Xy Z Z itibaren Stara Vyzhivka, Volyns'ka oblast, Ukraine
This is one of the best teen/adult books that I have read this year. An amazing story about the Holocaust with an unusual narrator--Death. Set during World War II in Germany, it is the story of Liesel Meminger, a foster girl living outside of Munich. Liesel has a strange compulsion to steal books, even though the consequences from the Nazis would be most severe if she was caught. With the help of her accordion-playing foster father, she learns to read and shares her stolen books with her neighbors during bombing raids as well as with the Jewish man hidden in her basement before he is marched to Dachau. He creates a remarkable "graphic" novel for Liesel that is integrated into the novel. An amazing literary achievement.
One man's struggle in keeping his indy bookstore alive. I read this before owning my own bookstore, and, while his writing is a bit choppy, I enjoyed reading his story. This won't teach you the ins-and-outs of running a bookstore, but it will give you some idea of the insanity it requires. Now that I'm running a store, I plan on re-reading it. I'm sure I'll have a different perspective.