Welcome to Wondrous Words Wednesday, the meme for book nerds who want to improve their vocabulary. Visit Kathy at Bermuda Onion for links to more challenging words.
This summer, Marcus Zusak has dominated my reading. First, I enjoyed I Am the Messenger, a book many teens I know claim as “the best book I’ve ever read.” Stay tuned for a review.
Now I’m reading The Book Thief,a novel about a girl who loves books but unfortunately lives in Germany in 1941 when the Nazis burned many volumes. Zusak creates a unique spin on this World War II story with his poetic style and an unusual narrator (Death).
The Book Thief actually made my daughter cry. She rarely gets emotional about books. A wardrobe dilemma, maybe, but not books.
So I read with trepidation, because I frequently cry over books. (Especially The Fault in Our Stars and The Time Traveler’s Wife). I tried The Book Thief once before, in the dead of winter while I was postpartum. I couldn’t finish it. Too sad. But now, I’ve promised my daughter I’ll read it so we can watch the movie together.
I’ve got tissues ready.
Besides giving me great imagery, Zusak also uses some fantastic vocab. Here’s a sample:
He smiled loudest when the ring announcer listed his many achievements, which were all vociferously applauded by the adoring crowd.
Vociferous \vō-‘si-fə-rəs\ adj; from Latin vociferates, from voc/vox – voice + ferre to bear; marked by vehement, insistent outcry
Word Nerd Workout
Use vociferous in a sentence. My example:
The teacher struggled to elevate her voice over the vociferous complaints of her students about the bathroom pass policy.
Thanks for getting nerdy with me!
Julia
Spread the word on Twitter: Word nerd word from The Book Thief: vociferous = marked by insistent outcry via @juliatomiak