The Book Theif by Markus Zusak

Is reading a form of reincarnation? What exactly goes into it? Good writing? Good reading? Both? I wonder how many lives I've lived within mine? Some books just touch you that way, and unfortunately--others don't.
I finished listening to 'The Book Theif' in the car today, and as I was driving about going from errand to errand I had tears streaming down my face (and looking quite pathetic...I'm sure).
Death narrates this Natzi Germany tale (and this might just be a put off for many readers...you warm to him and his spare worded narration...eventually) of a young girl who lost her communistic parents and was sent to a foster home in a working class neighborhood of Munich. Her foster parents, while maternally gruff and paternally kind, love her as their own, although rarely hear it in her mother's acidic tongue. Through the book, Liesl steals several books at opportune moments and death, while he warns himself away, gets caught up in the understated drama of Leisl's typically hard, cold life during wartime. The end is bittersweet and left me hanging, wondering a crucial question... of matramony and life.

Aria of the Sea by Dia Calhoun

This book will be added to my bibliography of strong female protagonists! Cerinthe, who lives in the alternate world of Windward, a sea-based multiple female gods religious society, travels to the capitol city to take the trial, to get into the royal academy of dancing. Cerinthe struggles with the memories of her mother's death, of which, she blames herself, her self-dispised gift of healing and an ill tempered older dancer with endless talent but no work ethic. Cerinthe quickly rises in the ranks of the dancers due to her ability, but has lost the song of the goddess (something akin to losing faith or not hearing answers to our prayers), which she misses more than anything. Finally, after a tragic accident following a dare, Cerinthe hears the song once again while she is helping a fallen dancer. In the end, Cerinthe must choose between dancing, her mother's dream and following her goddess given gift, healing.