own stupid fear and pride. Because from the moment he'd pulled her out of that mine in Endovier and she had set those eyes upon him, still fierce despite a year in hell, he'd been walking toward this, walking to her. So Chaol brushed away her tears, lifter her chin, and kissed her.'

Throne of Glass

‘You could rattle the stars.’

‘Libraries are full of ideas - perhaps the most dangerous and powerful of all weapons.’

‘Celaena…get up.’ 

'Libraries were full of ideas–perhaps the most dangerous and powerful of all weapons.'

'You could rattle the stars,' she whispered. 'You could do anything, if only you dared. And deep down, you know it, too. That’s what scares you most'

'My name is Celaena Sardothien. But it makes no difference if my name's Celaena or Lillian or Bitch, because I'd still beat you, no matter what you call me.'

'With each day he felt the barriers melting. He let them melt. Because of her genuine laugh, because he caught her one afternoon sleeping with her face in the middle of a book, because he knew that she would win.' 

'I'm not married,' he said softly, 'because I can't stomach the idea of marrying a woman inferior to me in mind and spirit. It would mean the death of my soul.' 

'Names are not important. It's what lies inside of you that matters.' 

Assassin's Blade

‘She was fire, she was darkness, she was dust and blood and shadow.’

‘There was no way in hell she was going to move to the southern continent without all of her books.’

‘I will not be afraid.’

Pre-order Heir of Fire...you won't regret it...and in case you're still deciding here's some more info...

Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas

Series: Throne of Glass #3

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Publication Date: September 2, 2014

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult

Goodreads 

Synopsis:

Lost and broken, Celaena Sardothien’s only thought is to avenge the savage death of her dearest friend: as the King of Adarlan’s Assassin, she is bound to serve this tyrant, but he will pay for what he did. Any hope Celaena has of destroying the king lies in answers to be found in Wendlyn. Sacrificing his future, Chaol, the Captain of the King’s Guard, has sent Celaena there to protect her, but her darkest demons lay in that same place. If she can overcome them, she will be Adarlan’s biggest threat – and his own toughest enemy.

While Celaena learns of her true destiny, and the eyes of Erilea are on Wendlyn, a brutal and beastly force is preparing to take to the skies. Will Celaena find the strength not only to win her own battles, but to fight a war that could pit her loyalties to her own people against those she has grown to love?

Purchase:

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Book Depository

Kobo

iBooks

AUTHOR INFO

Sarah J. Maas is the New York Times bestselling author of the Throne of Glass series: Throne of Glass,

Crown of Midnight, and Heir of Fire, and the series’ prequel, The Assassin’s Blade. A New York native, Sarah currently lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and dog.

Author Links:

Official Website: http://sarahjmaas.com/

Blog: http://sjmaas.livejournal.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/SJMaas

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/sarahjmaas/

Don't forget to enter the giveaways!

Check out my reviews of...

Heir of Fire

Crown of Midnight

Throne of Glass

The Assassin's Blade

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Love Has a Language All Its Own

"You can fall in love in a second.
The heart has no regard for time."

--Karina Halle, Love, in English

Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance

Publisher: Metal Blonde Books

Pages: 456

Publication Date: April 20th, 2014

Source: Bought

Find on Goodreads

Previous Books in Series: Standalone

Goodreads Description

He’s thirty-eight. I’m twenty-three.

He speaks Spanish. I speak English.

He lives in Spain. I live in Canada.

He dresses in thousand-dollar suits. I’m covered in tattoos.

He’s married and has a five-year old daughter.

I’m single and can’t commit to anyone or anything.

Until now.Because when they say you can’t choose who you fall in love with, boy ain’t that the f*#king truth.

I realized pretty early on while reading that there would be no way I could write in my new style of review breaking it down into likes and dislikes. It would take away the fluidity of thought I needed to give this book justice. Ok, this is where I try to coherently explain all the amazing that is this book.

The writing of Karina Halle in Love, in English has this fluidity to it that made it feel like the story, characters, and scenery was unfolding right in front of my eyes. It was the kind of writing that feels like you're hanging out with a friend. It just told a story so perfectly that it ebbed and flowed and melded into you heart and mind and I was so entranced by it that I felt completely out of this world and into that of Vera and Mateo and Acantilado. The beauty that was in these words was palpable and my heart was freaking bleeding all over the place for this story. The words are powerful and filled with longing and hope and desire.

As you can read in the description this is a story of love in one of the most forbidden situations. Mateo is married and 38 and has a child. Vera is 23 and single and lives in Canada. But the heart wants what it wants. Now this is the part where you start to think, well it doesn't really matter all their differences, he's married and that's that. You're right. Vera thinks so, too. The way this story is told and how Karina develops the relationship is just so perfect. I was not rooting for this couple in the beginning and neither is Vera for the longest time. She knows the boundaries and is very well-aware of all that would go wrong developing a crush on Mateo. She is not some home-wrecking whore who goes after him disregarding his marital status. And Mateo is not a sleezy Spaniard preying on a good-looking young woman. This is part of the main reason I love this book because it handles everything with so much emotion and understanding. The way things are developed very extremely realistic and I found myself empathizing with both characters. Especially Vera, but I'll get to her in a second. YOU GUYS, you just have to read it, I'm serious. As a person who find cheating unacceptable, the way this book is written makes you understand completely what happens and why. Vera and Mateo are beautiful people and characters,that is all.

The emotional connection I felt with Vera scared me a little. Not in the obvious sense of the plot I feel the need to point out. I know I tweeted it while reading but I'm going to say it again here because this is a moment that doesn't happen often but that I live for while reading...and it is this. 'That moment when a book character says something and it feels like it came directly from your own soul.' I am being 100% serious when I say this. I can count the number of times on one hand when this has happened to me while reading. This is a big deal for me, guys...and now you're all wondering what, WHAT could possibly have affected me that much, right? Well if this were real life there is no way in absolute hell I would tell anybody how emotional this part of the book was for me. But because I believe the internet not only to be a shout into the void in some sense, I feel safer putting down here to all of you because 1. if you're reading this you understand the power of books and the written word and 2. I trust y'all not to see me as some sad and desperate sap.

So. The quote that got me all ugly faced crying is this...

"It was hard for me to admit this because I liked to have people think I was happy-go-lucky, that I devoured life, that I got up every day feeling good and excited and hopeful. But I didn't.

'No,' I told him, my gaze locking on his. 'I am not happy.'

'Why?' he asked quietly.

'Because...I am lonely.'

...

'You are lonely, but you say you like to be alone.'

I nodded. 'I do. I prefer it. But...it doesn't mean
I don't want someone to love me.'
My eyes stung, as if tears were on their way. I bit my lip, debating if I should say more.
'It doesn't mean that I don't have a lot of love in me to give someone.'"

Without making you want to feel bad for me, that is not my intention, this is pretty much my life. My mental psyche that I thought nobody understood or could ever feel was sitting there in black and white in front of my face. There is something extremely comforting about having a complete stranger write words that you yourself have thought or could have written. This right here is why I read. This is why I love emotional connections to character. I love that feeling of understanding that we can relate to not only to the fictional characters in a book but obviously the author who wrote the beautiful words. 

Ok, emo moment aside. Why else did I love this book? Well, it's also another reason I love reading. I love to learn. I love to gain new experiences through the pages of books. I love to be challenged and look at a situation that I previously had a strong opinion about and question those opinions. I have learned so much from reading and have become the person I am today because of the things I have read. Some people might not like having their beliefs questioned or like reading about people with differing opinions but I love it. It makes me think outside the box and look at another side of the story. This book did that for me, too. Like my experience with Maybe, Someday, this book helped open my eyes that there is no black and white when it comes to matters of the heart. People change. They make poor decisions. Love changes people, especially when it is true and comes from a pure place. I loved that this book gave a story and a face to a subject that objectively is horrible. I love that Karina created a character that not only recognized this but fought so hard against it. It made is real. 

The experience Vera has in Spain I can also relate to. The feeling of belonging and sense of family you gain from traveling or being with the same group of people for an extended period of time is so true that it had me reminiscing on my own travel experiences with big groups. My first trip to Europe I met one of my best friends still to this day. Since meeting her in Europe in 2012 we have traveled to Canada and Africa and even here in Wisconsin! She lives in Sydney so I obviously see her very rarely but our friendship is one I cherish and will always have. My second trip to Europe in 2013 brought me the closest to falling in love I have yet to experience. Her fear that Mateo isn't really like this all the time is something completely realistic. Unlike my experience, Mateo is who he is all the time *happy sigh*. I can speak in support of Vera from personal experience that emotions are heightened and the sense of family is brought on quickly. I can completely relate to that feeling of home and belonging in a place that couldn't be more different than the one you were raised in. I never feel more alive than when I'm somewhere that isn't home. I could totally see myself traversing states, countries, and continents for love. If it's real, it's worth it.

This book gave me so many feels. My chest was aching with what was going to happen. My stomach was absolutely in KNOTS! I started this on Saturday night and I had to work the next day. Longest 10.5 hour shift of my life! I couldn't wait to get back to Vera and Mateo. And I read in the car before work and I'm not kidding you, I was actually fanning  myself and looking around. I was transported into the universe of Vera and Mateo. Their slow-burn of sexual tension and getting to know each other is absolutely beautiful. The theme of stars and fate and destiny was breathtaking and I could not get enough of these references. You'll see much more below.

And this is officially not only a review--more like flailing--but a detailed description of my amazing experience while reading this book and how much I was able to relate to this story. I love this book to infinity and beyond and would urge anybody and everybody to read it if the description appeals to you because IT IS AMAZING! That is all...except for the massive collection of my favorite quotes at the bottom...enjoy.

VIP

Hands down, VIP. I absolutely love this book and cannot say enough about it...obviously the last 20 pages of text can tell you that. 

Words Have the Power to Change Us...

''I was such a dreamer. A romantic deep down inside. After everything I pushed away, I still believed in that great big love, the one that you would create stars and galaxies and universes for.'

---This was my second most absolute favorite quote of the book! :)'

'Love causes war and causes death, breaks souls and breaks lives. It runs people into the ground, makes them behave like moronic, immoral beasts, before it dances off, leaving only destruction in its wake--hearts blow wide open for the whole world to see.

Love puts the blame on the poor souls who succumb to it.

Love, that ultimate villainess. She makes examples of us all.

And yet we still come back for more.

We keep playing the role she gives us.

For one more chance to feel alive.'

'But I'm starting to think that most villains aren't evil--they are just misunderstood.'

'Try not to fall in love with anyone? She obviously doesn't know me at all.'

'Ugly?...No. You are terribly beautiful, Vera. So beautiful that it hurts. You would outshine her like the star you are.'

''You can fall in love in a second...The heart has no regard for time.'

'The stars may place us in each other's paths--I dare say that everyone here has been a victim of some sort of celestial fate. Perhaps we were all fated to meet, to be here with each other, but it is up to us to decide to shine or not. The stars are not unreachable. They are not untouchable. And they do not control us. I just created my own universe in this room here...I invite you all to do the same. Design your own universe, make you own stars, write your own stories, and create your own destiny.'

'I am going to miss your fire.'

'You bring light to my life. When you leave, there will only be a black hole inside of me. You'll take my heart with you.'

'I did not want to live a life with regrets. 
You only regretted the shit you didn't do.'

'There is nothing wrong with wanting to be happy and believing you deserve to be happy.'

Words Have the Power to Change Us--The Sea of Tranquility

Welcome to Day 4 of the Sea of Tranquility Book Pushin' Extravaganza...I love that word. Extravaganza. Anyways. Ok, y'all know how much I love quotes. I always put my favorite quote from the book at the top of every review AND I'll even add extras at the end if it was THAT kind of book for me. Emotional. Impactful. Deep. Soul-love. The Sea of Tranquility is obviously one of those books for me so to continue my week-long love, here are my favorite quotes!

'I live in a world without magic or miracles.

A place where there are no clairvoyants or shapeshifters, no angels or superhuman boys to save you.

A place where people die and music disintegrates and things suck.

I am pressed so hard against the earth by the weight of reality that some days I wonder how I am still able to lift my feet to walk.'

'You know I meant it. I am human. And male. And not remotely blind. 

Do you want me to say it again? 

You are distractingly, even if-that-is-not-a-real-word pretty. 

You are so pretty that I bullied Clay Whitaker into drawing me a picture of you so I could look at you when you aren't around. 

You are so pretty that one of these days I'm going to lose a finger in my garage because I can't concentrate with you so close to me. 

You are so pretty that I wish you weren't so I wouldn't want to hit every guy at school who looks at you, especially my best friend.'

'I didn't belong in this world anymore.

It's not that I wanted to be dead,

I just felt like I should be...

It left me a lot of time to think,

lots of time to get angry and feel sorry for myself.

To ask, Why me?

To ask, Why? period.

I have a black belf in self-pity.

I was an expert in the field.

Still am.

It's a skill you never forget.'

'Josh. Fucking. Bennett.'

'I never gave two shits about normal. I wanted extraordinary.

I'm haunted by music, music I can hear, but never play again.
Melodies that taunt me note by note, mocking me with the simple fact that they exist.'

'It gave me lots of time to think, lots of time to get angry and feel sorry for myself.

To ask, Why me? To ask, Why? period.

I have a black belt in self-pity.

I was an expert in the field.

Still am.

It's a skill you never forget.'

'They tell you it was random to make you feel blameless. But all I hear them telling me is that I have no control, and if I have no control, then I'm powerless.
I would have preferred being blamed.'

'I'm trying to see the magic in everyday miracles now; 

the fact that my heart still beats, that I can lift my feet off the earth to walk 

and that there is something in me worthy of love.

I know that bad things still happen.

And sometimes I ask myself why I am alive; but now, when I ask, I have an answer.'

'Call me Sunshine again, and I will murder you, cocksucker'

'We get done with dinner, but we all ate so much pizza that no one can even think about cake yet.

Except maybe me.

I can always think about cake.'

'Last night's dinner, the charred remains of my dignity, and apparently, now, my undergarments, too.
What else did I leave on Josh Bennett's bathroom floor?

I have to admit that, 
even in the midst of such utter degradation, 
I think it's funny that he can't seem to say the word bra.'

'It wasn’t so much that I wanted to see her again,' he says, looking at me with the depth of more than seventeen years in his eyes. 
I wanted her to see you.'

“I know at that moment what he's given me and it isn't a chair.

It's an invitation, a welcome, the knowledge that I am accepted here. 

He hasn't given me a place to sit. 

He's given me a place to belong.” 

“There are so many things that can break you if there's nothing to hold you together.” 

“Good morning, Sunshine.”

And those are just SOME of my absolute favorites. There are so many more lines and situations I would have loved to included and one particular quote that is probably my FAVORITE OF THE ENTIRE BOOK but it'll ruin the ending so I left it out.

So...Have you picked up this book yet?...

No?...that's okay, I've got 1 more days and 1 more post to convince you :)

Just in case you missed the other posts...
Book Pushin'
Character Coutour
Lit in Lyrics

Words Have the Power to Change Us--The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

"I'm always finding humans at their best and worst. 
I see their ugly and their beauty and I wonder how the same can be both."
--Markus Zusak, The Book Thief

Genre: YA Historical Fiction

Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers, 552 pages

Publication Date: March 14th, 2006

Source: Bought
Goodreads

Goodreads Description

It is 1939. Nazi Germany. The country is holding its breath. Death has never been busier, and will become busier still.

Liesel Meminger is a foster girl living outside of Munich, who scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing when she encounters something she can’t resist–books. With the help of her accordion-playing foster father, she learns to read and shares her stolen books with her neighbors during bombing raids as well as with the Jewish man hidden in her basement.

In superbly crafted writing that burns with intensity, award-winning author Markus Zusak, author of I Am the Messenger, has given us one of the most enduring stories of our time.

My Thoughts

I just...I can't. There is no review that can do this book justice. There are no words that I can find to express my deep rooted love for this book, this story, and most importantly, the words. Too many feels to be had. So here are my thoughts while reading and my plethora of favorite quotes...try not to cry...I'll also try not to list the whole book.

Favorite Quotes

“I have hated words and I have loved them, and I hope I have made them right.” 

“The only thing worse than a boy who hates you: a boy that loves you.” 

“It kills me sometimes, how people die.” 

“He does something to me, that boy. Every time. It’s his only detriment. He steps on my heart. He makes me cry.” 

“He must have loved her so incredibly hard.” 

“A small but noteworthy note. I've seen so many young men over the years who think they're running at other young men. They are not. They are running at me.” 

"The best word shakers were the ones who understood the true power of words. They were the ones who could climb the highest."

"I need a win, Liesel."

“His soul sat up. It met me. Those kinds of souls always do - the best ones. The ones who rise up and say "I know who you are and I am ready. Not that I want to go, of course, but I will come." Those souls are always light because more of them have been put out. More of them have already found their way to other places.” 

“How about a kiss, Saumensch?"

“She said it out loud, the words distributed into a room that was full of cold air and books. Books everywhere! Each wall was armed with overcrowded yet immaculate shelving. It was barely possible to see paintwork. There were all different styles and sizes of lettering on the spines of the black, the red, the gray, the every-colored books. It was one of the most beautiful things Liesel Meminger had ever seen.
With wonder, she smiled.
That such a room existed!” 

"How fitting that she was discovering the power of words."

“It’s a small story really, about, among other things:

* A girl
* Some words
* An accordionist
* Some fanatical Germans
* A Jewish fist fighter
* And quite a lot of thievery” 

"Yes, often, I am reminded of her, and in one of my vast array of pockets, I have kept her story to retell it. It is one of the small legion I carry, each one extraordinary in its own right. Each one an attempt--an immense leap of an attempt--to prove to me that you, and your human existence, are worth it.
Here it is. One of a handful.
The Book Thief.
If you feel like it, come with me. I'll tell you a story.
I'll show you something."

“I wanted to tell the book thief many things, about beauty and brutality. But what could I tell her about those things that she didn't already know? I wanted to explain that I am constantly overestimating and underestimating the human race—that rarely do I ever simply estimate it. I wanted to ask her how the same thing could be so ugly and so glorious, and its words and stories so damning and brilliant.

None of those things, however, came out of my mouth.

All I was able to do was turn to Liesel Meminger and tell her the only truth I truly know. I said it to the book thief and I say it now to you.

I am haunted by humans.”