Best Bits of the Universe

This week my six year old declared I was the best thing in the whole entire universe (and no he didn’t want anything, he still genuinely thinks I’m awesome).  So take that shooting stars, supernovas and ice-cream – I’m better ’n you. 
 
At times kids can make us feel old, worn-out and incompetent but there are those incredible moments that make every headache, backache and heartache worthwhile. 
 
Some other gems from my kids this week:

‘And if you put poo on it, it will be even stinkier.’

‘Summer is my least favourite [season] because it’s too hot and I can’t smoke.’ (Because cold mornings and condensation are much more fun than warmth.)

‘Mum, do you even know how to use a steering wheel?’ (Lesson: take the correct freeway exit unless you want folk in the back seat to question your driving ability.)

My vote for the best thing in the universe: warm, scrumptious, sleepy-head, just-got-out-of-bed hugs from my kids.

The Best Book I've Never Read

Realising that I don’t have enough time to read every great book ever written, I’ve recently started listening to audio books in the car.  The first two books I’ve listened to were ideal for this format; atmospheric novels that transformed my aging sedan into an imaginary world.

The first was The Gathering by Isobelle Carmody, read by Peter Hardy.  Carmody’s dark fantasy tackles the theme of good versus evil in fictional Cheshunt.  Strong characters drew me into their feeling of dread as darkness closed in around them.  I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this story but it didn’t retain the title of ‘Best Book I’ve Never Read’ for long.

The winner is… The Book Thief by Marcus Zusack, read by Dennis Olsen.  Set in Germany during WWII, it’s a book that gets away with breaking the rules.  The narrator, Death, reveals the ending in the first few chapters, but then why shouldn’t he?  We all know our own ending after all.  Death says it himself in the opening chapter when he tells us we are going to die.  This story, like life, is a journey with one destination.  But it is an exquisite journey full of beauty, loss, humanity, horror and every subtle variance in between.  One of the best bits of listening to Dennis Olsen’s superb reading of the story is that now I know how to pronounce all those German swear words!

It’s hard to pick a best bit from this story, but here is one of my many favourite quotes from Death:  ‘I am not violent. I am not malicious.  I am a result.’

Post script: I loved the gorgeous words in this story so much that I requested a copy of the novel for my birthday.  I’m sure it won’t take long to win my Best Book I’ve Ever Read Award.  It’s great to see that The Book Thief has made it onto the REAL awards Children’s Choice Book Awards Shortlist for 2013 too.