Wow!

Water for Elephants

By: Sara Gruen

Grade I gave it: A+ (or 5/5)

pages:336

Water for Elephants was the GREATEST book! I thoroughly enjoyed it, there were not many lulls, if any, that I can remember. The author sweeps back and forth between the here and now to the past in the memories of an elderly man's mind. His memoirs as a vet traveling with a circus, are exciting, and enchanting.

It made me remember that so many times as a young person I disregard old people and how they think and the things they have seen and done, and yet if you take time to really sit down with them and listen, they have got some gems to tell! This is what I thought of reading this book. I felt as though I was sitting beside this poor lonely old man and listening to him tell me his great adventures traveling with the circus. I couldn't put it down!! I finished it in 5 days, and for me that is a record-at 335 pages!

I think I have said it here before, but this year I have made a pact with myself to branch out in my reading choices, and read some authors I wouldn't before. This was my first stepping- out- of- my- comfort- zone- read, and I was NOT disappointed. I am definitely going to be looking for other works by this author.

Next up: Entering Normal by: Anne D. LeClaire

Also a new author to me...so we shall see if I am satisfied and eager to reach for the next one I have by her: Leaving Eden

Water for Elephants

Well, I was happily reading through my old books when it dawns on me that "Wait a minute!! I have BRAND new books I could be reading!!! Why am I re-reading books that I have read before?" So, I chucked Mitford Years out the window...no just kidding, I would never treat a good friend like that, and went to round up all the books I have on my shelves that still need to be loved...I mean read...I found 30!!! and then I went to the mall and Water for Elephants was on sale-40% off, you KNOW I had to get it! Within a day of buying it, I was half way through!!! It is a true page turner!!! I love it! So, I guess this means that my list for the summer challenge has changed yet once again...I am going for 8 of my new books to be finished. I feel like I wasted so much time reading those other books...and now I'm starting the challenge over, except for the fact that I can't rewind time and go back to week 1...so, I will just keep plodding on...what can I say? Too many books!!! How in the world did I justify re-reading old ones?! Oh well, I am on the right track now!

Another finish!

I just finished What a Girl Wants about two minutes ago. I had read it before, but a few years back, and had forgotten many of the tiny details of the story, so it wasn't completely ruined for me. Now I think I will move onto The first in the Mitford Years series. I have read these too, but again it was such a long time ago I don't think I will remember much of the stories, so they won't be ruined. I have the first 5 in the series, I guess there are like 9 now, but I never bought 6-9, so I think I will read the 5 that I have and then opt to buy the next four in the series.

Which reminds me I spent like 35 bucks on books yesterday at amazon.com. Lets see? What'd I buy?

Three books on Oprah's Book Club list:
~Anna Karenina
~The Heart is a Lonely Hunter
~Drowning Ruth

And three on the Ballentine Reader's Circle list:
~The Mirror
~Leaving Eden
~Entering Normal

And a classic by Henry James:
~A Portrait of a Lady

I have made the decision to try to read more classics and finish more lists (Book club lists and award lists, and classics, etc) than just randomly picking up a book and saying "Oh! That looks good, I want that!" I am also trying to break out of my women's lit addiction. I have a tendency to read only those authors which I have read before and love, most are women:

Maeve Binchy
Nora Roberts
Belva Plain
LaVyrle Spencer
Barbara Delinsky
Kristin Hannah
Luanne Rice

I am really trying to broaden my horizons when it comes to my book choices. And so I think I am doing pretty well with these new book choices. I am breaking out of my comfort zone. plus picking a list and working off it sorta gives one a sence of accomplishment, or a goal.

If you are like me and like lists of books to work through, check out: http://www.listsofbests.com/

There are lists of books galore! Plus music, movies, places to visit, and more. I am working on 13 lists myself...all book lists. Oprah's Book Club being one of them, Pulitzer Prize Winners being another.

Well, I am off to pick up The Mitford Years #1, and check in with Father Tim! LOL

Finished with Anne of Green Gables.

Another book read! Onto #16...which I am already in the middle of, since I was reading Anne of Green Gables and What a Girl Wants simultaneously.

I finished Anne of Green Gables this morning. I wanted to finish it yesterday but that didn't happen as in the afternoon, I started feeling really sleepy and took a 4 hour nap in the afternoon, instead of reading! So, I have finished book #15 for my yearly 50 book challenge, and I finished the first book on my Summer Reading Challenge list.

That's amazing! I originally started off with 10 books for that challenge, and ended up with 12. I thought I had better add the two that concludes the Ashley Stockingdale series as well, so instead of 10 I have 12 now...it really WILL be a challenge. Seeing as how it is already June, and I have barely finished book #15 for the entire year, how am I gonna finish 12 books in two months if it took me over 5 months to read 15!??! I guess that is why it's called a Challenge.

Now I am thinking of starting Emma by Jane Austen as well, get a good head start on it. But we shall see. Right now I am going to concentrate on What a Girl Wants, and maybe start Mitford years #1.

Let the Challenge begin!

Well, The Summer Reading Challenge has started!!! I have to change the list for my SRC, I have Nora Robert's "Blue Smoke" on the list, but I finished it last night, so I started Kristin Billerbeck's "What a Girl Wants" this morning, so that I could add it to my challenge list, and take the Nora Robert's one off.

I am a little over half way finished with Anne of Green Gables already! I forgot how much I loved those books! The scrapes that poor Anne gets herself into...it is so funny! Well, we are in for some big thunderstorms tonight so I think I will go get comfy in my bed with Anne or Ashley (The main character in the Billerbeck book) and read my evening away, while yet another storm pummels us here in the big country.

I will write review of Blue Smoke tomorrow.