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The Boy at the Top of the Mountain
The Boy at the Top of the Mountain | John Boyne
When Pierrot becomes an orphan, he must leave his home in Paris for a new life with his Aunt Beatrix, a servant in a wealthy household at the top of the German mountains. But this is no ordinary time, for it is 1935 and the Second World War is fast approaching; and this is no ordinary house, for this is the Berghof, the home of Adolf Hitler. Quickly, Pierrot is taken under Hitler's wing, and is thrown into an increasingly dangerous new world: a world of terror, secrets and betrayal, from which he may never be able to escape.
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Tove_Reads
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Just finished a book about the Taliban, so it‘s time to move on to read about the Nazis. The company I keep…

kplovesbooks Get a gigantic box of tissues for The Nightingale!!! Fantastic book, but 😭😭😭😭 3y
35 likes1 comment
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McFarchie
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Pickpick

I just finished this gem. Boyne really is the master!

CarolynM 👋Hi! Nice to see you posting again🙂 4y
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Stacked!! 📚 4y
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megnews
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Pickpick

John Boyne writes middle grade for adults. So much to think about. It was hard to stomach Hitler interacting with a child though.

#MGMarch book 16

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megnews
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LittleMoon
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Pickpick

This book made me cry...

It tells how innocent the children are in war and how propaganda has even influenced the people.
Very sad that children had to experience such times. 😞

⬇️What is your opinion on this book?⬇️

#johnboyne #germanbooks #cry #war #theboyatthetopofthemountain

megnews Just starting it. I‘ll let you know. 4y
8 likes1 comment
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TrishB
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#mistymountains #soaringscores
Another good one from Boyne 👍🏻

Suet624 He just can‘t seem to help himself. 5y
Cathythoughts 👍🏻♥️ 5y
Cinfhen Didn‘t know about this one 🙌🏻thanks for posting and sharing 5y
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CrowCAH Planes ✈️ coming out if the mist! 5y
Andrew65 Can‘t beat John Boyne. (edited) 5y
TrishB @Andrew65 👍🏻 5y
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Samplergal
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Pickpick

Excellent. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

TrishB It‘s a good read 👍🏻 5y
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Samplergal
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1. I made some blueberry coffee cake. 2. Another John Boyne Book. My library doesn‘t have many of his. 3. I have been in 39, but within a year it should be 48. 4. No, but I have a few beloved ones I‘ll never part with. 5. We are talking Cayman Islands and Denmark.

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sammisho
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Mini road trip! Addi reading out loud to me is better than any audio book!
#raisingreaders

LoverofLit 😍😍😍😍 6y
55 likes1 comment
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emilyhaldi
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Mehso-so

As crazy as this may sound, I had NO idea this was YA going in... but of course realized it quite quickly. I have so much trouble judging YA- this book in particular felt so dumbed down and hollow. But is that just bc I‘m not the right audience? Either way, I can‘t say I enjoyed it much. Too bad considering I had anticipated loving everything by Boyne!

I read this book instead of THIF to represent Cincinnati in the #marchmadnesschallenge! 🏀🤞🏻

JenP You‘re having a rough run of challenge books. Hope the next one is better 7y
Rachellynnwright Yes, I find it hard to judge YA as well. The writing does tend to be less sophisticated than my liking, and I usually assume it‘s because I‘m not the right audience. But is this just an excuse for poor writing? 7y
emilyhaldi @JenP unfortunately, #3 is not going well so far... 😆 I was afraid I wouldn‘t like this one as I really disliked Sing, Unburied, Sing, but wanted to give Ward another chance. 😬😏 7y
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JillR I‘m reading this with my 10 year old & we‘re enjoying it in the context of reading it together - I think it‘s definitely confident reader/YA (he wouldn‘t have been ready to read it alone just yet). I can‘t say I‘d enjoy it as much reading in “adult” mode, if that makes sense! 7y
emilyhaldi @JillR that makes total sense! I think if I had read the book in that context I would have liked it much better ☺️ 7y
SandyW I tend to limit YA, unless it's fantasy, for that reason. 7y
Mdargusch Cute photo though. 7y
Kalalalatja I‘m planning on reading this as a substitute for THIF, and I‘m hoping it‘s good 🤞 7y
Reviewsbylola That‘s why I have never read Boyne‘s well known book. I want to read all of his books eventually but I don‘t like YA. 7y
emilyhaldi @Reviewsbylola I wish I had known! Oh well, I definitely won't be reading striped pajamas.... @Kalalalatja interested to see how you like it! You might not be as averse to YA as me though 😃 7y
111 likes10 comments
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mowayv6899
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Pickpick

Best reading partners ever.

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JillR
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Just starting this with Seth. A chapter in and I‘ve already had a little cry... #raisingreaders

TrishB This is a great read 👍🏻 7y
57 likes3 stack adds1 comment
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GinEyre22
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#currentlyreading while my cinnamon rolls are baking

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Lyanneee
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Pickpick

Such a poignant novel. Just like The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, this book made me feel so many things. Will definitely read all of his other books now. ❤

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mrp27
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#noteworthynovember

Yet another title from my tbr list by a favorite author and some beautiful #mountains to look at.

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MoniMaccheronis
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Absolut beeindruckend. Unbedingt lesen. Lauter Fäden der Geschichte hat Boyne meisterhaft verwoben. Bei uns wird heute gewählt und eigentlich müsste jeder der rechts sein Kreuz machen möchte, so ein Buch in die Hand gedrückt bekommen.

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Hollie
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Today I am #guilty of ordering the tagged book off of my son's scholastic book order for me. In my defense, it was only $5 and I'll share. Maybe I'll even tell him it's his. You know what, I'm not even sorry about it. No shame in my game! #fallintobooks

litenthusiast It's such a good book! 7y
LeahBergen I'd be right there with you!! 7y
Tamra Everything is right about sharing Scholastic! 7y
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Hollie @kcurtin it looks awesome! 7y
Hollie @LeahBergen I can't pass up that kind of deal! 7y
Hollie @Tamra I love that he's getting old enough that we can both read these books! 7y
minkyb No guilt necessary! 7y
Hollie @minkyb I knew Litsy would support me! 7y
41 likes8 comments
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Eggs
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Pickpick

WW II historical fiction from the author of Boy in the striped pajamas

Peterfox123 Thank you. Never knew about this book. 7y
TrishB This is great 👍 7y
Reviewsbylola I'm reading his newest book now and it's my first time reading anything by him. I need to check out his backlist when I'm done! 7y
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Jennb31
Pickpick

When absolute power corrupts absolutely the result is life altering as it was for a vast number of men and women, young and old alike during WWII. After reading this one, I am beyond words...

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Jennb31
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I had not heard of this particular novel until we were shopping for a new read aloud couple's book and I came across this bright read cover! Intrigued to read about Austria in WWII as that is the time period in which my father's mother, my Oma, grew up there.

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erzascarletbookgasm
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I think the number of books by #Irishauthors in my collection can rival the number of Irish pubs 🍺in my city. 😅
#marchintoreading @RealLifeReading

Cinfhen Nice 💚🙌🏻 8y
TheKidUpstairs That Dubliners cover is great! 8y
TheLondonBookworm You can never have an Irish book long enough or a pub large enough to suit me 😉😜😋 8y
67 likes3 comments
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TrishB
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#readinjanuary
Good month for me, I normally average between 8-12. Definitely blame it on Litsy.
Favourite was John Boyne one tagged here because it made me sad and was very topical at the moment.

Jennick2004 Did you use an app to make that list? ☺ 8y
TrishB @Jennick2004 it's just the notes app on my phone. I would love to be able to do some of the picture ones people do - but well beyond my capability! 8y
Reviewsbylola Great month!! 8y
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TrishB
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Pickpick

John Boyne does this sort of book so well 😢 thought-provoking, sad and definitely an eye-opener for discussion on innocence and corruption with younger ones. Written about Hitler, but sadly so relevant today.

KirstieE This is on my tbr for next month ! I really hope I like it 😊 8y
BookishMarginalia This was a hard one. Not graphic, just powerful. 8y
TrishB @KirstieE It's left me heart-sore 😧 8y
TrishB @BookishMarginalia agreed. Sad and thought-provoking. It's next on the pile for my 15 y/o. 8y
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EllieDottie
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Mehso-so

So I'm not sure how I feel about this book. It is a book to make you think, but it was overall darling than I thought it was going to be and I think that affected my overall view of the book.

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EllieDottie
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Planning a cozy night in! Starting this tonight. It was a gift and I really haven't heard anything about it but I'm excited to give it a try, the first few pages are good!

Suet624 What did you think of this book? 8y
EllieDottie @Suet624 I just finished it, it was petty good, but also pretty depressing. 8y
52 likes2 comments
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wallflower
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bookpusher
Pickpick

Fantastic, deep, moving, troubling: John Boyne serves it all up again. Highly recommended.
Possible pairings: Code Name Verity, The Nazi Hunters, The Hiding Place.
#bookaday #YA

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bookpusher
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"That's what I call real honest-to-goodness Christian charity. This is what people don't understand about you, Adolf." p. 158

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bookpusher
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This is how far I got before I was too nauseated to keep going. I guess that's how you know a book about WWII is doing its job.

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Emily92Bibliophile
Pickpick

A dark and beautiful story of a young, innocent boy who grew up under Adolf Hitler's wing, and became someone else entirely. The focus of the story is very interesting- the German side of WWII, from a young boys perspective, who becomes hungry for power in the shadow of a monster. Tear jerker: ✔️/3- some moments were very harsh and dark, but surprisingly not as sad as I had prepared myself. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

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Emily92Bibliophile
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Green Dragon tea and Oddfellows #BishiopArtsDistrict

MrBook Beautiful! Great pairing 😊👍🏻. 8y
18 likes1 comment
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EnidBiteEm
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Pickpick

I was half afraid to read this; The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas has never left me. Fundamental life lessons are explored in an engaging way and I would teach this. At times the dialogue felt annoyingly contrived, serving only to fill in history but the characters were drawn well and I experienced many of their stories as if the wire on the novel cover was wrapped around my heart. The ending was not as confronting as TBITSP, but the middle? Wow.

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Jcartier
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Pickpick

This was unexpectedly good. I liked The Boy in the Striped PJs but I thought this similarly named title by the same author would be weak. I was pleasantly surprised. It's got similar overtones but it was a solid read about the ease of corruption and the lifelong guilt that accompanies it.

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BookishMarginalia
This post contains spoilers
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This is the whole lesson of this novel, what we should NEVER forget. I don't think it's a spoiler, but @JaimitaPR thinks it might be, so I defer to her better judgment!

Lindy I don't consider this a spoiler. We know something happened, but not what. 8y
BookishMarginalia @Lindy Thanks! That's what I thought too. 8y
MisterWhitaker I have to read this now. The implications of this speech... 8y
7 likes3 comments
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BookishMarginalia
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Pickpick

An unsettling novel about a boy's indoctrination in Nazism, as he grows up in Hitler's mountain retreat as Hitler launches his campaign to "Make Germany great again." The novel asks an important question: "Is it really that easy to corrupt the innocent?" It provides no easy answers, and instead forces the reader to grapple with the complexities and ambiguities of what Arendt called "the banality of evil." Very worthwhile.

Bakingbookworm I also really liked it. Interesting to see how innocence can be corrupted. 8y
WanderingBookaneer @Chasingmermaids : Here's her review. 8y
subwayreads Adding it to my TBR! Thanks :) 8y
Melissa_D Is that a real quote? "Making Germany great again" sure does remind me of another campaign slogan. (Not making any comparisons, but wow.) 8y
BookishMarginalia @Melissa_D It is indeed a real quote. 8y
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BookishMarginalia
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Yes, THAT Henry Ford wrote a blatantly anti-Semitic tract. (I had to stop reading to double check online.) In the novel, Hitler gives a copy to the boy...

WordWaller Whaaaaaat. 8y
Suzze Living in Ford Country, yeah, he was quite the bigot. Sad. My grandmother lived next door to him in the early 1900s. 8y
Riveted_Reader_Melissa Yes, sadly the anti-Jewish propaganda was so high around the War that the US wouldn't take many Jewish refugees either. I was reading about it earlier this year after reading Anne Frank it reminded me almost exactly of the current arguments against Syrian refugees. 8y
Bookies Glad more people are discovering this. You should check our "Swastika Nation" by Arnie Bernstein. There was a whole nazi movement in the US! 8y
BookishMarginalia @bookies Thanks for the recommendation! 8y
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BookishMarginalia
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A discussion about the power of uniforms is particularly piquant given the context of the book --an orphaned seven-year-old boy goes to live with his aunt, the housekeeper at Hitler's mountain retreat, in 1937: "uniforms allow us to exercise our cruelty without ever feeling guilty."

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WanderingBookaneer
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@BookishMarginalia and @gibblr are at @TheBookmarkPR practicing for our #24in48 readathon event this weekend. #redbookcovers

Chasingmermaids Let me know if it's good!!! Sadly my ebook version had a lot of errors with formatting. 8y
31 likes1 stack add1 comment
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mboots
Pickpick

A good read that goes into the loss of Pierott's childhood innocence due to the evils of the world. It also deals with the guilt Pierott must carry with him as becomes an adult.

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mboots
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I have time to enjoy some of this book before work.

MrBook Great pic! 8y
2 likes1 comment
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Bausagerbooks
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Pickpick

Stærk og rørende bog om hvordan den franske Pierrot bliver til tyske Pieter.

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