Two books in one neat package.

I finally finished The Book Thief by Markus Zusak and it was incredible. Remarkably written. Beautiful story. I cried for the last 50 pages (seeing as it is 550 pages, I didn't think that was too bad). It's the story of a young German girl, Liesel, who steals books. Not an excessive amount of books, just a few, and considering everything else that's going on in the story, it's a small (but connecting) plotline. The story is narrated by Death as he (it? she?) comes in and out of Liesel's neighborhood and life (the story takes place during World War II, so Death is around fairly frequently). It's hauntingly beautiful. There are moments, as one of my colleagues said, that you stop while you're reading to re-read a sentence or paragraph because it's that good and there's so much packed into just a few words or lines. I mean wow. I like it as much as I like The Meaning of Night: A Confession by Michael Cox.
The second book I finished in only a few days (back on track, but again, it's a teen book) about the "true" story of Alice in Wonderland, and it's The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor. Alice Liddell is actually Alyss Heart, princess and heir to the throne of Wonderland. Her mother, Genevieve, is killed by Genevieve's elder sister, Redd. Redd throws (hosts? incites?) a bloody coup to reclaim the throne, kills Genevieve and sends The Cat (love it!), her assassin, after Alyss to ensure there will be no more claimants to the throne. Alyss naturally escapes and ends up in Victorian London and eventually adopted by the Liddell family. Her adoptive family convinces her to let go of her silly imagings (imagining is a very very important skill for Wonderlanders, especially the royalty) of the silly place called Wonderland. Alyss (er, now "Alice") tries and sort of succeeds until something happens to bring her back into Wonderland. Can she be the Queen the rebels (calling themselves Alyssians) believe she can be? It's the first in a trilogy and it's good enough to make me read second book, when it's published.
And now, as a bonus, the book I'm reading currently is Love and Louis XIV by Antonia Fraser. I've read The Wives of Henry VIII by her and enjoyed that. This however is French history and besides not knowing much about French history, I'm not certain how interested in French history I really am. Although this is one of those social and personal histories, which I tend to like. Being a history book, it's going to take me a bit of time to work my way through it, but I'm certain it will be worth it.
Sitting on my to-be-read pile (along with a book of Frank O'Hara's poems and a children's book called Larklight and another called Notes From the Midnight Driver) is The Trial of Queen Caroline: The Scandalous Affair that Nearly Ended a Monarchy by Jane Robins, which I'm looking forward to, especially after reading Carolly Erickson's Royal Panoply. Also interested in reading a book about George III's daughters, which I can't remember what it's called, but as I've got a lovely little pile from the library (as well as books I've purchased that I haven't gotten around to yet. The Fourth Bear!) it will probably be awhile.
I'm also interested in reading a book about Leopoldina, the first Empress of Brazil, but there's not a great deal written about her so I'll have to interlibrary loan that book when my pile has diminished (something tells me it never quite will).
So technically this is more than two books, but I've never been one to stick to technicalities.
Happy reading.