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BTPBookclub (18 KP) rated The Librarian of Auschwitz in Books

May 11, 2019

The Librarian of Auschwitz

Antonio Iturbe, Lilit Thwaites | 2017 | History & Politics, Young Adult (YA)

8.4

(7 Ratings)

Book Rating

This book changed my look on life

Oh my heart. I teared up so many times througout reading this, I cannot even begin to imagine what it must have been like. Not an easy read, but one that has changed my life and will stick with me forever. It’s changed the way I look at life and realise how lucky we all are compared to how they were treated and had to survive in Auschwitz. Just terrible.

The Librarian of Aushwitz is beautifully translated and written by Lilit Zekulin Thwaites. It is based on a true story and it hurts how close to the truth it really is, makes it all the more real and heart-breaking.

Within the story you really get to know each character individually and when you lose one, IT HURTS! It’s upsetting. I felt that! The story highlights how important friends, family and books are… Even though there was only 8 books they meant the world to block 31 and the children. There are so many beautiful quotes about books in this story. It was their form of escape from reality during the worst of times.

Ditas character (based off a real woman). Wow. She was only fourteen and had so much responsibilty placed on her, she risked her life technically daily. She is one strong and determined woman. I really do look up to this woman and appreciate her and applaud her for what she did. What a wondeful woman! I love to meet her.

An absolute eye opener of a read! The truth is in this book about what really happened at Auschwitz camps. I’m tearing up writing this review. A must read. A well deserved five stars from me and it obviously has a space in my top twenty of the year and honestly this might be stuck with me for life. I learnt a lot from this book.

Kudos

Lucy L (0 KP) rated The Essex Serpent in Books

Mar 9, 2018

The Essex Serpent

Sarah Perry | 2016 | Fiction & Poetry

7.1

(8 Ratings)

Book Rating

Intriguing gothic drama

I’d wanted to read this for a while based purely on the glorious cover. It was a very pleasant gothic Victorian novel with the very intriguing mysetery of the Fabled Essex serpent weaving it’s way through. However it’s main focus is the interactions between the main characters and the enormous impact that each has on the others lives over the course of a year, predominantly for the worse.

It is a beautifully written novel and the detail is gorgeous, but at times it felt slow with little to hold my attention. I found myself skimming ahead sometimes. The characters weren’t always relatable and I didn’t feel any great connection to any of them. The promises of the Essex serpent itself is handled well and used expertly to draw out everyone’s heightened fears feeding off their own misdeeds.

I would still recommend this book. Just maybe not for anyone looking for a rousing novel. However a calm afternoon with a pot of tea to yourself it’s worth giving it a go.