Water for Elephants

by Sara Gruen

This was my first Nook borrow from a friend.  Thanks Melissa!  Today is Monday.. she lent it to me Friday night and I'm done.  Once I started, I couldn't really stop.

Overall, I liked this.  There's a movie coming out towards the end of next month.  Not sure I want to see it.  The animal abuse is just not something I think I want to actually see.

This is the story of 90 year old Jacob.  His children have placed him in a home.  The day the circus is coming, they forget whose turn it is to visit and no one comes.  He really wanted to see the circus.  You see, he worked with the circus.  This is the story of the summer of 1931 and the circus he traveled with.  The animals he cared for.  The people he cared for.  This is the story of how a veterinary student ended up a circus veterinarian.

If you love animals, some of this is hard to take.  But I'm sure this is how it was.  Totally recommend this!


4 out of 5 stars.


Currently reading:  The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

I Still Dream About You

by Fannie Flagg

Haven't read a Fannie Flagg book in a long time.  This one was great.  It takes place in modern day Birmingham.  The main character is Maggie... she's a former Miss Alabama from the days of civil rights.  She's in her 60's now and she's planning to kill herself.  She's a very prim and proper southern lady... always caring what other people think.  She never got married.  Passed on several opportunities because she was going to NYC to be a famous model.  That didn't happen and now she's back in Birmingham, selling real estate.  Now she's tired of caring about what everyone thinks.  Plus, her boss and best friend died suddenly several years earlier and she's just having a hard time with out her.

She picks the day twice... closes her bank account, gives away all her clothes.  She has it all planned out, but something always seems to happen to delay her leaving, until finally she decides she doesn't really want to leave.   She wants to live!!  And it's a good thing she does!  Want to know why??  Read the book!


4 out of 5 stars.

Mini Shopaholic

by Sophie Kinsella

Dear Sophie Kinsella,

Please stop writing Shopaholic books.  They are horrible.  Of course, I've read all 6.  And there's going to be a 7th, isn't there?  Hollywood?  Ugh!  I can't take it!

love always,
Tina

I have such a hard time with people like Becky.  I know this is fiction, but fiction is based in reality, isn't it?  So that means there really are ridiculous people out there like Becky.  I hope I never meet one.  I don't know that I will be able to bite my tongue!  And if I can, it will hurt.  A lot.

I suppose I'm supposed to forget about my reality and get lost in books like these.  But they really stress me out!  And while I don't really like them, I have to keep going to be certain she is fine at the end.  After now 6 books, I should know that she's always ok.  But I still have to read until the end to be certain!

2 out of 5 stars.

Currently reading: I Still Dream About You by Fannie Flagg

ABCs

I'm stealing this from Danielle.  Her blog is a running blog, but as she says, she does other things, too.  I do things other than reading...

(A) Age: 36.
(B) Bed Size: Queen.  King won't go up our stairs.
(C) Chore You Hate: All of them.
(D) Dogs: Jeter, a papilion/sheltie mix and Barkley, a boxer.
(E) Essential Start Your Day Item: Diet Coke.
(F) Favorite Color: Green, blue and cranberry.
(G) Gold or Silver? Gold.  In any form.
(H) Height: 5'1"
(I) Instruments You Play: Flute and although it's been awhile, Bass Clarinet.
(J) Job Title: School Library Media Specialist
(K) Kids: No thank you!
(L) Live: Colden, NY
(M) Mom’s Name: Franceen
(N) Nicknames: 'T', but not so much any more.
(O) Overnight Hospital Stays? in kindergarten, so that was 30+ years ago!
(P) Pet Peeve: Public rudeness.
(Q) Quote from a Movie: "If you build it, they will come."
(R) Right or Left Handed? Right.
(S) Siblings: 1 younger brother.
(T) Time You Wake Up? Between 6 and 6:30 during the week, and whenever my eyes open on the weekend.
(U) Underwear: Usually.
(V) Vegetable You Dislike: Cauliflower.
(W) What Makes You Run Late: Husband getting up late pushes my time back.
(X) X-Rays You’ve Had Done: Right collar bone and teeth.
(Y) Yummy Food You Make: I don't really make anything news worthy.
(Z) Zoo, Favorite Animal: Polar Bear.

Running the Books: The Adventures of an Accidental Prison Librarian

by Avi Steinberg

I'm not really sure what to say about this one.  First, I take issue with him calling himself a librarian.  He doesn't have the degree, therefore he isn't a librarian.

That aside, this is a true story.  You won't find me working in a prison library.  No way.  But I guess someone has to do it, so a recent college graduate who doesn't know what else to do with his life would fit the bill.

There are parts where I think he is incredibly stupid.  There are parts where I feel that I would do the same thing, regardless of the 'rules'.  I guess I really did like this.  It's so far removed from what I would do with my life.  It was kind of nice to read something where the main character is not someone like me.  Will never be someone like me.

If you like libraries and/or books.  Read this.  Then get a hold of me and let's talk.  I don't think you will regret it!

3 out of 5 stars.

Currently reading:  Mini Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella

How Did You Get This Number

by Sloane Crosley

Didn't love this.  It was short stories about the author.  Some of the stories were funny.  Liked the one about all the family pets, although I didn't like the way it ended.  I guess I might have liked this better if the stories weren't about her.  I mean, what made her think writing stories about her life would matter to people who don't know her?  I read it... I read a review somewhere... Isn't that the way it always works?  I read a review somewhere that makes me think I want to read it, but then I never remember where I read the review!  Let's be honest, most of the reviews I read are in Time Magazine or Entertainment Weekly.  But it's also possible that I saw it on the library website when I first got my Nook and was looking for things to read.  It was ok.  Not like I'm mourning the time I lost while reading it.  I wouldn't warn someone away from reading this, but I wouldn't recommend it either.

2 out of 5 stars.


Currently Reading:  Running the Books: The Adventures of an Accidental Prison Librarian by Avi Steinberg

Mexico Reads

Pat and I spent Presidents week in Cancun, Mexico.  I did a ton of reading by the pool, and it would just take forever to do a post for each book.  So I'll give a few sentences about each here:

by Jeffrey Masson

I was already reading this before I got to Mexico, so I had to finish it before I started anything else.  It wasn't what I was expecting.  I thought it was going to be a nice little story about a dog who loved too much.  It wasn't.  It was nonfiction about how dogs think.  I found it very interesting.

3 out of 5 stars.

  by Jen Lancaster

This was next.  I found her self confidence amazing!  She knew what she wanted and went for it.  Things didn't always work out the way she hoped, but she tried.  And she talked about the failures as well as the successes.  Can't wait to read more by her!

4 out of 5 stars.

   by Spencer Quinn

This is the book club book.  I knew I had to read it before we came home, otherwise I wouldn't have time to finish it before the meeting.  This is the story of Private Investigator Bernie and his dog Chet, a failed K-9.  It's the first in the Chet and Bernie Mystery series.  I'll read more.  I'm a sucker for a good story with a dog.  I could have done without the violence to poor Chet, but it was part of the story, and he seemed to be fine.

3.5 out of 5 stars.



  by Rene Gutteridge

I would never have read this if it wasn't the "Friday Free Book" from Nook the day before we left for Mexico.  That, and had I not read through everything else so fast.  This is about what happens when private conversations become public.  Very interesting!  I'm thinking about suggesting it for the next book club!

4 out of 5 stars.



  by Paula McLain

This is the first non-Nook book I read that wasn't school related since I got my Nook.  I won it from Goodreads.com a while back.  It's an advanced reader copy, not available to the public until March 8th.  It's the story of Ernest Hemingway's first wife, Hadley.  I had to keep reminding myself that this was FICTION!  I've never read anything by Hemingway and don't really care to.  Had no idea how many times he'd been married and wasn't sure I cared about his first wife.  But since I won it, I gave this a try.  I brought it to Mexico just in case.  And since I read everything else I brought, I read it.  Couldn't put it down.  Going to suggest this for book club too!

4 out of 5 stars.



Currently reading:  How Did You Get this Number? by Sloane Crosley